A view of the statue in 2021 | Photograph Credit score: Sriram V.
Final week, I went to George City after a substantial hiatus. Strolling there, all the time a problem, turns into extra so for me as virtually each nook and cranny is a lesson in historical past. The world can be, sadly, an ideal instance of how to not keep a very heritage precinct. For all that we’re repeatedly informed that we have to look to Singapore as our function mannequin, for my part, it might be Galle in Sri Lanka or George City in Malaysia that we have to look to for what may be completed with our George City.
I used to be additionally a lot saddened by the various acquainted landmarks that appear to have vanished to make manner for tasteless industrial buildings and excessive rises in an space that may scarcely accommodate any additional congestion. I ponder who’s accountable for giving permissions for such buildings. However then, as a Commissioner of the Higher Chennai Company famously informed the Excessive Court docket of Madras a number of years in the past, 90% of buildings in George City are in violation of some code or the opposite. So maybe, no one is actually in cost.
The Company appears to have added to the chaos in latest occasions. For a century and extra, the rear of the Flower Bazaar police station had a triangle with a statue of King George V in its midst. The statue itself was funded by the Govinddoss Chaturbhujadoss household, rich Gujarati magnates of George City and among the many financiers of the Buckingham and Carnatic Mills after they had been begun within the 1860s. The statue’s sponsor was Kushaldoss Chaturbhujadoss “on behalf of the residents of Madras.” The sculptor was Sir Bertram Mackennal. Of Australian origin, he was one thing of a specialist on George V memorabilia, designing statues, stamps, and coinage.
A view of the statue at the moment | Photograph Credit score: Sriram V.
The statue was erected right here in 1913, ostensibly to commemorate the coronation of the King Emperor in 1911 within the grand durbar in Delhi and likewise to mark the change of identify from Black to George City, which was completed in 1905, when as Prince of Wales visited Madras. A deputation of residents waited upon the Prince, and requested that Black City be so renamed.
That then is the historical past of the statue. Now, I’m not so offered on the concept of statues commemorating anybody, depart alone colonial rulers and officers. But when we now have determined to retain the statue, we might as nicely give it some area to breathe and allow passersby to try it. That’s how the statue was all alongside, although its pedestal was put to quite a lot of not-so-complimentary makes use of. However in the previous couple of months, some shiny spark within the Company determined to place up a collection of outlets throughout the statue. These, regardless of a plaque marking the inauguration of the advanced, appear to have not been allotted to anybody and are all shuttered. The alleys between the retailers are so slender that they’ve turn into handy rubbish dumps and open latrines, and the stench is insufferable.
The poorly-designed warren of outlets is for evicted hawkers from the NSC Bose Street footpaths – an ongoing battle for the reason that Nineteen Fifties, with the late Visitors Ramaswami being probably the most memorable crusader. They might by no means serve to rid the world of hawkers, however they’ve managed to fully disguise outdated King George. A courageous foray into the lanes revealed the statue hemmed in and with the King Emperor seemingly craning his neck to get a greater view of the world exterior. The solar has lastly set on the British Empire.
(Sriram V. is a author and historian.)
Revealed – October 08, 2025 06:30 am IST