Don't use humour to hurt sentiments

Eighth edition of contests draws participation from 82 city schools

Students participate in painting contests in Sri Sivananda Balalaya, organised by Tiruchi Humour Club on Saturday. Photo: M. Srinath

It is a forum where children are allowed to joke and laugh; a space that hopes to surface performers and thinkers in each child; and a world where cartoon characters are brought to life by brush strokes and a splash of hilarity: the annual inter-school painting and humour contests hosted by Tiruchi Humour Club hopes to foster a healthy and non-abusive sense of humour among children.

Held on Sri Sivananda Balayala campus, the eighth edition of the contests drew participation from 82 city schools, according to G. Sivagurunathan, founder-secretary, Tiruchi Humour Club. “While our monthly club meetings are open to members of all age groups, these contests are exclusively held for school children,” he said. He also added that the contests were meant to make the children more confident at public speaking and at expressing their ideas through art.

Organised around Children’s Day every year, the day-long event had a stand-up comedy round, where participants engaged the audience with deftly delivered jokes; and a drawing and painting contest, where students devised a comic picture either with cartoons or caricatures. “We are strictly against jokes that hurt and are political or obscene,” said Mr. Sivagurunathan, “and we advise the students (delivering such jokes) against using humour to hurt sentiments.”

The event, which is now regularly being hosted at Sri Sivananda Balalaya is rising in visibility: in its eighth edition, it has drawn participation from over 30 more schools this year.

With three prizes dedicated to each category of participants (kids, junior and senior), there were totally 18 prizes given away, besides participation certificates and shields.

Winners

First place winners for stand-up comedy event: S. Fasheeha Anjum (class III) from Alpha Wisdom Vidyashram under kids category; S. Ishwarya (class V) from Alpha Wisdom Vidyashram under junior category; and M. Raja Mohamed (class VIII) from Annai Higher Secondary School under senior category. First place winners for drawing and painting event: T. Muthukumaran (class III) from Sri Sivananda Balalaya under kids category; R.M. Charupraba (class VI) from Mahatma Gandhi Centenary Vidyalaya under junior category; and A. Amritha Sowrasia (class X) from R.S.K. Higher Secondary School under senior category.