Madras week to set tone for heritage protection

CHENNAI: Celebrations of Chennai's birthday, which have come to be known as Madras Week, will become a platform this year for the active protection of Chennai's many monuments. A massive signature campaign would be carried out to urge the government to enact a Heritage Act to protect the city's heritage structures.
Madras Week, which will be in its eighth edition this year, has so far been a way to promote interest and pride in Chennai's history and heritage. The core celebrations will happen between August 21 and 28, with Madras Day falling on August 22.Experiences in recent years to protect historic buildings in the city have shown the definitive need for legislation to protect historic building from falling prey to the rapid growth the city is witnessing. "The fight to save the Bharat Insurance Building on Mount Road revealed the absolute lack of protection for heritage buildings," said Vincent D'Souza, a publisher who conceived the idea of Madras Week along with noted historian S Muthiah and journalist Sashi Nair.