No Child Should Go Hungry

June is in, and the planning for upcoming events in the month of July has already started in Bala Mandir. We generally start the planning and checklist work, a month earlier, and the plan was for the upcoming ‘Education Day’ celebration in Bala Mandir in memory of ‘Karmaveerar Kamarajar’ on his birthday – which is on 15 th July.

This great personality – with the given name as Kumaraswami Kamaraj, aka ‘Karmaveerar Kamarajar aka ‘Kingmaker Kamaraj’ – laid the foundation stone of Bala Mandir on 10th March 1949, and our institution proudly carries his name – Bala Mandir Kamaraj Trust.

It is said of him that he gave up simple pleasures of home food while ensuring children across schools were fed and by introducing the ‘Midday Meal’ system in Tamil Nadu, he made TN the pioneer State to introduce this system in the country. Not only food for body, but he gave importance to food for thoughts also and believed in the saying ‘Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true Education.

Though he could not go to school and get a proper education himself, he brought about many reforms in the field of education in Tamil Nadu, and isn’t it appropriate for us to celebrate this great man’s birthday as ‘Education Day’?

Whenever I read about this great person, I have always been astonished at his values, work ethic, situational reactions, personal values of frugality and integrity.

Proud to be even associated with an institution created by this great leader, and I have more to share about his personal association with Bala Mandir in other forthcoming posts, along with some interesting photographs.

Last, but not the least, I am proud and honoured to share that my father-in-law’s birthday coincides with Thiru K. Kamarajar’s birthday on 15 th July, and my mother’s birthday coincides with the day this great person started Bala Mandir – 10 th March.

What a happy coincidence and a personal connect with the institution!

Sushmitha Chandrasekhar