Tamil Nadu should bring back the Legislative Council as it is the way to connect with the people and ensure their problems are solved, said Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former Governor of West Bengal.
At the 70th anniversary of Bala Mandir here on Sunday, he said Chennai had been fortunate to have women who had “the ability of telescopic and microscope vision”.
He praised the pragmatic wisdom of former Chief Minister Kamaraj in setting up such an organisation.
Contribution of women
Women like Muthulakshmi Reddy, Rukmini Devi, V. Shanta, Mary Clubwallah Jadhav and Sarojini Vardappan, had made pioneering contribution to society that enriched the State’s social capital.
The contributions of Ms. Reddy and S. Manjubashini, who were elected members of the legislative council, should be compiled for the present generation, he said.
He described orphan as one without protection. Orphanhood has been celebrated by Indian mythology, literature, and real life was replete with examples of such children being reared by persons other than biological parents, Mr. Gandhi said.
Pat for Bala Mandir
“One can be an orphan in one’s own home”, whether a child or an elder, he said. It is a vulnerability across border, age, condition and gender. An institution like Bala Mandir and a home for elder are twins in that respect, he added.
Mr. Gandhi felt this condition of orphan has not received the attention of CSR and since the need for protection of such persons need attention.
P. Natarajan, trustee of Bala Mandir, spoke of the organisation’s journey in the last 70 years.