Filalial Duty 1

What has Providence best bestowed on Man that is special and dear to him ? Certainly his Child /Children..

Well this is a brief of the couplet THIRUKURAL in Tamil!
I had a regarded THIRUKURAL in awe and regard whilst I had been in school days being taught by my teachers- Neasamani Thomas, Aswathaman,Vaidyanathan at Railway Mixed High School at Golden Rock and by Mr. Dhiraviyam at St. Joseph's college Higher Secondary School, Trichy. Though each had their own style and way in teaching, evidently , the age in which I was listening to the professing, did have in an impact. I had aspired to memorise 1330 couplets and participate in competition.. Sorry, I later felt that I should respect it rather venture into such challenges ...

My Mom would mention that how my Uncle - Somasundaram was so fond of his neice / my cousin sister Nirmala eventually who he got married to - while he admires her mentioning- " I am fond of the beauty who is kissed by a old man!!!!- the dialogue treads back years in history while the then Prime Minister of India - Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited down south at Chidambaram, he had stopped over to participate in the function organised locally and my cousin sister was selected to garland the Prime Minister..!! Obviously as a kid of 6-7 years, while the Prime Minister getting garlanded by a sweet baby girl, he kissed her on her cheek.. Of course this is a special occassion in the local history. Certainly my uncle- Late Mr. Appasamy and my aunt Mrs. Rajeswari Appasamy would cherish those moments and trying to relive it..!
Dr. Murugaiyan Appasamy who has engraved his name in the Linguistic World devoting his life in researching the ancient cultures and languages and relating that to our present generation, ( I am yet not certain to put in words his contribution-as far as I know, he had written book reading which if you can read and write Tamil then you can learn French, He is also compiling Tamil - French dictionary,He has been working on scriptures, epigraphy, been trekking all over globe where there is Tamil - French relativity, He was for some period Secretary General of A.U.P.E.L.F. being the first asian at a young age of 48 years. I had a chance to see his acccomplishments while I accompanied my uncle and aunt to Paris. I still rememeber the emotion filled situation, while we were taken to SORBONNE UNIVERSITY at Paris, clicking the snaps as my cousin would relate his experience, also at George Pompidou the world largest library and convention centre- a building of 5 storeys just without cement but with metal sheets, nuts and bolts a real engineering feat!!!! The place where he had his viva for his Linguistic Research for which he got his doctorate,it struck us ( Uncle, Aunt and me) an awe.. and sure that Muru has fulfilled his filalial duty..!!!
I wonder the days we as kids, carrying the aspirations of the parents, like when ever we demand an extra allowance in comforts... our Parents would highlight the struggles they lived over.. while I tried the same with my Kids... I was surprised with the reaction... from my kids.. mentioning that "Dad, your dad was an officer in Southern Railway whilst my Dad is a Chef.. there is difference,( I still have my guilty conscience for not able to be with my Mom for more than a week together since my Dad's demise.!!!!! for that matter, my Mom has refrained from stepping into my house which I had acquired, that I am laboring out every pie in an alien land seperated from all my near and dear ones..!!!)
The legacy of getting entwined with history is a second nature to our family... as My Grand Dad Mr. Muthu Pillai was the first Indian Foreman in Indian Railways and ironically native from a village. He was responsible for mobilising the recruitment drive for the Southern Railway in age old days, were men knew nothing of Companies who detested the English - craving for freedom from Imperial rule, during week ends the farmers who would gather at one place to barter /sell the produce . My Grand Father suggested that they have an announcer ( please imagine the scene - a drummer standing by and with a mega phone and) yelling the benifits of getting employed where the certainity of monthly income and facilities of proper accomodation and living in colonies with uninterupted water and electricity. Above all the living in places with the clean surroundings and enclosed drainnage. Later this became the mantra for recruitment drive and which had became a success..!!!! Even today I would be surprised to see my Grand Dad's photograph decorating the mantle of houses who are strangers to us but on enquiring ,would be related the story how that family got into an employment with Railways..!!!! thats cool... wish some one like that is around to herald us all out of present crisis..!!!
While putting up the novel concept dial your meal in Madras, in 1988, began the business by selling just 1 meal on my first day 15 april 1988, we were quite adventurous, with Muthuganesh and Raja besides me, where fear was no near the horizon... later within a fortnight, while Subha of ANANDA VIKATAN, the a reporter, now I assume she is the editor of the magazine , tagged with her photographer Sekar, while they visited our projectat Gream's Court on the third floor apartment, never ever thought I and my concept would feature on the second page of the magazine"ANADA VIKATAN" until then Iwas just pushing over 50-60 meals a day. The concept and media and wonders of millions reading about the concept.. which got the table turn around... on the day when Subha sent me the sample copy on special courier as personal delivery, I was not very excited , but Raja and Muthuganesh were so, so excited, had a cab booked and we all went to near by temple..! later that week telephone never stopped from that Thursday... I had 500 meals delivered that day the article came out in public, if not Raja and Muthuganesh, I would not have achieved that... imagine 7 cabs were called and drivers were astonished to know that they have been called to deliver packed meals... that was a new phase in our / my business venture... I was spell bound when I came to know that my uncle, Late Mr. Shanmugasundaram, was so thrilled and excited by our venture and the acknowledgement by a media like ANANDA VIKATAN, had pushed ahead all the expectations.. in our family we had the custom of celebrating "GOLU" by displaying the idols at home for 10 days during Navarathri , that year, my uncle had the aricle in ANANDA VIKATAN enlarged and laminated and displayed it on the golu.., he was proudly lamenting about our project to all who ever came to visit them for golu!!!!mentioning this, even now, I am choking with emotions...My parents were never outspoken, cherished all this in silence and I am sure... for once I would have made them proud..!!!!!
I was so pressed with my chore as Sales and Marketing was entrusted to along with managing the kitchen at THE CITY HOTEL, LONDON, I was adrift with my own thoughts missing my routiene to call my family at Delhi!!!, Ramani called me and mentioned that Swetha has been nominated as Junior representative of her her school for WWF , UN at Delhi. I was encouraging her with a note of caution, but subsequent day, while Swetha narrated her march to podium of fame in school by participating in a debate " MARKETING IN PRESENT DAYS MISS THE ETHICS TO COMMERCIAL GAINS!!!!" as a kid as we see her still, we had ignored the fact that how much they are exposed to informations and how they developed their own opinion..!!! it was quite astonishingly sweet shock!!!!
I was for certain proud of Swetha for her accomplishment as a Speaker / debater, no wonder, the traits in grained in her gene of Ramani her mom was a good orator at St. Ebbas School, Chennai!!! and me.. while I was Vice chairman of S.W.A. at IHMCTAN chennai, where I participated in a Tamil Sangam debate were I got stuck during my innagural speach the claps went deafeningly roaring all over in the auditorium even after I gave up half way through and took my seat.Though our team won the debate, while declaring the result, Mr. Dinakar Babu our H.O.D Management sarcastically mentioned me for getting applause for silence in debate...!!!!