Former Indian cricket captain M.S. Dhoni. | Photo Credit: M. VEDHAN
Just last week, the Tamil Nadu Government invited athletes from riot-hit Manipur to utilise facilities in the city for their training. A few months ago when rumourmongers worked overtime to spread fear among migrant labour there was a full-fledged exercise of reassurance that went a long way in restoring peace. Vanthaarai Vaazha Vaikkum Chennai (the city that offers life to those who come) is an oft-quoted expression and one that has rung true repeatedly.
Who is an outsider?
Who is an outsider in this city? None perhaps, for like most metropolises, this too has had a history of migration from all over, in search of better prospects. Chennai or Madras may have had an existence before the British but it cannot be denied that it grew only from colonial times. And that happened because of a happy admixture of people. The very first Indian who came with Francis Day was from Palakolu, which is in present-day Andhra. And so we had Telugus and Tamils to start with. With commerce came moneylenders, the Marwaris, the Gujaratis, the Nagarathars and the Arya Vysya Chettys. The Nawab’s presence meant Muslims. The weavers, who were vital to the growing city in the initial years were Telugu, Tamil and Saurashtrian. The last-named live even now in large numbers in Chintadripet, their surname of Sah being a dead giveaway. But ask them where they are from, and they will be puzzled. Chennai is home.
Presence of European
To this must be added the European presence – the Armenians, the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the English, with a handful of Greek, Swiss, German and French businessmen. This was the composition till the 1950s and 1960s, when the Andhra agitation, the Hindi protests, and the devaluation of the rupee depleted somewhat the outside presence in the city, giving it an image of insularity. But that was soon to change. Come the 1990s and liberalisation, and we had a whole lot of people – the Europeans were all back, together with Asians in large numbers.
And then we have had workers from practically all over India. We have had a Bengal Association for what seems forever here. There is a Bihar Association. The Gujaratis even have sub associations broken down by community. And come Navaratri, they organise all-night garba dances in the streets of George Town. And as for food, it would seem we have every state well represented in the city.
From The Hindu archives, I selected two news items – one on the Sikhs and the other on the Parsis. The former were already here by the 1930s. Let us not forget that the first family of Madras cricket is that of A.G. Ram Singh and he has a gate in his honour at Chepauk. But Sikh numbers swelled up post Partition, with Lt. Col. G.S. Gill playing an important role in settling the community in Chennai. From the news item we get to know that the Guru Nanak Sat Sangh was inaugurated in Madras in 1945. “After 1947, when men from the “lost areas” had to spread over the rest of the country to seek refuge, it was decided to have a temple of their own.” The Government had allocated land in T. Nagar and funds were being collected to build the temple said the report.
The other is the Parsi community. They have always had a record of silently integrating themselves wherever they went. Madras was no different. By the early 1800s we know that Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, Bart, had a Madras office. That probably marks the beginning of the Parsi presence. By 1910, there were sufficient members to warrant a Parsi Fire Temple. The Hindu was at hand to report on the inauguration. Since then, the Agiari as it is spoken of, continues to flourish, though the Parsis have dwindled. Not so the reputation of the city as a safe haven for everyone.
Over the years, many of the outsiders became insiders. It is hard to imagine M.G. Ramachandran or Rajini as an outsider. And what about our Thala – M.S. Dhoni?
