Colourful wall

It apparently happened in January this year, but it was only a few days ago that I noticed it. Going past the normally bureaucratic-gray western wall of the US Consulate at Chennai, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. But no, there it was, in glorious colour. Only that my initial impression of random graffiti on the consulate wall was not entirely correct.

It is graffiti alright, and according to Andrew Simkin, the US Consul General for south India, it is the first time that a US Consulate's wall, anywhere in the world, has been allowed to display graffiti. This work, 115 feet long and 4 feet wide, shows lots of hands being held, doves flying, trees, books and a very noticeable combination of the Indian and US national flags. The entire painting project was coordinated by the well known art director Thota Tharani on behalf of the NalandaWay Foundation and executed by 30 children who had been rescued from trafficking / bonded labour.

Surely the cheer on this wall can be replicated in other government-gray buildings the world over - and possibly change the drabness of bureaucracy everywhere!

A different kind of red flag

Sometime ago, I'd written about how the TN Government website as well as the website of the Union Ministry for External Affairs have been lagging behind in listing representative offices of other countries in Chennai. The latter has updated its site to list the Honorary Consul for Zambia; External Affairs being a Central subject, it is not surprising that the state website hasn't included that information yet.

Around the same time, I found that Switzerland's Honorary Consul, Mr. Muthu Ramanathan, was based on TTK Road. Now, I travel a fair bit on TTK Road and had not seen anything to indicate the presence of an Honorary Consul there. Some days ago, however, I realized I had been looking at the wrong elevation. The sign was not at eye level as you go on the road, but just above! The white cross on a red field is very distinctive, of course.

Learnt something else about it - the flag of Switzerland is one of only two flags in the world that are completely square! Any guesses as to which the other one is? Go on, guess, before you take a look at this site!

Our man for Zambia

The Tamil Nadu state government website lists only 15 'embassies' in Chennai - some of them are honorary consuls, but only one is listed as such. The website of the Union Ministry of External Affairs lists 25 honorary consuls as being present in Chennai. Neither of these websites have updated the events that led to this small board coming up on Nungambakkam High Road at the end of May 2008.

The Hindu did report the setting up of this honorary consulate. Mr S.R.Krishnan, who occupies at least part of the 2nd floor of Rosy Tower, has been described as the "the right person in the right place at the right time" by the High Commissioner. It took a bit of poking around to find out that Mr. Krishnan is a Director in a steel company. He must have been engaging quite a bit with the country - it is heartening to find that someone in Chennai has been doing so much work in Zambia, that the country has appointed him its honorary consul here!