UDHAVI honours Mrs. Kamakshi Subramaniam

How would you describe an average Tambram elderly lady – “slightly stooped in a Chinnalam pattu or Chungudi sari, doing the rounds of temples in the neighbourhood, attending Kathakalakshebam and free Kutcheries.”

You cannot get it more wrong!!

Meet nonagenarian Mrs. Kamakshi Subramaniam, a beneficiary of UDHAVI fondly called Kamakshi Patti in Besant Nagar neighbourhoold. She recently received an award given by the Federation of Senior Citizens’ Association of Tamil Nadu from the Governor of Tamil Nadu Sri.Banwarilal Purohit. UDHAVI was happy to honour its distinguished beneficiary at its recent event for senior citizens.

Mrs. Kamakshi Subramaniam can be the poster girl for our Prime Minister’s pet project “Swatch Bharat”. A walk down Besant Avenue will shock and awe us! Surely this cannot be the Chennai we are all accustomed to! There is no litter, the road is well laid and without pot holes and on the side of the road there is a street garden well maintained and marked by a net wall. All thanks to Mrs.Kamakshi Subramaniam’s singular effort. She is the benevolent Jhansi Ki Rani and also a nightmare for the employees of Besant Nagar Corporation office. She stays active and healthy continuing to do what she is so good at – getting the corporation to do their job.

Mrs. Kamakshi Subramaniam is the co-founder of SPARK. Founded in 2012, SPARK helps citizens tackle civic problems head on by approaching the right officials, lodging complaints with evidence, follow up at regular intervals, and ensuring that it is solved. Their persistence and commitment has ensured the resolution of many civic issues in areas like Adyar and Besant Nagar, under Zone 13 of GCC.

Affable and always with a smile she defies age. When we first visited her apartment, she received the Udhavi volunteers at the door step neatly dressed and with a warm smile. The house was spick and span. When I went in with her to the kitchen to help her make coffee she took my breath away – it was one of the most efficiently organized kitchens I have seen.

Mrs. Kamakshi once requested UDHAVI to help her reach station as she felt she may require assistance to walk the platform and board the train. Our Core Member Sudesh who assisted her, jokingly remarked later that she had to run to keep pace with Mrs. Kamakshi.

Mrs. Kamakshi Subramaniam “ignores” time … does not let it dampen her spirit or enthusiasm as every passing year adds to her age. She firmly believes that time does not have to leave unfavourable marks on your attitude. She proves Einstein right … Time is relative and not absolute.

We need more “Kamakshis” to embody Shakthi for women’s empowerment. We at UDHAVI wish her many more years of service to society.

---Lalitha Ramachander