CHENNAI: Dangerous! That’s how they described Pulianthope, a North Chennai neighbourhood located just three km from Central station, till recently. Its rich colonial heritage and boxing culture — locals claim the boxing clan ‘Sarpatta Parambarai’ began its journey here — have all been overshadowed by a recent history of crime.
Tired of the negative publicity the neighbourhood attracts, a group of residents have come together to lift their locality from the infamy. The Pulianthope Residents Welfare Association (PRWA), formed by them, has been having a real impact on the lives of people.
“There is so much stigma around the neighbourhood that we do not get our loans approved, people deny jobs and post-paid data connections. Even prospective marriage alliances are broken off,” says S Selvaraj, secretary of PRWA. He says the need for change was felt during the pandemic, when lockdowns turned things upside down. At Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar, where Selvaraj hails from, men employed at the Pulianthope slaughterhouse and women working as house-helps suddenly found themselves out of work.
The difficult times led to the formation of Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar Welfare Association, the precursor to the PRWA. “We began by collecting education details of residents, and connected them with NGOs and organisations. Over 25 people landed jobs as security guards and helpers at IT firms and government offices due to the effort. We also trained residents on how to file job applications,” says Sathya Arumugam, president of the association.
With their nascent efforts bearing fruit, the association members took up more responsibilities. Apart from job assistance, they also began Scout camps, so that young minds don’t fall prey to the lure of drugs and crime. “A major issue in the area is that children drop out of school and become addicted to drugs. To stop this, we hold Scout training every weekend and offer snacks to children so that they attend the class. At least 100 kids attend. Also, two members, S Vimal and S Sagayaraj, volunteered to sponsor the education of 10 children,” says Selvaraj.
J Yuvarani, a 36-year-old resident, recounts her woes during the pandemic. “We are a family of four and my husband supplies bubble top cans in the locality. We couldn’t eat proper meals during Covid-19. With PRWA’s help, I found a job as a helper for the ‘Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam’ scheme. I earn Rs 4,500 a month, and more than money, the confidence it gives me is immense.”
S Velankani (42), employed with the city corporation, says most residents were not even aware of how to apply for jobs before the PRWA was established. “Not many people could read newspapers. Even if we had phones, we did not know where to look for jobs. The PRWA do not just stop with applications, but they follow up on how we are doing,” she says.
These days, PRWA members — all in their 30s and 40s — have their hands full. They finish their jobs, pool in money for PRWA activities, and engage in social work. And yes, they take up the fight for amenities in their beloved locality, which they are making the best in the city.