A happy ending

Being part of Madras Week this year was fun. Although several plans were made during our (you can call us the ‘catalysts’) luncheon meeting at the Accord Metropolitan in May and some of them did not take off, we were all happy at the end of the week. For one, newspapers and media reserved quite a bit of space for covering events during the week, and, for another, many more people came forward this time voluntarily to support our effort.

One of the points we debated on was whether to have two or three speakers speaking on the same day at the same time at different venues. This year’s experience has shown that if you offer something worthwhile, there are people to come and listen or watch. For example, we had not bargained for many visitors at the Gallery Sri Parvati. And that is how it really turned out. But, although there were about 15-20 people in the hall, most of them were there because they were interested. Yes, one of the things that we need to do the next time around is to get more action in Tamil – more Tamil speakers, for instance.

Of course, quite a few did mention that they just couldn’t decide which venue to go to. That obviously cannot be helped, can it? One of the objectives is also to have smaller programmes in different neighbourhoods so that residents in these areas can participate in the celebrations of the founding of the city.

If you ask me, the heroes this year during Madras Week were the students, teachers and professors who not only managed to put together a variety of programmes at short notice, but also displayed a lot of enthusiasm showcasing what they had prepared.

Those who wish to possess something special can call the Mylapore Times office (24982244) and see whether the Madras Day T-shirts are still available. If you are lucky, you can grab last year and this year’s T-shirts for as little as Rs 180. So, go for it!

To all those who supported Madras Day and Madras Week, many, many thanks. Till next year, then!