I needed that opening to hook you in :-). Now that I have your undivided attention, let me clarify what I meant by that line.
I hate that Chennai does not get its due share of credit from the “national” MSM (MainStreamMedia).
I hate that good news on Chennai often gets sidelined while moral-policing news hogs the limelight.
I hate that condescending attitude on the part of many clueless-about-Chennai armchair pundits.
I hate that Chennai often gets labeled as regressive because it is conservative (and the two not being the same).
I hate that non-Thamizh outsiders to Chennai who partake in its wealth and prosperity still harbor notions on why its Thamizh-character is uninviting to the general masses of “Hindi is the national language” zealots.
I hate that the only top-of-the-mind awareness items on Chennai for people who don’t feel an affinity to it are things like the hot-hotter-hottest weather, the water problem, the quintessential fleecing “Madras auto-kaaran” and the Coovum. In other words, not the following labels – “Detroit of India”, “medical capital of Asia”, “best for education with very good schools and colleges”, “international ports – land, air and sea”, “hard-working residents”, “intelligent people”, “finest quality movie industry with excellent post-production work, animation and technical skills”, “mecca for retail”, “highly qualified and talented labor pool with a history of harmonious industrial relations”, “second longest beach in the world”, “least polluted metro in India”, “safest metro in India”, “cheapest living costs among the metros in India”, “good blend of the traditional and the modern”, “variety of culinary delights”, “robust public transport and infrastructure”, “least traffic congestion among the major Indian cities”, “gateway to the South (with its better-preserved culture and heritage)”, “base of classical music and dance” and so on.
I LOVE THAT CHENNAI IS WHAT IT IS even now and doesn’t give a damn to what the world thinks of it :-). Its name does give a good idea of the quality and caliber of its denizens.
C-onservative
H-umorous
E-nthusiastic
N-ice
N-ostalgic
A-ccommodative
I-ntelligent
Chennai, you rock!