It’s been many months since I quit X (or Twitter or whatever). A few months since I even logged in. For some reason, I did today. Maybe because it is a slow day with many people still on holiday. One post caught my eye. Why do people romanticise Chennai, “of all places”, why Chennai? The intent of the original post is quite clear. Engagement bait. But for the better or the worse, it reflects the attitude of most people, whether native or outsider, of Chennai.
The dust, the humidity, the heat, the traffic (!), the bad roads, the garbage…there is a lot to complain about. But isn’t that true of most cities in the world? Especially megapolises? Then why does Chennai get so much hate? Why this almost coordinated campaign to malign a city that did literally nothing but exist? Anyway, here I am, on the other side, trying to answer this question.
I do not romanticise Chennai. For me Chennai is home. Home from the time of Madras. Cliched as it may sound, Chennai is a name; Madras is an emotion. “கந்தல் ஆனாலும் தாய் மடி போல் ஒரு சுகம் வருமா… வருமா…சொர்க்கம் சென்றாலும் சொந்த ஊர் போல் ஒரு சுதந்திரம் வருமா… வருமா…”
That is Madras aka Chennai. Marina Beach, Kabali Koil, Karpagambal Mess, Keera Vadai, Coffee…the quintessential Chennai. And more recently, drives down ECR for the heck of it, Besant Nagar with its beach and quiet neighbourhoods, OMR (yes OMR) with its chaotic traffic and metro construction…everything stands testimony to my journey from infanthood to now. And no matter how many things are wrong with Chennai, it will always be home.