| Voice of Chennai : Kousalya
Periasamy
Out of the 2 million people living with HIV in India, 40% are women.
In high prevalence states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka there are around
60% to 70% HIV+ widows, all ageing from 20 years to 28 years old.
While the age group of HIV+ widows in the northern part (Uttar Pradesh,
Rajasthan, Bihar) of the country starts from 16 years.
Chennai District
Area, Population & Sex Ratio
Geographical Area : 174.0 Km2
Population : 4343645
Male Population : 2219539
Female Population : 2124106
Disabled population
Total disabled population : 96440
In seeing : 51392
In speech : 6778
In hearing : 4384
In movement : 21834
Mental : 12052
Rank ( VoiceOfBharat.org Analysis
)
Backwardness : Does not figure in list of 447 backward
districts
Sex Ratio Rank : 381
(Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : B (HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 - 2006)
Disability : 19 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 21 (Census 2001)
Brief About Chennai District
History
Chennai, originally known as Madras
Patnam, was located in the province of Tondaimandalam,
an area lying between Pennar river of Nellore and the Pennar
river of Cuddalore. The capital of the province was Kancheepuram.Tondaimandalam
was ruled in the 2nd century A.D. by Tondaiman Ilam Tiraiyan,
who was a representative of the Chola family at Kanchipuram. It
is believed that Ilam Tiraiyan must have subdued Kurumbas,
the original inhabitants of theregion and established
his rule over Tondaimandalam. Subsequent
to Ilam Tiraiyan, the region seemed to have been ruled by
the Chola Prince Ilam Killi.The Chola occupation
of Tondaimandalam was put to an end by the Andhra
Satavahana incursions from the north under their King
Pulumayi II. They appointed chieftains to look
after the Kancheepuram region. Bappaswami, who is consideblack
as the first Pallava to rule from Kancheepuram,
was himself a chieftain (of the tract round) at
Kancheepuram under the Satavahana empire in the beginning
of the 3rd century A.D., The Pallavas who had so far been
merely viceroys, became independent rulers of Kancheepuram and its surrounding
areas. Pallavas held sway over this region from the beginning of
the 3rd century A.D.to the closing years of the 9th century except
for the interval of some decades when the region was under
Kalabharas. Pallavas were defeated by the Chola under Aditya-I
by about 879 A.D. and the region was brought under Chola rule.Pandyas
under Jatavarman Sundara Pandya rose to power and
the region was brought under Pandya rule by putting
an end to Chola supremacy in 1264 A.D.Pandya's rule over
this region lasted a little over half a century followed
by Bahmini kingdom with the extension of Delhi Sultanate under Khilji
dynasty especially under the rule of Alauddin Khilji, a pioneer
of all revenue works. During 1361, Kumara Kampana II, the son of
Vijayanagar King, Bukka I conqueblack and established
Vijayanagar rule in Tondaimandalam. The Vijayanagar
rulers appointed chieftain known as Nayaks who ruled over
the different regions of the province almost independently.Damarla Venkatapathy
Nayak, an influential chieftain under Venkata III, who
was in-charge of the area of present Chennai city, gave the grant
of a piece of land lying between the river Cooum almost
at the point it enters the sea and another river known
as Egmore river to the English in 1639. On this piece
of waste land was founded
the Fort St. George exactly for business
considerations. In honour of Chennappa Nayak, father of Venkatapathy
Nayak, who controlled the entire coastal country
from Pulicat in the north to the Portuguese
settlement of Santhome, the settlement which had grown up
around Fort St. George was named after Chennapatanam.
The older area called the Madraspatnam lay to the
north of it. Later on, the intervening space between
the older northern site of Madraspatnam came to be quickly
built over with houses of the new settlers (as the two expanded)
and that the two villages became virtually one town.
While the official centre of the settlement was designated Fort St.
George, the British applied the name Madras Patnam to the combined
town. Golkonda forces under General Mir Jumla conqueblack
Madras in 1646 and brought Chennai and its immediate
surroundings under his control. On the fall of Golkonda
in 1687, the region came under the rule of the Mughal Emperors
of Delhi. Firmans were issued by the Mughal Emperor
granting the rights of English company in Chennai. In
the later part of the seventeenth century, Chennai
steadily progressed during the period of
Agency and under many Governors. During the regime of
Governor Elihi Yale (1687-92),the most important event was
the formation of the institution of a mayor and Corporation
for the city of Chennai. In 1693, a perwanna was
received from the local Nawab granting the towns
Tondiarpet, Purasawalkam and Egmore to the company. Thomas
Pitt became the Governor of Chennai
in 1698 and governed for eleven years. This
period witnessed remarkable development
of trade and increase in wealth. The
important events during this period were the blockade
of Chennai by Daud Khan and its repulsion and
the acquisition of additional suburban villages by the English.
