THRISSUR: The moment Jerin met District Collector Arjun Pandian, he shook hands and introduced himself with an enthusiastic smile. An inmate of Pope Paul Mercy Home, he was at the collectorate on Wednesday morning along with other special children from the institution to attend the programme 'Meet Your Collector'. All 20 of them were excited to meet the district collector.
Hosting students from schools or inviting groups of people for short interactions, listening to their stories and spending some time together, has been a ritual for the current Thrissur collector. Despite his busy schedule, Arjun finds time to meet students early in the morning before moving on to official work.
As the special children were seated inside his chamber, the collector began the conversation by enquiring about their routine and life in general. Without any hesitation, Jerin spoke about his father's death and other family matters. The conversation grew livelier as other students joined in with their doubts and eager queries. One asked whether Arjun knew how to ride a bicycle as he had seen a picture of the collector in a newspaper. The collector readily replied that he had taken part in a cycle rally and that it was fun.
The participants broke into laughter hearing the next question: "Did he ride a bicycle with his hands off the handle?"
With questions ranging from why he chose to become a collector to inviting him to their anniversary celebrations, the interaction turned out to be a meaningful one, followed by cultural performances by the special children. This is the 25th such session hosted by Collector Arjun, with the first session of 'Meet Your Collector' having been held on September 21, 2024, with the students of GHSS, Pambady.
The district collector said the concept was first introduced to provide a platform for school and college students to get an experience of the collectorate.
"During our times, we wouldn't have seen a collectorate, let alone the chamber of the collector. In most of the sessions, we had meaningful interactions. Many students asked about preparing for civil service. Some students also shared their ideas on different subjects," Arjun said.
Many students even enquired about the criteria for declaring holiday during monsoon days, he added.
Students of some schools had complained of a lack of sports equipment to play with during their free time. After the district administration's intervention, eight schools received sports kits through CSR funds, thanks to the platform provided by 'Meet Your Collector'. A project titled 'Get Set Go' was launched to address the issues of sports equipment and playgrounds in schools in the district.
Students also complained about poor travel facilities in some rural areas and about misbehaviour on the part of private bus operators. Timely interventions have resolved such problems, creating a friendly environment for students to share their concerns. The district administration also brought to reality the children's wishes like visiting the Kerala Police Academy and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi.
Susan John, a teacher from GHSS, Kuttur, said, "When even teachers struggle to establish a rapport with students these days, the collector has easily made it work."
Exceptions were also made in the 'Meet Your Collector' programme on one or two occasions to invite Haritha Karma Sena members of Kunnamkulam municipality, inmates of Daya Old Age Home, Kodungallur, and anganwadi children from Machadu.