GREEN IS GONE!!

          Anna University! One of the proudest landmarks of Chennai. Spreading about 200 acres, this plush red campus has history in each and every brick of its buildings. For the students at their last two years of school, this is the dream destination. Everyone has the right to step in to this magnificent campus but only a few have the privilege of studying here. I take pride in the fact that I am one of those few. But, this is not the story about me.

          When the +2 results came, I was delighted to be the topper. But, what enthralled me even more was the truth that I would be entering one of the premier engineering colleges of the country. On the day of counseling, a sense of awe dawned upon me as I set foot into the university. “This is one small step for a man, but one giant leap for mankind”, beamed Neil Armstrong in me. Love at First Sight attacked me in the form College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG) – the main campus of the Anna University. As I was directed towards the counseling venue, leaves flew under my legs and cold breeze whooshed past my ears. I first thought I had over – imagined the situation, thanks to the entry of protagonists in Tamil movies but these were happening truly. As I threw a look around the area, there were trees, plants and saplings of various sizes and aroma.

          After my counseling session was over, there were still health details to be taken from my body and I was asked to go to the Health Center, whose distance from the briefing hall staggered me. Despite that, the mesmerism that took control was in no mood to leave me just like that. Each and every step of my stroll towards the Health Center was followed by trees. Oh gosh, they were everywhere such that they seemed to overtake the huge mass crowding there for deciding their fate in Engineering. Canteen was quite nearby from where I started but within that short expanse, a large number of trees were nodding their branches and leaves like a kindergarten child singing rhymes taught by his/her teacher by shaking heads from left to right in a rhythmic manner. The umpteen voices of unknown birds were being heard everywhere, which seemed to welcome the freshers for a successful start.

          Just after the canteen, there were three ATMs, following which there were a row of green benches, which I later on learnt to be the place of romance for the so – called lovers. The spot was heavenly indeed with shady trees providing the perfect place of conversations between a boy and a girl and a 180 degree turn provided a glimpse of the playground. Just then, I noticed the corridors of the red building. When I walked through them, the right proportions of trees and pathways transformed the place into a botanical garden.

          The entrances of all departments were lined by trees, whose omnipresence stunned me. It should have been almost 35 degrees in Chennai that particular day but nowhere could that heat be felt. This was a different city, a different place altogether. I prepared my mind to say, “Anna University does not belong to Chennai. It is not in Chennai. Never! It is a demarcated universe” to whoever asked me the location of my place of study. The day was over and I was depressed by then because I didn’t belong there. I had got admission into some other college in some other city far away from Chennai. My final thought before sleep was. “I’ll get back here. Soon!”

          Sure! Fate and luck chose me as I was called in for a second round of counseling, especially meant for the OC people. (Let’s not discuss the politics involved in this quota system. That would divert the topic of interest) Hurray, I wanted to yell like a rock singer, tearing my vocal cord into a thousand pieces in fraction of seconds. First semester was a memorable one with the most enviable classroom being provided to us. There were six set of doors with one for the conventional entry and the other five for those who steal in and abscond during most of the classes after getting attendance. (Perhaps, this is called the lateral entry!) The professors had varying attendance timings – some would mark it at the beginning of the class and some others at the end. After knowing their templates, it became quite easy for our batch to make use of this rarest advantage. But more than this, the eternal plus of this particular room was the fresh air that freely entered through all the doors and sent us easily to a state of trance and hypnotism. Very often, being physically present and mentally absent was the state of us as the scented air often effected in yawns and snores, how much ever interesting the topic of discussion was. This, combined with the mingling of students from various departments, made the first semester memorable.

          At the end of my semester holidays, a sense of incompleteness loomed as the fact that we would be separated by the names of departments struck me. But, right in front of the proud Department of Mechanical Engineering stood a deep – rooted tree, whose trunk symbolized why they were named so. There were some benches for sitting and the mere tree was enough to comfort me. This would later on go to be the spot of assembly during the breaks for students to eat samosas and drink flavored juices.

