Rather ironically, after what has happened over the weekend, the first email I see in the Madras Musings mail box is this one. Addressed to the CM as she then was, a copy has been marked to us. I am reproducing it in full mainly for its language.
Sir,
I have had in my mind from a long time, but that I was thinking that local govt is not interested to do what I want to do.but prime minister Shree Narendra Modi is declared that smart city must be level best by them. then in my mind came that matter was slept again came in form to do positive so then and there i have requested sent to madam Jaya Lalitha madam for pollution free of Chennai city and smart city a large of colony may be possible to do in the middle city of Chennai total sewage canals lands will be free from flood and over flow problem and total used water by resident of city that water i will recycle and convert in drinking water 80% out of used water.and fertilizer and stop Harbour pollutant and methane gas also i will give to Tamilnadu govt.
RESPECTED,
MADAM GOOD MORNING,
I want to YOUR VALUEBLE TIME FOR APPOINTMENT DISCUSSING REGARDING CHENNAI CITY HOW TO BE FREE FROM POLLUTION AND free all lands of city (CANALS SEWAGE AREA) for colony and lease for general public. I have in my mind it may be utilize and city save from pollution free it means,
pollution free green city of chennai .
for its what what saved IN DETAILS AS BELOWS:-
(1) HARBOUR POLLUTION FREE,
(2) ENVIRONMENT TOTALLY FREE,
(3) DRINKING WATER FROM DRAINAGE(CANALS) WATER OF DAILY USAGED OF 80%,OUT OF DAILY USED WATER IN THE RESIDENTS.
(4) BIO GAS FOR COOKING,(FOR ELECTRICITY USAGE)
(5) ORGANIC FERTILIZER FOR PUBLIC.,AND
(6) BY ITS NEW EMPOLYMENT WILL BE CREATED ON LARGE SCALES.
TOTAL USAGE LANDS BY DRAINAGE(CANALS) IT WOULD BE FREE IF DAILY USED WASTE WATER COLLECTING FROM CANALS ,IT MEANS THERE IS NO OVER FLOW OR WASTE WATER NEED TO STORE THERE BE TOTALLY PICKED UP FOR TREATMENT PLANTS FOR RECYCLING FOR DRINKING WATER.
SO ABOVE THESE WE ARE LOOSING DAILY AND FACING POLLUTION PROBLEMS TOO.
THUS THIS IS MY AIM TO REBUILD CITY FROM POLLUTION FREE AND IT MAY CONVERT IN GREEN CITY AND NEW EMPOLYMENT ON THE LARGE SCALES OF EMPOLYMENTS AND ENGAGEMENT OF EMPOLYEES AS WELL AS BENEFIT.
BECAUSE CANALS ARE IN LENGTH IS TOO LONG .THERE ARE MINIMUM TEN WATER TREATMENT PLANTS ,METHANES GAS PLANTS,SLUDGES DRYERS PLANTS ETC.SO WE NEED MEN POWER ON LARGE SCALES IN ABOVE PLANTS.
PLEASE IF IT MAY BE POSSIBLE I EXPECTING PLEASE YOU CALL ME.THANKS.
Reminds me of that letter by Okhil Chandra Sen that got toilets in trains.
Poor guy, noble intentions. I think he wrote the original in hindi or tamil and used Google translate to send it across in english.
Indeed, why would he write in English if the government is obliged by law to respect the major languages in India all as equal? It is unclear if he wants to invest himself or just bring the ideas to the table and expect the government to pay for it. Still, a lot of what is holding India back is pollution in every shape or form. Many business colleagues tell me “they can smell India” the moment they step of the plane. And this is the country whose million fragrances have once been the subject of so many English writers and poets …
Somehow I feel that it’s not right to post something here what was presumably intended for your (and the CM’s) eyes only, especially to mock the person’s language, even though, as nona says above, the intention was good (or innocent, naive, or what have you). The least you could have done was to remove his name and e-mail address.
Point taken. Will do.
The language is not so much of of what is depressing here as the naive belief in a “magic wand” to fix problems. In this regard the difference between this and most political discussions is arguably only one of degree, not of kind. Sometimes I wonder if the teaching of “English composition”, where students write all these “Dear Sir” letters trying to _signal_ nobility of intention without doing any feasibility analysis etc., is partly to blame.
If only epistemic humility were emphasized in education/society… 🙁