Students take a walk down memory lane

CHENNAI: As a salute to the city of Madras, that has participated in several movements during the War for Indian Independence, the Bharat Sewak Samaj (TN) organised a day-long tour for 50 students of the Alpha College of Arts and Sciences on Sunday. Looking at the itinerary for the day, most students appeared befuddled at some of the places on the list: if they were surprised that VO Chidambaranar and Bharathiyar stayed in Perambur, they were taken aback when they saw that a divider between the ‘white and black towns’ was marked by ‘Esplanade’, just nigh of Parry's Corner and in plain sight. Guided around the city’s largely unheeded landmarks to the freedom struggle, Advocate V Raza Narayanan explains, “These days, Independence Day has become mostly about what special movie is on TV. So, when we have a recollective visit like this, well after that day, students might be more interested in recording the days and events our city has seen.”When the group finally entered the High Court, they were pleasantly surprised to see that the little Museum there had been opened for their viewing pleasure. “As I explained how the first mutiny took place outside the Pookadai (Flower Bazaar) Police Station, most of them began to look at the place with new interest,” he remarked. While it came as a surprise to them that Gandhi and Bharathiar had met at the place where the Chola Sheraton now stands, there was nothing short of silent admiration. It was the same case when the acting advocate narrated the history behind the now demolished Gaiety Theatre. “In 1939, when a film called Thyagabhoomi released and had run for 22 weeks, the British government decided to ban it. The police marched in during the matinee and asked the manager to stop the show. However, the manager refused saying that he would not screen more shows but only after the running one wound up,” he recounts. “And then the police marched in and charged the resolute cinema-watchers to forcibly remove them from the hall. That was a resistance in itself,” he concludes.