CHENNAI: As all classrooms in Chennai miss their usual rambunctious occupants these Christmas holidays, Siga College on Taylor’s Road in Kilpauk reverberates with the catchy tune Rowdy Baby on Monday. In a large hall — lined with small, colourful shoes outside — children cackle away, performing their renditions of film music.
Just a few hours ago, parents from around 23 districts across Tamil Nadu including Krishnagiri, Ariyalur, and Tindivanam, assembled at the institute and dropped off their children at the big hall.
Some parents, like 30-year-old J Gouri, an employee of a file company, linger nearby. Gripping a blue, worn-out bag carefully packed with clothes, and a water bottle, she tries to spot her 10-year-old daughter Diya in the crowd. “We came from Tindivanam to Koyambedu this morning.
This is Diya’s first time away from home and I’m worried because she eats only crunchy food,” Gouri says. The picky eater, in question, is bouncing away with 270 other children, excited to be away from home from
December 26-30.
A few children sob as their parents leave but soon, this unfamiliar institute will become home to the government school children and give them five days of treasured memories. For some, it is a jittery, anticipatory return to Neelam Trust’s five-day free winter annual camp.
Organised in coordination with Agaram Foundation, Don Bosco Youth Ministry, and Kattiyakkari Productions, the camp — in its 14th edition — aims at “bringing out the hidden talents of marginalised children longing for opportunities and recognition.” Children between the ages of five and 16 will be trained in Tamil Nadu’s folk arts including paraiyattam, storytelling, arts and crafts, puppetry, and mime among others.
As the music dies down in the hall, Muthamizh Kalai Vizhi, CEO, and founder of Neelam flags off the session by explaining the word ‘inauguration’, decidedly sending a message for the rest of the event that all questions were welcome and will be answered.
“Three words that are important throughout the session are Ambedkar’s karpi, onru seri, and puratchi sei. This space is yours and my wish is for you to make this space bigger,” organiser and theatre artist Srijith Sundaram says.
A large poster, carefully lettered with their theme — I have a dream — in yellow paint hangs in the backdrop of the hall. This tell-tale phrase reminiscent of the Civil Rights movement took root in 1963.
Addressing scores in Washington, Martin Luther King Jr said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Neelam has centred their annual winter camp around shaping character and imagining its own “oasis of justice.”
Social issues are the core of this camp, 25-year-old Abhitha S, a volunteer, mentions. “Often, more attention and access are awarded to the rich, but these camps treat everyone equally — with no discrimination. Children who get trained here will teach others about the theories they learned and bring about a change in their area. Our traditional art forms are dying so we also promote them and preserve them here,” she adds.
Every child is an artist
According to Muthamizh, every child is an artist, and they need the confidence to bring out their talent.
“They learn concepts or ideologies very quickly through art, and the understanding is rooted and strong. We choose art as a platform to give messages to the children about social issues.”
She says it is crucial to start at an early age as change doesn’t happen overnight.
Building confidence and leadership, especially in a world filled with discrimination, is a gruelling task. “When teachers, society, and parents tell children they can’t do something, it goes inside the child’s mind and then they feel like they can’t do something.
Later, when they grow up, confidence reduces. We have case studies of kids dying by suicide because of bullying. They say things like they don’t know how to talk English well, don’t know how to dress well, and don’t have confidence,” she adds.
The camp hopes to introduce the children to revolutionaries. “Our education systems do not teach children about the people who inspire,” says the Neelam founder. As the children are split into 15 groups, each named after visionaries — the mime team gets Che Guevara, puppetry with Rettamali Srinivasan, and martial arts with Savithribai Phule. This space aims to help them learn about new things and, if they can learn this at this age, I strongly believe this generation will bring change, she says.
While planning the camps Muthamizh drew inspiration from Scouts and Guides that shaped her as a child. “I still remember being so excited, not sleeping, waiting to go to the camps. Our camps want to create happy, ideological memories in their minds. We don’t want perfection, we want them to be themselves, they are perfect on their own.”
Through the session, the youngsters are encouraged to be exactly that — themselves. The stage transforms into a platform for a boy to narrate a story of a lion in a jungle and an 11-year-old girl to explain she now believed she could learn anything after one silambam class.
Entrepreneur and designer Deepika Govardhan, a resource person, remarks it is interesting to see children being brave on stage, with no hint of fear. In her module, ramp walk, the 20-odd children in her session are gradually going to learn to lock print, string beads and learn about tribal communities and nature. “On day five, they will perform dressed in costumes of tribes like Irulars and Maasai, this will give them confidence and teach them about their roots,” she says.
Music of change
As the first day nears the end, journalist and poet Kavin Malar commences her common session on an unforgettable note. The stage is yours, she reminds the children and invites them to perform songs they enjoy listening to. She laughs fondly as they sift through classics like Illyaraja’s Thendral Vanthu Theendum Pothu to viral gaana ones like Pattam Puchi Di.
Kavin Malar interweaves questions of gender and caste in her session, do you have siblings? Do they treat all girls and boys equally? What do you see at home and what do you think? This probes more questions and soon, children chime in about personal experiences of fathers favouring sons, the custom of women eating meals after men, and household work divided based on gender.
The crowd stills as Malar says, “So, we hear film songs on buses, at home, on the phone, and while dancing. But there are ones we need to remember. Will you remember them?” It only takes a chorus of yes, for Malar to show us why her session was titled ‘Music of Change’.
The artist brings to the hall a feminist folk song written over three decades ago. She sings line-by-line for the children to repeat: “Accham, naanam, madam, payirrupu, Icchai porulaai, irapadudana penn poruppu? Yethanai urigaimal Aan ku? Adhu edhum illa inge penn ku.” (Fear, shyness, dumbness, modesty.
Is this the only quality that women should have? How many rights does a man have? Women do not have any of these). She teaches them one more folk song that questions the existence of caste. Concepts about gender continue buzzing in their minds, as the hall echoes with the folk song.
Common sessions to look forward to 28th
Playing and Reading - Eniyan
29th All Children are one - Dr Aishwarya, Founder of Better World Shelter
To donate
Neelam Trust requires Rs 7,54,000 for the camp and contributions can be sent to:
NEELAM CHARITABLE TRUST
State Bank Of India
ICF Branch, Chennai
IFS CODE: SBIN0013065
A/c No.34542535889
A schedule can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/Neelamamaippu/