Chennai deserves to be celebrated for its inclusiveness, says Zai Whitaker

I’ve been in Chennai for 52 years. I was 20 when I came to Chennai, practically a child. I was first called “thangachi”, then it became “akka”, then “amma”, and now people call me “paati”. Having grown up in a naturalist family, I knew that was I wanted to do. When I came here, it felt as though the world here had just been created for my arrival and enjoyment.

I never wanted to go back to Bombay (now Mumbai) despite many opportunities. Every time I travelled to another city, I would long to get back because, somehow, I never felt threatened here. When I first came, the roads were wide and open, there were very few cars, and there were many huge trees. Some parts of the city are still extremely pleasant.

Chennai deserves to be celebrated for its inclusiveness, the way people accept you into the community. When we started working with Irulars, so many people came forward to help. Another reason is the way people come together for the protection of natural resources. It’s wonderful that there are so many people who are still so curious when they come to the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, right from tiny tots to older people.

(As told to Geetha Srimathi)