User talk:Abhishekofmadras
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Chennai - Madras
[edit]Hello Abhishek. Please do not add Madras everywhere next to Chennai. It is obvious that Chennai was Madras before. That doesn't mean you have to write it everywhere saying "previously Madras" which is unwanted. That name has gone into history and no more in usage.
--Coolguyche17 (talk) 10:14, 23 June 2010 (UTC)
- Coolguyche17, I have gone through your work and I must agree that what you are doing is impressive. I am an Indian Railways fan myself and have been following your work on the Metro rail project, MRTS, suburban railway and even the BRTS. Good commitment there. However, I will have to disagree on your point that Madras is "unwanted" or "no more in usage". No offence, nothing personal, but I see those comments as being emotionally charged and impractical. Removing edits which say "formerly known as Madras" and marking these as "vandalism" in my opinion are hasty decisions made without a second thought. You might want to look up "Vandalism" in the dictionary or in wikipedia itself. Its never too late to learn. Even though it is not official, Madras is still the other name of Chennai. You may want to learn to accept this fact in the years to come, for when there is a heritage revival you will find it next to impossible to accept another change. Remain neutral. It will help you and many others in the long run. Take my advise.
- The city is still referred to as Madras by many of its residents, and they prefer to call it that way because its "home". Most even want the old name restored to prevent further loss of identity. Google it and you will know what I am trying to explain. Changing names of places does not just result in mere name changes on paper. As stated before, the process completely obliterates history, identity and character of a place and its people.
- A name which has survived more than three and a half centuries does not simply disappear and certainly will never be forgotten. Moreover, Chennai is still a new name internationally, still unknown to many worldwide. There are instances where people have thought their friends or acquaintances from "Madras" have relocated to another city when told they currently live in "Chennai". Editing pages to include the former English name will only help readers to associate "Chennai" with "Madras", a name which most are familiar with, and therefore help in bringing about an understanding as to what and where Chennai exactly is. It is an important reference. Erasing all traces of the word Madras would mean Chennai will have to forge a brand new identity for itself, and this is always followed by chaos, confusion and unnecessary angst. Better to avoid such unpleasant manifestations. The name Chennai is barely 14 years old (since 1996) as compared to Madras which has existed since 1639. Removing all instances of the word Madras from wikipedia will only be looked upon as attempts to erase a historical city's identity. "Chennai" can never survive without "Madras". It will do more good for the city if both names co-exist. Trust me.
- Keep up the good work with all your contributions, but also remember to be unbiased. As you already are aware, this is an encyclopedia which is accessed internationally. Let us keep that in mind and maintain the integrity of its factual content.
- Cheers.