Launch of Chennai Poromboke Paadal Ft By T.M Krishna on 14th Jan 2017

14 January, 2017. CHENNAI -- Noted writer Perumal Murugan today released an unusual music video titled “Chennai Poromboke Paadal” featuring T.M. Krishna that highlights the Ennore Creek as an environmental crime scene. Shot in and around the Ennore creek, the campaign film conceived by city-based environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman focuses on the encroachments by Kamarajar Port and the rampant flyash pollution by TANGEDCO. The video, which was directed by Rathindran Prasad of Kodaikanal Won't fame, is unique in many ways. The song, written by up-and-coming singer, songwriter Kaber Vasuki, was originally sung as a Tamil rock song and later rendered to Karnatik by R.K. Shriramkumar. The song can be viewed at https://youtu.be/82jFyeV5AHM or by visiting storyofennore.wordpress.com.

“It is the first time a Karnatik song has been sung in Madras tamil, and the first one to deal with a contemporary local environmental issue,” said singer T.M. Krishna. “The artistic appeal was only one factor that prompted me to be a part of this collaborative arts project. I felt compelled to respond to the horrendous things that were being done to the Ennore wetlands in the name of development,” he said.

“Poromboke is a public space, the property of the entire community. Not just in Ennore, in no place else should Poromboke spaces be encroached,” said Perumal Murugan.

The devastation left by Chennai floods and the Vardah Cyclone, and the disaster to come in the form of heat waves and water scarcity are all a result of how society has abused its poromboke commons.

“At a time when Tamil culture is the subject of a national debate, it is worth remembering that protecting the Poromboke commons is also a revered Tamil tradition,” said Nityanand Jayaraman. “Poromboke is an old Tamil word meaning shared-use community resources like waterbodies, seashore and grazing land that are not assessed for tax purposes. Today, it has become a bad word used to describe worthless people or places,” he said.

“Art and artists have a major role in shaping society and its cultural values. That is why I took on this project to restore and reclaim the lost respect for Poromboke commons in general, and Ennore in particular,” said director Rathindran Prasad.

Stretching from Pulicat in the North to the Manali marshlands to the south, Chennai's largest surviving wetland complex drains both the Araniyar and Kosasthalaiyar. CMDA has earmarked more than 2000 acres of wetlands for setting up hazardous chemical industries. The video ends with a request to viewers to sign a petition to the National Green Tribunal asking it to take action against “inept, corrupt and unaccountable regulators” like Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), State Coastal Zone Management Authority (SCZMA) and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA).

“We have lost hope in the authorities; that is why we are approaching the NGT. The same TANGEDCO that is dumping flyash into the river every day is now cutting down its greenbelt and constructing a new power plant without a license from CMDA or TNPCB,” said D. Selvarajan of Kaattukuppam. A 1996 order of the Madras High Court expressly directs TANGEDCO to stop discharging flyash into the creek and salt pans, and orders it to clean up the already spilled ash. “TNPCB will not stop TANGEDCO's illegal discharge or unlicensed construction. NGT should intervene suo motu,” he said.

For more information, contact: Nityanand Jayaraman – 9444082401

A Justice Rocks Initiative.

No. 92, 3^rd Cross, Thiruvalluvar Nagar, Besant Nagar, Chennai 600090

To view video, visit storyofennore.wordpress.com 

Note: The music video production was a volunteer-driven effort, with artists, editors, cinematographer, director and producer contributing pro bono.

Voice: T.M. Krishna

Lyrics: Kaber Vasuki

Music: R.K. Shrikumar

Direction: Rathindran R. Prasad

Credits:

Recorded at VGP Studios.

Recording Engineer: Biju James

Musicians:

Violin – H.N. Bhaskar

Mridangam – Praveen Sparsh

Kanjira – B.S. Purushotham

Translation:

Aniruddhan Vasudevan

Karen Coelho

Tamil Text: Gajendran

Colourist: Balaji Gopal

Costume Designer: Jayalakshmi Sundaresan

Editor: Anand Geraldin

Cinematographer: Karthick Nallamuthu

Producer: Archanaa Seker

Production Assistants

Akhil Al Hassan

Pooja Kumar

Pradeep K

Veronica Angel

Assistant Director: Gopalakrishnan

Assistant Editor: Ajith Kumar

Camera Assistants: Stephen S. Balakumar, Mathi

Community Relations: K. Saravanan, R.L.Srinivasan, A. Venkatesh, Santosh Kumar R.