CHENNAI: The scores of people, cars and motorcycles that buzzed from and to this unfinished building once are now missing. The skeletal structure at site 153, LB Road in Thiruvanmiyur stands alone, a week after the indefinite fast by the volunteers of Anna Hazare’s India Against Corruption came to an end. The building, which has the Tricolour painted on its pillars will soon be brought down to make way for a swanky apartment complex.The site had attracted thousands of people from all walks of life — students, professionals, senior citizens, housewives, government citizens, et al — even as 51 people started their indefinite fast on August 16, in solidarity with Anna Hazare.The 16-storey building, which was meant to be a commercial complex and office block, had been lying vacant and unfinished for four years. But between August 16 and 28, it became Chennai’s go-to place for those with a patriotic streak.The commercial-complex-to-be had found few takers and is to be torn down to make way for a residential complex to be developed by Ramaniyam and Surendra Developers. The site owners had readily agreed to let India Against Corruption use the space for the demonstrations and stood by the volunteers as pressure grew.“The spot turned out to be extremely convenient for us. We were in private space with the support of its owners who stood by us to the hilt. The only thing they told us was to ensure nothing untoward happened there during the fast,” says Venkatanarayanan, a volunteer with India Against Corruption.“Ideally, we would have liked to hold our demonstrations and fast at Gandhi Mandapam or Gandhi Statue or Rajaji Hall. But laws laid down by our erstwhile rulers, the British, which were meant to oppress demonstrations and protests are still used today. It becomes difficult to hold a peaceful demonstration in a democracy that is governed by colonial laws. The unfinished building where we held our demonstration helped us bypass all of that,” Venkatanarayanan adds.The Anna Hazare hoarding still stands at the gate, as a reminder of what the place had witnessed. “In a city that has so many historic places that saw significant protests, this is one that won’t stand for long. But, let us hope that something comes out of the fast,” said a police officer who had stood guard over the demonstrations.
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