Personality Of The Week
C. Rajendiran, Commissioner of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax, Coimbatore. It is a power point presentation. “Karka (learn), kasadara (without any blemish or fault), karpavai katra pin (after learning properly), nirka atharku thagha (follow the same meticulously)”. “This is what I would consider as the major steps to success”, says C. Rajendiran. He is neither a Tamil professor nor a HRD man. He is a post-graduate in Mathematics who holds a degree in Law and also in Education. Starting as an employee of the Telecom Department and then RBI, he became a Probationary Officer in State Bank of India. Ultimately evolving into an officer of the Indian Civil Service (Customs and Central Excise) in 1985, he is currently the Commissioner of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax, Coimbatore. And he is in love with Thirukkural, he tells G. Satyamurty. The free flow in his delivery and the aplomb with which he quotes Tamil literary works and explains them make him a cynosure of all eyes.
His love for Thirukkural knows no boundaries, both literally and metaphorically. His mission to propagate the precepts of the Kural which began in Singapore in 2006 continues in India also. He has already addressed more than 25,000 students and members of the business community in Coimbatore. His enthusiasm has infected his entire family and his power point presentations have inputs from his wife, son and daughter as well. “This has virtually become a family enterprise and for an hour of presentation we take almost 40 to 50 hours of preparation”, he says.
Above all, the 50-year-old officer has authored a book titled “Thirukkural-uvamai nayam” in which he is sharing his thoughts on the metaphors and similes used in Thirukkural and co-relates the same to today’s context. Grandson of a freedom fighter and the son of a Sarvodaya worker, Mr. Rajendiran hails from Govindampalaym, a village near Thalaivasal. After completing schooling in various rural institutions, he post-graduated from Government Arts College, Salem. “When I was hardly 12, I was impressed both by Ramayana and Thevaram taught by my teacher Jagaraja”.
Similarly, meeting Chadrasekara Warrier, a faculty in the Telecom Training Centre, who was certain that he had a “bigger future”, proved a turning point. And his tenure as First Secretary (Commerce) in the High Commission of India, Singapore, ignited his passion for Tamil. “When I was in Singapore, I realised what the Tamils in Singapore and Malaysia do for furthering the cause of Tamil was far higher than what we Tamilians do. Then I also wanted to do something for Tamil”.
He gradually started participating in all the literary meetings in Singapore. Then he read a 100-page book authored by a Singaporean titled-Asiavin kangal (eyes of Asia) comparing Thiruvalluvar and Confucius. “That ignited me”. Mr. Rajendiran points out that while the Chinese philosopher was treated as an “enlightened teacher” and has many temples and monuments in his name, his principles are followed in China. “But we have failed to imbibe the principles enunciated in Thirukkural though all of them are applicable to one and all irrespective of language, race, sex, religion and age.
It is also time independent. It enables a person to live a meaningful and wealthy life. As our country is aspiring to be a super power it is necessary that the youth need to understand and practise the principles in Thirukkural in day-today-life. That will take us to a real super power status”. How did he choose to write a book on the similes of Thirukkural? Any explanation does require some example or other. Then only the thought meant to be conveyed will reach home. Tholkappiyar has mentioned 36 forms of similes and metaphors. But nowadays we use hardly half a dozen.
“Once I decided to write a book, I stuck to Parimelazhagar “urai” and for my book my wife was the first critic. Whatever I thought as a simile, I jotted it down and tried to explain the same in one page.” K.T.M. Iqbal, an exponent in “marabu kavidhaigal” in Singapore, and Suba.Thinnappan, faculty of South Asian Language Studies, National University of Singapore, helped him. “Besides, I used to listen to Prof. Solomon Pappaiah who delivers a short piece on a channel –“Dhinamum Oru Kural”. I have become his Ekalaiva.”
Originally he thought of stopping with “Arathuppal” and “Porutpal” but later on covered “Inbathupal” also. Ultimately his book has 238 similes from 1330 kurals. “My purpose of writing is to make even those studying in 8th to 10th standard understand Kural thoroughly”. According to him, literature is not meant only for those enjoying their retired life; it is also for the youth who are in the race for achieving something or other. Reading Thirukkural is not the end of life, it is the beginning, he concludes.
