Daddy Dearest

A boy, who lost his mother at a tender age of three and came to live with his grandparents , who were staunch Vaishnavites, in a remote village of Therazhundur, fled to Calcutta when he was 14 years, inspired by the communist movement. Later on joined an Italian company to earn his living !

But I am surprised that for a boy who had no guardian, coming from a village to a sprawling metropolis could take to constructive activities, learning languages, Tamil, English, Bengali , Sanskrit and even Italian. He was one of the founder members of the Tamil Writers Association in Calcutta and presided over many of their functions. He was truly a master of languages, I stumbled upon a book which is Tamil Lipi in original, the ancient Tamil script!

He recalls that day in the year 57, a depressed young man, further depressed by the news of his brother’s untimely death , had to go to Madras to perform the last rites. He found his brother’s room was full of God’s idols and the aura there in that room, which gave him the courage to fight life and take on the responsibility of his brother’s children.

He adopted himself to the circumstances , visited temples of all religion, climbed up to Vaishnao Devi, Badrinath and Golden Temple. He knew the customs, religiously practiced the traditions, but never forced us to practice. He believed in his religion , yet he accepted those who did not.

I should take cue from my father’s life and stop worrying myself with the friends that my son makes, and about his activities in my absence. If the then capital city of India, couldn’t spoil a village lad , the present capital city of India can not negatively influence my son !!

Akash : Am I right ??