The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Getting a feel of the sea the fun way

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 10, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Getting a feel of the sea the fun way

Staff Reporter

Udavum Karangal arranges treat for 20 students of Ramakrishna Vidya Mandir

CHENNAI: Twenty students of the Ramakrishna Vidya Mandir hesitantly stepped got off the Ashok Leyland `Fun Bus' on a hot and humid Thursday evening. They gingerly climbed the gangway of M V Swaraj Dweep, a passenger vessel, anchored at the harbour here. It was their first stop in a tour organised by social service organisation Udavum Karangal, the Chennai Port Trust, Ashok Leyland and the Andaman and Nicobar administration.

Srinivasan and gang kept their brand new notepads and mouths shut while climbing the stairs. Nalini, a Standard XII student, was the only one who kept a smile on throughout despite her bare feet and polio-affected lower limbs.

On the deck, they smiled and posed for pictures. But the notepads remained shut till they got off the ship without receiving any briefing about the Andaman-bound vessel.

A tea break and the promise of a boat ride perked up the trip.

The bus took them to `Netaji,' a tugboat that ferried them from the north quay to do a neat round of the harbour.

Kamala, Lakshmi and others crowded around a port trust official, who pointed out the various vessels and how cargo ranging from petroleum products to iron ore was brought inland.

Standard XII student Rajan left the group halfway to join friends Ahmed and Vinod Kumar and enjoy the "super" ride.

The group came back around 6 p.m. to reluctantly board the `Fun Bus,' which took them back to their school at Tiruverkadu.

"We took the students to VGP and Mahabalipuram earlier as Ashok Leyland gave the bus free. This will be our last trip as the vacation has come to an end," said counsellor Gowrirekha.

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