Monday, October 17, 2016

CHARLIE, MY ANGEL





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CHARLIE  MY  ANGEL


BY

N.  SOMASUNDARAM
an alumnus

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It was year 1989 and I had enrolled in MA (English) program at the American College, Madurai. Though I graduated in Chemistry, I joined the PG program in English as I was preparing to join the defence forces. Initially the course was tough for the beginner and I was struggling to learn the basics of English grammar. My spoken English was a disaster. Dr. Charles Ryerson visited our college, as he used to do every year. Through Prof. RP Nair, our HOD, I came to know about Charlie prior to his visit. He said that Charlie had written a dissertation on the Renaissance in Tamil Society due to the Dravidian Movement. I availed a copy for myself from the library and I finished reading the book before his visit. 

Dr. Charles Ryerson gave an inspiring speech on the Civil Rights Movement in the US and likened that to the struggle of the downtrodden in Tamil society. He had narrated his experience as a christian missionary during the 1950s in the districts of Madurai and Ramanathapuram. I was so engrossed in his speech that I took notes for asking questions after his speech. Also, I did not agree with him on certain notes in his book. After his speech, when the audience was asked if there was any question, as usual, the audience was silent. I was not confident of my spoken English, but had the urge to seek clarifications from him. I got up and asked him questions, to which he patiently replied. He addressed me as ''Chinna Payyan" (little boy) much to the amusement of the audience. I got more comfortable by his friendly banter and gingerly submitted to him that there were many factual errors. He was humility personified and accepted that there might be some. One major factual error was that he had mentioned the great Tamil poet Kamban, who wrote Ramayana in Tamil as Kamba Ramayanam, was a brahmin. I told him that it was a blatant factual error. He asked me how I was so sure of this since the period of Kamban was in the 11th century AD. I replied to him that I myself was the evidence as Kamban was an ancestor from my mother's side. He could not believe. Therefore, I asked him if he could visit my place for showing the proof, which he did. I took him to our temple where the family deity was being worshipped and showed him as many proof as possible to establish the fact. He got convinced and said that he would publish a corrigendum to his book.

Our relationship that of a student-mentor grew strongly during his subsequent visits. We used to engage in meaningful conversations about religion, language, caste system and discrimination based on colour, caste, and creed. He always encouraged me to speak my mind. Though there was several arguments, he always respected my line of thoughts and arguments. I realised later that though I was wrong on many occasions, Charlie ensured that my confidence was not eroded by countering me during our conversations.

About Tamil language, he had great respect and said that the first moment when he came to realise the greatness of it was when he was passing by a street in Madurai, he heard of a song sung so melodiously from a temple. Though he could not understand the meaning, the song was so moving that he entered the temple with folded hands with tears rolling down. Later he learned that the song was from a hymn sung in praise of Lord Shiva, Thiruvasagam, by Maanikka vaasagar. He acknowledged that true to the adage that 'those who are not moved by Thiruvasagam will not be moved by any song'', he was so moved by Thiruvasagam that he started learning Tamil language.

During my college days, I was a staunch atheist. Charlie was worried about me and he advised me to read religious scriptures as there are so many in Tamil, not only for the religious purpose but also for the rich language used in them. Particularly he was not happy about my ambition to join the defence forces. He said that if i joined, it would be a loss to the academic community as he considered my self-thinking as precious and rare.

After completing the PG, I joined the Indian Coast Guard inAfter completing the PG, I joined the Indian Coast Guard in Jan 1992. Our relationship still continued by means of correspondence by mail. When I was in the training phase, I used to anxiously look for his mail whenever the ship returned to the base port. Our communication still grew stronger even after the invent of e-mail. He had opened a separate folder for me, the way I had opened in my email account and maintained our correspondence. Even when he was either busy or his physical condition did not permit him to write an email, I always received his messages through others.






SOMASUNDARAM
COMMANDANT
INDIAN COAST GUARD






When I was a cadet onboard a training ship, I encountered a cyclone at sea. I should say that it was a spiritual revelation for me wherein I came to realise that the humans were nothing but a mere objects in front of nature. I wrote a long letter to Charlie about my experience in which I had written that I realised that 'if there was a design, there could be a designer'. Robert Frost's poem 'Design' came to my mind as I was experiencing the first cyclone as a mariner. Charlie preserved the letter and was planning to publish in a journal at Princeton Theological Seminary. Unfortunately, he lost the letter in a fire accident at his apartment in Rhode Island. He apologized and requested me to write the article again. I had written the article in 1992, and when he asked me to write it again it was year 2002. It was almost after a decade. Whatever i could remember, I wrote it for him as I did not have a copy of it. On receipt of the article, Charlie wrote that he liked the article very much and would publish it in the journal. I am sure he must have done it. I did not check with him. 

Dr. Paul.L.Love, the founder of Study Centre for Indian Literature in English and Translation at Madurai, used to say that whenever he visited the US, Charlie enquired about me. He closely followed me and was inquisitive about my family and career. He was still not happy about my decision to join the defence forces. I think I disobeyed him on that count. Sorry Charlie. But it was more a necessity to take up the first available job in India than your true inclination. 

May be in next birth we will meet again,and probably I will obey you.


Till then Rest In Peace, Charlie. 



NOTE: I am serving as a Commandant in the Indian Coast Guard and this is my 25th year of service. This is written in memory and honour of Dr. Charles R Ryerson III. 



4 comments:

  1. Somasundaram, Commandant, Coast Guard deserves to be appreciated for the touching tribute he has paid to Dr. Charles Ryerson. Truly, Charlie was a very fine gentleman. He moved with everyone- on the campus in a friendly and informal way radiating joy and happiness.He was a source of inspiration to many.

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  2. agree with prof samuel lawrence and join hands with him in my appreciation of the article somu has written, my salute dear commandant. yes, charlie touched all he came across, one way or the other. when my daughter got married i met with the pastor who was to solemnize my daughter's wedding. some conversation took us to princeton and i involuntarily asked him if he knew charlie. HE SAID YES. i was touched. charlie maintained a close relationship with families he knew from his younger days ... young basker, now working in the bursar's office, his father (nagarajan) and his grand father (forget his name) were ones he first gets in touch with. during my m.a. days our classrooms were in the oberlin building, we very often bumped into him staying upstairs, there started my acquaintance with him.

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