104. Higher Interest Rate

When Sambandham came to his relative Kailasam's house, a young man was sitting in Kailasam's house and conversing with Kailasam.

"Who is this gentleman? I have not seen him" Sambandham asked Kailasam.

"He is known to me" said Kailasam.

The young man told Sambandham, "Mr. Kailasam is my guide. I will never forget the help rendered by him."

"Oh, what help?" asked Sambandham.

"That's nothing" said Kailasam. He then introduced Kailasam to the young man, saying, "Sukumar! He is Mr. Sambandham, my relative. We will see again later" and sent him away.

After Sukumar had left, Sambandham asked Kailasam, "Who is this person? What help did you render him?"

Kailasam narrated the background.

A few years back, Kailasam had deposited fifty thousand rupees in a finance company, lured by their offer of high rate of interest. The firm was paying interest every month, on a particular date. The depositors located in the city would go to office of the finance company and receive the interest in cash.

For the first two months, the firm paid the interest on the due dates. From the third month, the payment was delayed and the depositors had to visit the office of the firm a few times, to receive the interest payment.

Once, when Kailasam had been to the firm to receive the monthly interest, he met Sukumar. Sukumar had come to the firm, to deposit money. 

After sensing that Sukumar was going to deposit money in that firm, Kailasam took him aside and told him, "I have deposited fifty thousand rupees in this firm. They are not paying the interest regularly. I have to visit the office several times to receive the interest every month. It is not safe to deposit your money here. Don't commit the mistake I have committed. It will be safer to deposit your money in a bank."

"But this firm is paying interest at a rate five percent higher than the rate paid by the banks!" said Sukumar.

"I deposited my money here only for that reason. But I am now regretting my decision."

"Sir, I will be depositing only ten thousand rupees. I will take the risk and see!"

"Think of it this way. Five percent additional interest will amount to five hundred rupees per annum. Are you going to risk ten thousand rupees, for the prospect of getting hundred rupees additional income in a year?" asked Kailasam.

Sukumar reflected for a while. But he was still focused on the prospect of getting a higher rate of interest.

"Okay. Do one thing. Wait for one month. You will have time to think about your decision" said Kailasam.

"If I keep the money idle for one month, I will be losing interest income. However, considering your suggestion, I will wait for one week, before depositing the money" said Sukumar. He also asked for and got the phone number of Kailasam.

"What happened afterwards?" asked Sambandham, showing his curiosity.

"Two days after that, the firm closed shop. People who had deposited their money lost their money" said Kailasam.

"So, you also lost your money. You didn't tell me about it!"

"Do you expect me to proudly broadcast to the world, my foolish act of losing money, lured by the offer of high interest? Since you asked me about my acquaintance with Sukumar, I am telling you this."

"Ok. You were telling me about your acquaintance with Sukumar. Please continue."

"Learning the news of the firm downing its shutters, Sukumar rang me up and conveyed his condolences. His decision to postpone his move to deposit the money in that firm, on my suggestion, saved him, from losing his money. He has been grateful to me for warning him, and stopping him from depositing the money with the firm. He asked for my address and visited me to convey his gratefulness to me. After that, I have not given him any suggestion or advice. But he keeps calling me a guide! He visits me now and then, for showing his gratitude and respect to me. He says that after that experience, he cultivated the habit of thinking twice, before taking any decision" said Kailasam.

"Though you may think that the help rendered by you is small, he has realized its value and been grateful to you" said Sambandham.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 11
Gratitude

Verse 101 (In Tamil)

thinaith thuNai nanRi seyinum panaith thuNaiyAk
koLvar payan therivAr.

Meaning:

Even if the help rendered by a person were to be as small as a millet seed, those who know its value, will consider it as large as a palmyra fruit.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kUdudhal vaDDi' by the same author)

Verse 105 (Soon)
Verse 103

451. A Friend Indeed!

When Gopu joined that firm, Damodaran was the first person he got acquainted with.

Damodaran had joined the firm two years earlier to Gopu and hence was senior to him. However, he treated Gopu as an equal and was friendly with him.

A few months after Gopu joined the firm, Damodaran told Gopu, "I find that you have been moving closely with Sanjay. He is not a good person. Keep away from him."

"How do you say Sanjay is not a good person?" countered Gopu.

"I don't want to elaborate. He would try to be friendly with every one. But if someone gets close to him, he will take advantage of that person."

"Taking advantage means? Will he ask for a loan?" asked Gou, with a dismissive laugh.

