As the convenor
of the Environmental Panel of CII Thoothukudi District, for the year 2011-12, I
was instrumental in organising a one day environmental conference titled the
ECO Summit. We had some of the top brains, who talked on various environmental
related issues and how we could proactively engage ourselves, in mitigating the
risks associated with environmental hazards and disasters.
One of the key
speakers of this summit, was Mr.M.B.Nirmal,
the founder of Exnora International – A NGO based in Chennai who enjoy
international repute today, for the enormous amount of work they have done in
cleaning and greening the environment. This simple unassuming speaker shared
his life story, in a witty way, but it was something that touched our hearts.
The audience were both moved and inspired. If each one of us carry this little
spark he lit within us, we are sure we will make our life purposeful. I hope
sharing his life story, would inspire you too, to stretch beyond all
limitations.
Nirmal was
basically from a very rich family and they had a number of properties in
Chennai. His father, ran into severe business debts, owing to some high risk business
ventures and they had to sell all their property and their family literally
came to the streets. Nirmal’s mother was persistent that she will not go and
live in a rented house after having lived such a rich and royal life. With the
very little money their family was left with Nirmal could only find a house in
the slum, which he readily bought. It was a very painful period in their life.
One of the visitors, who came to visit Nirmal’s family in their new dwelling,
asked Nirmal, “Can’t you find a better place to live”. Nirmal was taken back.
He had no words to say. He was in such a bad financial situation. It was that
day he told himself, “My present
conditions do not permit me to move to a better place, but I can make the place
I live a better place.” This thought got so deeply rooted in his mind, that
he focussed all his time and effort in making this slum, a clean and green
place. He educated the people living in the slum, about the need for hygiene
and he involved them in the process of making the place, green and clean. In
his pursuit toward making the slum a better place for everyone to live in, he
used creative approaches and brought about innovative solutions. It was not
easy for him to convince people who were in the practice of open defecation, to
use toilets. Inspite of creating toilets, no one was using it. He did
innovative things like calling“public toilet” as “people’s toilet”. In order
to motivate small children to use the toilet, he painted the toilet walls with
animals and cartoon images and renamed it as “Toy-let”. These small changes made a big difference, in people’s
behaviour.This created a sensation, in the city and soon many people started
coming to him, asking how he was able to do it. By duplicating his success
model, more and more places, got cleaner and greener. This is how Exnora was formed.
Exnora is nowtalked about worldwide. The
amount of toil, Nirmal has to put to make it a reality is something
commendable. His untiring effort, determination, optimism, passion and
contagious enthusiasm,has made a world of difference. In his own words, Nirmal
says, “I am an incurable optimist”.
Today, Nirmal
happily boasts about growing 1300 plants within his small apartment. His
apartment is being visited by people across the world, who cannot believe their
own eyes.Nirmal is 68 year old, but his mind is running at the speed of lightning.
When you ask him, what is his goal at the moment, he says,“I want to be recognized as the world’s best thinker of our times.”
And if you think
Nirmal is just an environmentalist, you are mistaken. He is a Motivator,
Mind Programmer, Humorist, Orator, Trainer, Social Reformer. How can one person don so many roles? This
really makes me wonder. He is an exemplary evidence, for those who question the
limits of human potential. Let the life example of Nirmal, inspire us to stop
thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities. For
those of you, who are not aware of him, I am happy to introduce Mr.M.B.Nirmal -
THE GREEN ICON.
Happy
Reading,
D.SenthilKannan
Article dated April 2012
