Kerala   

Australian firm presents laptop to endosulfan victim

Study aid:Social activist Shree Padre handing over a laptop, presented by an Australia-based firm, to Shruthi, a Plus One student of Government Vocational Higher Secondary School, Mullaria, at the Kasaragod Press Club on Wednesday.

KASARAGOD: Shruthi, a Plus One student of Government Vocational Higher Secondary School, Mullaria, near here, who symbolises the face of courage and fortitude braving serious physical deformities attributed to aerial spraying of endosulfan pesticide, was gifted with a computer by an Australia-based firm to help her pursue academic career.

The girl has for many years been one of the most prominent faces in showcasing to the world the plight of the serious health hazards posed to a once pristine region, thanks to the prolonged aerial spraying of the pesticide in Plantation Corporation of Kerala's cashew estate in the district.

Shruthi's story was brought to the attention of Informa Australia, a division of Informa Plc U.K., which claims to be the world's largest publicly owned organiser of exhibitions, professional events, and training, by Simon Kurian, a Sydney-based film-maker who is currently in India filming a documentary titled “Toxic” on the endosulfan tragedy in the district. The idea to gift a brand new laptop cropped up as Kerala-born Kurian was filming with Shruthi recently for the documentary, after the girl, who scored over 80 per cent marks in class X examinations, expressed her wish to own a computer to facilitate her studies in information technology-related subjects at her remote Vaninagar residence. Mr. Kurian's wife Geethanjali, who works for some projects of Informa Australia, wrote to its Managing Director about Shruthi conveying him of the girl's wish to own a computer.

The official promptly agreed to sponsor a new computer for Shruthi, Mr. Kurian said after the girl was presented the laptop by Sree Pedre, social activist and anti-endosulfan campaigner, at the Press Club here on Wednesday.

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

Stories in this Section

Australian firm presents laptop to endosulfan victim
Youth detained at airport
CIAL waterway holds huge tourism potential

Copyright © 2011, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu