Month, April. Year, 1973. Time 09.30 am. The students were feverishly brushing up their ‘Notes’, for the final exams of Secondary School Leave Certificate ( SSLC). The corridors of Gopalapuram Boys Secondary School, Conran Smith Road, Gopalapuram, Madras (then) were buzzing with anxious students, as ‘the student’ entered the school. He too was brushing his ‘Notes’. His fellow students got into a huddle and sent a colleague to ‘spy’ in on what ‘the student’ was reading. Well, ‘ the student’ was none other than Tamilarasu, fourth son of the then Chief Minister of State of Madras. The spying was on the expectation that the questions would have been ‘outted’ (colloquial for leakage) to ‘ the student’, being who he was and it would make sense to brush up on what he was brushing up. And Thomas, a detainee in SSLC for four continuous years ran to Tamilarasu, “Tamil, Thirukkural, Prose-aa Poetry-aa”- what a question to ask of the son of a Tamil scholar par excellence. Response. “Dey, Nee Urrapadave Matte. Nappadh u Varusham Annalum, Thera Matte.”. (You will never make it, even after 40 years)
Alas, the gong went for the exams and first thing the ‘spy & Co’ did was to wince at a glance on sighting the questions. Not one from what they spied in on found a place. Exam time over, a friend confronted Tamilarasu, “ Did you pull a fast one on us. You could have told us.”. Tamil replied, “ it was your mistake to assume as Thalaivar Kalaignar’s son, and DMK in power, I would have the benefit of the question papers. My father is a strict disciplinarian and stern about such things. He would rather say that I flunked than have the benefit of such leaks”.
Well, that was some statement from the son of a Kazhagam Chief Minister. This son and his immediate brothers Stalin and Azhagiri, for one who was born and brought up all these years in Gopalapuram, were brought up, as in any other middle class Tambram family household. There was no air of superiority in them as belonging to the family of the ruling dispensation. Friendship was easy and simple.
In fact, Ramu Ice vendor’s grape ice was sucked into by them with a lick or two for friends too and no class apart. Visits to the Chief Minister’s residence were few and far between to exchange ‘Notes’, but on the odd occasions- if Kalaignar was around, he always spared time to quiz us on our classes. He was pleasant and enquiring with concern as any other parent, despite his busy schedule.
How could one forget Puppy, Raghuri, Chappai, Airbag and Bonda (nicknames ) enjoying tennis ball cricket in the company of these brothers? Stalin was not a regular member, for his interests were different, even then. But Azahagiri was cricket mad, among them, and never missed a match with his bosom cricket pal- of all persons, the brother of Cho Ramasamy - Ambi. Unconfirmed hearsay evidence of those days was that they both attended India’s historic Port of Spain, West Indies Test win and Oval Test win, in 1971.
But what we were thrilled to bits, was the tennis ball cricket we indulged in with the brothers, on 4th Street, Gopalapuram, where CM was residing. Politely, one day, the famed dad told the cricketers, “Thambigala, I don’t want your matches to be disturbed by frequent traffic. So why don’t you shift your venue to 3rd Street”. And we obliged, who would not the diktat of the CM of the State. What a polite way to get us out of his busy mobility.! The only extra constitutional act indulged in, for our sake, was on an occasion or two, the policemen around may have gone fetching us a tennis ball, when lost, or torn or buy us a replacement.
Just an aside. As a resident of Gopalapuram, one has always been queried . “Your area may have no power cuts and no water problems and roads may be well laid at all times.” Surely not, for even Kakaignar’s residence lacks metro water connection, as it is on a higher plane and power cuts are not unknown and flooding during monsoon is commonplace. For he proved himself to be a simple dad to his children and an ordinary middle class resident of Gopalapuram. He was after all that kind of a Samanyan. He was a friendly soul to the worst of his critics- Cho Ramasamy included- that says it all. TN will miss him, surely.
(Author is practising Advocate in the Madras High Court)
