The February 2008 Happenings
Reunited after eight years of separation
SIBLING BOND: Kumar (right) an inmate of Udavum Karangal, a home that rehabilitates mentally ill destitutes in Coimbatore, with his brother Rangarajan in the city on Saturday.
COIMBATORE: February 16 will be a memorable day for 35-year-old Kumar and his family. Having been at Udavum Karangal, a home that rehabilitates mentally ill destitutes in Coimbatore, for the last eight years, Kumar and his family had almost given up hope of being reunited.
Visit
Incidentally, a person who visited Udavum Karangal on Friday, happened to identify Kumar and inform his relatives at Tirupur.
His brother immediately rushed to Coimbatore and was overjoyed to see his sibling after a long gap.
“I am going to take him back with me to Tirupur,” said Rangarajan, Kumar’s brother. A mentally unstable Kumar had run away from his home in Dharapuram eight years ago.
Despite efforts his family could not trace him. Kumar was wandering near Karayanchavadi in Chennai, where a few people brought him to the notice of the volunteers of Udavum Karangal.
Medication
He was later brought to the Coimbatore unit of Udavum Karangal and was given medication.
“Kumar was in a very bad condition when he was brought to Udavum Karangal. He was violent and could not remember anything about his family or his background,” says R. Rajagopal, Medical Co-ordinator of Udavum Karangal.
Counselling
Through constant counselling, medication and rehabilitation, his condition had improved and he had been taking interest in activities such as gardening at the centre, Dr. Rajagopal said.
However, he would have to continue medication, he added.
SIXTH ANNUAL DAY CELEBRATIONS OF RAMAKRISHNA VIDYA MANDIR
Sree Ramakrishna Vidya Mandir (SRVM),Coimbatore an offspring of and nurtured by Udavum Karangal, organized the sixth annual day on February 9, 2008, in commemoration of the Silver Jubilee year of establishment of Udavum Karangal, that extends significant, selfless service to the deprived sections of the society. Pappa Vidyaakar, founder of Udavum Karangal felicitated the chief guest Ms. Marie Margaret, AEEO, Coimbtore and well-wishers of the organization. Ms. Margaret emphasized that the teachers should inculcate the importance of discipline and hard work in the minds of students of impressionable age. Pappa Vidyaakar briefly traced the milestones in the growth of Sree Ramakrishna Vidya Mandir and underscored its commitment to its responsibility of providing value-based education to the students. On this occasion, a collection of poems authored by Prof. P. Narayanasamy was released by Pappa Vidyaakar.
The young students revealed their histrionic talents through enchanting dances, thought-provoking skits and memorable recital of couplets from Thirukkural. Parents and special invitees enjoyed the entertainment programmes very much and expressed their appreciation frequently through claps. Prizes were distributed to the winners of various competitions by the chief guest and Dr. R. Rajagopal, Medical Coordinator of Udavum Karangal. The annual day function was concluded by singing the National Anthem.
Hearts of Gold
A sparkling, white open-air chapel. Colourfully dressed little kids sit along the aisle, their expectant faces turned towards the cleared space at the centre. The excitement in the air is palpable. A group of youngsters take the makeshift stage. Soon, the cool evening breeze, begins to ring with the melodic tunes of a prayer song and shortly thereafter, with the sound of enthusiastic applause. This is followed by a flurry of dances, mimicry performances, games and a lot more music. The little ones are thrilled and the stage is suddenly under siege by budding dancers. The performers in return, are heartened by the fantastic response. This scene took place on the grounds of Udavum Karangal, Thiruverkadu, on February 16, 2008. The event was entirely organized and performed by youngsters.
The show was complete with attractive gifts and ice creams, which brought wide-eyed delight to the tiny faces. The main organizers, Arun Muthukumar and Lakshmi Dhanraj, spoke to Retail Plus of The Hindu, on what sparked the event and how they got their acts together. “We only began with the idea of spending some time with the children and everything else just fell into place. Two of the performing dancers, Mythili and Shivashankari, traveled all the way from Bangalore for this show. Seeing that we’ve put a smile on the faces of these kids, our work here is done for today. Karthik Anand and Arjun Menon members of the performing band beamed, “We never knew our music could reach audiences this small. This is a refreshingly new experience for us. Our performance here will always be something very close to our hearts..”
Along the same lines is Team Vision, an event management crew of students, who help in organizing charity shows and events. Several of these teens are also working part-time to sponsor children in orphanages and homeless shelters. While many adults prefer to help out with monetary rewards and stay out of the scene, these youngsters are going our of their way to get involved. As the old adage says “Any fool can risk his life, but it takes a hero to risk his heart.” Kudos to these spunky teens! We can only hope there are more like them in the making!. By Shruthi Sankaravadivel, Retail Plus, The Hindu
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