Drama: The Man Who Wore Sanitary Pads Radio 4
Chris Evans Breakfast Show Radio 2
Mr Muruga is the man who brought sanitary protection to poor communities across India and across the world he deserves a full radio play and a whole lot more.
It started out when he discovered that Indian women were using rags, leaves, ash or even gravel to stem their monthly blood flow proper sanitary towels were just too expensive.
Some 70 per cent of reproductive diseases in India are caused by poor menstrual hygiene and along came this pioneer who was determined to change that.
He worked to produce something cheap enough for women to buy and good enough to work.
It took him four and a half years and a lot of heartache to succeed.
He tried out his home-made pads on himself using a fake uterus fashioned from a football and filled with goats blood which he punctured and wore to test out the sanitary protection.
He had to leave his village some thought he had a sexual disease, others called him a pervert and he was accused of possessing evil spirits.
His mother and wife were none too happy.
In the end, his machine won an award from the Indian Institute of Technology and there are now thousands of his model providing low cost sanitary protection and employing thousands of women.
He has been lauded worldwide and has even given a TED talk but he refuses to take a profit.
Actress Meera Syal who plays his mother in this play of his life said Mr Muruga was a feminist in the true sense of the word and a philanthropist. This was worthy of a listen.
From the sublime to Chris Evans the ginger haired one who fits with supreme ease into that early morning slot on Radio 2 and brings laid back listening and a few laughs into the hell of the early morning traffic jam.
Last week he was entertaining us with interesting facts like Google was originally called Backrub, Pepsi cola was Brads Drink and Petes Super Submarines became Subway.
He also did an interview with a very tired sounding Florence of Florence and the Machine it was early in the morning. There is banter, there is gentle humour and here, a la recherch du times past, youll also rediscover she of the honeyed vowels - newsreader Moira Stewart.
