MADURAI: At times, life plays a trick on us. It takes the blinkers off our eyes and lets us see the world for what it really is. It shows us the injustice, the suffering and the callousness inflicted upon those around us. While most want the blinders back and be indifferent themselves, a few keep their eyes open, seeing the reality until it burns their conscience.
The 21-year-old S Chandralekha from Elumalai, a nondescript village near Usilampatti, is one of those few. The experience that changed her life took place in 2019 when she was a first-year BSW student at Mannar Thirumalai Naicker College. During a visit to Thiruparankundram Subramanya Swamy temple, she noticed a wizened old woman in tattered clothes seeking alms. Hundreds of devotees had gathered at the temple that day, jostling each other and drowning the god’s abode with discordant chatter. None, however, seemed to notice the pair of weather-beaten hands begging for a bit of food.
An hour went by before, unable to watch the woman’s plight any longer, Chandralekha ran to a nearby shop and bought a packet of food and a bottle of water for her. No sooner had she handed the packet to her than the famished old woman emptied it. Later, in a quivering voice punctuated by sobs, she poured her heart out to the young girl about how her family abandoned her. Chandralekha then took her to a public toilet for a bath and got her new clothes.
“With the help of a policeman, who was moved by the chain of events himself, I took her to a government-aided old-age home,” Chandralekha said. The effect of that incident was so profound that Chandralekha vowed to help as many destitute individuals as she can and dedicate a part of her life to social work.
She put her plans to action when she enrolled for MSW in the same college a few years later. With the help of close friends and a lecturer, equally committed to making a change, Chandralekha started an NGO at Thirunagar in Madurai and named it GUYAS (Guidance of Youth and Adolescence).
Over the past one-and-a-half year, Chandralekha and team rescued over 100 destitute individuals from roadsides and with their consent, took them to government-aided homes. With the help of police, they also reunited a few with their families. “When we rescue someone with psychological issues, we counsel them before shifting them to a hospital or a government home,” adds Chandralekha.
R Divya (20), a final-year BSc Physics student in the same college and a member of GUYAS, said she met Chandralekha during an awareness campaign two years ago. Divya joined the NGO after she got to know more about Chandralekha and has since been part of many of its works. “We will be organising more camps for students to spread awareness on sexual harassment of women and girls,” says Divya when asked about the NGO’s plans.
Saroja V Kumar (30), assistant professor of English in the same college, says she has always been interested in social work but did not know where to start. Therefore, when Chandralekha, one of her favourite students, launched an NGO, Saroja hopped in. She recalled how, on her birthday on May 8, 2020, they launched the team’s first major social activity by distributing kabasura kudineer for Covid-19 prevention. Saroja says she and her family will continue to support Chandralekha.
Daughter of a farmer, Chandralekha spends whatever she gets as pocket money on her social activities. A few of her friends and their families, too, often help her out. Other social activities of Chandralekha and team include rescuing abandoned newborns and children begging on the streets; preventing child marriages; planting saplings; and giving motivational speeches in schools and colleges. Chandralekha says she undertakes social work in Madurai’s neighbouring districts such as Sivaganga and Theni as well.
R Venugopal, additional superintendent of police, Nagapattinam district, said he came to know about Chandralekha when he was posted in Madurai in 2020 as assistant commissioner for Thilagar Thidal range. She was volunteering for Covid-19 awareness campaigns and distributing face masks and sanitiser to her villagers. “Public transportation had been suspended then. As such, I bought her a second-hand scooter so she could travel to many villages and help people; she did a good job.”
In her village, Chandralekha now focuses on spreading awareness on the need to prevent child marriages and female foeticide. “We’ve stopped over 10 child marriages and encouraged those girls to study further. We’re glad they are in college now. Whenever we intervene in a child marriage, we face threats and abuse from the child’s family, but I don’t dwell too much on it,” she said.
On this journey, Chandralekha says she was inspired by the life of former President APJ Abdul Kalam and the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. She is also thankful to former Madurai collector U Sagayam, who inspired her in field work. “Money won’t bring me as much happiness as social work. Every night, I sleep with a clear conscience and a heart swelling with satisfaction. That’s a feeling worth living for,” says Chandralekha.