An inspiration to us all

Mrs. Kamakshi Subramaniyan is one amazing person. At the age of 82 she has achieved what most people would consider impossible. She has almost single handedly coaxed, cajoled and almost bullied corporation officials into converting the neglected and overgrown 4th Avenue in Besant Nagar, into a clean, beautiful road with a lush garden running along its entire length.

It has been a project that has lasted over 8 years - with many difficulties and setbacks. Three times the corporation planted trees, but then left them to die -unattended. Finally, she decided to take matters into her own hands, and now makes it a point to ring them twice or thrice every morning - to remind them to send someone to water the plants! It has proved to be a very effective strategy and the results are there for all to see.

In fact, the telephone seems to be her weapon of choice - and she wields it well. She has a little board above hers, filled with the names and numbers of everyone from officials, to journalists, to NGO's- and she knows exactly who to call to get things done.

But it is a constant struggle to keep it well maintained. She despairs that even educated people destroy the plants while trying to pluck flowers - or even relieve themselves by the side of the road. "At my age, I don't have the time for shyness" she says, " I just wait until they are done and then go up to them and point out that it is an extremely uncivilized thing to do" !

This dynamic lady is passionate about a wide range of issues- from tree planting, to making pavements more senior citizen friendly, to getting autos to charge by the meter. She is eager to see more youngsters take an interest in these issues, and, citing herself as an example, believes that senior citizens can contribute tremendously. As she says " All it takes is a telephone and a bit of a thick skin". :)

And today, on her recommendation, please take a minute to check out Nizhal - an organisation that speaks for the trees of Chennai. They conduct several greening initiatives and educational programs, and would welcome new volunteers if you have the time to spare. Or else, why not join them on one of their regularly organised 'tree walks' to discover the green side of the city.