History and Founders of the Seva Sangam
When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was uttering the words, “The Light has gone out of our lives”, on that fateful night of January 30th, 1948 over The All India Radio (AIR), a group of women in Tiruchi were wondering how best to keep the memory of Mahatma Gandhiji, the father of the nation, alive and evergreen.
Their thoughts went to those who had also lost the lights of their lives…the destitute women and orphan girls, who had never been properly cared for and were left to drift and try to survive alone in society. By the time the Bapuji’s Asthi (Gandhi’s ashes) were brought to Tiruchi by Dr. T.S.S. Rajan (Tara’s great-grandfather), the then Minister of Health for Madras State and a veteran Freedom Fighter, the ideas of this determined band of service minded women had crystallized and taken the shape of the “Abhayashram for destitute women and widows” and the “Orphanage for parentless and destitute girls. These services were much needed and would truly honour Gandhi’s life long service to the poor. It was from apparent anguish that a vital purpose emerged and the determination to follow the teachings of Gandhi, “to serve the public without any discrimination.”
The Tiruchi Seva Sangam first opened its doors on March 6th 1948, in the home of Baby Ammal of Cantonment. It was with the hard work and compassion of countless social workers that the Seva Sangam was able to move to its present location and is now able to celebrate more than 50 years of uplifting the poor. Amongst these selfless and dedicated workers are numerous members of the founding committee. They are:
Founding Members
Mrs. Rajam Ramasundaram
Mrs. Savithri Nageswaran
Mrs. Rajammal Krishnaswamy (Baby Ammal)
Mrs. Renganayaki Thatham (Writer “Kumudini”)
Mrs. Jaya Rajam
Mrs. Vaidehi Parthasarathy
Mrs. Rajammmal Sowmyanarayanan
Mrs. Padma Rengaswamy
Mrs. Lady Seethamma Desikachari
Dr. (Mrs.) Monsing
Mrs. Sundarabai Seshagiri Rao
Mrs. G. Thanjammal(great-grandmother to Tara)
Mrs. Seethalksmi Sankara Iyer
Mrs. Ponnammal Arunachalam
Mrs. Vishalakshi Ammal
Mrs. Jayalakmi Chari
Mrs. Leelavathi
Mrs. Jayalakshmi Acharya
Mrs. Lalitha Pattabiram (Mrs. GMC)
Mrs. Hansa Chandrakanth
Mrs. Kamala R. Chari (grandmother to Tara)
Mrs. Meenakshi Seetharaman
Mrs. Lakshmi Rajangam
Mrs. Jaya Arunachalam
These women put their heart and soul into fulfilling the ideals upon which the Seva Sangam was started. Some of the founding members had spent time in jail during the freedom struggle and were amongst those who lived with Gandhi in his ashram. These individuals were able to inspire the dedication and confidence it took to take on such a great and costly endeavor. The founding members were amongst the first teachers of the school as well as the fundraisers dedicated to effectively maintaining the free hostels. It is clear that their great labour early on led to the success of the present school.
“Most of the students come from the poorest of poor families. I recollect an incident which is ever fresh in my memory, about a girl who paid her H.S.C., Examination fees of Rs. 40/- in 25 paise and 50 paise coins which her mother had collected over a long period of time to see her daughter pass her H.S.C. This and many heart rending incidents persuaded me to pay examination fees for a few needy students.”
Mrs. Irene David, M.A., M.Ed. Former Assistant Headmistress
Writing from the Seva Sangam Golden Jubilee Souvenir ProgramDistinguished visitors to the Seva Sangum such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendraprasad, Dr. S.Radhakrishnan and Mrs. Indira Gandhi are amongst those individuals who have honoured the Seva Sangum for its functions and services.
Founding Member Mrs. G. Thanjammal receives an honour from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Founding member Mrs. Kamala Chari
