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Little ‘Bharatis’ spread poet’s message

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

Fitting tribute: Schoolchildren paying tributes to Subramania Bharathi in Puducherry on Tuesday.

“Sweet and pretty like a love-bird

You wing and soar my little child;

Behold the birds of iris hues

And be happy like them oh child!”

Puducherry: This is how national poet Subramania Bharathi exhorted the tiny tots in his famous “Paapa Paatu” (Child’s song) to adopt good values and ethics.

In a fitting tribute to Bharathi, who always held the welfare of toddlers in high esteem, a total of 125 children dressed like the Mahakavi went round the town in their school van reciting his electrifying poems on patriotism, national integration and communal harmony.

Principal of the school Saroja Babu said though the school had been organising functions on December 11, this time, the faculty members wanted to do something which would perpetuate Bharathi’s vision and ideas in the young minds on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary.

Led by the Principal and accompanied by 10 of their teachers, the children commenced their itinerary by visiting the historic Desamuthu Mariamman temple at Uppalam at 10 a.m. Devotees there became spellbound when the children started lisping Bharathi’s famous song, “In thee at last I take refuge, Desa Muthu Mari!” with utmost devotion. The song was followed by some of the poems penned by him on “Shakti.”

The children won the acclaim of one and all when they recited some stanzas of the poet’s masterpiece, “Kuyil Paattu” (An ode to Cuckoo). They did not fail to sing the “Paapa Paattu” too at the temple which was Bharathi’s routine rendezvous during his stay in Puducherry in the days of the colonial rule.

Their next destination was the Bharathi Park near the Assembly complex.

The kids not only offered floral tributes to the poet but recited some of his poems which flayed caste and communal discriminations. With sincerity and innocence writ large on their face, they also sang a few of his patriotic songs.

The students concluded their jaunt at Bharathi Memorial House on Eswaran Koil Street around noon. Here also they offered floral and poetic tributes to the Bard of the People.

The children, along with the teachers, returned to school with a feeling of satisfaction of having left an imprint of the poet’s life and work on the minds of the people.

Some members of the public were so impressed by the children’s performance that they posed for photograph along with the “little Bharatis” near the poet’s statue.

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