It is an intense, but a lone battle, being fought in the non-descript classrooms of schools in remote and dusty villages in Salem and Dharmapuri districts against the emerging threat – Global Warming.’
For the 39-year old A. K. P. Kadirvelu, his mission is to make the students who could “understand” the sensitive issue of ecological degradation as `battle-fit' against the ills of global warming and for which he finds the ususal morning prayer meetings of schools best suited to ignite their young minds.
This self-styled environmentalist has thus far traveled 25,102 kilometers, though confining to Salem and Dharmapuri districts, in 172 days and has conducted a series of campaign meetings on global warming in 502 schools, quite a few situated in remote hill areas and dusty villages. He has taken his campaign to nearly 4.75 lakh students.
He will seek the permission of the headmasters concerned and then address the students for a brief spell of 10 to 15 minutes on global warming at their prayer meetings. In a few schools he also spoke to them in their class rooms. He also has been adjudged as the best youth of Nehru Yuva Kendra. He never seeks money for any of his services.
The founder of a non-governmental organization Bharatha Venpura, the social worker points out that he and his men have so far planted 10 lakh saplings in schools and public places in these two districts. A signature campaign against the use of non-biodegradable plastic waste was undertaken recently and the copy of which had been sent to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.
The lone crusader’s `humble’ fight against global warming since February 2008, is continuing and gaining strength. Even on Thursday he addressed the girls in Government HSS at Fort here. “Headmasters and Principals are happy with my objective,” he says. To vouchsafe this, nearly 500 heads of the institutions have given him the appreciation letters.
Steps are also being taken to submit the records concerned with his campaign on global warming to Limca Book of Records and Guinness Book of World Records.
