Site Search

Custom Search

SR

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan dead

Renowned violinist Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, whose majestic bowing widened the circle of rasikas for Carnatic music, passed away here on Monday after a brief illness. He was 73.

He is survived by wife V. Bagirathi, sons V.R. Shekar, V. Srinivasan, V. Sridhar, V. Balasubramanian and daughter Bhanumathi Ramakrishnan.

Born on March 2, 1935, he trained under his father Ramaswamy Sastry. As a youngster, he accompanied stalwarts, including Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Maharajapuram Santhanam and Chittoor Subramanya Pillai. He also performed with legendary nagaswara vidwans such as T.N. Rajarathinam Pillai and Thiruvenkadu Subramania Pillai.

He made a mark in classical music as well as film music, and made conscious attempts to make music more accessible to the common man.

His foray into the film industry began with A.P. Nagarajan giving him a break in ‘Vaa Raja Vaa.’ From then, he gave several magical numbers and super hits that are among the eternal melodies in Tamil films.

In the film ‘Deivam,’ he had all his playback singers including Madurai Somu appear on screen.

His composition ‘Marudamalai mamaniyae murugaiyya...’ in Darbari Kanada made waves in the industry like not many songs have. Several other films such as ‘Agathiyar’ and ‘Raja Raja Chozhan,’ for which he scored music, were also phenomenal hits.

His interest in new attempts and innovations led him to work with veteran thavil vidwan Valayapatti Subramanian. They performed over 3,000 shows together which were also very successful. He also made a significant contribution to Tamil devotional music.

An able administrator, Mr. Vaidyanathan served as Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nadaga Mandram and also conducted the Thiruvaiyaru Thyagaraja Utsavam for several years.

Known for his dexterity and subtlety in handling the violin, he catered not only to the music scholar but also to the layman. His play reflected his own different moods and the demands of his audience with whom he established and enjoyed a good rapport.

He stopped accompanying vocal artistes in 1976 to concentrate more on solo concerts and was famous for his experiments on violin, which he referred to as fingering techniques.

Vaidyanathan, who had a long association with All India Radio, won several prestigious awards including the Padma Shri, Sangeeth Natak Academy award, Sangeetha Mamani and the Carnataka Isaignani award.

He also served as president of the Raga Research Centre.

Union Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation G.K. Vasan expressed his deep shock and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Guideline Values GUDUVANCHERI 2008-2009

Several shop floors gutted on Ranganathan Street

A fire that broke out in a multi-storeyed shop, Saravana Stores, on Ranganathan Street on Monday morning spread to the abutting utensils shop, damaging several floors in the two buildings.

Officials said two employees of the shop, Kottaisamy and Ramajeyam, were reported missing and efforts were on to locate them. Police and fire service personnel rescued 13 staff members from the shop. Fire service personnel said until the debris on the sixth floor of the utensil shop cooled, they would not be able to confirm whether there was any casualty.

Shop assistants were sleeping on the upper floor of the shops. More than 100 people spent the night in the building. The fire was contained around noon.

City Police Commissioner R. Sekar said they received a call at 6.10 a.m. and special teams were formed to cordon off the area and assist fire service personnel in extinguishing the flames. “With minimum traffic diversions, we ensured that the fire did not spread to adjacent buildings,” he said. “The cause of fire apparently seems to be a short circuit,” Mr. Sekar said.

Eyewitnesses said the fire was noticed around 5.45 a.m. on the second and third floor of Lucky Plaza that houses the godown of Saravana Stores.

It spread to the lower floors of the Plaza, a shopping mall with scores of small shops and to the nearby Saravana Stores building, housing the utensils shop. Within two hours, even as fire fighters were trying to put out the blaze, it spread to the adjacent jewellery shop.

Smoke billowed several metres above the buildings radiating heat. The smell of acrid smoke hung in the residential areas around Ranganathan Street, which remained congested with thousands of spectators mutely watching the flames in awe. Police used megaphones to regulate curious pedestrians thronging Usman Road.

Tension prevailed for an hour after the fire began, as people in Suganthi Mansion that shares a wall with Lucky Plaza were not aware of the commotion. A few men ventured into the building and police urged the groggy residents to vacate the premises.

