Makeover of a Tall Edifice- 684

       TALL  EDIFICE ON A                                    MAKEOVER    

Today as I had to meet Someone at Aladiyur and proceed to Papanasam Temple , for a change I took the route via the Mill Colony , Iron Bridge . Passing the New Colony and Subsequently the Mill Gate and BAI KADAI and it  brought back memories of my near 28 Years in the Colony . 

By the look of things from Outside , the Colony looks a very pale shadow of its esteemed past where the Mill Colony was looked upon with envy by anyone visiting the place .

What started off as an offhand post in Facebook , has  set in motion a whole lot of former Coats Employees who have been  forthcoming to voice their genuine feelings about their days as an employee  at Madura  Coats, Ambasamudram .

As for myself , I joined the then Harvey Mills which went on to become Madura Coats Ltd in the year 1974 as an Apprentice.  , It would not be out of place to add here  that , though having Ravanasamudram as my native place ( Hardly 15 kms away from Papanasam ) my association to South and to be very specific ,  to Tamilnadu till then was limited to the Annual summer holidays spent in the Native village of Ravanasamudram  .

Having done my entire schooling and college in Bhilai , Kharagpur near Calcutta  and Mumbai , it was widely believed both by my Parents and Myself that it would be only a matter of time before I shifted back to Mumbai on the  lookout for greener  pastures . Days went on to become Months and  , Months to  Years and finally to Decades .

All the soothsayings  ended up  being  proved wrong.  My entire career was spent in Madura Coats Ltd in its Weaving Mill , Loomshed and  with its 1200 looms .  It was  by far the biggest composite Textile Mill in the South and also one of the largest  in the Country .

PICANOL AND CIMMCO are names which are held in as much  awe and reverence as the many deities in my  own Swamy Room . 

Later the Modern High Speed Sulzer Projectile and Picanol Airjet and Rapier Looms Made it one of the Largest Composite Mills in the Country .

They have after all been the Machines which have been  the source of livelihood for me and  my family . Today whatever I am is because of them . My car infact had a PICANOL sticker on prominent display on its rear Glass Panel.

I have held very important positions in both the shuttle and shuttle less sections .

5230 , 5231 , 4084 , HO55 , Bob Schott , Chambrey , Denim , HP401 , 9 to 5 , Saraband , 1023 , 1024 , Interlinings , Parachute Cloth are just some names and numbers which will live with me .

2/100 s Voile is one variety with which I have had fond memories . I have been associated with running Nearly 200 looms of the same from the very conceptual stages . These Voiles, in their umpteen shades were a favorite of the ladies from across the  length and breadth of the Country and beyond . Premium Ready Made Brands  VAN HEUSEN  , PETER ENGLAD  , Louis Phillippe  , were also at one time  associated with Madura Coats .

The establishment which had more than 10000 direct and indirect employees on its rolls is a pale shadow of itself now . The days of its Fabric Glory are long over . The Top Echelons of the   Management have chosen other Avenues in its pursuit of doing business now .

TAILPIECE : -

As an afterthought , I would like to add here that Madura Coats had its original interest in  the Manufacture of  Sewing Threads  and are still  in operation now in a big way . 

Every Home in our huge Country  has a Coats Product by way of Sewing Thread - Amito , Spade or Spool . Every Garment that he or she uses has a connect with the Madura Coats Sewing Thread that went into making the same into a Garment that he or she is wearing .

I had been associated with this as a Manager at its Omega Threads Division at Ambasamudram and Earlier at its Kovilkulam unit for close to 15 years  .

Sad that Knowingly or Unknowingly , by Design or Otherwise , we live to see the fall of such a great Edifice -   

              SAD INDEED