Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Reporter's Diary

It was an unusual Senate meeting at the Madurai Kamaraj University on November 18.

More than a debate or discussion, it was the encomiums showered on the Vice-Chancellor, P. Maruthamuthu, that stole the show.

With no burning issues, but for the alleged malpractices at Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, the meet turned out to be full of bonhomie and kind gestures between the members and the VC.

Members pointed out that there was hardly any pending issue to be deliberated at the Senate as the VC had solved many in a short time. On several long pending issues such as regularisation of temporary workers, salary, infrastructure development and campus placements, the university administration took effective measures.

Then came popular folk singer, Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan's turn to eulogise the VC.

However, serious decisions were also taken on the day, lighter moments apart.

They seemed to be a cut above the rest - both in terms of education and awareness levels on social concerns. This appeared to make them achievers among the chiefs of Village Panchayats.

Both Eswari, president of Appipalayam Village Panchayat in Karur district, and Jamruth Beevi, president of Devipattinam Village Panchayat in Ramnad district, had good educational background and Amutha James president of Thappathy Village Panchayat in Tuticorin district was an Electronics and Communication Engineer.

While the latter made a mark in eradicating untouchability and motivating the lasses to pursue education, Mrs. Beevi reached out to the Hindus in her territory and constructed a bridge around the Navapashanam, desilted the Chackratheertham and renovated the Poovodai Aru and thereby earned the secular credentials. And Eswari became the crusader of justice in bringing down the pollution levels caused by the dying units in her village. The threesome was felicitated at the Women's Day organised by the Southern Railway Women Welfare Organisation here recently.

These high fliers had interestingly something else in common. The male folk in their families did not interfere in their discharge of official duties but stood solidly by them at the time of crisis.

Youths have a vital role to play in nation building and it is imperative for them to know about the essence of `Tirukkural'.

Perhaps, it was this fact that inspired the Madurai Tiruvalluvar Kazhagam to organise `Tirukkurai elocution' competitions for the students of IX, X, XI and XII Standards and `Tirukural recitation' competitions for VI, VII and VIII Standards.

The topics for elocution competitions are `Valvangu Valthal,' `Sollum Seyalum,' `Arulum Porulum,' and `Inbamum Thunbamum' and for recitation competition `Anbudamai,' `Adakamudaimai,' `Arivudamai,' and `Ukkamudamai.'

The elocution competition will be held on January 6 and recitation competition on January 7 for girls at 10 a.m. and for boys at 4 p.m. For recitation competition students who could recite 40 kurals alone can participate.

Students interested to participate in the competition should apply in the prescribed format duly attested by their teachers. More information on this can be obtained from Madurai Tiruvalluvar Kazhagam, North Adi Street, Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Madurai.

(Contributions from Shastry V. Mallady, J.V. Siva Prasanna Kumar and S.S. Kavitha in Madurai)

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