Amid the sudden downpour in Chennai on 17 October 2026, two young men from North India stepped in to prevent two-wheeler riders from falling into a dangerous pothole near the Kasi Theatre traffic signal.
Having taken shelter by the roadside to escape the rain, the youngsters borrowed an umbrella from an elderly man, broke off a tree branch and attempted to plant it in the pothole to alert approaching motorists. With vehicles speeding through the rain, the task itself posed a risk to their safety. Seeing their effort, the elderly man joined them, helping secure the makeshift warning using bricks lying nearby.
The simple act of civic responsibility by the two youngsters and the elderly Chennai resident deserves appreciation. They did not wait for officials to arrive or dismiss the danger as somebody else’s problem. They saw a hazard and acted to protect strangers.
Journalist friend Veluchamy shared this video shot during heavy rains in Chennai city last night. He says many two wheeler riders were facing grave danger because of a pothole near Kasi theatre traffic signal. Two North Indian youngsters, who had taken shade on the roadside to escape the rains, borrowed an umbrella from an old man, broke a tree branch and tried to plant it in the pothole to warn the riders. On seeing the selfless youth who faced threat from speeding motor vehicles, he too joined them and helped in fixing the warning sign using a few bricks that were lying nearby. 👏👏👏
— Mohamed Imranullah S (@imranhindu) October 18, 2026
The incident also stands in sharp contrast to the way North Indian migrant workers are frequently mocked and stereotyped in Tamil Nadu’s political and online discourse.
The Tamil YouTube channel Parithabangal, run by Gopi and Sudhakar, faced criticism for its video North Train Paavangal, which portrayed North Indian passengers as people who spit tobacco everywhere, overcrowd train compartments, occupy reserved AC seats without proper tickets and play loud music without earphones. An earlier video, Vadakku Rail Paavangal, similarly depicted migrants as unhygienic and lacking civic sense.
Other channels have also been accused of promoting similar stereotypes. IndiaGlitz featured an interview in which migrant workers were subjected to insinuations about Pan Parag consumption. Zhagaram Voice’s Parisaalan portrayed North Indian migrants as an “invasive species” threatening local resources, while Slam Book Tamil warned that they could eventually take over Tamil Nadu’s government.
U2 Brutus released a video titled Shall We Chase Away Vadakkans?, mocking migrants’ intelligence and livelihoods. Aramental used a film song to ridicule their financial circumstances, while Saattai Duraimurugan alleged that migrants engaged in crimes such as ATM theft, chain-snatching and drug peddling. Seigai portrayed a panipuri seller’s settlement as a supposed takeover of a Tamil street and suggested that migrants could eventually capture local political institutions.
Derogatory remarks have also come from DMK leaders. MSME Minister T.M. Anbarasan compared North Indians’ population growth to pigs breeding and mocked Hindi speakers as cattle herders, panipuri sellers, masons and carpenters. DMK general secretary Duraimurugan described Hindi as a source of impurity and misfortune and ridiculed North Indians through a story about a foul-smelling man. MP A. Raja remarked that Hindi speakers in Tamil Nadu worked in construction, fields and panipuri stalls.
Former minister Mano Thangaraj mocked the clothing and livelihoods of people in North India, while minister K.N. Nehru claimed that Biharis lacked the intelligence of Tamils. MP Dayanidhi Maran said Hindi speakers worked as construction labourers and cleaned toilets. Other examples cited in previous reports include DMK leaders T.R.B. Rajaa using the slur “Vadakkan”, IT wing functionary Isai using “Paani puri vaayan” and “Paanparak vaayan”, minister Moorthy calling for North Indian businesses to be pushed out, and organisational secretary R.S. Bharathi making disparaging remarks about North Indians and their consumption of food at Amma Unavagam.
Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy also questioned the value of learning Hindi by pointing to Hindi speakers selling panipuri, while Health Minister Ma. Subramanian blamed students arriving from North India for COVID-19 clusters in educational institutions. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin himself, during the 2021 election campaign, alleged that Hindi-speaking youngsters were being placed in Tamil Nadu jobs to expand the BJP’s influence.
Against this backdrop, the two youngsters at Kasi Theatre deserve recognition for their actions, not ridicule over where they come from or what language they speak.
They saw a danger, found a practical way to warn motorists and stepped forward despite the risk to themselves. Their actions are a reminder that civic responsibility is not determined by one’s birthplace, mother tongue or political identity.
The two North Indian youngsters did not ask whether the motorists were Tamil or Hindi-speaking before trying to protect them. They simply acted. That is the example worth celebrating.
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