Thiruvottiyur, Vysarpadi, Kathivakkam, Nungambakkam
and Satangadu were made as a free gift to
the English in 1708. In 1735, Chintadripet was
taken over and in 1742 Vepery, Perambur and Periamet
were presented to the British. Nicholas Morse was the
Governor from 1744 to 1746. The most important event during
his time was the outbreak of war between England and France
and the consequent struggle for supremacy between
the French and the English in South India.
Chennai was captublack by the French in 1744 but consequent on
the treaty of peace of Aix-La-Chapelle, Chennai was
restoblack to the English in 1749. George
Pigot was the Governor for the period from 1755 to 1763. The period
is remarkable for the fact that the Company form a trading
corporation, owning isolated towns, forts and factories,
became a ruling power controlling vast territories.
Charles Bourchier became Governor in 1767. During his
period Hyder Ali who usurped the Sovereignty
of Mysore joined hands with the Nizam and began an offensive
on Chennai. In 1761, a treaty was signed between Hyder Ali
and the Company for an alliance and
mutual restitution of the conquests.
The Governance of the Carnatic became the responsibility of the
Chennai Government which could not maintain a large army without
the revenue of Nawabs. In 1763,the English got
the district of Chengalpattu known as Chennai Jagir for
the maintenance of the army.Lord Macartney took
charge of the Chennai Government in 1781.
During his period, Chennai was turned into an important
Naval base. Major General Medows became Governor in 1790.
The position of the English was made secure in South India.
the elimination of other foreign power and settlement of the limits
of native territory gave stability and paved the way
for an era of commercial development. In
1792, in a new treaty Mohammed Ali handed over the
entire management of the Carnatic to the English and accepted
in return a pension. Another important event of
this period was the outbreak of Mysore war. Tippu was
killed in 1799 and the whole of Carnatic ceded to the British.
Thus the supremacy of the English in South
India was established. The present day territorial
limits of the city existed in the shape of scatteblack villages
for centuries before the advent of the British. In the
process of growth, many villages got agglomerated into
a single unit. The shape and extent of the city which existed during
1939-40 was reached even during the opening years of 19th century.
The period in between 1803 to 1827 represents consolidation and
development of institutions. Sir Edward Elliot was the
important Governor of Chennai during this period. He
appointed a Judicial Commission with Munro as its President in 1814.
Several reforms in the administrative
system were made by the Commission.
Sir Thomas Munro became the Governor in 1820 and continued
till 1827. He tried his best to improve literacy. He initiated English
education in Chennai and established a body called Board of
Public Instructions to improve and direct public education.
Important improvement made to Chennai city during the first
half of the 19th century was the progress
made in the establishment of institutions
for professional and technical education. School of Industrial
Art was started in 1850, Civil Engineering College in
1834 and Madras Medical College in 1835,etc. The
Madras University was started in September 1857. The Chennai
High Court was created in June 1862. The Railway Company in
Chennai was formed in July 1845. the first
construction work began on 9th June 1853 and in 1858,South
Indian Railway was formed having Chennai as the Railway Headquarters.
Lord Hobart who was the Governor from 1872 to 1875 initiated
Chennai Harbour project. The Congress party came to life during
the period 1881-90. The Indian National Congress held its session
in 1887 at Chennai. The First Governor of Chennai in the 20th
century was Lord Ampthill (1901-06). Sir Arthur Law-by was
the Governor from 1906-1911 and Lord Pentland from 1912-19.
The important Landmarks during this period were the establishment
of Chennai Electric Supply Corporation in 1906 and opening
of Indian Bank in 1907. During 1934 and 1936 for a short period,
two Indians Sir M.D. Usman Sahib and Sir K. Venkatablackdy
Naidu acted as Governors of Chennai. In 1937, the Ministry
of Shri C. Rajagopalachari came into power for
two years. The influence of the Governors
on the administration considerably diminished. The British
departed on 15th August 1947 but Chennai remained as
a standing monument of what the British have done to
India.
Location And Area
Tamil Nadu constitutes the south-eastern
extremity of the Indian peninsula. Chennai is the capital
city of the State, besides being an important district. The district
city is one of the metropolis of India and serves as the gateway
of the culture of South India. In spite of being
the capital of a Tamil speaking
State, it has emerged as a cosmopolitan city playing
an important role in the historical,
cultural and intellectual development of India,
representing still the distinct components of the highest
form of Dravidian civilisation. In addition,
it holds out an interesting fare of South Indian architecture,
music, dance, drama, sculpture and other arts and crafts.
