VSK TN
Quite often we find a bubbling urge to help others among the general public whenever a natural disaster visits; the suffering of the people becomes unbearable for the dharmic souls and they rush to wipe a tear from the sufferers’eyes. Even as the livelihood of poorest of the poor is hit badly during the Corona-related lock-down, patriotic youth and spiritual minded elders across Tamilnadu are seen commendably serving the suffering population in their own localities. While the mindset in the West holds the government responsible for everything, people of India plunge into service activities without expecting directions to come from government, in order to salvage human dignity. It is highly exemplary and inspires others to join the endeavor. A few of such inspiring pearls:
COIMBATORE:
Sri. Kumar, endowed with a spiritual bent of mind, donated 30 tonnes of rice to Seva Bharati Corona relief kitchen. He had displayed his piety by mortgaging his house and offered his donation during Thanjavur Brihadeeswara temple Kumbhabhishekham. The association working for protecting lakes joined hands with a Trust by name Vriksham to distribute provision kits to 120 families; it was given to 40 Lankan refugee families living in Alandurai; it was also distributed among families in Sivananda Colony Chetty Street, Kurichi, madhukarai and Kuniamuthtur.
CHIDAMBARAM:
Sri Bhaskara Dikshitar, a priest in Nataraja temple in chidambaram goes about distributing cooked food to the Corona curfew-bound poor at their doorstep.
THIRUVALLUR:
Sri Arumugam, a youth, coordinates relief activities a social service trust by name Viduthalai and serves over 200 families in villages surrounding Ponneri such as Pakkam, Kanavandurai and Pralayambakkam.
CHENNAI:
o The Ashok Nagar Anjaneya Temple Trust distributed provisions to 600 families of Nallankppam.
o Ali Baadsha, a service minded individual of Thiruvottiyur, gave away to over 350 families provisions kit worth Rs.1,200 each.
o A reassuring scene at the Jones Road Sunshine block that houses 120 families. Lunch packet, each from a family, is collected daily and sent to hunger hit persons through police officials on their beat. Smt. Vennila, a teacher in a government school, coordinates this service activity.
o The Sringeri Sharada Peetam branch in Thyagaraya Nagar prepares food for 5,000 persons daily. This is being distributed by devotees in the surrounding localities. Members of the public contribute to this in the form of provision goods.
o Sita of Kodungaiyur serves food to people in the neighbourhood through a group by name ‘Street Vision’.
While Doctors tend to patients, Police maintains curfew and Government protects the people, the “people power”, on par with the government, never lags behind in serving the people on ground zero. This is vindicated in every calamity. The inspiration for such people are Spiritualituy and Desa Bhakti. That is the essence of these happenings.