Tamil Nadu 2006 |
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Week 1 pt 2Feb 8-9, 2006 |
Slightly frustrating day trying to arrange a meeting which may now happen at 5:00 or 5:30. Or maybe not. Spent the time doing some background reading on the Village Knowledge Centres history. Have had technical glitches with this website so can't manage the interactive stuff, such as the forum and guest book. Does anyone know anything about proxy servers? Its a topic I know nothing about, so error messages saying I need to tweak them could be in Tamil for all I know. I have installed a guestbook page here which will post your comments on this site If someone could use it just to send me anything so that I know it works, I would be grateful. (Is anyone reading this stuff?)
In the afternoon I braved the railway system to go halfway into Chennai to the Marina Beach. The Madras Rapid Transport System elevated railway runs close by and is very Indian. Once you have built enough of a thing to work, why rush to finish it off? The stations are vast concrete ruins which would make Piranesi envious (the architects amongst you will know what I am talking about) The superstructure is largely a thicket of rusty reinforcing rods. But the trains work and run bang on time. And at 5 Rs (2p) you really can't complain about the fares.
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A small temple seen from the railway station. Again, the red and white stripes are ubiquitous. These towers are called goporums and are very south Indian. I show them to students when talking about cherished and sacred landscapes. The tower represents Mount Kailas, which is the most sacred in the Himalayas. Considering how far we are from there, it is remarkable how this structure dominates South Indian temples. |
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As I said, the stations are not quite finished yet... Work seems quite random, marble floor slabs are being laid whilst all work on the structure seems to have stopped. The interiors below are vast, dirty, empty and smelly. What they plan to fill them with is obscure. |
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But the trains are quite punctual. There are no doors and the instructions printed inside "Exercise care during entraining and detraining" seem well founded. A ticket costs 6 Rs (about 4p) Penalty for being caught without one is 2,500 Rs (£30) or 10 months in prison. The latter seems a bit harsh. |
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Statue to Gandhi on the sea front. You cannot overemphasise the importance of this man to India. His name comes up in every conversation, he is quoted to justify or condemn just about every action. This is one of the genuinely great figures of history. There aren't very many of them. |
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Fishermen on the beach, resting behind heaped nets. On Boxing day, 2004, this view would have been straight into the tsunami. Curiously Chennai suffered no more than an unusually high tide. 50km down the coast villages were simply washed to oblivion. The fishermen and their families live right here. The high tide level is marked by an unbroken line of human excrement at all stages of desiccation. Not a swimming area. Going for a walk is a challenge, you can't swan along and admire the view. You have got to watch your feet. |
This beach is claimed to be the second longest in the world. Which is number 1? No one can tell me. Very irritating.
Frustrating place to work. The lady who runs the GIS lab here, Ms. Gnanapagiham, is on tour and won't be back at least until tomorrow. She trained in Chennai, so I hope to get some contacts from her to the university.
I think I have corrected the problems with editing this web site, so may be able to do it more simply.
Background reading I have done into the Village Knowledge Centres (VKC) makes interesting comparison with the infamous "Honduran Project". That was a big money, national level scheme which was then trialled at local level, with little success. All the effort had gone into the big project, and the local participation came afterwards and showed there was little relevance. The VKC starts at discussion with local villagers and only then moves forward if they are interested, prepared to make personal commitments in cash or kind, and put forward local volunteers for training and management. Only then does it move forward for commitment to development. I think this comparison may form the core of outputs from my visit.
In the afternoon I took the train into the centre of Chennai to see the local Drag, Anna Salai Road. I weakened and went into the Taj Connemara Hotel for lunch and a beer (first for a week, well five days). These places emphasise the extreme contrast in India. Inside you are treated like a King in polished marble luxury. Step outside and you are dodging excrement and pariah dogs. You either like it or loathe it.
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Autorickshaws and bullock carts. Crossing roads is an act of faith. Some are very wide and the traffic is shoulder to shoulder (literally) and takes no prisoners. |
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Many of the adverts are hand painted. The wording is curious. One read "Handcuffs; dressing the man's ego". A clothing shop chain I think. I might pop in one evening. |
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What can be carried on a bike is unlimited. This bicycle rickshaw is quite lightly loaded. They often have a bell dangling underneath which clatters on the road and gives some sort of warning. How anyone hears it above the cacophony I don't know. |