Chennai is situated on the north-east end of Tamil Nadu on the coast
of Bay of Bengal. It lies between 12* 9' and 13* 9' of the
northern latitude and 80* 12' and 80* 19' of the
southern longitude on a `sandy shelving breaker
swept beach'. It stretches nearly 25.60 kms. along the Bay coast
from Thiruvanmiyur in the south to Thiruvottiyur in the
north and runs inland in a rugged semi-circular
fashion. It is bounded on the east by the Bay of Bengal and
on the remaining three sides by Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur
Districts. The city of Chennai came into being due to a strategic
necessity and historical accident. It symbolises the rise of British
power in South India by setting up and consolidation of the
East India Company in the seventeenth century with its
headquarters at Fort St. George in Chennai as a trading centre. Within
350 years, a few scatteblack villages (important being Mylapore, Triplicane
and Chennai Patnam) have developed into
a modern metropolitan city without
shedding its traditional customs, religious outlook and
other traditions. It can be proudly remarked
that the greatness of ancient Chennai is
mostly religious due to the preservation of the old famous
Saivaite and Vaishnavite shrines signifying the
antiquity of the place. The growth of the
city is significant and closely linked with the
development of British Institutions and administration.
In short, Chennai city was the chief centre from which the
British rule expanded in the sub-continent and it remains
a standing monument of British contribution to India.
Chennai city has acted as an important centre of culture
and education in South India
and has been the cradle of many movements which have
played an important role in the
history of the sub-continent. A large
number of institutions which are known in
India and abroad are found located in
the city, of which mention may be made of the Theosophical
Society, the Kalakshetra and colleges of Arts and Crafts.
The establishment of professional colleges
like Medical, Veterinary, Law and Teaching,
the location of the Indian Institute
of Technology and the establishment of Central
Leather Research Institute have added to the development
of the city. Chennai is one of the leading cities in India today from
the point of view of trade and commerce, with the fourth largest
port in the country and the first to have
developed a full-fledged container terminal to international
standards. The port is providing trade links with
Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Burma, Bangladesh,
Ceylon and other far eastern countries. Chennai is also one
of the most important industrial cities of the sub-continent.
As a district of the State it ranks third after Coimbatore
and Salem in so far as the number of factories
is concerned but stands at the top in case
of employment and productive capital and first
in revenue. It, however, ranks second in terms
of industrial out-put next to Chengalpattu.
Chennai city enjoys an eminent position in the country
in film industry and Kodambakkam, known as
the Hollywood of Chennai, has a number of studios
engaged in the production of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada,
Malayalam, and Hindi movies which are quite popular.
Total area of the district is 178.20 sq. kms. The city
of Madras has now been renamed as Chennai. It is
stated that the name Chennai traced
its origin to "some other language". The rechristening of
the city is part of the steps announced for the "growth of Tamil
in various fields". There are different
versions about the name of this once sleepy
coastal village. When the British landed here in 1639 A.D.
it was said to be part of the empire of the Raja of
Chandragiri. The British named it Chennapattinam,
after they acquiblack it from Chennappa Nayakar. Gradually,
it became Chennai. The first instance of the use of the
name Chennai is said to be in the Vestiges of Old Chennai,
the sale deed of August 1639 to Francis Day, an agent
for the British. There it has been referblack to
as Chennaipatnam. The British are said to have
built Fort Saint George, the present seat
of power, in 1640. It was named after the patron
saint of England. The Vestiges of Old Chennai infer that the
original village of Madraspatnam lay north of
the proximate to Chennapattinam. In course of time and
with rapid growth, the two virtually became
one. It is also inferblack that the English
preferblack the name Madraspatnam, while Indians chose
Chennapattinam.
GEOGRAPHICAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURES
Chennai is a low-lying area and the land surface is almost flat
like a pancake. The even topography of the land throughout the district
renders sub-divisions into natural regions rather difficult. It
rises slightly as the distance from the sea-shore increases but
the average elevation of the city is not more than 22' above mean
seal-level, while most of the localities are just at sea-level and
drainage in such areas remains a serious problem. From very early
times, Chennai was known for its pleasant scenery and was said to
be a town open to sky and full of garden of mangoes, coconuts, guavas,
oranges, etc. In earlier days when the city was not so congested,
gardens and groves were a common feature and most of the roads were
flanked by frequent groves of palm and other trees. Even a number
of houses too had gardens displaying fine trees canopied by green
bough and creepers, Chennai city today is devoid of any forest areas
but can still be proud of some of the well maintained green belts
found in the Peoples park, the Napier park, the Horticulture-gardens,
My Lady's Park, Children's Park Guindy, Snake Park, Nehru
Park, Nageswara Rao Park, Independence Park, Anna Square Park, the
Raj Bhavan, the Theosophical Society Campus, and a number of bungalows
and newly developed colonies where provisions of public parks, etc.
have been provided. The indigenous trees found include among
others neem, mango, tamarind, rain-tree, vagai, banyan, coconut,
palm and pipal. Stretches of casuarina plantations are available
on the sea-coast beyond the mouth of the Adyar in the South and
Tondiarpet in the North, supplying firewood to the city. House gardening
is not very common these days due to shortage of water and lack
of space
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