Koothapiran was the voice behind the programme Siruvar Solai, for over 30 years. He also gained popularity as a cricket commentator in Tamil.

Master storyteller and veteran dramatist Koothapiran, fondly known as ‘Vanoli Anna’, died on Tuesday morning. He was 83.

According to his son, N. Ganesan, Mr. Koothapiran suffered a heart attack at a relative’s residence in Hyderabad. Even on Sunday, December 21, he had acted in the play Oru Robo Vin Diary by N. Rathnam, his other son, in Chennai.

Mr. Koothapiran was born Nagapattinam Vittal Iyer Natarajan in Chidambaram, and assumed the pen name after his wife, Lalitha, suggested it. His penchant for children’s literature began during his school days. Born in August 1932, he moved to Chennai before Independence and studied theatre here.

He joined All India Radio as an announcer in the 1960s, and later started assisting with the production of children’s programmes when R. Aiyaswamy was ‘Radio Anna’.

Mr. Koothapiran was ‘Vanoli Anna’, the voice behind the programme Siruvar Solai, for over 30 years. He also gained popularity as a cricket commentator in Tamil.

He authored over 20 books, novels and plays for children. He acted in over 6,500 stage plays and adapted many stories for the stage including Kalki’s Devaki yi Kanavan and Amara Dhara.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – December 24th, 2014

Mr. Sampath, retired Senior Associate Editor of The Hindu, suffered a massive cardiac arrest. He was 78.

M.C. Sampath, retired Senior Associate Editor ofThe Hindu, passed away here on Saturday evening after suffering a massive cardiac arrest. He was 78.

He retired from The Hindu in 2012 after serving the newspaper for 50 years, not counting the five years during which he was the part-time correspondent in Chengalpattu. Joining the organisation in June 1961 as a Staff Reporter, he rose to become an Editorial writer and a Senior Associate Editor. He was also in charge of the Book Reviews for some years. For long years, he was writing the Religion column in the newspaper.

In his later years with the newspaper, as the seniormost member of the editorial team, Mr. Sampath assisted the Editor in managing the editorials for the day, finally seeing them off on the page after scrutiny.

MCS was an old school journalist who was meticulous in his commitment to accuracy, contextualising and fairness. As an editorial writer, he was clear-headed, sceptical about big claims, nuanced, and able to deal with complexity skilfully and to present a persuasive argument with ease. But he never shied away from expressing a forthright opinion on issues that mattered. And as a coordinator of editorials, willing to put in long hours, he was considered the safest pair of hands any Editor could wish for.

His father, the late K.M. Narasimhachariar, was the Agent for The Hindu in Chengalpattu. An M.A. in Economics from Madras University, Mr. Sampath was a genial friend, philosopher and guide to his colleagues. Though he was due for retirement in 1996, he was given extension of service till 2012 by successive Editors.

He is survived by his wife and two sons.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News / Chennai – December 21st, 2014

Chennai :

Have you ever had the misfortune of visiting the Chennai Corporation-administered crematoriums in the city?

Even if you had, you or grieving people neck-deep in their own worries and tragedy, may not have had time to notice the ‘funeral assistants’ soaked in all-pervasive soot and smell at the place you want to exit in a hurry.

Ganesan* and at least 37 others like him have made cremation their profession, for a paltry remuneration. “Our post has no specific name, and our salary ranges from 1,500 to 2,500 a month,” he says, rushing to add that for the past nine months even that salary has not been paid.

“It’s all the Madurai-based contractor’s attitude. While Chennai corporation pays 600 per body cremated here, the contractor pockets it leaving nothing for us. At best of times we used to receive salary once in only two-three months, now we have gone without salary for nine months,” Ganesan says. His colleagues nod in agreement.

When contacted, senior officials of the corporation said this issue was brought to their notice recently and they will enquire. “These employees are appointed by the contractors and we pay the contractor directly for every cremation. Since we have no arrangements directly with the employees we will look into this and ask the contractors to pay necessary amounts if it has not been paid,” an official said.

