the good autokaran .. .. nice people are always around !!

Who is an activist ? – what are their qualifications ?? – and why should age come in between in crimes !!!  Ajmal Kasab was 21 when he committed those gruesome bombings ! .. .. ..  Disha Ravi had panicked after Greta Thunberg had accidentally tweeted the 'toolkit' and feared that she might be booked under the stringent UAPA Act, WhatsApp chats accessed by Times Now revealed on Tuesday. According to  the Delhi Police, the chats between the Bengaluru-based climate activist and Thunberg hinted at both reportedly discussing how to create a protest ‘toolkit’ backing the farmers' agitation with the aim of ‘tarnishing the image of India and the 'hate storm' that could have followed in the country.

This post is on a group who are generally painted black but are good Samaritans too! – perhaps the Society finds no time to appreciate..

In the Ajit starrer ‘Attahasam’ – Karunas  is an auto-driver – Ajit & Co would pull the vehicle from backside, as the vehicle could not move –  help would be sought – first Ajit would adjust the mirror and allow the vehicle to move ~ next Ajit, would stop a way-side auto – adjust its mirror, then vehicle would move – confused Karuna would mumble on the logic  !! ….. in the super hit ‘Basha’ – Manikkam (Rajinikanth) is a humble auto driver who helps the needy. He also keeps away from unnecessary fights and quarrels. His ambition is to bring up his brother and sisters with flying colours ~ he has a past ….that was ‘Basha – Manik basha’.

A trip to Chennai would never be complete without an encounter with them……… the ubiquitous three-wheelers painted yellow and called ‘auto-rickshaws’.  In the city so well connected by road, rail, sea and air.  - a drive  in this [the peculiar sitting posture of the driver, the cuts and turn-arounds of the vehicle – its capacity to turn at right angles and wade through milling crowds], the language of its drivers, the missing meters and the bargain – can all force mortal fear in you no ends.   

Somehow there is lot of negativism attached to it – most users blame and would immediately tell their tale of woe. If you are a regular reader of Tamil magazines, a decade or more - ‘joke on soodu meter’ hogged the limelight. Those days, auto drivers used to turn on the meter with a twinging sound ~ there were stories of faulty meters [tampering colloquially called ‘soodu’] – which would show much higher that what they should be.. some used to say that it worked on the system of toothed pinion wheels and some abrasion would make it jump thereby increasing it manifold….. now magazines no longer carry such jokes….  Slowly such jokes vanished …. not because system became perfect but because the meters went out of way.  Before one reads any further, it must be admitted that there are some honest and good Samaritans – and the auto-rickshaw drivers are the ones who readily come to help the victims of an accident and many a times seen regulating chaotic traffic. 

Even in case you have a different opinion thus far, do appreciate people like Subramani. An autorickshaw driver was on Monday rewarded by police commissioner Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal after he handed over a bag containing Rs 1.7lakh he found on a road off Marina Beach to police. The autorickshaw driver identified as L Subramani, 56, a resident of Triplicane, who spotted the bag left unattended on the road close to Queen Mary’s College on Kamarajar Salai around 10am on February 12. He collected the bag and informed the traffic police personnel nearby.

They found cash inside the bag, and asked him to go to Marina police station where he handed over the bag to the cops on duty there. Police collected the autorickshaw driver’s contact details. Police are yet to receive a complaint from the person the bag belongs to. Police informed the commissioner about Subramani’s honesty. Following this, the commissioner's office invited Subramani where he was awarded with a shield and a reward appreciating him.

Mr Subramani, is a known figure in Triplicane and  earlier was a regular Sripadhamthangi at Thiruvallikkeni Sri Parthasarathi swami temple. 

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
17.2.2021 

the man in the foreground is a real HERO  !  ..

 

I do see Cinema rarely  ~ but feel disoriented when I see the fanfare of cinestars and the huge amounts spent on Cinema ~ from its production, the fee of various artistes and the money spent in making a movie and more in promoting it.  In a Nation afflicted by poverty and malnourishment, when it comes to Cinema, people talk only in 8 digits i.e., crores  

In recent IPL auctions one saw players being bought for Crores .. .. and yet how valuable  is Rs.1,70,000/- for a common man – I had posted on this good Samaritan auto driver Subramani who found the cash and straight went to the Police Station for handing over.  

Today at Thiruvallikkeni just before purappadu met him and he shyly posed for a photo. He said he never felt he was doing anything great and it was but a common thing to handover what was found and what was not belonging to him to Police .. .. he felt very happy for the respect, recognition and regards shown by Police especially Police Commissioner.  He was also happy that so many people had stopped to appreciate him ..  long live Subramanis.

 

S. Sampathkumar
19.2.2021