The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Budding cricketers form human chain against tobacco

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 02, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Budding cricketers form human chain against tobacco

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, MAY 1. Their white T-shirts had turned rust brown. They were tired but chirpy. Their young faces looked up eagerly every time somebody read aloud the words on the placards they held. They gheraoed anyone who took interest in them.

``Did you read my placard?''

``Please read mine.''

If someone stopped to read a placard then a boy would read aloud from the placard he held.

The boys were participating in a human chain organised at T.Nagar, on the eve of World No Tobacco Day.

Some of them carried placards with Tamil wording. A few boys conceded they did not know how to read Tamil but their friends ensured that they understood the scribbled messages. The 150 schoolboys, all budding cricketers, stood by the margin of North Usman Road and chorused when drivers slowed down to assimilate the do's and don'ts when on road. Don't speak into your cell phone while driving; don't spit from your car; don't smoke; don't drink and don't drive if you have had alcohol; don't use pan parag; don't spit on the road; and don't get into a running bus.

There were also other messages. You smoke to please your friend and you become invalid for life. Don't chew tobacco. By calling out to a passing auto rickshaw you would create traffic hazards. The boys in standard V to VIII came from various schools: Padma Seshadri, DAV, Gopalapuram, Shrine Veilankanni and Chettinad Vidyashram. They were pleased because buses had to slow down and they also had the attention of the policemen who regulated the traffic.

A boy walked up to a woman who carried her helmet: ``You are a nice person. You wear helmet.'' Another boy said: ``Don't talk while you are driving.'' A third mischief-monger asked her: ``Where is your vehicle? Did the police confiscate it?'' Some distance away the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam made preparations for an election meeting. The party chief, M. Karunanidhi's taped speech rent the air. But the boys were prepared. A few of the placards urged the people to cast their vote.

The boys who are learning to play cricket at an academy of Ramakrishna Matriculation School, T.Nagar, participated in the one-hour human chain organised by the State Bank Retired and Serving Employees' Forum.

R. Mohana Krishnan, secretary, said the programme was part of the World Health Organisation sponsored `World No Tobacco Campaign Day' being observed this month. ``Earlier, Corporation school students had participated. We conducted human chains at Mylapore and Mahalingapuram.''

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News Update

Stories in this Section

They have voter ID cards but no home

`Asthma can be managed'

Budding cricketers form human chain against tobacco

Veeranam pipelines being flushed

Model code violated in North Chennai: observer

Education guidance expo begins

Car burnt in freak accident

Around The City

In Chennai Today