Today is World Environment Day
5th June 2025
#reflections
#onthedaytoday
Well, the Office of International Programmes had three important events today.
Thanks a lot to the lovely, spirited and vibrant Associate Deans of International Programmes, Prof. Arun Kumar (Aided) and Dr. Millicent Serena (SFS), who go that extra mile to ensure that the Office of International Programmes always gives its best in the service of the Institution.
Yes, gotta introduce our lovely team on the go for all of us - 😊
Coming back – to the three important events we had today -
The first is, the arrival of Dr. Ruth Kattumuri to Campus at 9.30 am today.
Dr. Ruth needs no introduction. She is an illustrious alumna of our College, and presently Senior Director of Economic Development, Trade and Investment Directorate with the Commonwealth of Nations.
The second is, the engaging and rewarding meeting for collaborations and partnerships, we had with Ben-Gurion University, Israel, a public university, placed in the top 500 in the QS World University Rankings.
The third is, the rewarding interactions we had with officials from the University of Liverpool, UK. UoL is placed in the top 200 in the QS World University Rankings.
After the meetings, as we had planned much earlier, a few of us friends, went for a lovely Nature Walk, snapping away a lot of lovely birds and animals in the process.
We were also discussing ways in which we can raise awareness for environmental protection.
I shared with them all, on how our former Principal Dr. Alexander Mantramurti, was instrumental in showing me the way forward on conserving water.
Added, when students sometimes forget to turn off the lights and fans after their classes, he used to go personally to the class and turn them off.
A paradigm for the “lead by example” principle, wherein, a person inspires and motivates others through their own actions, behaviour, and conduct, rather than just through words alone!
I wish to reproduce this particular incident, where he ‘had led by example’, from my own past blogpost.
Here goes –
Well, it was yet another relaxed Saturday morning. A day when the mind slows down its pace to a lethargic ‘lullaby’ish pace! I had just finished my walk, a wee bit early to be able to start quite ahead of time on a weekend sojourn!
So once back at home I take my hose tubing and start in all earnest - my car-cleaning chore!
Cleaning my car is something that I enjoy doing all of the time – what with a wonderful nylonish flexi-tubey for company, and water - water - water - all the way – I do relish and enjoy to the utmost the sheer delight in being ‘water-sportive’ when cleaning my car, and well, yes! it was my first car, a brand new car, a Santro XO car, a precious car, ha ha and what not!
Happily humming away a tune that rhymes to the spray of the shower of the tubey – I was shaken from the stupeficated-world-of-my-own’ by a neatly-dressed gentleman who taps gently on my shoulder!
With a startled surprise, and a bated sigh, I wish him, ‘Good morning Sir!!!’
He was just finishing his morning walk, and was on his way home, when either something about me or my car, bid him stop right on his tracks!!
He stood his gentle ground and asked in his usual inimitable style,
‘How are you Rufus?’
‘Doing fine, Sir. How are you? Please come home Sir!’
I request him as part of the cultural protocol ;-)
Having politely declined my impulsive ‘offer of the day’, he gently persuaded me to first turn off the water from the hose-tubey on a ‘priority-basis’!!!
I did.
He now asked me to quickly fetch him a pail of water and some soft cloth wipes.
I did.
Then he rolls up his sleeves and in a fraction of a second starts on a ‘mission-clean-up-op’ cleaning the car upfront.
He started to gently apply the cloth-wipes from the bottom of the vehicle up to avoid even the tiniest of streaks or the wimpiest of rashes in the vehicle’s polish.
After five or six ‘swipes’, he soaked the cloth-wipes in plain water and went about doing the task with a dignified alacrity and consummate ease. The spots and specks of dirt came off loose from the car’s sides, as easy as pie, and he didn’t stop with that.
He soaked the cloth wipes yet again, wringing it damp-dry, and cleaned the offside yet again, completely removing even the tiniest film of moisture in its shiny and lustrous teflon-coated surface! And very soon one quarter of the offside was as clean as a whistle!!!
Now he soaked the cloth-wipes again for the umpteenth time, and was starting off on the nearside, when he stopped, looked at me, smiled clairvoyantly and quipped:
‘Rufus, now, don’t expect me to wash the whole car for you!’
‘ha ha… okay Sir!’
‘This is how you go about washing a car, Rufus!’
‘Now, here’s the cloth wipe. Go ahead. God bless. Have a good day!’
And he was off, in as casual a manner as he had come down to help me out.
Indeed, it was not a help but an ignition! A spark for a life-time from the blue!
Well, instead of giving me a fish each day, here was a ‘mighty-senior-Professor’ teaching me how to fish!
The proper way of fishing!
Without wastage of water of any sort! Just four litres of water to clean an entire car!
With the limited resources available at one’s disposal!
Even as Newspapers from across Chennai threw up a
surprise yesterday with ‘Smart Water ATMs’ all set to be launched in 50
locations across city, aimed at ensuring better access to clean drinking water
in key locations!
 |
| The Hindu, Chennai Edition, 4th June 2025 |
Conserving water, with the utmost respect and thought to the needs and wants of the vast humanity around you who are deprived of even a bottle of water at their disposal for days!!!
I had learnt my lesson! must have surely been two decades ago!
And how!!!
Luckily, from a teacher’s teacher!!!
From none other than the Principal of Madras Christian College - Dr. Alexander Mantramurti…!!!
The senior-most (Principal) of the College was not only giving valuable ideas to the junior-most (Lecturer) on how to use water judiciously, but he was also simultaneously teaching me those invaluable lessons in as non-chalant a manner as could be, and with a dignified ease!
On the occasion of World Environment Day today, let’s just try and lead by example –
By being mindful of our water usage - taking shorter showers, fixing leaky faucets, and watering plants efficiently.
By being alert to switching off lights and electronic devices when they are not in use, and unplugging devices (to avoid ‘vampire drain’)!
By creating a ‘Green Diary’, or a ‘Green Blog’ and thereby encouraging friends and family to record their observations and reflections on nature.
By going on a nature walk, and thereby appreciating the beauty of nature and learn about local ecosystems.
Happy World Environment Day! 😊
And yes! here are some lovely snaps that I had this past week, for our readers, and a memorable Tree-Plantation Drive we did a few years ago! 😊
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