          Suddenly now, all the luster looks like history. The beast, which provided shade to all budding Mechanical Engineers, is no more. Instead, there is a WiFi hub where some students, I don’t know how they manage, sit all day with their laptops browsing something (Though in most cases, it happens to be Facebook) There are several other WiFi ‘trees’ like this one. Thank God, some other trees are still alive to make our recess enjoyable but this is not a fact of relief because nobody can assure how long they would stay. Some trees near the main building have been cut down for ‘beautification’, many others for the construction of hostel blocks. I have personally seen some blocks not being occupied to the fullest but responsible people would have found an answer to this question by now.

          A subject called Environmental Science, shortly EVS, with equal credits as a core paper, has been included in the curriculum. What is the use of getting marks in that subject if we can’t stop the deforestation taking place right before our eyes? At this rate, the whole of flora in this old and prestigious region would narrow down to zero in no time. So, why then should we study the preventive measures against pollution and deforestation? Why mug the scientific names of various species of plants unnecessarily when we won’t be seeing them in a short span? In the next two or three years (or may be even the next year), students who come in for counseling would be suspicious if they had entered the right place. For, Anna University is not Anna University without the endless trees surrounding it.

          Even our national flag would become incomplete without green in it. Replace the saffron by red and it is Anna University. This red would become imperfect if there is no green.

THE MESSENGERS OF GOD

          From serials and movies to some extent in the real world, old people are always seen as the creatures to be thrown into some old – age homes to facilitate the so – called undisturbed, peaceful living of the next generation. “I can’t stand this. Dump these old people in some unknown place. I don’t care”, is one of the most common dialogues of Tamil serials (oops.. sorry, mega serials) Either the husband or wife would be uttering these words with a tone of hatred and discomfort clearly evident from their voice due to the presence of their mother – in – law and father – in – law. And echoing it, most of the old people, post – retirement, only want to spend their lives resting in a chair, gossiping and reading magazines. But, here is a distinguished couple who seem to be the only hope for animals.

          Now, let’s see a bit about the current world with respect to protection of animals. It’s a rare combination of very sensitive Blue Cross volunteers, who want the animals to live in peace but would never mind about human lives and the cruel, ruthless human beings, who would kill animals ranging from kittens to elephants for everything like merry – making, meat – making and money – making.

          Free from all these contraries, there is a full – fledged home, literally, to provide shelter to stray and diseased animals. Yes! It’s all about the AWPT – Animal Welfare and Protection Trust. Mr. Narasimhamoorthy, a retired RBI employee and Mrs. Padmavathy, his spouse, have continuously been crusading the cause of animal protection, not just in terms of word, but in practice. I happened to meet this Jehovah in the Leo Utsav – 2015, the annual festival of the Leo Club of CEG, of which I am a part. He had been invited as the Chief Guest for the inauguration ceremony and I was asked to prepare a welcome note with the help of a website, www.awptrust.org

          “What the hell!” was my first thought and reluctantly I opened the site. Surprise awaited me as the top of homepage displayed some cute pictures of puppies and kittens with tags, Adopt, Donate, Sponsor and Volunteer. Curiosity got the better of me and I started going through each and every tab and information. When I was finished, the feeling of being awestruck occupied me.

          A gist: An old couple are protecting animals with adequate medical facilities and cosy shelter. They spend their entire source of income for the welfare of these five – sensed creatures by treating them effectively with Animal Birth Control (ABC) surgeries under the control of expert veterinarians. Though they face a lot of monetary and societal problems, they continue their service. They never want to come to the limelight and are very much contended with what they do. Their services have been recognized by associations like Lions Club of Chennai and the Chennai Rotary and eminent personalities such as our former Chief Minister, Selvi. Jayalalithaa and former Governor Honbl. Surjith Singh Barnala.

