Human Interest Stories
All my (our) children
https://csim.in/conversations/Conversations_August%202011.pdf Ten-year-old Raji clutches Sheetal’s hand and asks, “Will you stay longer?” “Yes, for some more time. You still remember me?” replies Sheetal. “Yes, of course I remember you. You took me to watch the IPL match, and how can I ever forget my meeting with Sachin Tendulkar,” says Raji with a twinkle in her […]
An evening with Priya
https://csim.in/conversations/CSIM_Conversations_January%202010.pdf Red, green and yellow kodams sit devoutly at the feet of the big black water tank by the roadside, awaiting their turn. A gaggle of young women in saris or gowns hangs around the kodams, chattering. A crow perked at the edge of one keeps peeking inside curiously. A few paces away, on the […]
Before and After
https://csim.in/conversations/Conversations-May2013.pdf Gemini fly over, an iconic landmark in Chennai City, has been the bridge for several abandoned mentally ill persons to reach Rafi’s home. When Rafi was returning after work one day, he noticed a man in soiled clothes taking food from a trash bin. This happened the next day, and even the day after.“I […]
Big fish, small fish
https://csim.in/conversations/Conversations-Feb2012.pdf It was a quiet, lazy Sunday morning when we set out to Thailamkuppam, a fishing hamlet near Ennore, 24 kilometers north of Chennai Port. The roads were free, and we cruised. No one looked hurried, worried. Men sipped tea by the roadside, women ambled about in their night gowns. At one place we stopped […]
Blistering Bricks
https://csim.in/conversations/Conversations-June2012.pdf The sun was blazing and summer was its peak at 42 degrees when we drove along Poonamalee high road to document the lives of the brick klin workers at Aranavoyal, a village located 32 kilometers from Chennai. Our NGO contact Logammal led us to the brick kiln that was situated near the main […]
Bulls and Music
https://csim.in/conversations/Conversations-January2013.pdf Chellammal, 37, was sitting outside her dilapidated hut at Kasimedu Kuppam in Ennore, Chennai. Her home was amidst the ten huts that were set up in a haphazard manner in the one-ground open plot. There were three similar habitations in the locality and each had a different story to tell. I walked towards Chellammal […]
Creating new horizons
https://csim.in/conversations/CSIM_Conversations_May_2011.pdf A group of children were playing in one of the bylanes at Bawana, a resettlement colony 20 kilometers away from main city of Delhi. Although the lanes were bordered with open drains, the stench did not seem to deter these children from play. While Nisha stood in the middle singing a song, the others […]
Divine Duo
https://csim.in/conversations/Conversations-August2012.pdf Dr. Regi and Dr. Lalitha, fondly addressed by the tribals as ‘G’ and ‘Tha’ are the founders of the Tribal Health Initiative (THI) at Sittilingi, a village situated on the hillocks, about 100 kilometers from Salem. Regi is a surgeon and an anesthetist and Lalitha is a gynecologist. Both pursued their medical degree at […]
Every child can
https://csim.in/conversations/Conversations_November2011.pdf Manjula arrived at the tuition centre at 6:00 P.M. There were over 20 children waiting for her, few seeming exhausted after play. “Can you teach me subtraction, please?” asked Kasi opening his mathematics book. Manjula was pleased to know that her student was eager to learn. She wrote on the black board ‘17 – […]
Expressions
https://csim.in/conversations/CSIM_Conversations_June%202010.pdf Six-year-old Steven was playing with his football and enjoying the bouncing noise. His sister Natalie, four, drew his attention to the sweets that she held in her hand. Though hesitant, he wanted a share. “My son Steven is autistic,” said his mother Sudha. “He has been a student at Sankalp for over three years. […]
God’s own Home
https://csim.in/conversations/ConversationsToday-September2013.pdf There are lots of experiences and special days in one’s life. I would like to share with you one such experience that I shall never forget—my visit to Anandam, a home for the destitute elderly in Ambattur, Chennai.The few hours I spent here taught me life’s lessons in a subtle way. Although it was […]
I too can!
https://csim.in/conversations/Conversations_April-2011.pdf MBA Foundation is a charitable trust at Powai in Mumbai that works for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. “The thought of launching this organisation started with me having a son who is dyslexic,” says Meenakshi Balasubramanian, Founder, Mutually Beneficial Activity (MBA) Foundation. Meenakshi moved to Delhi with her family when her son Akhil […]
Joy of Learning
https://csim.in/conversations/Conversations-April2013.pdf Ashwita, 4, was playing with her toys that was scattered all over the room. While her mother was busy preparing the Sunday lunch, her father Ramu gave her company. “Appa, why is school closed on Sunday?” she asked. Bemused by her question, Ramu replied saying, “Because, you should be at home, at least twice […]
Molting like a snake
https://csim.in/conversations/Conversations-Jan2012.pdf A scenic drive winding through lush green paddy fields and casuarina plantations led us to Pinnal Nagar, a Irula hamlet at Kalvoy village in Kancheepuram District where 28 Irula families live. Sourana and Balaji, our contacts, seated us at the front of a concrete house. The entire community gathered curiously, and the children were […]
Reaching out
https://csim.in/conversations/ConversationsToday-February2014.pdf Rani was waiting to meet the duty doctor at Thirumalai Mission Hospital. She was cheerfully chatting with her daughter Priya while she awaited her turn. Noticing me with my camera, she spontaneously engaged in a conversation. “I was suffering from knee pain for over three years. It was tough for me to carry out […]
Rural re-inventions
https://csim.in/conversations/ConversationsToday-October2014.pdf Call it a bias of sorts, but the fact remains that poverty in an urban tapestry receives a great deal of attention. The rural poor are many a time, forgotten and ignored. That could simply be because of the greater amount of media focus on cities, when compared to villages. The same reason why […]
The Ebb and Flow
https://csim.in/conversations/CSIM_Conversations_August-2010.pdf As the evening progressed, the canvas looked busier. At dusk, the beach was abuzz with people of various denominations. They came in cars, on bikes, and some even on foot. They came to walk, talk, play – and eat. The hawkers had kept pace. Since late afternoon they had been busy setting up their […]
Touching the lives of others
https://csim.in/conversations/Conversations_September%202011.pdf Shobha and Anand had a mixed culture marriage. The wedding was to be held in Chennai as Shobha’s parents lived here while Anand’s parents dwelt in Delhi. Both the families differed 180 degrees in their views on religion and rituals, and so the couple decided to handle the wedding arrangements themselves. The mandap was […]
