THANJAVUR: Outside, the star-filled sky is preparing to welcome the sun backstage. It’s half-past five in the morning in the small town of Chettikudi in Ariyalur. As the birdsongs penetrate the morning silence, 27-year-old A Manikandan, gets ready for his gruelling daily commute to Tiruvaiyaru, a celebrated temple town, 25 km away in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur. Only his summons are not divine. It is a daily pilgrimage to a library, Kaani Nilam, where he hopes persistence will one day open the door to a government job.
Nestled in environs by the Northern banks of Cauvery, Kaani Nilam is a Youth Empowerment Centre established in June 2024 by Tiruvaiyaru’s Bharathi Iyakkam, a movement inspired by poet Bharathi’s vision of an enlightened and self-reliant society. What began as an idea to create a common space for young aspirants preparing for competitive exams has now become a lifeline for students from villages across the Cauvery delta.
Manikandan, who walks over a kilometre from the nearest bus stop to the library, sees his arduous daily travel as a trade-off. “I can’t find this atmosphere at home,” he says. “Here, everyone is working towards the same dream. It pushes me to keep going.”
Rows of blue powder-coated steel bookshelves boast of over 6,000 donated books. Around 5,000 have been catalogued, while the rest are being processed. A range of magazines relevant to exam preparation, free Wi-Fi, computers and occasional guest lectures make the centre one of the few places in the region where rural aspirants can study without spending a rupee.
“It’s difficult to study at home. Our tiled-roof house gets unbearably hot during the day, and I don’t have access to Wi-Fi, computers or other resources,” says Manikandan, who lost his father, a farmer, a few years ago.
His struggle is not unique. For youths from low-income families, the odds are stacked high. Competitive examinations have become increasingly demanding; while quality coaching remains out of reach for many in the Cauvery region. “I entered government service at the age of 19 because the competition wasn’t this intense,” says MN Ramesh Nallu, a trustee of the Bharathi Foundation.
Around 25 people walk through the doors of Kaani Nilam every day, with the number climbing to 40 on Fridays and Saturdays. While competitive exam aspirants primarily use the centre, the library has become a resource for researchers too. “Recently, a team from National Institute of Technology (NIT), who are doing a project on ‘River-based towns’, visited our library and consulted the books here,” says Premasayee, a lawyer and the vice-chairman of the centre.
Kaani Nilam did not materialise overnight. The initiative began in 2019 in a space provided by an aided primary school, where Bharathi Iyakkam conducted classes.
Then in 2021, when the state government announced initiatives to commemorate poet Subramania Bharathi’s death centenary, the foundation applied for assistance under the Namakku Naame Scheme.
“The approval came quickly but we had to contribute nearly `6.7 lakh as the foundation’s share,” recalls S Kumanan, secretary, Bharathi Iyakkam. For the six office-bearers, the choice was simple. Rather than waiting for funds, they pooled in their personal savings and raised the money within two days. That investment has begun to pay off, as more than 10 regular users have since entered government service.
As the light begins to fade over the Cauvery, and the birds return to their nests, Manikandan and many other TNPSC aspirants like him shoulder their bags to begin a long journey back. Tomorrow, it will be another day but the same grind. Success may not be guaranteed, but in Kaani Nilam, they find hope that life need not be a struggle for bread alone. They deserve roses too.
