By Sanjay Pinto, NDTV
In the summer of '98 when I joined NDTV, my job was a case of 'friend's envy, holder's pride'. I remember my buddies gushing 'hey man, what fun to be rubbing shoulders with celebrities, film stars, cricketers, tennis players, politicians ' Honestly I too enjoyed interviewing the "who's who" in most arenas.
Close to ten years on, through the rough and tumble of television journalism, the stories I remember most are not about the Magsaysay, Arjuna, Padma Bhushan awardees. They were important too, but the ones that gave me goose bumps were features on unsung achievers.
Ordinary people who did the most extraordinary things, humble souls who changed lives and made a difference, but most of all, who didn't, like the proverbial Publican, blow their own trumpets. To some extent, I'm fortunate to report from a state like Tamil Nadu, which despite its high voltage, acerbic inter-party Dravidian hostility, has thrown up a slew of real life stories of sacrifice - of hope, of courage, of empathy. Here, charity is not like justice that has to be seen to be done. It's quiet service minus the bragging.
And talking of bragging, I can never forget the sight of tsunami survivors in Cuddalore. Hungry children who had lost everything - their homes and their parents, and were too shocked to even grieve, staring at food packets. It was well past noon the day after the killer waves had struck. A group of ladies from an NGO had landed in the district clad in grand silk saris, for disaster tourism and publicity. They delayed handing over these food packets to those starving kids just because a few more lens men were on the way!
The people you are set to read about are such a refreshing change from the many cheap ribbon-cutting publicity seekers. You have probably heard of them off the cuff, but don't know much about their work.
Krishnan. 26. Gave up his job as a chef in a five-star hotel after he saw a man eating human excreta. For many years, he has been feeding 200 abandoned mentally challenged people on Madurai's street corners. With a small band of volunteers, and a few donations, he cooks three meals everyday and also collects food wasted at marriage receptions for them. He seeks no publicity.
Kalyanasundaram. 68. Started Paalam which means 'bridge' - a bridge between the haves and the have-nots. And not from public donations but with his own life's savings, his entire inherited property, his Provident Fund and so on earned as a librarian for 35 years. To understand the plight of destitutes, he even lived on the pavement for a few years. For his basic needs, he worked as a waiter in a hotel in Tirunelveli. He finances the education of poor children and looks after destitute senior citizens.
'Traffic' Ramaswamy. 76. Earned the title because as a citizen he used to ease traffic congestion in Chennai's Parry's corner. A compulsive public (not publicity!) interest litigant, he has been a thorn in the flesh of successive governments in Tamil Nadu, challenging bandh calls, political schemes and a plethora of government orders. He has faced attacks many times but no one has been able to break his spirit.
A former High Court Chief Justice had ordered the government to provide him police security. He is perhaps the only 'common man' in Chennai who has a bodyguard! But Ramaswamy once told me how the first person to run whenever he's attacked is the armed constable! But I also remember for a live programme, how the same gunman was seen calling his relatives on his mobile to ask them to watch him standing behind Ramaswamy on NDTV!
He has won no award. (Talking of awards? Well, didn't the original Charlie Chaplin once win the third prize in the 'Charlie Chaplin Look Alike' contest?)
There must be many other Good Samaritans who are not even heard of. May their tribe increase. Their lives are like unheard melodies. So like the group Abba sang, I'd say Thank You For The Music. They make things better and our lives as journalists more meaningful. They are my heroes. Because they are not celebrated.
Copyright 2007
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Traffic Ramaswamy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Traffic Ramaswamy is a 73-year-old former mill worker, a founder member of the state's Home Guard, and a self-appointed traffic policeman cum public interest litigator and social activist from Chennai (formerly Madras), Tamil Nadu province, India.
'Traffic' RamaswamyMuch of his focus is on controlling the city's chaotic traffic. Initially, he started unofficially directing traffic at the city's busy Parrys Corner. The local police were so pleased with his efforts that they provided him with an official identity card. He acquired the nickname, Traffic Ramaswamy, shortly afterwards.
He has single-handedly brought many public interest law suits in the Madras High Court. In one recent case, he was attacked by his opponents' lawyers on the steps of the courthouse. This was not the first time, he has been attacked: in 2002, he was assaulted by fish sellers - after he obtained a ban on the use of motorised fish carts - damaging his sight. He has also recently had his office ransacked and papers were stolen; he was attacked in 2002, damaging his sight; and his family have disowned him. However, helped by donations from friends, he claims he will continue his fight to make Chennai the most livable and lovable city.
He has successfully obtained: the demolition of illegally constructed buildings in Chennai; restrictions on motorised fish carts; the decongestion of major bus routes by banning auto rickshaws from them; and a review of lavish state funding for a feature film (arguing the money could be more properly used for development work). He is now accompanied day and night by an armed police bodyguard.
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CHENNAI BEST
My aim is to make Chennai as the most livable and lovable city. I will continue my social work till I achieve this end," says 'Traffic' Ramasamy, who has fought many a legal battle for the cause of public in the city. Battling
One of the largest filers of public interest litigation petitions in the Madras High Court, he had single handedly fought many cases. However, irked over this, some of his rivals recently ransacked his office in a bid to discourage him from going ahead with his declared principle of making Chennai as a livable city.
Stating that the attack did not deter him, he told reporters that he would continue his fight.
The 73-year-old man, who started his career as a peon in a textile mills, was one of the founders of the Home Guard movement in the state in 1963. He started helping the police in regulating the traffic in the busy Parrys Corner. Appreciating his work, the police issued him an identity card, which earned him the name 'Traffic' Ramasamy.
This activism cost him his family life as the members of his family disowned him, as he continued 'foolish things' of taking up people's cause, he said.
But one of his friends offered him shelter and many friends helped him in paying the court fee for his cases.
Ramasamy whose full name is K R Ramaswamy, was instrumental in getting a ban on plying of motorised fish carts in the city in 2002 following which he was attacked by some miscreants, damaging one of his eyes.
Again, it was he who took up the case of unauthorised constructions in Chennai. The Supreme Court had recently asked the Tamil Nadu government to demolish all unauthorised constructions, including some famous textile shops in the city. The apex court then remarked: "Chennai has become a unlivable city due to unauthorised buildings."
He had also challenged the state funding for a feature film on the life of Periyar E V Ramasamy, a social reformer. The Rs 95 lakh subsidy given to the film could be utilised for some development work, he argued. When no advocate came forward to argue his case, he personally appeared. But some lawyers attacked him on the court premises itself.
He had now taken up a case for banning autorickshaws on major bus routes to decongest the traffic. He thinks that the recent attack on his office was by some autorickshaw men, who thought that their livelihood would be affected if he won the case. "But I am not going to stop my efforts," he said.
By Sanjay Pinto, NDTV
