This entry is all about sharing my experience in visiting a near by government school in the Old Mahabalipuram Road as a part of our Organization’s ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)’ effort.
Wait…!. Let me first make a note clear. I am not an active member in any of the Charity group or Social welfare group or Non-profit group by any means and have not done any worth mentioning tasks till now. I am like as many others having the inherent WILL and desire to do such charity works but never have I taken any responsible personal efforts to do it. Well ? Then what is this entry all about? The reason that I make this entry is that I got one good chance to join with this CSR social welfare team of our organization and just wanted to share the experience of visiting a government school near by and wanted to capture the wonderful interactive speech of one of our senior management staff with that school children. It was really wonderful that the visit and his speech gave me quite remarkable and valuable insights. I admire such managers when they stand on the dais – and with no egos and with no image consciousness – they go down their levels to children state of mind and deliver a speech.
Well. Few days back as usual I was on my seat in front of my system and all of a sudden I got a ring. I picked up the call and the person from the other end asked, “Are you D.K.Suriya Narayanan?”
“Yes”, I replied.
“We are calling from corporate communications. We are randomly selecting 40 of our company associates to visit a near by government school on the OMR and we are planning to distribute prizes to the top rankers of that school on behalf of our organization. Are you interretsed to join with us?”
~ “Yes sure… and if you don’t mind can I please know what my role in this program is. Should I come prepared on anything for this?” ~
She continued, “No need for any preparation. You will be reporting there and participating in an hour long prize distribution program and few of our senior management staffs will distribute prizes to the school children. Following them you 40 people will also be distributing prizes to some of the children.”
~ Whaaat?? Me distributing prize??!!!! ~
And she continued, “Yes. We are doing this to bring in an awareness of such social welfare activities to as many associates as possible. So you will be coming tomorrow right? “ .
~ Sure ~.
Wait…! I am not going to explain here in Autograph (movie) style gyabagam varudhae…and make this entry. No! I have come far away and long way from such common emotions. However it was quite a different experience sitting on the dais this time and watching 100s of children sitting on the ground. And I really liked the speech which the senior manager gave to all those children and I wanted to capture it here.
As scheduled, the next day we were a group of 40 associates reached that school around 4 PM. The senior members of our organization from the CSR group joined with us and we were ready with the School bags to be distributed as prizes to the 1, 2, 3 rank class toppers from class 6th – 10th. The agenda is that: We have one X-military general as senior staff and a senior management staff who were the prime VIPs to donate the prizes first. Then we 40 of us have to go in rounds and continue distributing the prizes.
Before the prize distribution started, our senior manager was asked to speak a few words to the children.The Speech - I am capturing here in Thamizh.
It was a real thrilling experience on hearing a – very massive “claps” sound and the Collective Big shouting noise from all the children – when we all stepped on to the top of the dais. Frankly, after many years I am hearing such real-time massive audience group clap.
With huge noise still remaining among the children, our manager stands up and picks up the mic in his hands…
Manager: anbana kuzhandaigala…konjam amaidhiya irunga
~No effect~
Manager: neenga ellarum amaidhiya irundha dhan naan pesa mudiyum
~No effect~
Manager waits for about a min…and still
~ No effect ~
Manager: amaidhiya irungapaa…
~ still no effect ~
Manager watches the school principal weirdly and the Principal steps in, gets the mike and starts speaking
Principal: Dayavu seidhu palli manava manavigal anaivarum amaidhi kakumaru kettu kolgiren…
~ Noise gets reduced to half…But still not completely~
Principal: dae… indhaa pacha bag vachuttu nikkaran paru anga…utkarda keezha…andha marathu pakathla oruthan ninutu irukkan parunga…dae keezha utkaruda, dae konjam amaidhiya irungada …sir PT sir…anga kekkama unga pakathla pesittae irukkanga parunga avangala naalu adi adinga sir… konjam ukara vainga sir…
~ PIN drop silence ~
(this is called principal`s style…and I love it)
Manager : Kuzhandaigala…ippo naan pesalamaa?
~Mmmmmm…….~
Manager: Naanga ellam “ ” ngra oru software company la irundhu Inga vandhrukoam…edhukku vandhurukoam theriyumaa…
~Theeeriyadhu…~
Manager: Ungal `la 6avadhula irundhu 12aavadhu varaikkum class la mudhal moondru idatha pidichavangalukku naanga ippo prize thara poroam…
~ (Claps…) ~
Manager:Ungala ellam parkum poadhu enakku ennoda pazhaiya school gyabagam varudhu…naan eppo ungala madhiri oru studentaa irundhaen theriyuma…1978 la – studentaa irundhaen…ippo naan oru manageraa irukkaen…oru software company la manageraa irukkaen…ungalukku onnu theriyumma??…neenga ellarumae romba romba lucky aana students. Yen theriyumaa??…yenna naan poana vaaram Bihar poirundhaen…Bihar kelvi patturukeengalaa??…anga ungala madhri padikara pasangalukku avanga schoola bench kidayahdu chair kidaiyadhu class building kidayadhu…romba kashtapaatu avanga ellam padikranga…appidi padicha dhan naalaikku nalla irukka mudiyum nu padikraanga…neenga ellam adhae madhri oru kurikoaloda nalla padikkanum puriyudha…Seri ungalukku ellam yendha hero romba pidikkum?
~ Unanimous Collective response was “Vijay Vijay” ~ (Not for a joke. This was the real responseJ)
Manager: Seri…Enaku endha hero va romba pidikkum theriyumaaaa?… Abdul kalam…Ungal`la ethana paer naalaiku avara madhri aaganum nu aasai padreega…
~ALL raise hands ~
Manager: Doctoraa…??
~ Few raise hands~
Manager: Engineerraaa…??
~ Comparatively more ~
Manager: Seri Vijay madhri…??
~ Still some children raise hands ~
Manager: Seri…ungalukku pidicha yaar madhri vaenaalun neenga varanum nu aasai irukkalaam…thappu illai…aanaa ennava aaga poroam? Yara madhri aaga poroam? Eppidi aaga poroam nu clearaa irukkanum…Chumma schoolukku vandhoam..Padichoam…Poanoamnu irukka koodadhu…puriyudha…oru GOAL irukkanum…adhu dhan mukkiyam…seiveengalaa..??Puriyudhaaa..?
~ Mmmmm… Seivoam ~
Seri inga en pakathla nikaraangalae indha annan`s and akkaa`s…avanga ellam, yaru theriyumaa
~ No response . Still one voice came out aloud: Soptware engineer…”
(Nalla vela Saptu`vara engineer nu sollama ponnaan!!!)
Manager: Correcta Sonnan andha payyan. Ivanga ellam ippidi engineer aaganum nu Aim vachukittu irundhaanga…Adhunallaa inniki engineeraa irukkanga…Neengalum nalla aim oda padicheenganaa naalaikku engineeravo illa doctoravo illa Vijay madhriyo illa oru Abdul kalamavo varalam…puriyudhaa???
~ Mmmmm… ~
Finally we distributed the school bags…to them all and they were all happy with smiling faces. The visit was indeed a memorable one.
