‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy, one of Chennai’s iconic activists, passed away aged 87 on Tuesday. He had been diagnosed with lung issues, following which he got admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, and died due to a lung failure.
He earned his title ‘traffic’ after he had been instrumental in regulating the traffic in the central areas of Chennai in the 1990s and 2000s. His activism did not just stop with traffic regulation. Ramaswamy has also been credited with bringing about a lot of changes in society thanks to his PILs. He helped abolish banner culture, recover a huge pocket of railway land in Velachery that had been encroached, and such. There were several NGOs and philanthropic organisations that have sought his aid many a time for sorting out social issues.
This was not to say that his motives were always scot-free. He had several run-ins with the local police since his PILs had, at times, affected iron and steel merchants. There was a point in his life where his family had abandoned him due to the various threats and warnings that he used to receive.
Needless to say, Ramaswamy passed away doing what he loved and lived a full life – that of an activist.
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