Civic sense beyond the backyard

Here are two examples — one from Mylapore and the other from Manali — of what you can do for the betterment of neighbourhoods not your own

Where most others do not see a jot to write home about, they see scope for a string of missives. Without thinking twice, this rare breed of residents generously lend their time to civic issues not their own, often picking them up while on the move. And when they start pursuing it, they do so with the urgency and persistence of someone putting out a fire in their own living space.

Here are two from that tribe.

CR Balaji rides the office bus to the Tamil Nadu Petroproducts Limited. In 2020, during these commutes, one unseemly image left a mark on his mind. It would not let him be till he made a missive out of it for those with the power to make that image look better.