Reminiscences about Nonagenarians, strange meetings and varied personalities!

Reminiscences about Nonagenarians, strange meetings and varied personalities!

My early days’ contacts with DMK (1967-1969): Sri Bhagavatham Venkatappaiah[1] had been our family friends living at the end of our Venkatachala Iyer Street, West Mambalam, Madras – 600 033 since the early 1950s. The house was tiled one of 1940 period and he was living there with parents and brothers. Incidentally, my uncle Nandagiri Narayana Rao[2] [we called him as Narayana mama] and family came there as tenants and I used to be there at every evening in 1960s. As they had transistor [Murphy], I used to go there to listen to news and songs. As Narayana Rao was a DMK supporter, he used to tell about the party and leaders. I used to decorate our old house with Black and red, DMK flags and as I was just eight years old. In 1967, when C. N. Annadurai and Karunanidhi came in a jeep at the end of our street on the Lake View Road for election campaign, the DMK men lifted me and out in the jeep, informing, “This papparap paiyan nalla kathuvan,” [This Brahmin boy would shout well] and I started shouting, “Anna vazhga, Karunanidhi vazhga, Udhaya Suriyane parthu poduugamma vottu!” [Hail Anna, hail Karunanidhi, vote for the Raising Sun symbol] and so on, as instructed by them! The DMK came to power in 1967. When Anna died on Feb.3, 1969, he [Narayana mama] took me to Marina in the procession. While returning, I remember what happened to the Kamadenu Hotel situated on the Gopaty Narayana Chetty Street near Sun theatre[3]. We could not get anything to eat and we had to return with empty stomachs. So when we were children, naturally, we would be influenced by the hereditary and environmental factors.

Studying in Tamil medium (1964-1966): As I was admitted in Tamil medium in the nearby Devi School in 1964, I started taking interest in Tamil. One day, “Old bookseller,” Rajagopal became friend in the sense, he used to sell “Ambulimama” to me. My another uncle Sri Madhwapati Srinivasa Rao[4] made me to take interest in reading newspapers and books. Rajagopal was a DMK man and he also used to tell about DMK and its leader. He was called as “thalaivar,” and “Vattac ceyalalar,” by his friends. Rajagopal was having his old book shop on the platform near Murugan Stores on the Station Road.

Leather scientist B. Venkatappaiah, a friend of K. Ramaiah: B. Venkatappaiah[5] was a scientist in CLRI and was a college mate of K. Anbazhagan. Venkatappaiah used to tell, his name was Ramaiah and a Telugu man and they used to talk with each other in Telugu in Pachaiappa’s College. Ramaiah did Intermediate with Physics, Chemistry and Economics (1938-39) and then, B.A in Tamil from 1939 to 1942. He came to Pachaiappa’s College and completed M.A. Tamil during the period 1942-44. He used to point out that Ramaiah was working as lecturer and not professor, as he was portrayed. Ramaiah worked in Pachaiappa’s College as a lecturer between the 1944 and 1957 period. I was asking Mrs Venkatappaiah a photo of B. Venkatappaiah, and incidentally, she gave on 05-03-2020. I wanted to prepare a write-up on him, but, I could not do that. But, today, the news of Sri K. Anbazhagan comes.

My personal meetings of Sri K. Anbazhagan: Of course, I too met him three times. First time at the BHEL Guest House, Ranipet [I was there June 1994 to July 1995]. As one night, I had to sit late night to attend to work, I could not get a bus to return to Madras and hence I had to stay at the BHEL Guest House. Evening, when I come out of my room, surprisingly, I saw him standing in the corridor. Initially, I was hesitant to meet him, as he was a Minister. Then, I slowly approached him and said, “Vanakkam, Iyya,” he turned back and told, “Vanakkam.” Then, I introduced myself and also about B. Venkatappaiah, his College-mate.  He could recognize and enquired about him. Then, he was telling about college days at Pachaiyappa’s. I also informed that I did my B.Sc Physics there. I asked him as to whether he could speak Telugu then, he responded no, as they lost touch. As the dinner was ready, and we were asked to come down, my conversation with him ended. Then, I met him at the Swaminatha Iyer Library functions twice. He was praising Iyer for his great work done in collecting palm-leaf manuscripts and got them published in the book form. He talked in a very balanced way.

© K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

07-03-2020

[1]  He had two brothers Sri  B.Shayamsundar and B. Aravindan, whose sons and daughters have been well settled.

[2]  They have D. Srinivasa Rao, Krishnamuthy Rao, Ranga Rao, Ramachandra Rao and Narayana Rao (as mentioned above)  and three sisters Padmavathi Amma, Savithri Amma and Sitaram.

[3] Now both are not there. Sun  theatre has been converted into Sun plaza, commercial complex building.

[4]  He had been the son of M. Subba Rao, grandson of Nayapati Subba Rao, the Congress leader and freedom fighter. Thus, I am the grandson of M. Subba Rao and thus great-great-grandson of Nyapathi Subba Rao. Anyway, nowadays, none bothers about all these details, people are recognized by their status of power and money.

[5] He was next to Dr Nayudamma (1922-1985), the scientist in those days. Perhaps, no other scientist has been as popular and respected as Dr Yelavarthy Nayudamma both in India and abroad where leather is a major industry.  https://www.clri.org/Admin/Leaders/dnayudamma.html