Parents to get royal treatment : 'Amma Appa Scheme of CSK'

IPL 6 is on ~ on Sat 6th CSK play MI at Chennai and all roads would lead to Chpauk….. there would be heavy crowds despite the fact that the tickets are highly priced.  At Chepauk the lowest of the ticket costs Rs.750/- - the price alone; then people are not allowed to carry water bottles even and have to pay heavily for small quantity of water ~ the food is also royally priced….. this is no comparison with the season ticket for the Test against Australia – in the neighbouring Hyderabad Uppal stadium, tickets start from Rs.250/- ;



                       

rates at Hyderabad on your left
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on your right is the ticket price at Chepauk





exorbitant prices, no facility – still people flocking is what IPL is all about……………….. and today there is an interesting article titled ‘Parents to get royal treatment’……… can you imagine what this is all about…

In a land known for its culture and respect to elders as tradition, there should be no need for people telling that one’s parents deserve utmost respect and care.  For ages, the Tamil culture enshrined taking care of parents at their old age, serving them with fondness and affection.  Thiruvalluvar says :

இல்வாழ்வான் என்பான் இயல்புடைய மூவர்க்கும்

நல்லாற்றின் நின்ற துணை.

The great Thiruvalluvar   is a clear visionary and has dwelt with all aspects of life.   He says that in good nature, the duty of those in family life is to take care of one’s parents, wife and children.  Somewhere heard a new definition to the word ‘pica’.  Pica is a medical disorder characterized by an appetite for substances largely non-nutritive (e.g.,  clay, coal, sand, soil,  chalk, pencils leads, paper, etc.,)   Pica reportedly is seen particularly in small children and in pregnant women.  This morning, a Doctor who spoke in a Forum said that many Doctors confront patients with this ‘new pica’ syndrome.  It is  “Parents in India – Children in America” Syndrome .. otherwise parents left in wilderness though mostly taken care of monetarily !!

Few decades back, men went to work, retired peacefully and lived happily thereafter with their families taking rest, fondly nurturing their grand children. Those were the days, when old people were treated as men of wisdom and their advices were listened to carefully; not any longer.   Now there is a growing market targetting the senior citizens, as they have money but none to take care of.   If this is the tale of affluent old people, the plight of those with not much money can well be imagined. Ageing is inevitable and everybody grows old without any effort on their part – it is the duty of the modern generation to treat the elders with respect and ensure that they spend their days peacefully with good access to medical treatment, healthy hygiene and good food.  

Now getting to that TOI article ‘Parents to get royal treatment, courtesy CSK’ :

Chennai:“Thosedays,walking into the Chepauk stadium was like sauntering into a nearly empty park. Now, getting tickets is close to impossible. Chepauk officials wouldn’t begin a match without me. Now, they’ve almost forgotten who I am.” A familiar refrain?

Time was when watching cricket at Chepauk was almost a ritual for a lot of residents who would rush to watch the match, come hell or high water. Most of those die-hard fans are now tethered to their TV sets. Reason: Their children live abroad and they have no one to take them to the stadium.

Now, such fans can cheer. India Cements, which owns the IPL franchisee Chennai Super Kings, has come up with an ‘Amma Appa’ schemewhereonecan book a package online, and CSK representatives will escort parents to the stadium for the match, provide them dinner and drive them home later.     “It came out of a coffee shop discussion when a friend said her parents enjoyed matches but couldn’t attend as she was not in Chennai with them,” said Chandrabhan, general manager (marketing), India Cements.

“We will put a car and driver at the disposal of parents, provide them meals sponsored by ITC Sheraton Park, and escort them back after the matchor at a timeof their choice,” Chandrabhan said.  We will also have a doctor on call in the stadium should there be any emergencies, have a dedicated usher to assist them and also photographers to click pictures for them,” he said. The package costs about 6,000, exclusive of the tickets which could be priced between 5,000 and 15,000. The packages have to be booked at least five days before the match. The scheme, open for all eight of CSK’s matches in Chennai this season, begins on Friday. It is open for fans across the globe, but the prime targets are residents of US and UK whose parents live in Chennai, Chandrabhan said.

CSK is coming out with several such ‘first of its kind’ initiatives this season. “The Chennai Super Kings Super Cup, a multi-sports corporate tournament, and the Amma Appa scheme are all initiatives that will continue in the long term,” Chandrabhan said. It is also part of India Cements’ larger aim of building CSK as a brand, and plans to look for avenues outside of T20 for its revenues. The package, available for all matches played by CSK in Chennai, can be booked online. Priced at 6000, exclusive of the tickets, it has to be booked at least five days before the match. It includes: Doctor on call Usher Packed meals from ITC Park Sheraton Chauffeur-driven car on call …..

Clearly, India Cements is seeing a business opportunity there… and don’t grumble if the prices go further up ~ there are good sons in US and elsewhere capable of taking care of their parents by enlisting in ‘amma appa scheme’ with the soul-satisfaction of satisfying their parent’s wish……

What a way of life.. and can you imagine the price of RCB Vs CSK match at Bengaluru

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

5th April 2013…… ‘amma appa scheme’ article reproduced from Times of India, Chennai edition of date.