Adyar Poonga Inaugurated

It is rare for anything eco-friendly to happen in Chennai with political patronage and non-interference. After much unnecessary political grandstanding between the Centre and the State, the Adyar Poonga got inaugurated yesterday and in the process acquired a new title too...'Tholkappiya Poonga' now it is. 


I don't know what is the need to give the name of Tholkappiyam to a park or relationship of Tholkappiyar to Adyar, there is none as far as I know. But, Tholkappiyam is the base literature from which Tamizh derives itself and is referred to as the main source of the language and way of life. If the Poonga starts another chapter in the way of life of the Tamizhs -  to celebrate diversity in the middle of the mono-cemented city, to not give up hope and create a beautiful oxygen lung from a dumping yard, to appreciate aesthetics, art forms and blending them as part of eco-restoration, learning and understanding...yes, the Poonga is a great beginning.


Tholkappiyam, (according to my friend and an authority) places much emphasis on the relationship of man and nature and the relationship defines space and time. To feel the rocks in the Poonga or the wooden brindges, the huts with bamboo and coconut frond roof...each of these are a sure reminder of the resources in the state that have been given up for an alien idea of 'growth' and 'development'.


I don't know what prompted the CM to name this Poonga in the name of Tholkappiyam, but, for once he can justify his action without having to escape into rhetoric or family ramble. It is a honour and celebration of the spirit that has gone into the making of this park, ironically, that doesn't come from a Tamizh, but, a Tasmanian...Joss Brooks. For me it has come out of this one person's deep conviction and his persistence to ensure that this park does come up and come up in the way he has imagined every stone and stick and grass to come up there. 


A salute to this amazing individual and his dedicated and hard working team - Arul, Madhu, Eric, Anita, Preston, Rex, Cyril and many more...each one of them have spent many a sleepless nights for making this Poonga what it is today. It has been extremely difficult and perhaps many times not rewarding and exasperating, but, they have persisted in working with the genius of Joss (which in itself can be difficult many times) and his manifestation of nature the way it wants to and in the process facilitate re-creating a land to a form that is beautiful and appreciated by birds, insects, animals and reptiles that don't understand policies, litigation, media or politics.