"This is not a laughing matter, Gopu. I am saying this only for your own good. If he borrows money from you and doesn't repay it, you will suffer only a monetary loss. But the harm he could cause to you will be much more serious. I have heard this from people who suffered on account of having been close to him. The very first time I met him, I had a bad impression about him. So, I have been keeping a distance from him. But I have been observing him. He will talk as if he has influence with some senior executives of our firm. Believing his words, some people in our office fear him. Taking advantage of this fear, he has created an impression that he is a powerful person in this office. Some people like me know him for what he is and keep away from him. It will be good for you, if you also keep away from him" said Damodaran.

Chandran didn't say anything. He smiled inwardly recalling what Sanjay had told him about Damodaran. 'Damodaran's words show that what Sanjay said about Damodaran is true!' he told himself.

Damodaran noticed that even after he had warned Gopu about Sanjay, Gopu was moving closely with Sanjay. But he didn't talk to Gopu on this subject, again.

After a few weeks, Gopu came to Damodaran and told him, "Damodaran! I want to share something with you."

That evening, after leaving the office, both of them went to a restaurant. They took their seats in a secluded place.

"Damodaran! At the outset, I want to seek your pardon, for not trusting your words. When you warned me about Sanjay, I ignored it. I have realized his true colours only now" said Gopi. 

"What happened" asked Damodaran.

"Yesterday, after the office had got over, Sanjay suggested that we go for a movie. He said that on the way we would visit his sister, who was indisposed. When we went to her house, she appeared to be normal. She went inside to make coffee for us. Sanjay tried to call someone on his mobile phone and went out saying that he didn't get the signal inside the house. After he had gone out, that lady came out and tried to hug me. I extricated myself from her grip and ran outside. I saw Sanjay standing at the doorstep with the phone, ready to take a photo or video of us being together. Then only I realized that that woman was not his sister at all and that he had planned to trap me into getting into a compromising position with her, take a photo or video and use it to blackmail me. Fortunately, I got away" said Gopu.

"Incidents like this have happened to some of our staff members. Not wanting to to narrate them to you in detail, I hinted to you about his character and warned you. But you didn't believe me at that time" said Damodaran, in an accusing tone.

"I was too gullible. Sanjay had told me earlier that you would say such things about him. So, when I heard you speaking badly of him, I thought he was right."

"Did you not think why I should speak to you badly about him?" asked Damodaran, angrily.

"Damodaran! You should forgive me again. Sanjay told me a story that during your initial days in this office, you spoke inappropriately to a lady staff, that that lady was about to report the incident to the Managing Director and that Sanjay intervened and stopped her from reporting the incident, by asking you to apologize to her. He said that you were angry with him because he had made you apologize to that lady. During my initial days in the office, I didn't know either about you or about Sanjay. So I believed his story. I feel ashamed about how gullible I had been. I can't explain to you how embarrassed I am, when I am explaining myself to you now" said Gopu.

"The scoundrel! He had turned the incident on its head. It was Sanjay who spoke to that lady inappropriately and it was me who saved him, by persuading the lady to accept his apology and forgive him. The only mistake I had made was saving him from disgrace and dismissal from the job, at that time!" said Damodaran.

Thirukkural
Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 46
Shunning the Company of Mean People

Verse 451 (in Tamil):

siRRinam anjum perumai siRumaithAn
suRRamAch chUzhndhu vidum.

Meaning:

Noble men will dread the company of the ignoble. But mean people will consider them to be close friends.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thalai thapiyadhu' by the same author.)

Verse 452 (Soon)
Verse 450

1114. Don't Go There!

"Have you ever regretted that rather than strolling in this garden, holding the hand of a prince, you are walking here, holding the hand of this poor poet?"

"Don't we have the legendary story of Princess Amaravathy falling in love with the poor poet Ambikapathy?"

"Oh, you are well-informed...Wait, don't go that side!"

"Why? We have gone there many times. We went there yesterday also!"

"Water lilies are there."

"What if they are there?"

"When we went there yesterday, it appeared to me that the water lily flowers were holding their heads down!"

"How can flowers hold their heads down? When the plants were shaken by the wind, or the branches were bent down due to the weight of the flowers, it might have appeared to you that the flowers were holding their heads down. Anyway, what has that got to do with our going there?"

"I will tell you. Yesterday, I read a verse in the Tamil epic Kamba Ramayana. After reading that, I got an insight."

"What did you read and what did you learn?"

