The Hindu : `Sweeping' statement on unemployment

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 17, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

`Sweeping' statement on unemployment

By Radha Venkatesan

A disabled sportsman, sweeping the backyard at the Secretariat in Chennai on Wednesday, to draw the Chief Minister's attention to his unemployment. — Photo: S. R. Raghunathan

Chennai July 16. It was a ``sweeping'' statement on unemployment and it caused quite a flutter at the Secretariat here today. A disabled sportsman, who has bagged eight golds in State and national athletic meets and a bronze in an international event, swept clean the backyards of the Secretariat, to draw the Chief Minister's attention to his ``unemployment''.

Wearing all medals round his neck and carrying a bagful of cups and trophies, 26-year-old A. Gopi Kannan, from Madurai, took up a broom and cleared the rubbish strewn around the complex. ``I am sweeping to draw the Chief Minister's attention to my plight. My family is poor and my petition to the Government for a job got only a negative response,'' he said.

Sadly for him, the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, did not turn up at the Secretariat this morning. After a half-hour hectic sweeping operation by Mr. Gopi Kannan in front of television cameras, the police promptly took him away. But he was taken to the Chief Minister's Special Cell. And, immediately the Sports and Youth Welfare department was asked to find out the job opportunities for Mr. Gopi Kannan.

His left leg crippled at birth, Mr. Gopi Kannan dropped out of school before his SSLC examination, following a bout of typhoid. However, he went on to get trained in welding, took a diploma in computer application and is now pursuing a postgraduate degree programme by correspondence.

Alongside, he claims, he notched up eight golds, seven silvers and four bronzes in State and national events held for the disabled in shotput, discus, javelin throw and weightlifting, besides a bronze in an international badminton championship for the physically handicapped.

``I am the eldest son of a family of five. If I am not given a temporary job too, my family will be doomed,'' says Mr. Gopi Kannan in a choked voice.

But, why did he take up the sweeping exercise? ``With a lot of government staff getting dismissed, the Secretariat was a little untidy. So, I began the cleaning operation.''

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