          With all the information, when I looked at the bottom of the page, I was electrified to find that the site had last been updated in the year 2009. I started admiring them because had they filled the page with instant notifications on what they did in these six years 2009 – 2014, the website could have gone viral and they would’ve got more attention and attraction in the media.

          Since I had got enough data for my speech, I glossed it with some of the proverbs and sayings and voila, it was ready! The next day, I presented it in a way which satisfied me. When the Chief Guest, Mr. Narasimhamoorthy was invited to speak, he started with a calm, shaky voice. I can assure that he could not have spoken more than 250 words there but each word was worth being chiselled in the form of inscriptions. “People ask me why I care for animals to this extent. Human beings can express their feeling of pain, sorrow and suffering and ask others for help. But, these animals cannot. Helping and serving animals are the noblest virtues.”

          He asked us to visit the Sanctuary, as it is known, at least once. So, we went there today not before encountering the usual hassles of travelling around Chennai. We boarded the wrong buses, we got down some stops before and had to walk quite some distance. Eventually, when we entered there, all our tiredness due to the hot sun disappeared and the supreme feeling of heart – pounding joy filled us. The smell of cat and dog hairs greeted us into the Worldly Heaven. I could sense the divinity there as even the dogs barked in a manner, which was significantly different from the usual noises a dog make on seeing a stranger. This was the indication that they had got the feeling humans are really hospitable to them, courtesy their atmosphere. What surprised me more was the dogs and cats played with each other, preening the tails and jumping over here and there. While the cats were afraid for some time initially, dogs readily nestled and sat on our laps, eager to receive some pats and harnesses.

          As Mr. Narasimhamoorthy had earlier stated, Mrs. Padmavathy was happier than him on our visit. She treated us well and began explaining the course of their development in with a baby’s enthusiasm. Meanwhile, he showed us the photocopies, scanned pictures and photo albums of the earlier activities, which really moved me. Some of the letters received from various people from across the city were praising him as God’s Messenger. Really thrilling to view was the photograph which showed the removal of tumour from a cow’s brain. When we went around the home, I could see a caged crow, which had been recently injured in a leg. Since it is practically impossible for it move, leaving it free would lead to peril.

          Food is kept in bowls almost in every corner of the home and the animals are not restricted to eat whenever they wish to. The utmost affection and care towards these non – verbal species is evident in the way they keep separate compartments for dry food, cooked rice, milk and snacks. Kittens could be seen sleeping in their living room and on the beds. Notably, both the Managing Trustees, as they are legally described, are 65+.

          After some emotional moments, when we finally prepared ourselves to depart, we donated some amount (I’ve been advised not to mention it here). He received it with thankfulness but reinstated that more than money, the continuous arrival and visits of guests is always the encouraging tonic that keeps them going.

          I can tell only one thing to those health – conscious, hygienic people. Touching And Growing Animals In Your House or In Your Locality Won’t Affect Your Health. Please Do Not Restrict Animal Entry Into Your Posh Apartments. Feed Them and Make Them Live. Because, We’re Nothing More Than Modifications Of Monkeys.

SURYA NAGAR - THE MOST INTRIGUING PARADOX

          By the time I write this, I still have record and observations to complete before sleeping, not to forget the boring classes to be attended tomorrow of which even the Almighty would scare. Still, this has to be mentioned and this deserves a special mention. SURYA NAGAR, the secret kingdom of Narnia right behind College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University. But, this Narnia doesn’t hold much fantasy; it is surrounded by miseries. The situation could be described to any layman through the words of one of the old ladies out there. “You people come from various parts of the country and go out with flying colours from Anna University. We people, with these many children in and around this locality, have not even produced the rarest gem of a kind who has studied at this temple.” Yeah, she meant the word ‘temple’ and I was suddenly taken aback by this striking reality.

