UDHAGAMANDALAM: TV channels aired a video of Tamil Nadu forest minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan asking a tribal boy to unbuckle his (minister's) slippers so that he (minister) could remove them and enter a temple near Theppakadu elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Nilgiris on Thursday morning.
The minister was at Theppakadu to inaugurate a 48-day rejuvenation camp for captive elephants.
Kethan, a Class IX schoolboy belonging to the Irula tribal community, was present there to witness the inauguration of the rejuvenation camp.
The 71-year-old minister, who found it difficult to bend, called the boy, “Dei podiya, inga vaa,” (boy come here).
Kethan was afraid when the minister called him as he thought the minister would scold him for not having gone to school. With hesitation, the boy approached the minister. The minister asked him to unbuckle his slippers.
When contacted, Kethan told TOI that the minister had asked him to unbuckle his slippers.
The minister was at Theppakadu to inaugurate a 48-day rejuvenation camp for captive elephants.
Kethan, a Class IX schoolboy belonging to the Irula tribal community, was present there to witness the inauguration of the rejuvenation camp.
The 71-year-old minister, who found it difficult to bend, called the boy, “Dei podiya, inga vaa,” (boy come here).
Kethan was afraid when the minister called him as he thought the minister would scold him for not having gone to school. With hesitation, the boy approached the minister. The minister asked him to unbuckle his slippers.
When contacted, Kethan told TOI that the minister had asked him to unbuckle his slippers.
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