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.