On a quiet lane in Besant Nagar, a small flat tucked away in a corner is buzzing with activity, but one voice rings out loud amid the din. Kamakshi Subramanian, 94, a fearless civic activist with an indomitable spirit, fondly referred to as Kamakshi paati (grandmother in Tamil) gears up to campaign from Saturday, as she contests the local bodies poll in ward 174 as an independent candidate.
“For the last 40 years, I have been living in this area, and I know what its issues are. Instead of asking someone else to set things right, I decided to jump into the fray myself and make a start,” she said.
Born in Thanjavur, she studied in Bengaluru, and lived in Delhi for nearly three decades before moving to the city.
From garbage disposal to the condition of the roads and pavements, there were a host of issues that needed to be fixed, Ms. Subramanian said.
“The roads and pavements have to necessarily become safe for residents here. Encroachments are of great inconvenience for commuters. These problems will be resolved first if I win,” she added.
From urging authorities to plant trees to asking them to restore the historical Schmidt Memorial, Ms. Subramanian has been relentlessly fighting to resolve civic issues in the area for many years.
“Early on, I would just sit by the window and give an earful to anyone who came to dump garbage on the street and prevent them from doing so. If each one of us takes it upon ourselves to do our bit and help keep the environment clean, it will make a world of difference,” she said. Even her campaign flyers are made from biodegradable paper and printed with eco-friendly non-toxic ink.
Age should not be a deterrent to indulge in anything that you are passionate about, Ms. Subramanian said, and added, “I will change the face of this area and make it better if given an opportunity.”