Fire tenders and Metrowater lorries were parked on Ranganathan Street and Natesan Street and a sky lift was positioned on each street to fight the fire.

Three hours after the fire broke out, four explosions rocked the building causing fear that the building might collapse.

Fire officials attributed the explosions to bursting of refrigerators and air-conditioners in the godown.

When the fire fighters eventually entered the buildings they found four-foot high hot debris on the sixth floor of the utensil shop, said S. Veeramani, Divisional Fire Officer.

“We had warned the shopkeepers but they paid no attention. Even now they contend that it is the first time a major fire had broken out in the area,” he said.

“The building may require a stabilisation certificate from the Public Works Department officials before the owners can take up repair work.”

Central-Egmore link: Railways presses for NOC

The Railway ministry has asked the Tamil Nadu government to reconsider its decision to deny ‘no objection certificate’ (NOC) to the project that would provide 2.5-km rail link between Chennai Central and Egmore railway stations in the city.

The link, on elevated structures, would save both passengers as well as the railways considerable amount of money, since South-bound trains from the North and vice-versa take a 11.2-km circuitous and congested route via Beach, Royapuram, Washermanpet and Basin Bridge stations to reach their destinations, said Union Minister of State for Railways R. Velu.

He told The Hindu that on his instructions the railway authorities in Chennai had once again written to Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary seeking NOC. “I am planning to pursue this project vigorously.”

He said the main contention of the government was that the elevated rail structure would obstruct the implementation of the proposed metro rail project and the Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated highway, which would pass through Central station. The railways have pointed out that the metro rail track is going to be laid underground; and to cross the expressway, the rail line could be laid either beneath or above the expressway. “In a number of places in Delhi, railway lines, metro lines and flyovers criss-cross without any hurdle. I hope the State government will give its nod this time,” Mr. Velu said.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Marathon turns Chennai, Sunday livelier

The city turned out in its sporty best for the GiveLife Chennai marathon on Sunday. The number of participants went well above the registered 50,000 as celebrities, students, senior citizens, corporate firm employees and representatives from voluntary organisations gathered for the run. At 8 a.m., bunches of white and green balloons went up in the air amid loud cheers of ‘We love Chennai’. The event was the biggest marathon in the city in terms of the huge response it drew. The 7-km run was flagged off by Union Minister for Sports M.S. Gill. Actor Surya charmed the swarming crowd: “Be safe. Take care of the person beside you. You are running for Chennai.” Actor Napolean and Member of Parliament Kanimozhi added their words of caution.

Participants carried placards or banners bearing messages such as ‘Paint the plant green’ and ‘Please avoid plastic bags’. The marathon began near the Island Grounds entrance on Anna Salai and ended at Gandhi Statue on the Marina. The 21.09-km half marathon for professional athletes and a 3-km run for those above 50 years were also organised.

More Tamil medium students make it to engineering colleges through counselling

Over the last three years, the percentage of Tamil medium students making it to engineering colleges in the State through the government’s single window counselling system has almost doubled. Three years ago, the percentage of students from Tamil medium higher secondary schools opting for a BE degree through Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions was just 23 per cent. This year, the figure shot up to 43 per cent of the more than 74,000 students who were allotted seats, according to Anna University Vice-Chancellor P. Mannar Jawahar. He agreed that one reason for the jump could be the abolition of the common entrance examination two years ago. The year before the test was removed, the share of Tamil medium students was 35 per cent; the very next year, it had risen to 41 per cent. Simultaneously, the share of rural students has also gone up to 64.5 per cent.

College life could be tough for students for whom the city setting and the language of instruction is new. Last year, several freshers who had been toppers in their Tamil medium schools found themselves failing in an English medium university. Being unable to understand concepts in an unfamiliar language, several students said they were forced to resort to memorisation. The university had started special bridge classes to help such students. Dr. Jawahar said the practice would continue in all the university department institutions, though they would not be identified as sessions specifically meant for Tamil medium students.

The university does not want to give students an inferiority complex by labelling them that way, said Dr. Jawahar. Students with language difficulties also get special coaching by English Department staff.

Apart from academic coaching, students are also introduced to activities and lectures that help build their confidence and put them at ease, he said. Career counselling and self-esteem sessions are part of the itinerary for first year students, through activities sponsored by the NSS, NSO and Alumni Club.