“While one wants to become a cardiologist, the other wants to become a sound engineer and these are aspirations beyond what they have already achieved,” said Tiruchi N. Siva, Member of Parliament, referring to Ram Aravind and Ajeedh Khalique, at the felicitation ceremony organised by Trichy Humour Club.
While he lauded their individual achievements in becoming an international chess champion (under 10) and the winner of Airtel Super Singer Junior (season three) respectively, Mr. Siva felt the two boys must strive to further their achievements.
“Encourage your children to become individuals in their own right rather than aping another achiever,” he appealed to the parents in the audience.
The event also included a prize distribution ceremony for winners of contests held on Children’s Day earlier this year. “Every child has a specific talent and must be judged only based on that,” said M.G. Rajamanickam, Director, Land Survey and Record Maintenance, Government of Kerala. Parents, he felt, must avoid putting down their children for a talent they do not possess and work towards honing what their children are already good at.
Speaking about the club’s activities, G. Sivagurunathan, secretary, Trichy Humour Club, said: “While we have been conducting contests for school students for the past eight years, we decided to acknowledge local talents like Ram Aravind and Ajeedh to motivate children in the city to explore realms beyond academics.”
On the lighter side, many prize winners in the stand-up comedy contest came onstage to entertain the audience with their jokes, while the funny sketches made by the contestants were displayed on the walls. The evening wound up with Ajeedh’s performance of popular numbers.
Also present at the event were K. Balamurugan, Passport Officer, and M. Balasubramanian, trustee, Trichy Humour Club.
Prize winners
In the stand-up comedy contest, the first place went to S. Basheeka Anjum from Alpha Wisdom Vidyashram, under the kids category; to S. Aishwarya from Alpha Wisdom Vidyashram under the juniors category; and to M. Raja Mohamad from Annai Higher Secondary School under the seniors category.
In the humourous sketching contest, the first place went to T. Muthukumaran from Sri Sivananda Balalaya under the kids category; to R.M. Charu Praba from Mahatma Gandhi Centenary Vidyalaya under the juniors category; and to Amreetha Sowrasiya from R.S.K. Higher Secondary School under the seniors category.
