வன்னியின் செல்வந்தர்கள், வன்னியில் இருந்து பாகம் 3

வன்னியில் இருக்கும் பொழுது வாழ்க்கையின் யதார்த்தத்தை மிக அருகில் காட்டி உங்கள் கண்களை திறக்க வைக்கிறது. ஒரு வறுமையான உடலில் உள்ள ஆன்மாவின் செல்வந்த செழிப்பு உங்கள் இதையத்தை தொடுகிறது.

Reporting from Vanni, Part III

I saw richness in poverty

by K.Mylvaganam

For these families, the lack of contact with people is their poverty. Now my friend from USA will be writing to them once he gets this photo and their address. The Senkodans will appreciate the letters a lot more than the monetary contribution my friend has made. I know that for certain. It will give them great satisfaction that there is someone unknown to them somewhere in some part of the world who cares for their child.

Staying in Vanni opens one's eyes to see the reality of life in close proximity. The "Richness of the Soul" within the "Poverty of the Body" touches your heart.

Recently I had the great pleasure of being introduced to a couple. The husband, Senkodan, was an A-Level student before he joined the movement. Under the Jeyasikuru attack he lost his eyesight. Poorani is his wife. I thought the accident must have taken place after the marriage. But I came to know that it was Poorani who took the initiative and married him after he became blind. They have a child nearly four years old called Kayalvizhi. I guessed that it was Senkodan who selected the name (Vizhi meaning eye).

They live in a hut just big enough for all three of them. "Enough" or not enough depends on one's mind. But I saw contentment in that family. It has one small bedroom and an open Verandah in front. The room has an earthen wall 3 feet high and galvanized tin sheet on top.

Senkodan doesn't keep idle at home. Poorani was proudly narrating his daily routine. To my surprise, Poorani told Senkodan to fetch some water for her to make coffee for me. He walked straight to where an empty bucket was and walked towards the well which was 40 feet away. He stopped almost right at the edge of the well, caught the rope on the pulley and up came the water. He touched the bucket he took with him to locate its position and poured the water straight into it; not a drop was pilfered. For all this he is completely blind. Amongst many other things he does, he gives tuition in English and Mathematics (he was an AL student before he joined the movement) to the poor children in the neighbourhood free of charge and that touched me deeply. What a rich man he must be; blessed with a heart of gold.

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http://sangam.org/taraki/articles/2006/10-...ng.php?uid=2019