I love India, I love Chennai....
A long time ago, I was
informed that it is actually just 9 I got drawn into a group called I-Fix, another
initiative that was formed on idealism, fuelled by youthful energy with a
desire to make a change. There may have been others, in fact I remember voting
for Lok Paritran, remember that party of youngsters like Surya in Ayudha
Ezhuthu who wanted to clean the muck of politics and contested with the symbol
of an axe?
I-Fix wanted to make a
change by doing little things by the individuals themselves without waiting for
institutional or government support. Yes even before the politicians made “Namakku
Naame” an election stunt, there were initiatives by the common man who sought
to make things right one step at a time. I-Fix was into fixing potholes, those
silent killers that we loathe on the roads but seldom find any solution to
including not meeting the elected councillors for resolution. I-Fix volunteers
used to meet quietly in some predetermined spot and fill the potholes with
available material and tools. I remember going for a couple of these pot hole
fixes.
Like other initiatives
I-Fix also receded from memory and it was a pleasant surprise when a mail came
with a reference to I-Fix and with an invitation for something new. Since I-Fix
days I have been following the key person Vijay
Anand online and so when the mail came from him I probed further. The
initiative was interesting, outrageous and yet it was idealistic. I was hooked.
The reason was very simple, I love India, and I love Chennai a.k.a Madras.
Let me digress for a
moment to give a personal back ground: Off late I tend to fly at least twice a
month so I use the now much hated Chennai airport at least 4 times. Make no
bones about it, we the people of Chennai deserve a better airport than this one
which I am told was in the news again for having the 63rd instance
of a glass panel crashing down. Yet this airport has one redeeming feature,
each time I exit it I look up at the majestic Tricolour flag which flutters
across the sky. If you are scratching your head and wondering about it, watch
it for it the next time you go there. A 100ft odd (I’m guessing) tall flag mast
with the tricolour is near the Canon board that is now the landmark for the app
driven cab operators.
This flag
always brings a smile to my face and for a brief moment it makes me feel proud
of being an Indian. The flag sadly is almost out of sight for those outside
thanks to the Metro that completes dominates the skyline. The flag howver
reminds me of yet another flag which I saw in Connaught Place Delhi which is breath-taking
for its size and appearance and more importantly for its location. There is
something magical about the Tricolour fluttering high in the sky and this magic
has drawn other like-minded people together for an initiative called The
Chennai Tricolor Initiative (excuse the American spelling).
I am now sharing below
the details of the initiative from the website:
Initiative
Overview
Summary
Chennai Tricolor is a
volunteer driven initiative (open to all), with the mission to install a
monumental flag in Chennai in Marina Beach.
What
Is The Issue, Problem, Or Challenge?
Since the Monumental
Flag went up in Delhi, there are several cities across the country which have
gotten monumental flags installed. Chennai is yet to have a flag that is in a
public space. While it has been typically institutions - war memorials,
airports, ports, and institutions that have been setting up these flags, in the
true spirit of Chennai that was on full display during the Chennai floods, we
thought about this initiative being one that is of the people. We will still be
working with the government on land permissions etc, but this will be a
citizens' owned initiative.
Key
Information
Height of Flag Pole
being Planned: 207 ft
Ideal Location being
Planned for: Marina Beach, Chennai
What does it cost: ₹ 40 Lakhs
When: August 15th or
August 22, 2016
_________________________________________________________________________
Why should you be a part
of this initiative?
- Because
it is a community initiative by folks who call Chennai home
- Because
it is done by your friends
- Because
you love the Tricolour
- Because
you love Chennai
- Because
you…
- Because
you…
- Because
you…
- Because
you…
- Because
you…
- Because
you…
- Because
you CAN
Do join this initiative
and share it among your friends and family. One day when you go to the Marina
and see the Tricolour fluttering majestically above, you can tell everyone “I
am a part of this”.
Read more about this
initiative here: http://www.chennaitricolor.in/
You can sign up for the
Change.org petition which is to gather support for the initiative here: https://www.change.org/p/dr-b-chandra-mohan-support-installation-of-a-monumental-national-flag-in-chennai?recruiter=8278774&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink?recruiter=8278774&utm_source=petition_show&utm_medium=copylink
Image courtesy – Google Images
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