          Surya Nagar can easily be imagined and compared with the Aththippatti of Citizen or the Thannooththu of Kaththi (Some people criticize my usage of Tamil movies here and there, stating it is very local. For them, I don’t care if I am local. This is my place, my locality and I belong here. I can’t quote Hollywood feature films which ordinary mass can’t relate to) There are these houses, which, according to me are point buildings (Oh, this is the 8^th grade definition of a 2 mark question, What is a point? “A point is a miniscule region which has neither a starting position nor an ending one.”) No exaggerations, here! In most of the houses, it is difficult to calculate and differentiate between the entrance and backyard. (To be precise, most, if not, almost all houses are practically the size of my hostel room; People from CEG have an easier perspective now) The streets cannot accommodate more than one two – wheeler at a time. I bet even the most skilled stunt professional cannot perform dual bike acrobatics here. There are no supermarkets, no wholesale grocery shops, no cars, no bungalows, no air – conditioned houses (I am not sure if every house at least has a ceiling fan), nothing. For us middle – classes, there is nothing practically. But, there is life with mediocrity; there are human beings with unfulfilled expectations and aspirations – students longing for a school, graduates or diploma holders in want of a job that would at least be able to feed their family with no expectation about savings, old people wanting to live in a more comfortable place that doesn’t leak during rains, that withstands the rigorous heat of the sun, that allows them to at least die in peace. The most sophisticated house in Surya Nagar would not even match the lower middle class apartment of Central Chennai. Behold! There lives a society which is unknown and oblivious of the posh metropolitan full of malls and multiplexes.

          The first time I went there was in my second semester of college of life, precisely in March 2014. We, as part of Leo Club of CEG, had gone there to explain the nuances of tackling the higher secondary state board examinations, which, according to the parents of students, was nothing but a milestone. When we sat with some students to know their situation, I was taken to the extremity of electrocution, as most 10^th standard children found it difficult to solve multiplication tables beyond 7; some couldn’t even cross 5. I explained them with the ‘pen at a shop’ method, which my elementary teacher had told us during my school days in order to make us understand how multiplication works. The story goes like this: You go to a shop and buy a pen for 10 rupees. If your friend buys 10 pens of the same type, what would be its total cost?, for which we would all sing in chorus, “Ten ones are ten; ten twos are twenty; …….; ten tens are hundred.” Praise poured upon for making them reach Nirvana in Mathematics, but the sad fact is there are no teachers to teach them the fundamental basics and logics. After that, I came to know that the situation was gradually improving with the helping hand rendered by an organization to the Leo Club, so as to arrange tuition classes for them.

          Today, I had another chance to get into the Dark Continent of Chennai, with the geographical features remaining the same. There is only one house in the entire locality that has tiled flooring. This belongs to Devika akka, apparently the most informed among the people. We were there actually to give away the salaries to the teachers, who graciously take classes for the students in the evenings. This Devika akka actually welcomed us with a Vanakkam, which usually is used as token of welcome among learned scholars or between people of same age groups. “When are you going to organize the function, thambi?”, was the first question posed to us. For them, function was ‘Vidiyal’, which is an annual event organized especially for these under – privileged students to create awareness about education. Vidiyal actually translates to ‘rise of the dawn’ and the event is aimed perfectly for this purpose. We answered her with a smile, describing the dates of the ‘festival’, which is both informative and entertaining.

          When she saw me clapping hands somewhere in the air, Devika akka casually said, “There are lots of mosquitoes here See there! The impure running water is the cause of all this.” That was the waste water of our college and I impulsively stopped my futile activity of trying to ‘clap the mosquitoes off’. It shook me. Here was a woman who could live in the midst of those dengue – causing tiny beasts in a part of the city, which consists mostly of people complaining about not having the most luxurious car or mobile with them. People who spend or think to spend 3000 – 5000 bucks for Crocs slippers and 1+ lakhs for an R15 please think of it. This is not targeted specifically at particular persons but at least tithe something that would save the lives of these kinds of downtrodden people. Let’s give them a fair chance. Who knows how many of those students with unoiled and uncombed locks would become stalwarts in the future?