எவ்வாறு காசாங்காடு கிராமம் பற்றி தெரிய வந்தது?

• R.T.சக்திதரன்  என்பவர் காசாங்காடு கிராமத்தை இணையதளம் மூலம் பார்க்க நேர்ந்தது.
• சமீபத்தில் இந்த கல்லூரியில் உயர்நிலை அதிகாரி பணியை ஏற்று கொண்டார்.
• இவர் காசாங்காடு கிராமத்தை பற்றி எழுதிய கருத்துக்கள்
  
• http://sakthidaran.learningprofessor.info/blog/?s=kasangadu
  

கிராமத்தை காண வந்ததன் நோக்கம்:

1.  காந்தியின் உயர்வான கொள்கை கொண்ட நிர்வாகத்தை காண வேண்டும் என்ற ஆர்வம்.
1. http://www.kasangadu.com/proud - என்ற தளபக்கத்தில் உள்ள தகவல்கள்
   
1. மது விற்பதில்லை
2. புகை பொருட்கள் விற்பதில்லை
3. ஆடு வளர்க்க அனுமதியில்லை
2. வருங்கால சந்ததியினர் (பொறியியல் கல்லூரி மாணவர்கள்) இது பற்றி தெரிந்து கொண்டு நாட்டை மற்றும் அவர்கள் வாழும் சமுதாயத்தில் சிறந்த கொள்கைகளை கடைபிடிக்க வேண்டும், இவ்வாறு கடைபிடித்த கிராமத்தில் வாழும் மக்களை பற்றி / நிர்வாகத்தை பற்றி தெரிந்து கொள்ள ஆவல்.

இவர்களின் பயண அனுபவ சுருக்கம்:

இப்பக்கத்தில் கோப்பாக இணைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

கோப்பு அனைத்தும் பாண்டியன் சரஸ்வதி பொறியியல் மாணவர்கள் உருவாக்கம்.

தகவல் மூலம்: http://sakthidaran.learningprofessor.info/blog/?p=2733

A Visit To Kasangadu – A Report For Gandhi Jayanthi

October 6th, 2012 · 13 Comments

You are already aware from my earlier posts about this village Kasangadu, Madukkur Union, Pattukkottai Taluk, Tanjavur District, Tamil Nadu. I have been hailing this village for following Gandhian Principles for more than 60 years. It is famous for banning cigarettes, liquor, goats, political flags etc.

It was my long cherished desire to visit this village with students (the future of India) for the benefit of the society. I believed a trip to this village would make it easier for students to understand what we mean by social transformation through Gandhian Principles.

On 27th September, 2012 I led a team of 40 students (both boys and girls) and 3 staff in our college bus to this village. Pandian Saraswathi Yadav College of Engineering was kind enough to provide us a bus with driver for the visit. The distance from Madurai is approximately 184 kms. The journey was ok up to Pudukkottai. From Pudukkottai to Pattukkottai, we had to make frequent queries about the route. The road is also bad. Though, we started at 6:30 AM, we reached the village around 1PM only.

We were received by Mr Sadasivam, President, Rajaraja Chozhan, VP and members of the Panchayat at the village. I saw the village mostly with bungalows. No huts were visible. Roads inside the village were wide. The village panchayat office complex has good facilities for long roofed pathway, crèche, library, health centre, office, etc. The village has 6 water tanks to supply water to each house, 5 schools, Marriage Hall, temple etc. All the houses are connected by metallic roads! The village population is around 1000 families.

I told them the purpose of the visit and said we would like to ask around 60 questions. They were sincere and replied all our queries. They offered snacks and tea. They also suggested us to have lunch with them. Since, we had taken packed lunches, we regretted their offer. However, President invited all of us to have lunch in his house. We accepted his offer. We took our lunch in his garden. He and his children also joined us on my request.

Later, our MD, Mr P.Varadharajan and another member Mr Kalaichelvan, Member Coconut Board of that village, joined us in the final round of meeting and photo session.

My observations:

1. Shri R.Viswanathan Founder President of the Panchayat seems to have governed the village unopposed for approximately 30 years until his death.

2. Every one of the panchayat members are unanimous in accepting Shri Viswanathan’s honest and selfless contributions towards the village.

3. No one is sure whether Mahatma Gandhi ever visited the village or influenced Shri Viswanathan to adopt Gandhian Principles.

4. The village President recalls the visit of Periyar and Annadurai.

5. It seems Shri Viswanathan was apolitical and not belonging to any political parties. His interest was only with the village and its residents.

6. Today, there are no shops selling cigarettes and liquor but I could see cigarette buds under my foot. They accept that people smoke and drink buying from neighbouring village.

7. Political parties have entered and made their presence in the village. After the demise of Shri Viswanathan, the elections are fought on political party basis. DMK and AIDMK have made in roads. The office is decorated with Former CM, Mr. M. Karunanidhi and present CM Ms. Jayalalitha. However, the members of the village panchayat claim that their first concern is the village welfare.

8. The village is concerned about shortage of irrigation water supply. They have abandoned regular crops and gone for coconut plantation. They regret that there are no takers for coconuts even at ₹4.

9. The village children and most of them study in nearby Gandhi School (private) and settled abroad. The children of this village seems to be maintaining a good contact with the village by means of maintaining a web site kasangadu.com and funding festivals and supporting parents for good living.

10. The village is concerned about “love marriages” that is so common. They feel most of them end up with problems.

11. The villagers till the previous generation were completely Vegetarian but now most of them are non-vegetarian. They feel for field work meat is required!

12. It is a village that is struggling to maintain the high values established by Shri Viswanathan.

I have mixed feelings after visiting the village. I am happy to note that a honest, selfless and apolitical leader Shri R.Viswanathan and his team members could achieve so much in a village during 60 years. However, I regret to note that the village has yielded to party politics followed by gradual degradation like smoking, consumption of liquor, non-vegetarian food habit etc after the death of Shri R.Viswanathan