Wednesday, July 26, 2017

K.S.Natarajan my friend for past 60 years

My friend  and classmate Kalakkad Sundaram Natarajan –Who played an important role in my life

By
P.R.Ramahander

After I completed my post graduation in Annamalai University, (1960) I was lucky to get admission in the Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta. On the day that I had to start to Calcutta, I received an appointment order as Statistical assistant in National Sample Survey in Trivandrum. I knew that I should accept that because the financial condition of the family was not good. But my great father told me that I should study further, because I was getting stipend. He said he will manage the affairs of the family for two or three years more. The first problem to be solved was dress. For the five years preceding, I was wearing only white Dhothi and White shirt. I along with my father felt that I should at least have a few pants. There was no tailor in my village who could stitch pants. The time left was short. Father had a very close friend Sethu mama , who was running a hotel in Vishakapatnam en route. My cousin Visweswaran was working in his hotel. I got down there by one train and within a day, a few white, poor looking pants were stitched at lightning speed. Next day I reached Calcutta. I had not spoken in the phone till then and for the first time was forced to call the warden of the hostel to get directions. That gentleman was speaking a benglish accent. Some how, I reached ISI. I stayed there in the hostel for the next one year. I made many friends. .
    Sri  Kalakkad  Sundaram Natarajan  a son of school teacher  Sundarm Iyer  of Thirunelveli, became  one of my closest friends there. It was through him that  I became friends   with other  Tamil   and Malayalam speaking  people who were  in ISI hostel  . (For example  DR.K.R.,Parthasarathy, who  joined    the mathematics s department of IIT , Madras, Sri T.A.Anathaswamy Row   who  joined Brakes India Limited Madras . DR.Balasubramanian who joined later   as  professor in Christian college , Madras , One Mr.Krishnan who was a great sportsman and joined  ,IIM , Calcutta  for further   studies, Dr.G.Narayana Murthy  of Batlakundu  who settled down in  Mumbai, Dr.N.C.Chidambaran  and DR.Panchapakesan   who   both  settled   down  as professors in USA , then itself, DR.SWaminthan   who went to Canada   and settled down there , DR.P,S.Nair(still a face book friend)  , DR.T  Sankaran Kutti , Dr.Subramanyam Swamy   who is now  Rajya Sabha MP  and so on and on) ,Though I   became friends   with all of them ,I was specially attached  to  Sri.K.S.Natarajan and I always think , he played a great role in making me what I am today.
    After  one year , when he had vacation ,  we   both had saved some money  from our stipend  and we wanted   to buy   some presents   to  our family members ,We went to Ballygunge   and  waited it Rash Behari avenue for some time    and  located a  Tamilan Brahmin mami . We both told about our problems and she helped us . I remember   that   during   those times  Calcutta  Karandi was   famous  and we bought  one each, That Mami   also directed us to a shop   selling Saris . I remember   we bought one each., Both of us went to Delhi from there some time in July . Our North Indian class mates in New Delhi   scared us by saying that  unless   we buy a suit   we both will die in winter . We were wondering what to do   and fortunately met a senior of ours called Sri.V,Gopalan. When we  told about our problem, he said   he was very much alive   after passing through a winter  wearing a  half swetter. That time  we were  getting slightly more stipend. I remember  we purchased   one each of a rexine  brown suitcase and one each of a  reversible double coloured  pull over.
   Life went on. I specialised   in Biometrics  of tree crps and my   friend rose to very high positions  in  Census commissioners office.
   My friend  Kalakkad Sundaram Natarajan is a face book member like me   and has settled down in Madras   and I have   settled down in Bangalore. Our friendship as on today is nearly sixty years old.

   My deep sense of gratitude  my friend

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