PS SUNDAR'S ARTICLE ON HIS SON -- 12:

(today is 16^th demise anniversary of our son, Vignesh)

VIGNESH TAUGHT US LESSONS WHICH NO UNIVERSITY CAN TEACH

By P S SUNDAR.

 (

“Can I take a photo of this letter and include in my power point presentation for using in lectures to educators?”, the Headmaster and Correspondent of St Antony’s Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, Bro Dr Thomas Selvam asked me a month ago after reading the letter written to us by R Swaminathan, (Dhuruvan) Vice Principal of St Mary’s (Matriculation) Higher Secondary School, Perambur, Chennai.

This was a letter he had written to my wife and me on January 8, 2004. 

The importance of that letter which we preserve as treasure till date is that he has explained that he has dedicated his then latest Tamil book, “Dhuruvan Kaattum Siruvar Paathai” to our son Vignesh whom he has described as ‘an astonishing human being’. 

“I have not taught Vignesh at all.   He has not learnt Tamil or Mathematics (which I teach) from me.   But, my mind is filled with the memory of his listening with smiling face to me whenever I happened to give sound advice to children.   I am happy to dedicate my entire book to him.  So, this book has given me more satisfaction than the previous three books I had written”, he has recorded in that letter.

And, on page 3 of his book, he has dedicated his book to Vignesh with Vignesh’s photo and a moving Tamil poem.    In this poem, he has paid rich encomium to Vignesh as a child who excelled in love, intelligence and talent but at a time when he was about to take the school to a new crescendo, he closed his eyes forever – you will remain in our heart and memory forever..

Besides, on page 79, he has detailed how he was impressed with Vignesh who came to school on wheelchair run by his mother.

This has taught us lessons which no university can teach.   This Vice Principal has written in his book that he did not know Vignesh directly, had not taught him any main subjects but had watched him at close quarters and at distance every now and then and was captivated by Vignesh’s mastery of subjects, language which resulted in his articles being published in leading national newspapers even as a student and his enrichment of computer knowledge at a time when computer study was in nascent stage in schools..  but the fact that he passed away while in Plus Two was a big loss not only to his parents but the school itself ..  “that’s why I am moved to dedicate my book to him”, he has said.

As Bro Dr Thomas Selvam who excels in training teachers and educators as a whole told my wife and me, such a dedication of a book sums up the impression Vignesh left with the teaching community of his days.

Quite true... Thousands (known and unknown) attended the funeral of Vignesh in Chennai on Oct 21 and 22 in 2003 which included teachers who had taught him in elementary stage, retired and living in faraway places.  His schoolmates did not go to their houses at all on the night of Oct 21 and many of them recalled with tears how Vignesh helped them in their studies..

His Economics teacher visited us every evening for a week and with tears, recalled how she missed Vignesh in the class.

We vacated our establishment in Chennai 10 days after Vignesh’s demise and moved over to our house in Coonoor and Dhuruvan’s dedication of book happened thereafter.

All those who studied in his class would be 32 years old now and we hope all of them are doing well somewhere..

We are obliged to all the teachers, known and unknown, who recorded that Vignesh’s demise was a loss to the school..

We are grateful to the Almighty for blessing us with a son, who, in the short period of 16 years and 16 days he lived with us, taught us many valuable lessons of love, share, care and help needed to make life meaningful.

My wife and I are living together but alone since we lost our only son Vignesh this day (Oct 21, 2003) to an incurable muscular dystrophy disorder .. but, yes, as Dhuruvan very correctly recorded, we live in his memory forever..     

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)