NAA(VA)NUM (MYSELF AND TAMIL NAAVAN)

I first met Tamil Naavan in the year 1987 when I attended a Contact Seminar at Periyaar Thidal, Chennai for the correspondence course in Diploma in Periyaar Thought*, I was undergoing. He took a class on ‘Paarpanagalum, Avargal Nadatha Vendiya Yaagangalum’ (Brahmins and the Rituals they had to conduct). Both the subject and the lecturer were very interesting and thought provoking.
During the final examinations also, Tamil Naavan was with us as an Invigilator. His oratory skills thrilled me on both occasions.
Months passed and Tamil Naavan came across while I was walking on Kutchery Road, Mylapore, Chennai. He offered me tea (Theneer) and biscuits (Maachil) in a roadside tea-stall. He is very famous for his hospitality.
Mr. S.C. Chandrahasan, son of Eelathu Gandhi Thanthai Selva, who runs a NGO for Eelam Tamil refugees taken refuge in Tamil Nadu since 1983 massacre in the island country Sri Lanka, asked me to suggest a teacher to turn his daughters Kohilam and Poongodhai** from going for French, German and other languages to Tamil. He wanted that the teacher should be efficient in creating interest towards the mother tongue and also keep the racial affinity, burning.
Tamil Naavan’s been the only name suggested to Mr. S.C. Chandrahasan after a formal ratification with a local teacher friend, Mr. Thangavel, a post graduate in Tamil and teaches in a Chennai Corporation School.
Tamil Naavan has proved his mettle and was asked to continue teaching Tamil to the volunteers of OfERR (Organisation for Eelam Refugee Rehabilitation) founded by Mr. S.C. Chandrahasan. As the volunteers escaped classes under the pretext of workload, Tamil Naavan gradually stopped making trips to OfERR office. But Chandrahasan utilizes his services as the former is a Man of Letters in Tamil.
In the meantime, Tamil Naavan also visited our village Tirur and addressed the tiny children of Little Stars Convent, where my wife Ve. Hemamalini was working as a teaching staff. He once declared open a Science Exhibition in the school premises.
When my wife left Little Stars Convent and started her own venture Maniyammaiyaar Nursery and Primary School, Tamil Naavan provided all moral support and stood like rock behind her.
Tamil Naavan, as a Padaippali (original writer) wrote as many as 28 books of literary nature in Tamil language. Few of them won laurels too. His small rented house is nothing but a Library of Tamil Literature. One has to fall down only on books, books and books only in the tiny living area.
Tamil Naavan encouraged my son Bhuvan Babu to draw pictures for his books even while my son was undergoing a graduate course on painting. Tamil Naavan’s latest publication, Periyaar EVR Kurumbaaviyam, also carries drawings of Bhuvan Babu.
Not only that, Tamil Naavan also gave me the opportunity of keying in the 1200 Tamil verses (running into 400 pages) into the computer to. My office colleagues M/s. A.M. Mydeen and N. Thenappan helped me to DTP the book.
As my relations with the higher officials in my workplace Press Information Bureau ran into rough weather, I took voluntary retirement and completion of the book came to a standstill. Having taken up the task, I sought the help of Mr. S.C. Chandrahasan, who had a full-fledged Tamil software facility. He too, came forward without any reservations, as it was an opportunity for him to show his gratefulness for Tamil Naavan.
One Mr., a volunteer entrusted with the work by Mr. Chandrahasan, made it a mess. Even after making proper corrections in the draft in the very presence of Tamil Naavan, he handed over the print, minus corrections. Taking it granted, Tamil Naavan gave it for final printing. Never in his book publishing history, was Tamil Naavan left with a book of nearly hundred mistakes.
Mr. S.C. Chandrahasan, taken up the responsibility and accepted to foot the bill for reprinting the book after carrying out the necessary corrections. The book came out in a manner ‘better late than never’. I felt it very bad on my part in prolonging the publication for more than a year.
At the same time, I succeeded in roping the financial and other kinds of assistance in the publication of the book. One Mr. Yunus, one of the successive merchants in Avadi, came forward to reimburse the money spent on taking film negatives of the book.
But, Tamil Naavan was very magnanimous in dedicating the book to my wife, Ve. Hema Malini.
He wholeheartedly gave a two-page poetical forward and my collection of translated articles in Tamil on Flip-flops of Indian history, originally written by one Mr. Prasannan and published in the English magazine ‘The Week’.
Tamil Naavan is known for his soothing and subtle words, unlike the other VIPs I came across in my life. Repeated telephone calls from my side were keenly heard by Tamil Naavan and he acted like a Counselor during trying times.
I shared with him many problems I came across and counseled. At the same time, neither I enquired about his family or experiences of life, nor did he spend a word about it. All along, it was a one-way traffic between us. During the consultations over phone, he puts the solutions before me in a commendable and appreciative manner.
Although I came across many as friends, philosophers and guides in my life, Tamil Naavan is the one and only person left in the scene, extending the deserving support.