NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Subramanian from Kozhikode and Ramya from Mahe. This comes on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the 'Swachh Bharat Mission', which was launched on October 2, 2014, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised their work in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' broadcast. "Subramanian, 74, repaired more than 23,000 old chairs and made them usable again. People call him an RRR (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) champion. His service can be seen at Kozhikode civil station, PWD and LIC offices," Modi said.

The Prime Minister praised Ramya's work of combining social volunteers and youth clubs to clean the Mahe Municipality and the beach in Mayyazhi. The Prime Minister also reminded that 'Mann Ki Baat' will complete 10 years on October 3.

Weaving that started at the age of 13

Kozhikode Olavanna Thondilakkadavu native Subramanian saw his life getting better through chair weaving, which he started at the age of 13. Subramanian would weave two chairs a day. He says we must have woven at least 23,000 chairs in 58 years.

Subramanian is the one who weaves the broken chairs at civil station, PWD, LIC office, police stations and other government offices.

Subramanian came to work at the "Standard cane furniture" shop in Kallayi for a living and learnt chair weaving from there. As times changed, he started using plastic vines. When that shop was shut down, he became an independent worker. With the Prime Minister mentioning Subramanian's name in Mann Ki Baat, many from the political and social sphere came to his house and felicitated him. His family consists of his wife Shyamala and children Jeeja, Jiji, Jinju and Jijesh.

'I taught this profession to my children so that it does not go extinct. I used to weave up to six chairs back in the day" - Subramanian

Ramya, an avid reader

K Remya is leading a cleanliness drive in Mahe by organizing youth, as part of the Swachhta Hi Seva campaign.

She has been the district youth officer of Mahe Nehru Yuva Kendra for the past five-and-a-half years and is also in charge of Kannur. Ramya, who is a wide-ranging reader and an art lover, hails from Puthuppariyaram in Palakkad. Her husband is Adv. Sunil Kumar.

"It's not just my achievement. It is the strength of the collective, the belief of mutual love and the commitment to the land we are born in. I am sharing the prime minister's praise with them." - K. Ramya