“Worse, we have not been given any basic safety gadgets such as mask, gloves, soap or any cleaning agent. Many of us acquire respiratory problems over a period of time. A doctor living nearby gives us masks free of cost, and treats us if we have any complaints,” another attendant said.

“If we make any demand and insist on enhanced or regular payment, we are immediately sent out of job,” he said.

Having heard of Chennai corporation’s Swarna Jayanthi scheme, which had been benefiting scores of sanitary and other workers engaged for daily jobs, they say they too could be roped in, so that they would be paid about 300 to 400 daily. “We have no complaints about the corporation, it is contractor who is standing between us and welfare,” said Ganesan. “Kin of the dead pay sums ranging from 2,000 to even 5,000 on their own volition. From out of the sum, the corporation staff posted here give us 1,500 to be shared by four of us,” an attendant working in Besant Nagar crematorium said.

“It is a difficult life. We need a decent salary and facilities such as masks, gloves, insurance and treatment.They are entitled to minimum wages, better service conditions, gadgets and healthcare. If they come together and fight for their rights, we are ready to initiate legal proceedings against the contractor, said Madras high court lawyer R Y George Williams.

*(Name changed)

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / TNN / December 16th, 2014

The Hindu Lit for Life 2015 – Poetry with Prakriti festival closes tonight with Delhi-based Hindustani classical musician Vidya Shah’s tribute to the music and poetry of the legendary singer Begum Akhtar in her centenary year. Excerpts from an interview with Vidya:

What drew you to Begum Akhtar and her work?

I learnt in the lineage of Begum Akhtar, taught by Shanti Hiranand, one of her senior-most disciples. So I grew up listening to vignettes about her life. Begum’s most important contribution to music was her singing of the ghazal, which is what drew me to her. Through this project, I’d hoped to highlight aspects of her life that reveal her greatness as a person, and the way in which she gave the ghazal a mainstream space in an otherwise hierarchical musical world. And since I’m presenting this at a poetry festival, I will look at the wonderful way in which she understood poetry, and the poets of her time, many of whom she had special relationships with. Her music was very much a part of that poetry, and it shaped her spirit and her singing.

Tell us about the process of creating this concert and its structure.

This concert is my understanding of Begum Akhtar, my perspective on her as a contemporary musician living in these times. I examine who Begum Akhtar was, her journey from being a bai to a begum, and in these journeys how she empowered herself with music and poetry. The performance is woven with a narrative that highlights interesting aspects of her life with anecdotes, some rare and others better known, which reveal how she could make such a fantastic impact on audiences even today. Choosing pieces from her vast repertoire was quite a difficult process. I was often overcome and overwhelmed with greed because I’d want to sing this song and that one too, because there are so many charming pieces she’s done. But ultimately, what I did choose are those that reasonably showcase the versatility of her singing, the richness in her choice of poetry and the journeys she made within her world of music.

What about Begum still resonates with audiences today?

It is musicians like Begum who paved the way for us. We don’t have the social baggage that they carried but we have the opportunities to present similar work. Begum was an assertive, independent feminist, who, despite the struggles in her life, was able to empower herself and others. For instance, in Hindustani classical music, the ritual of the ganda bandhan initiates one into a formal guru-shishya relationship. In her time, it was an entirely male practice. She was one of the first women to do it for her female students. So there was a lot of élan and strength to her as a person, and she found an amazing balance between her joie de vivre, and life’s struggles and sorrows. And that passion shows through in her music. Which is why she will remain relevant forever.

How has creating this project changed you?

Right at the start, I knew I could never reproduce or replicate Begum’s music. That would be impossible. The biggest advantage of her music, though, was the inherent quality that lets you imbibe it, absorb it, understand it, internalise it and make it your own. The project is now a year old and I’m still growing with it, still learning from it. It has given me a lot of humility and it’s been a humbling experience. It has also given me a lot of strength. I can now sense what must have been her greatness. And I’m excited to bring this now to Chennai, being a Tamilian myself, singing Urdu poetry here and sharing the life of a diva who wasn’t from here, but whose story still resonates here. I’m excited to be making that journey for myself.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Lit for Life / by Esther Elias / December 09th, 2014