CHENNAI: Nearly 500 people from around the city gathered at the Arignar Anna Government Higher Secondary School in Besant Nagar on Sunday to participate in The World’s Big Sleep Out — a global initiative that aims to build and strengthen the support system for the homeless and build a homeless-friendly city. It was organised by the World’s Big Sleep Out Trust (WBSOT) in collaboration with The Banyan.
As a part of the programme, the participants including students, professors, NGO groups and mental health crusaders among others, spent a whole night discussing homelessness. One of the participants said, “Though this was a one-day event, many of us scrambled for comfort to sleep on the street. It’s very hard to imagine the plight of those people who have no shelter. This motivates me to do something for them.”
Among the chief guests were R Nataraj, MLA, Mylapore constituency; Madhusudhan Reddy, deputy commissioner of health, and Alby John, regional deputy commissioner - south region.
“In Tamil Nadu, urbanisation and city-ward migration are very high due to a great amount of development. To be a part of this, many people come here but are unable to keep up with urban life and end up being rendered homeless. It is their right to have a home, a roof over their head,” said Nataraj.
Concurring, Alby John said, “Homelessness is almost always by compulsion and never by choice. This programme will open dialogues.”
Funds raised through the event will be directed towards the enhancement of support services for homeless persons.