Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Empathetic at eighty

Age doesn't deter Sundari Mani from carrying on with her voluntary work

STILL YOUNG AT HEART Sundari Mani

She is over 80 and uses a walker to move around the house and a stick when she goes out. But that's only a minor inconvenience. She has a part-time cook and her driver of 23 years takes her around on her errands of mercy. She lives alone and is not scared. After all, Sundari Mani is Rajam Ramaswamy's daughter. "My mother, a Padma Shri awardee, was active in all areas of social work except animal rights," said Sundari. "She was an Honorary Magistrate. She is the example I follow."

Sundari is proud of the volunteer work she does. Simply because they have been so successful. On top of the list is her occupation with the Red Cross. She joined the organisation at 11, rose to be its treasurer and quit in 1963 to look after her in-laws. She's back now on the committee, building crèches for kuppam children on the ECR, Gummidipoondi and Puzhal. She supervises one at Chintadripet that's up and running. On Montieth Road, she helps house, train and place batches of 40 disabled students.

She has been with the Consumer Protection Forum for 25 years and is its vice-president now. "We do a little, sincerely," she said. The `little' includes dealing with complaints, starting consumer clubs in schools, allotting funds for school clubs with 50 members, organising at least one event per month and organising lectures on traffic, adulteration and health. Wondering why beverages and branded biscuits were sold at different prices, she investigated and then campaigned for six years for local taxes to be included in the maximum retail price. She spoke to `commercial tax fellows' and got it done. "For 20 years now, we have asked for standardised kerosene cans with embossed litre markings to prevent cheating at ration shops. We also asked for rationed rice to be packed for distribution."

At ALTRUSA, her job as project co-ordinator is to train nurse aids. The nearly 200 more-than-ayahs-less-than-graduate nurses coached by her have been absorbed by hospitals. "We pick the really poor, give them uniforms, books and training. I spend time inculcating self-confidence in them. They pass a theory exam and are absorbed by hospitals they intern in."

Assisting at Abhay Nilayam, a short-stay home for poor girls, is a family tradition. Sundari has funded a hostel building and goes there often to talk to the battered women. "I'm trying to start a rehab centre. My mother did it and I am following suit."

The three Trusts she runs are her pride and joy. Justice PN Ramaswamy Educational Charities supports school kids, NS Mani Charities Trust puts needy kids through college and "a small one in my mother's name" helps women earn a living.

She speaks warmly of the kids she's got into engineering colleges. "We test and choose promising ones. Shankar is in the Silicon Valley, Rekha, a peon's daughter, is with Infosys, Tanveera took up robotics, my postman's kids are doing M.Phil and MCA ... Watching them makes me feel young." Helping people is a habit. She visited Bhuj in Gujarat to build five schools from scratch. "I'm fond of children," she said. "It bothers me that they don't get good, value-based primary education." The municipal and government schools she went to as her District Judge father moved from Salem to Kurnool to Chenglepet were excellent. She quit school at 14 to marry but never stopped reading. "`Governance of Britain' by Harold Wilson is my favourite. I was member of the Madras Literary Society for 60 years."

Has she thought of slowing down? "Well, let's see. The Red Cross is dear to my heart. The Trusts are mine. ALTRUSA, Consumers' Forum... can't give them up." But there's fun stuff too. She meets friends at IWA and IAS Officers' Wives Association and attends concerts at the Music Academy. "I'm ready to pack a suitcase and be off. My legs ache whether I'm in my apartment or admiring the panels at Angkor Vat. Why can't I do something I love?"

GEETA PADMANABHAN

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