Adios Chennai, Hyderabad Calling...

Chennai at twilight from outside my terrace

When Susan Deborah started the Chennai Blogger’s tablog “What Chennai means to me” and I joined in, I had no clue I would be writing a farewell post to Chennai today. In fact, just few months back I had written my first anniversary post in this city: Aah Chennai! But so it is, so it is. 

The blog baton was passed to me by Shantaram. You will enjoy his "Know my city better" kind-of post. Click here and read -:)

In this post, I recall what this city meant to me in terms of people, experiences and moments.

Standing atop a high cement traffic circle in Chennai Photo courtesy IACCHENNAI volunteers

When I moved into Chennai in May 2011, direct from United States, I could not have forecast that I would discover this city in such an unconventional way. No, I did not visit Mylapore Kapaaleshwar Temple or go to the famous churches or streets or museums in the city. But I remember picketing in strange street corners as part of the India Against Corruption group within a month of my arrival to this new city. I remember climbing up a cement circle in a major Chennai street intersection and holding an anti-corruption placard. I remember telling protesters to stay calm as cops moved into to arrest us for the June 8^th fast at a youth hostel venue. I remember going on bike campaigns with complete strangers to villages outside Chennai and watching them perform street plays. I remember getting arrested, entering the police van and rapidly messaging our communications team of the story unfolding inside the van while a Times Now journalist was shooting some questions. And I remember the Kalyana Mandapa where we were held--my way of discovering Chennai wedding halls, media, and making community-:). 

In the police van. Photo Courtesy, Vikram Vijaykumar

You may have visited Marina Beach but I discovered the sands on the night of Aug 20, 2011, when close to 10,000 strong crowd descended with a candle. Touched I wrote a post that night: "The Night when Chennai emerged". I can assure you I never thought I would discover any city in this way. 

And in those few months I found myself weirdly featured in a CNN-IBN documentary "Anna Hazare's army" (click here, interview from 19th min) and in an India Today article "The Other Annas" (click here) as part of the Chennai arm of the the movement. Suddenly I was nationally a Chennaite, hesitant inside, but nevertheless one.

Candlelight Vigil on Marina, Photo courtesy IACCHENNAI volunteers

Nor did I forecast who my friends would be in this new city. Young men and women in colleges, in early years of corporate life, and some middle aged and senior men and women—almost all with a social bent in their heart. Even if I had tried, I couldn’t have discovered them by myself—but the city thrust its best before me like fashion models walking the ramp. I saw folks volunteering with gusto—giving their time, energy and money. If it was not for India Against Corruption, then it was for Kodambakkam 2020 (a plan to rejuvenate a locality in Chennai by the year 2020) via Nallor Vattam or it was for cleaning up 13 kms of Chennai Coastal lines via Chennai Trekking Club or else it was for the 11 children’s homes via SevaiKarangal. Chennai, to me, will always be first and foremost, the city of volunteers.

Volunteers of Sevai Karangal celebrating New Year's at a Child home, Photo Courtesy Sevai Karangal volunteers

Volunteers of Chennai Trekking Club after organizing Neville's Dawn to Dusk Kid's Run, Photo courtesy by Durai Murugan

And then I found friends amongst trekkers and runners and cyclists. I can assure my readers I am not exactly an athletic person. But I found community and acceptance in this group-Chennai Trekking Club. My age did not matter. My accent did not matter. My views did not threaten. Folks in this group included me in a way that changed my perspective on things—I began to love being in the mountains, mountain streams and lakes and cooking on firewood a food that seemed unearthly tasty! Some of the trips were special and resulted in blogposts—like the overnight trek to Kaurav Kunda (Human Landscape), the crazy uphill motorcycle trip at Nagari (Doing Sehwag in Nagari), the lovely trek with Auroville kids (The Auroville Girls) or mid-sea diving near Kovalam (The Day We Went Mid-Sea). The trips stimulated my brain and egged on my writing.

Nagala East Trek with Aurovillians and CTC. Photo courtesy, volunteers of CTC

And more unearthly even, is how I launched on a Bharat discovery mission from this city. A lovely Gandhian lady in Sewagram whose father had served as Vinobha Bhave’s secretary told me how Gandhi spent his first few years travelling and learning about India first hand. I felt I needed to follow suit. The city provided me with the right networks and support and understanding of rural development issues through the program I worked for-Gramothan India. In the strangest of ways I had access to the best reading materials on rural issues, and meetings with those who had dedicated their lives to village upliftment, and encouragement to know more. In that sense, Chennai has been magical.

Jharkhand in Monsoon

 Lest you wonder if I ever saw Chennai’s architectural splendour—ahem I did, but again in a very different way. I joined a group of photographers celebrating Madras Day and thanks to them, I was able to see and photograph some of the sights. Here are some of my clicks from that trip.

Finally, the city has not been all goey and happy. I have had my moments of pain and utter grief. I have also lost friends and been disliked intensely. I have suffered loneliness for being me. I have lost loved ones. And perhaps most significantly, I have lost a dream. In that sense, I entered the city as a slightly anxious but wide-eyed idealist and I leave the city as an existentialist.

It is time for me to move to another city and Hyderabad it is for now. Adios Chennai or as my Spanish teacher taught me—Hasta Luego (See you later)!

I pass the baton back to the Susan Deborah who started the Tablog with this post, thus completing this circle. 30+ bloggers participated in this exercise. A google search on “What Chennai means to me” will yield you other posts. If you are a Chennai blogger and wish to join the group, please click on this Facebook group link.