Shy Chennai

If a city had feelings, I would almost feel sorry for Chennai. Being the fourth biggest city in India, with at least ten million people, it is constantly asked to stand next to world-renowned and grand cities such as Mumbai and Kolkata. But has anybody even heard of Chennai?
For one thing, it's name was changed from Madras no more than 5 years ago - a crushing blow to a relatively unknown metropolis. How would you feel if your name was suddenly changed after hundreds of years? But that is beside the point, because most people would still be unfamiliar with this sprawling capital of Tamil Nadu (in the SE corner of India). It is the bassist of India's band - it plays a large role in keeping things (especially the economy) moving, but it is rarely recognized and given any credit. Chennai is the Art Garfunkel of India, hiding behind the shadow of more popular sidekicks. It does not have the distinction of being the former capital of the British Empire (as Kolkata was), nor is it the political (New Delhi) or financial powerhouse of India (Mumbai). It is the shy one of the pack, unable to fully assert itself on the world stage, at least yet...
I found Chennai to be neither captivating nor offensive. It was so very hot and humid there that I found myself near delirium at times. The streets are wide and not TOO dirty, but they swing and curve in a very disorienting manner, and it is not easy to navigate the city without the aid of a rickshaw driver. I visited the beach there, but it was extremely dirty and smelled like rotting fish. But it had an interesting old fort left by the British, a good museum, and a Court building and train station with nice architecture and a rich coat of red paint on them. As well, there is a decent public transportation system for those who know their way around the city, and the airport was very nice. And I ate great South Indian food, including fantastic Idlis (rice cakes). The people were friendlier than most Indian city folk that I have run into. They are probably not used to having many visitors, so they were surprised but more than happy to talk with me, or at least flash a smile. This is a major city with plenty of business to take care of, especially in the IT department. Therefore, many people were dressed in nice suits and talking on their mobile phones (after all, India now has a total of about 500 million mobile phone users!). It is a very modern city, despite its lack of obvious draws.
I was most impressed by the police in Chennai. I actually saw police giving out traffic tickets! I know this is something that everybody hates about the police, but if you had seen an entire country's police force sit around and do nothing while people constantly broke the most basic traffic rules right in front of them (like driving on the right side of the road), you would be impressed with this particular police force like I was. In general, India's police are some of the most corrupt people in the country. They are notorious for practically living off of bribes, and they never seem to do anything to serve and protect the Indian people (they prefer to make life harder for people). According to the National Human Rights Commission, 346 Indian people have died in extrajudicial police killings since 2006! Such killings and other abuses of power are usually done for personal gain, such as settling scores between businessmen, crime bosses, and politicians. Imagine your local policeman acting as judge, jury, and executioner...it is not how things should work. The police in Chennai at least seemed to be doing parts of their job properly and in the open, which I was relieved to see.
I was also impressed by how many female police officers I encountered. India is a society dominated by males in almost every aspect. I happened to be reading the local newspaper (The Telegraph) just yesterday here in India, and it showed the newly released World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index Report of 2009 - it reports that the situation for women in India continues to be among the worst on the planet. Out of 134 countries, its overall ranking was 114! Both the "Health & Survival" ranking as well as the "Sex Ratio" was at 131 (no wonder I seem to see mostly men everywhere I go in this country)! Throughout my time in India, I had not seen a female in a position of power, until I came to Tamil Nadu, and especially Chennai. I saw many female law enforcers in this part of the country, and it was very encouraging. It sets a great example for the rest of the country.
In general, Tamil Nadu (and neighboring Kerala state) are at the forefront of India's development. There is a saying that "the future of India is in the South." In North India, about 70% of public resources are diverted, while in Tamil Nadu, only 30% are diverted. This means that more money is spent on actual projects to improve the lives of people, rather than lining the pockets of politicians and government workers. In Tamil Nadu, there is good, infrastructure, strong private investment and high employment as a result of this. Is it a coincidence that Tamil Nadu is the most urbanized state in India (1/2 of people live in cities), while the state of Bihar is the poorest and least urbanized (10% live in cities)?
The literacy rate is also key to development. No industrial society has a literacy rate under 80% - India has a rate of around 62%. 60% of India's illiterate people are female, which speaks volumes about the disproportionate chances women are given for a proper education in comparison to men. Kerala is by far the richest state in India, and it also has a literacy rate of 100%, due to free and compulsory education. India's illiterate population is hobbling the country, and a majority of these people are women. When this problem is fixed, India will improve economically and socially. It is hard to deny that most children in the world spend a majority of their time with their mother. The smarter the mother is, the smarter the child will likely become. Empowering women is a quick and effective way to improve the situation of the country, and Chennai seems to be at the forefront of this.
In the end, Chennai does not have the historical legacy or attractive appearance that other big cities in India have. But what is important is that it's leading the others in many ways, like in gender equality, the rule of law, and effective infrastructure. For this, Chennai has no need to be shy...