by K. Mylvaganam; Tamil Circle, #3405, April 25, 2004
During my stay in Vanni I had the chance to visit several Institutions, each accommodating a different category of people. I shall describe a few of the “Illams” (houses) as they are called in my subsequent insertions. I have, in one of my earlier articles, made reference to the Gurukulam and the Sencholai Siruvar Illam. But I shall write about another one of the institutions we visited this time called Kantharuban Arivuchcholai.
At Kantharuban Arivuchcholai only boys of varying ages are quartered. The youngest is only six months old and the older boys are in their early twenties, except for one who has passed 25, I think. He attends the law college in Kilinochchi. He has been living in this Illam for over 10 years and helps teaching the boys during his leisure time. Everybody calls him as Murali Anna and runs to him whenever they have something or other to be sorted out. It was nice and quite amusing to hear a two-year-old toddler too calling him Mooraali Aanna. It was as if he was singing a song. While we were talking to Murali two boys aged around ten came to Murali to have their dispute settled by him. He listened patiently to their complaint, smiled a bit and gave them his views. There was a glee in their faces and both the kids left holding each other’s hands. After they left, Murali said softly that they are the most mischievous elements and smiled. There was no anger, but love in that smile.
There are around 250 inmates in the Kantharuban Arivucholai. The head of the institution is one Puviyarasan. He is well educated. This young man is in his early thirties. He is referred to as Periyanna. Even the elderly ladies looking after the children also call him Periyanna with respect. He is soft spoken and polite in his behaviour. We heard that he spends nearly 15 hours a day attending to the needs and tackling the problems that arise with patience. That is dedication I said to myself. There are a few ladies to take care of the children. The eldest is in her late fifties and everybody, including Puviyarasan, calls her Amma and the rest of the ladies are Siththi to the children.
It costs a minimum Rs.10,000 a day for food alone. One set of clothes for all of them costs Rs.100,000 every six months.
The children get only two sets a year. Medicine, books, bedding materials and transport, etc. come on top of these. The science teacher told me that the children in the higher grades are taught computing – theoretically. None of the children have seen a computer in their life, but have seen pictures of computers. Some of them have done excellently well both in the O-level and in the A-level examinations.
There are extra curricular activities as well for the children to participate in. While we were there we saw them playing football, volleyball and cricket. A voluntary teacher visits them twice a week to teach those interested in Tamil classical music. One boy, Veeran, sang for us a song “Chinnan Chiru Kiliye Kannama” by Mahakavi Subramania Bharathy. He had a wonderful voice and it is still ringing in my ears. The little ones also sang several songs in a chorus. The one and two year toddlers also joined the chorus, not in singing, but by clapping their hands to show that they are also in it.
One of the visitors, after obtaining the permission from Amma and Puviarasan, distributed chocolates to all. The children stood in a line without anybody telling them to do so and took their turn patiently, except the two year old fellow who could not wait, broke the queue and went straight to the person distributing the chocolates, stretched out his hands and demanded his share. Amma and the Chiththies looked the other way and smiled. I noted the caretakers talking softly, gently and kindly with the children. It is only there I realised that one could impose discipline with love.
Their dormitory, frankly and regretfully, is nothing much to boast about. There are no beds or mattresses, but everybody has to sleep on mats made out of grass. I saw partially torn bed sheets neatly folded and kept aside. What a difference from the highly polished wooden beds, spring mattresses, dazzling silky bedcovers and the eiderdowns used in the western world. How many of us have seen spring mattresses left on the roadside for the garbage lorry to pick up? In how many of our homes are beds and mattresses tucked away in the attics? How many more valuable items are idling in most of our homes?
I am ashamed to admit that I, too, am one of those who tucked away useable items in the loft while we were living in Norway. When we had to move to England I got some Tamil youngsters to help me clear the house. One of them suggested to me that if I had anything that I did not wish to take with me to England, he could pass those items to a jumble sale that they were to hold. They told me later to my surprise that they were able to raise over A3200 (Rs.35,000) from what they took from my attic alone. The proceeds they said were sent to Tamil Eelam to meet the cost of making artificial limbs. A large amount of money could be raised through jumble sales and car boot sales.
The Kantharuban Arivuchcholai is funded by the LTTE and from the donations given by those visiting these children. One of those who joined me asked them how he could help them. We were told that people give donations in several ways. There is no minimum amount fixed for donations. Some give cash donations. Some give material gifts like toys, etc. One philanthropist agreed to buy tiles for the thatched roof that was leaking in one of their buildings and another met the cost of cement flooring for their kitchen and so on. Puviyarasan put it very nicely as follows. “So long as the heart is there, the needs are in plenty.”
Then he added that some of those living abroad, instead of spending money in having parties for birthdays and anniversaries, do send that money to them. What they do is on that particular day, or on any other day specified by the donor, they arrange an extra special meal for the children, write the name and details of the donor and the purpose on a placard, and place it in a suitable position and take photographs of both the children and the placard. Copies of these and a receipt are later posted to the donor. To this they charge a sum of Rs.25,000 ( A3150).
One of those who came with us brought with him a computer. As Puviyarasan correctly put it, so long as there is the Heart to give, there is no limit for the donation. This reminds me of a proverb in Norwegian. It says “Hvis d er er hjerte rom er der hus rom.” This means, “If there is room in the heart there is room in the house.”
Is there room in my heart?
Their address is:
Kantharuban Arvucholai
Kaiveli Puthukudiyiruppu
Via Mullaitivu, Sri Lanka
Courtesy Tamil Circle, #3405, April 25, 2004
https://sangam.org/ANALYSIS/Mylavaganam_5_16_03.htm
https://sangam.org/events/Mylavagam_5_19_03.htm
Trip To Vanni – Section I of Part III – Ilankai Tamil Sangam
Trip to Vanni, Section II of Part III – Ilankai Tamil Sangam
Vanni Trip, Section III of Part III – Ilankai Tamil Sangam
Vanni Trip, Section IV of Part III – Ilankai Tamil Sangam
Vanni Trip, Section V, Part I – Ilankai Tamil Sangam
Originally published April 27, 2004