CHENNAI: Hidden within the quaint, dusty lanes of Kuruviagaram village is a treasure trove of untapped talent — bodies brimming with the energy of unsung dreams. Outside of the small library building, where students are tutored beyond school hours, reverberate the beats of the parai. Outside, V Ramya (33) waits for her two daughters excitedly. “Until a year ago, I never realised my kids had such hidden talent. It is after they were enrolled for these classes that I realised their true potential,” says a beaming Ramya.
Her daughters, V Aswathi (13) and V Sanjana (12), wake up around 5 am on weekends and freshen up, ready to catch up on academics and strike some beats. The duo is among the many that are taught parai (a percussion instrument) and silambam (a form of martial arts from Tamil Nadu) — two traditional art forms brought under one roof, thanks to the efforts of four aspiring souls.
It was in January 2024 that M Kannadasan (20), V Deepan (29), D Naveen (28) and E Vijay Kumar (27) decided to join hands and uphold a cause they believed was close to their heart — upliftment of the voiceless. And so, they decided that Dalit students from the small village in Tiruvallur’s Gummidipoondi must be empowered not just through academics but various other aspects.
Taking time off their hectic schedule, they began taking classes for the students and also engaging them in extra-curricular activities. “I failed to realise that my daughters can dance well, paint, draw and perform silambam. The four graduates who started this initiative deserve the credit for honing my daughters’ skills,” adds Ramya.
Kuruviagaram, a small village with a population of 1,000, now has a bunch of students who have taken to exploring painting and drawing and are also trying their hand at silambam and parai.
Kannadasan, who took the initiative to start the tuitions said, “Although it is not very open and in-your-face, discrimination continues against the Dalit community in the village. I wanted to educate the students of our village on this social issue and wanted to encourage them to continue their education,” the 20-year-old said.
Elaborating further, Kannadasan said, “There is also a reason why we teach children parai. There is a misguided perception that people who learn parai are illiterates and are generally linked with a particular community. We wish to change this stigma and show that it’s an art people celebrate.Even during practice, we say that we won’t play the instrument during deaths and at temple festivals, but while protesting for a social cause or at school or college events.”
The students are also taken on small trips to Chennai to heritage buildings and other places, and they are taught how to travel on the metro, among other things.
“On ‘Periyar’ E V Ramasamy’s death anniversary on December 24, our annas (brothers) took us to Periyar Thidal in Egmore. We had the opportunity to see various political leaders, including Chief Minister M K Stalin. It was a nice experience, and we were elated to see them. We have also participated in many drawing competitions in Chennai. Recently, we participated in a marathon in Chennai. That was when we learnt what a marathon was,” R Shamitha, a Class 7 student at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Gummidipoondi, said.
On Sundays, the tutors also visit a tribal hamlet in the Gummidipoondi block and conduct classes for the students there. “We also wish to ensure there are no dropouts among the tribal students and that they should continue their studies. We educate the parents of tribal children and motivate them to send their wards to schools,” says Kannadasan before signing off.
(Edited by Srijith R)
