The Hindu : Fun, chaos on the Marina

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 02, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Fun, chaos on the Marina

By K. Manikandan

CHENNAI JAN. 1. Two-wheelers collided, mobile phones were jammed and policemen strained every nerve to keep the trouble-mongers under check. New Year celebrations in the city had its usual share of fun, nuisance and sorrow.

The New Year revelry claimed the life of a 23-year-old college student. Pratap Sundar, a student of a private polytechnic, died when the two-wheeler he was riding with his friend, Suresh, skidded and fell down.

Those used to driving recklessly on the Besant Nagar beach road were a disappointed lot this time around, as the police blocked all vehicles at the entry points leading to the Elliots Beach. Driving on the stretch of the road between Besant Nagar and the Marina was perhaps the riskiest thing to do.

Two-wheeler riders removed the silencer from their vehicles and with autorickshaws and cars battling for supremacy, chaos reigned supreme on this road. Nearly a dozen two-wheelers skidded after losing control, causing bruises to the riders. While the police pulled up many drunken riders and others travelling `triples', many others managed to give the slip to the uniformed personnel. Towards midnight, more people flocked to the Gandhi statue on the Marina. The clock tower of Simpson's was specially decorated. Loudspeakers were attached to the clock to make the `chimes' audible for the milling crowds by the sea.

At the stroke of 12, the crowd went berserk and threw in the air whatever they had at hand — plastic covers, disposable glasses and caps. Those who had nothing in hand pulled out grass, broke twigs from trees on the lawns and threw them into air.

When things seemed to be getting out of hand, the policemen pushed them back.

The police were relieved that the revelries passed off peacefully with no major untoward incident being reported from anywhere.

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