CHENNAI: ‘Aalayam pathinayiram naattal anna yavinum punniam ore codi angoar ezhaikku ezhutharivitha’ (It’s a greater blessing to educate a child than to build a thousand temples), sang the veteran Tamil poet Subrahmanya Bharati. Perhaps taking inspiration from this verse, an NGO by the name of Raindropss organised a Big Walkathon event to promote literacy and eradicate child labour.The walkathon was flagged off by A R Reihana, sister of Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman, at the Marina Beach in Chennai on Sunday. The Walkathon is the first leg of a campaign against child labour and will include a Tamil theme song carrying the message, to be sung by Reihana. The song was composed by Niranjan Bharati, grandson of Subrahmanya Bharati, and is the brain child of Aravind J, senior volunteer of Raindropss. Reihana will be accompanied in the number by playback singers Priya Hemesh, Srinivas, Nikhil Mathew, Karthikeyan, Suchith Suresan, Saindhavi, V V Prasanna, Sakthi and Malavika. It will be aired on Big FM on May 12. Keerthi, a Raindropss activist, said that the NGO conducted an eye donation camp and a World Disability Day health campaign during the previous year. A ‘Wear a helmet’ campaign is on the anvil. “Education lights up a house and helps a generation and hence I feel proud to take part in this campaign. The state has a duty to ensure that everyone is literate,” said Reihana on a positive note. RJ Ophelia of BIG FM felt that the literacy campaign could not reach the rural pockets of the state unless the government acted in tandem with NGOs and other private associations.
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