What would you do on your weekly off if you travel 100 kilometres a day for work? One can go on a family outing or just relax at home? But 42-year old Ravi Iyengar, who works in a star resort in Mamallapuram, went in search for the four-year old boy who went missing from Chennai Central early this month.
On Sunday morning, he boarded a suburban train from Chennai Central holding the photo of the boy M. Sridhar and travelled till Gummidipoondi, the route in which four-year old is said to have been seen by some. To his dismay most railway staff in different stations on the route were not even aware of the incident. “At Central I spoke to an engine driver. I gave him my number and requested him to contact me if he spots the boy,” says Mr. Ravi, who is a deputy sales manager.
He has also created a Facebook community - Help to find missing Sridhar. “I have two children and I can understand what his parents are going through. So I thought of doing my small bit in tracing the boy,” he adds.
He set out at 9.45 a.m and returned home in the evening. “Today I focussed only on the stations. I got down at one of the stations and enquired with the station master. He did not know about the incident. This shows the level of awareness among people,” says he. “Next time I have plans to look outside the stations too. But I need more public support for the same. Those interested can contact me through Sridhar’s Facebook community page,” he adds.
Meanwhile Sridhar’s father Murugamuthu, a daily wage labourer, is also searching for his son. “Such a mishap should not occur in anyone else’s life,” he says. The Government Railway Police too is adopting different strategies to find Sridhar. “We have announced a cash reward for those who find the boy. We are spreading awareness through social media,” a senior police officer says.
