The man who delivered the daily dose of wisdom is no more...
Thenkachchi Swaminathan died yesterday.
For 14 years, people across Tamilnadu have been used to their morning dose of daily wisdom presented in the most humorous manner. A man you wouldn't care to give a second look, with a face and a look (once I was with him when he was being introduced to a head of a major rural institution, the gentleman queried Thenkachchi, 'you look tired, do you want to rest?', reply, 'no, I was born with the tired looking face, I am quite o.k.') that will never give the sharpness of the mind, the ability to extract humour out of ordinary situations and instances of life and the eagerness to communicate it in the most ordinary tamil through which he could touch the hearts of millions.
Was always impressed by his humility and sense of wonderment he retained with ordinary life. He travelled by public transport and often said that his inspiration was drawn from the life of the ordinary people. His journey from being the agricultural news reporter in Tirunelveli radio station to that of a news editor in Chennai AIR was, according to him, 'accidental', so also his delivery of daily message. Two generations would have grown up listening to him before they left for their schools and offices in the morning, have seen his message come out loud and stop activity for few minutes as owners and consumers soaked in his message for the day in road side tea shops and saloons.
His daily humour has been since retirement published as a series in Tamil and several of his articles and lectures have also been published. He was a much sought after speaker and could address audience from school students to intellectuals with equal aplomb. In a highly divided and stratified tamil public space, he commended respect among all and was equally popular with the religious and cultural groups as he was with the atheist political groups.
In the crowded, loud and often vulgar tamil public space, this man brought his humble message with much humour and class. Quality and responsibility in public communication just lost a beautiful voice in Tamil.
For 14 years, people across Tamilnadu have been used to their morning dose of daily wisdom presented in the most humorous manner. A man you wouldn't care to give a second look, with a face and a look (once I was with him when he was being introduced to a head of a major rural institution, the gentleman queried Thenkachchi, 'you look tired, do you want to rest?', reply, 'no, I was born with the tired looking face, I am quite o.k.') that will never give the sharpness of the mind, the ability to extract humour out of ordinary situations and instances of life and the eagerness to communicate it in the most ordinary tamil through which he could touch the hearts of millions.
Was always impressed by his humility and sense of wonderment he retained with ordinary life. He travelled by public transport and often said that his inspiration was drawn from the life of the ordinary people. His journey from being the agricultural news reporter in Tirunelveli radio station to that of a news editor in Chennai AIR was, according to him, 'accidental', so also his delivery of daily message. Two generations would have grown up listening to him before they left for their schools and offices in the morning, have seen his message come out loud and stop activity for few minutes as owners and consumers soaked in his message for the day in road side tea shops and saloons.
His daily humour has been since retirement published as a series in Tamil and several of his articles and lectures have also been published. He was a much sought after speaker and could address audience from school students to intellectuals with equal aplomb. In a highly divided and stratified tamil public space, he commended respect among all and was equally popular with the religious and cultural groups as he was with the atheist political groups.
In the crowded, loud and often vulgar tamil public space, this man brought his humble message with much humour and class. Quality and responsibility in public communication just lost a beautiful voice in Tamil.
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