Student E-zine of the ACJ
|
|
|
| Fri,Feb.29,2008 Student E-zine of the ACJ |
|
Home>>Features>> |
Touching millions across the world
IT bridges the gap for the disabled
|
Pudupet: Gears, grease and glue Last updated: Feb 29 2008
Chennai: The clang of metal on metal and the whiff of engine grease characterise Venkatachala Naicken Street in Pudupet. Among the many mechanics aligning wheels, fixing clutches and welding joints are a number of young boys, some crouched over rear tyres and exhausts, some merely standing by and holding tools for more calloused hands to work with. “In this street alone, there are around 30 boys about my age working as mechanics,” said Guru, a 16-year-old gas welder. “That boy,” he pointed as a bicyclist in blue sped past, “works in a garage down the road. He’s twelve.” He paused to bend over a hunk of twisted metal that looked like it had come off a scooter, and like a surgeon with a flaming scalpel removed a piece of tumoured metal deemed surplus to requirements. “I should protect my eyes, but I don’t like wearing a mask,” he said, hanging the coiled gas welding pipe on a hook near the door of the welding shop. “Besides,” he explained, “In gas welding, there aren’t as many sparks as electric welding.” Clearly, Guru hasn’t been told about the long term effects of viewing the intense light from the welding arc with unprotected eyes, and inhaling the fumes that emanate from the welding process. “This shop belongs to my uncle. I have been working here since 2004, when I came here from Tindivanam. My father practices agriculture there. I dropped out from school after Std. VII,” he said, adding, “I was never interested in studies.” Guru’s three brothers, all younger than him, also stay with him, in nearby Chintadripet, in their uncle’s house. “One studies in Kendriya Vidyalaya, another in Nadamuni Higher Secondary School. The third one’s just three. He’s yet to join school,” he said, as a man in a white shirt took, in exchange for Rs 15, the scooter part that Guru had salvaged. “I’d like to have a shop of my own someday,” said Guru, as the man walked away. “Right now, my uncle only gives me an allowance, not a fixed salary.” This works out to around Rs 2000 every month, he added. That is a great deal more than what some other mechanics in Pudupet earn. Vijay is 17, and he came to Chennai from Thiruvannamalai 6 months back. From the owner of the garage he works in, he gets Rs 1500 a month. “The owner takes out my food expenses from that amount, so what I’m left with is usually around Rs 1000, half of which I send back to my parents in Thiruvannamalai,” said Vijay. Like Guru, Vijay also sees himself owning a mechanic shop in the future. On Sundays, Guru and his friends take time off their battle with metal. “We cycle to the beach, or play cricket on the streets. What I love most is flying kites,” he said, and pointed at a nearby building. “We fly them on that terrace.” “I also ride bikes. I started doing that in 2003,” he beamed. Not all the boys in the mechanic trade share his innocent interests. “Some boys smoke, or chew paan. I’ve even seen some sniffing the paste they use inside engines,” said Guru, trying hard to explain exactly what the substance in question was. “Fevibond,” a man in a checked shirt chipped in, referring to a brand of commercial strength rubber adhesive. Dr. Anand Balan is a psychiatrist who specialises in the treatment of addictions. According to him, easy access to volatile solvents, adhesives and other chemicals that fall under the category of inhalants is the primary cause for inhalant abuse among mechanics. Another reason, he said, was that they generally live among their peers, rather than in a traditional family environment. “This also makes it difficult for anyone to spot the issue and seek help. In the case of narcotics or alcohol, family members come to us with the affected person. When this support system isn’t there, who will intervene?” he pointed out. “Only about 1 per cent of the cases I handle are related to inhalant abuse. I think that’s only the tip of the iceberg.” “Long-term inhalant abuse,” said Balan, “mostly causes lung related ailments, which sometimes lead to cardiac illnesses. It can also cause personality disorders, and dental and nasal canal damage.” He also mentioned that some long-term inhalant abusers move on to hard drugs, to ‘maintain their high’. “While there are likely to be a large number of inhalant abusers,” said Balan, “they won’t outnumber narcotic drug users. This is because inhalant abuse tends to run in a particular subculture. Narcotics run across the socio-economic spectrum.” email: emperorkk232@gmail.com
|
||
Editor : Karthik Krishnaswamy
The views expressed in this site are not necessarily the views held by the college.
Copyright © 2007-2008 Asian College of Journalism. All Rights Reserved.
