An awareness rally by students of Annai Violet Arts and Science College in Ambattur.
Enakku vendam namakku vendanda pothai/ Enakku vendam namakku vendanda!
Pothai oziyattum pathai melerattum/ Elanjargal valkai Olirattum!
V. Anbarasu, head of the department and assistant professor of economics at Annai Violet Arts and Science College in Ambattur, breaks into this jingle multiple times during a conversation with this journalist. This anti-drug song which presents the idea that “youth is the future, therefore celebrate life” is among the many initiatives taken by the college to get youngsters to address the dangers of substance abuse, which got the college first prize in the Chennai District Awards, as part of the Home, Prohibition, and Excise Department’s campaign to honour institutions that have significantly contributed to drug-prevention efforts.
“If you have to get the attention of youngsters then music and arts should be the medium,” says Anbarasu, who wrote the lyrics for the song and also sung it at the in-house studio in the college with the help of students from the Visual Communication Department.
Students perform a skit near a busy section of the road to promote the idea of a drug-free society.
The video shot at different locations in the college also has three NSS students garnering attention by tapping their feet to music. It was released by K. Shankar, Commissioner of Police, Avadi, last year and uploaded on YouTube.
During campaigns outside the college, the song is played at busy junctions, bus stands and markets to get people’s attention, after which students perform a mime or a skit to promote the idea of a drug-free society.
V. Anbarasu receives the award from the district collector Rashmi Siddharth Zagade
The college’s FM channel also drums up support for the campaign. When Anbarasu visits neighbouring colleges, he makes sure the song is played.
“There are no metrics to measure how this campaign has touched people but to get a testimonial or when a student walks up to tell them that the skit was an eye opener we know there has been impact,” says the 51-year-old faculty who is a resident of Puzhal.
Creating awareness through interactive mediums is not new to this economics faculty. As the former NSS programme officer in the college, he has composed songs to get students to pay their fees and be regular to classes and also to wear a helmet while riding a two-wheeler.
“I love to write songs on the spot; and with a catchy tune, a song can draw students’ attention,” says Anbarasu, tuning in to a song he composed to encourage students to donate blood.
When a shop selling cigarettes within a 100-yard radius of an educational institution comes into view, the faculty and his team do not fail to point out that it is violating a rule. “When they do not heed, we place a complaint on the “Drug-Free Tamil Nadu” mobile app. Based on such complaints, the police have taken action,” he adds.
Published – December 01, 2025 01:39 pm IST
