In the summer of '98 when I joined NDTV, my job was a case of 'friend's envy, holder's pride'. I remember my buddies gushing 'hey man, what fun to be rubbing shoulders with celebrities, film stars, cricketers, tennis players, politicians ' Honestly I too enjoyed interviewing the "who's who" in most arenas.
Close to ten years on, through the rough and tumble of television journalism, the stories I remember most are not about the Magsaysay, Arjuna, Padma Bhushan awardees. They were important too, but the ones that gave me goose bumps were features on unsung achievers.
Ordinary people who did the most extraordinary things, humble souls who changed lives and made a difference, but most of all, who didn't, like the proverbial Publican, blow their own trumpets. To some extent, I'm fortunate to report from a state like Tamil Nadu, which despite its high voltage, acerbic inter-party Dravidian hostility, has thrown up a slew of real life stories of sacrifice - of hope, of courage, of empathy. Here, charity is not like justice that has to be seen to be done. It's quiet service minus the bragging.
And talking of bragging, I can never forget the sight of tsunami survivors in Cuddalore. Hungry children who had lost everything - their homes and their parents, and were too shocked to even grieve, staring at food packets. It was well past noon the day after the killer waves had struck. A group of ladies from an NGO had landed in the district clad in grand silk saris, for disaster tourism and publicity. They delayed handing over these food packets to those starving kids just because a few more lens men were on the way!
The people you are set to read about are such a refreshing change from the many cheap ribbon-cutting publicity seekers. You have probably heard of them off the cuff, but don't know much about their work.
'Traffic' Ramaswamy. 76. Earned the title because as a citizen he used to ease traffic congestion in Chennai's Parry's corner. A compulsive public (not publicity!) interest litigant, he has been a thorn in the flesh of successive governments in Tamil Nadu, challenging bandh calls, political schemes and a plethora of government orders. He has faced attacks many times but no one has been able to break his spirit.
A former High Court Chief Justice had ordered the government to provide him police security. He is perhaps the only 'common man' in Chennai who has a bodyguard! But Ramaswamy once told me how the first person to run whenever he's attacked is the armed constable! But I also remember for a live programme, how the same gunman was seen calling his relatives on his mobile to ask them to watch him standing behind Ramaswamy on NDTV!
He has won no award. (Talking of awards? Well, didn't the original Charlie Chaplin once win the third prize in the 'Charlie Chaplin Look Alike' contest?)
There must be many other Good Samaritans who are not even heard of. May their tribe increase. Their lives are like unheard melodies. So like the group Abba sang, I'd say
Thank You For The Music. They make things better and our lives as journalists more meaningful. They are my heroes. Because they are not celebrated.
CHENNAI BEST
My aim is to make Chennai as the most livable and lovable city. I will continue my social work till I achieve this end," says 'Traffic' Ramasamy, who has fought many a legal battle for the cause of public in the city. Battling
One of the largest filers of public interest litigation petitions in the Madras High Court, he had single handedly fought many cases. However, irked over this, some of his rivals recently ransacked his office in a bid to discourage him from going ahead with his declared principle of making Chennai as a livable city.
Stating that the attack did not deter him, he told reporters that he would continue his fight.
The 73-year-old man, who started his career as a peon in a textile mills, was one of the founders of the Home Guard movement in the state in 1963. He started helping the police in regulating the traffic in the busy Parrys Corner. Appreciating his work, the police issued him an identity card, which earned him the name 'Traffic' Ramasamy.
This activism cost him his family life as the members of his family disowned him, as he continued 'foolish things' of taking up people's cause, he said.
But one of his friends offered him shelter and many friends helped him in paying the court fee for his cases.
Ramasamy whose full name is K R Ramaswamy, was instrumental in getting a ban on plying of motorised fish carts in the city in 2002 following which he was attacked by some miscreants, damaging one of his eyes.
Again, it was he who took up the case of unauthorised constructions in Chennai. The Supreme Court had recently asked the Tamil Nadu government to demolish all unauthorised constructions, including some famous textile shops in the city. The apex court then remarked: "Chennai has become a unlivable city due to unauthorised buildings."
He had also challenged the state funding for a feature film on the life of Periyar E V Ramasamy, a social reformer. The Rs 95 lakh subsidy given to the film could be utilised for some development work, he argued. When no advocate came forward to argue his case, he personally appeared. But some lawyers attacked him on the court premises itself.
He had now taken up a case for banning autorickshaws on major bus routes to decongest the traffic. He thinks that the recent attack on his office was by some autorickshaw men, who thought that their livelihood would be affected if he won the case. "But I am not going to stop my efforts," he said.
'Traffic' Ramaswamy
