The Question and Answer Column is a key content of Thuglak magazine and it was suspended for around eight weeks after its editor Cho S Ramaswamy was hospitalised. Cho’s views on most of the political and social issues are conveyed through this column and the readers used to enjoy his repartees to many a ticklish questions. Many readers felt that without this column, the magazine was incomplete and they eagerly awaited resumption of this. After he was very seriously ill and was being treated at the Apollo Hospital, he was unable to contribute to the column nor was he able to write for the magazine.
In the issue of Thuglak dated April 15, came to the stands on April 7, the question and answer column has been resumed. Sources said despite his poor health, Cho continues to dictate the content for the editorial appearing in the first page of the magazine. A few days ago, he started dictating answers to the questions of the readers.
In the resumed column, as usual, Cho has answered questions on cricket to polictics, Karunanidhi’s decision to write screeplay for Ramanujar serial to DMDK founder Vijaykant’s functioning and many other issues.
The Ghost Contractor
A Chennai Corporation project was taking too long despite the goodwill of top officials. The local area engineer was annoyed with one of the residents for approaching the top officials to build a sewage network after Chennai Corporation while constructing a road closed the existing drainage line that was lifeline to around 20 to 25 houses. He even threatened the resident not to approach senior officials or else the project would never see the light of the day. The resident agreed and kept his faith in the engineer. For four months nothing moved. After several requests a trench was dug and then it was left as it is for the next three months. The engineer said that there are no funds with corporation as such the work was delayed. As pressure started mounting on the residents in the locality with their house getting flooded due to sewage water, the resident had no other option but to reach out to higher officials who immediately questioned the engineer. The engineer in order to save his skin said that the contractor died of cancer and as such that is why the work was delayed. The workers who were working on the project were puzzled when queried by the resident about this untimely demise, “Did he say so? Who are we working for then?” they asked rather cynically.