CHENNAI : It’s easy to find S Chandrasekaran’s house. Just listen for the high-pitched, repetitive chirping of sparrows and it will lead you right to his doorstep. “Most people who visit us follow the sparrows. They haven’t gotten lost even once in the past ten years,” says the 50-year-old, who was awarded the Biodiversity Award 2015 by D Saravanan, the honorary wildlife warden of Aranya Forest & Sanctuary, a settlement located 20-odd km away from Puducherry. The award is given to individuals who have taken the effort to co-exist with other species.
Chandrasekaran’s family comprises over 300 members. Not all are humans. He lists the sparrows, squirrels, a dog and a duck in addition to his wife and two daughters. “We have opened our house to them and now they are the main inhabitants,” he laughs. The metal gate of the duplex house creaks open as he lets a cream-coloured mongrel inside. The old wooden door on the ground floor leads into a 10X12-ft living room with another door that opens into the kitchen.
“We have golu dolls that date back to over 96 years,” says Geetha, Chandrasekaran’s wife, pointing at the massive display of golu dolls arranged neatly on seven steps which took up most of the space in the room. Navaratri was closing in, at the time we visited. As they usher us into their abode, outside, a flock of sparrows greet us at the entrance, hopping about for a while on the street before heading for their nests on the first floor.
“Initially, there were just two or three sparrows. My wife and I used to keep some water outside during the summer for the birds to drink and bathe in,” says Chandrasekaran. “After a month we noticed that many sparrows were coming to our house and we started keeping millet grains too,” says the eco-crusader from Tindivanam.
In 1991, upon encouragement from his father’s friend, Chandrasekaran moved to Auroville. “I worked with many small units there and then joined the Auroville Health Center. I was an accountant there while supervising the administrative and HR work for over 12 to 13 years. Then I worked with Sri Aurobindo International Institute of Educational Research (SAIIER) as an accountant for four years and then with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). That’s how I got involved in conservation,” he says.
In 1993, Chandrasekaran’s wife, who runs a self-help group for women, took charge of his home in Puducherry. It was around this time that the sparrows began flocking to the house. “We noticed that none of the sparrows were able to eat the large millet seeds that we kept outside. We then switched to smaller seeds. After that, we had over 60 sparrows added to the group every day,” he tells us.
The balcony, on the first floor of their house, in front of the living room, is covered with vines growing from pots and loose twigs tied from the ceiling. Hundreds of sparrows perch on the twigs and chirp irritatedly as we make our way up the staircase. “Sounds like they are curious about our new guests,” he quips. Around ten earthen pots hang from the ceiling, some with bits of hay sticking out from a hole in the side. “We know a pot is occupied when we can see hay inside. We also know by the droppings that appear underneath it,” he explains.
The couple uses seven kilos of grains every month to feed the little birds. “We don’t go on vacations because we need to feed them. Whenever we have to leave for an emergency, we request our neighbours to feed them,” he says. “We have even made a timetable for our neighbours to follow when we are not here,” shares Geetha.
The sparrows eventually warm up to our presence and tweet their way in and out of the balcony. Some even get comfortable enough to resume bathing. “We have around ten squirrels here. I had to make their houses on the terrace because the birds would peck at them and shoo them away from their territory. They don’t even allow other birds like mynas to come here,” he shares.
Upon cue, two squirrels hurry down the vines into the balcony. Before the birds notice them, they stealthily take a few gulps of water and scurry back up. “The whole family is passionate about taking care of these birds and animals. My wife and I knew that only if we do it, our children will continue our work. If either one of us was not involved in taking care of them, our children may not have taken up the responsibility of caring for these creatures,” says Chandrasekaran as Geetha nods in agreement.
Six months back, Chandrasekaran met with an accident which left him with severe head injuries. “My daughters took charge of the house. They took care of the sparrows and squirrels along with our dog and duck. When I returned three months later, it felt like I had never left,” he smiles.
“They have become a part of our family. We know when they lay their eggs and we take care of their little ones. Every evening we open our doors and windows and they enter like it’s their own home. Despite having a house in the city, we were able to make a home for them too. We will always be there with clean pots for them to build their nests in, for as long as our family can,” Geetha says.
Helping women
Geetha started a ladies club in her colony for women who needed immediate financial help, in 1993. “All members used to pool in money every month. If any member needed to withdraw money for any emergency, they could from our group fund,” she says. Like her husband, Geetha was interested in accounting too. She wanted to help those in need of proper accounting systems. “It was her idea to start the Akshaya Foundation. She saw that self-help groups were growing in number, but they had zero accounting knowledge,” says Chandrasekaran.
Geetha began conducting accounting classes for underprivileged women. “The classes were free, but I could only entertain four or five women at a time,” she says pointing at the room. Soon she started helping self-help groups with their accounting, “We designed a notebook with columns for all required details. It made it easy for them to enter details and understand the accounting process too. We charge `200 per year for the service and are currently working with over 2,500 groups,” she says.