"The poet Kambar describes the beauty of Marutham* region. Like a dance performance in the court of a king, there is a dance performance before Marutham, which is sitting on the throne like a king. The peacocks are dancing. The lotus stems holding the flowers present a sight of holding the lamps. The clouds sound like the percussion instruments and the bees are singing melodiously."

"What a beautiful imagination! I get the opportunity to listen to such poetic descriptions only because I love a poet."

"I have not finished. Kamban says some others also witness this dance performance."

"Who are they?"

"The water lilies! When I read the line, 'the water lilies watched the performance with their eyes wide open,' something struck me."

"What is it?'

"If the water lilies have the power of vision..."

"What if they have?"

"Yesterday, when we went to the spot, where there were water lilies, the water lilies would have looked at your eyes and hung their heads in shame, thinking 'Poets will compare the eyes of women to us. But we are no match to her eyes.' That is the reason I am stopping you from going there."

"Don't make me blush!" said the princess and lowered her eyes, whose beauty surpassed that of the water lilies. 

*Marutham - In Tamil literature, the landscape is divided into five regions. The plains are called Marudham. 

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 112
In Praise of Her Charms

Verse 1114 (in Tamil):
kANin kuvaLai kavizhndhu nilan nOkkum
mAnizhai kaN ovvEm enRu.

Meaning:

If only the kuvaLai flowers (water lilies) have the power of vision, they will hang their heads, feeling ashamed that their beauty doesn't match that of her eyes.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kamba rasam' by the same author.)

 Verse 1115 (Soon)
Verse 1113

450. Sasidharan's Plans

"Sir, my father had employed you in this firm, paying you a hefty sum as salary and allowing you to just sit in this office, for the only reason that you were a friend of him. Now he is no more. Therefore, you don't have a job here anymore."

The employees in the office were stunned to hear Sasidharan talking so bluntly to Dhandapani. 

However, Dhandapani received Sasisdharan's words with a smile and said, "Thank you, Sasi!"and left the office.

That evening, Sasidharan called Thiruchelvam, the General Manager of the firm, to his cabin and spoke to him about the changes he wanted to make in the administration of the firm.

"Sir, I will implement the changes you want. But, I have a submission to make" sad Thiruchelvam, reluctantly.

"Tell me."

"About Mr. Dhandapani..."

Sasidharan cut him short, saying, "I know what you are going to say. Dhandapani had been with my father, since the time my father started the business. My father never did anything, without consulting Dhandapani. Dhandapan had been one of the prime movers in the growth of this firm. Anything else?"

"Sir, even after knowing about his contributions to the growth of this firm..."

Sasidharan intercepted him again, "I have heard these stories from my father many times. My father had been just sentimental about his friend. My father started this business, investing his own money. Dhandapani got himself attached to this firm, using his friendship with my father and remained here for many years, like a parasite, all the while creating an impression that he had been contributing to the success of the efforts put in by my father. He was sitting in my father's cabin, chatting with him and making him believe that my father got inspiration from Dhandapani's ideas. Mr. Dhandapani had been deceiving my father all these years. My father might have been deceived by him. I won't be."

"Sir, it was not like that. Mr. Dhandapani was a source of strength to your father. I have witnessed your father working closely with him on on many occasions" said Thiruchelvam.

"Let us talk bout something else."

"What is happening Mr.Thiruchelvam? During the past five years. I had taken a lot of new initiatives to take our firm to a higher level. But we have only been going down. We don't have much competition and our competitors are not strong enough to give us a good fight. Yet, For the first time in the history of our firm, we have posted a loss. Our auditor laughs at me and asks me derisively, 'how did you manage to take your firm down so fast!' I don't understand what you people have been doing!"

Thiruchelvam didn't say anything.

"It is true that we don't have much of a competition. We have been working hard. You have been trying several innovations too. But you threw out a person who had been guiding us in the right path. The results we see today are the consequences of your unceremonious sacking of a valuable guide'. But there is no way you are going to realize this!" thought Thiruchelvam.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 45
Association With Great Men

Verse 450 (in Tamil):

pallAr pagai koLalin paththaduththa thImaiththE
nallAr thodar kaividal.

Meaning:

Giving up the association of a good person is ten times more harmful than earning the enmity of many people

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'thandhaiyin naNbar' by the same author.)

Verse 451
Verse 449

103. Jewel Loan

"One should not borrow money from private financial firms like this. If you had consulted me earlier, I would have suggested a good bank. You are telling me now!" said Mani.

"I took the loan for an emergency. I needed the money urgently. I thought that banks would not grant the loan immediately, since they follow a lot of formalities. This finance company recently opened a branch near me. I visited the branch to find out about the services they offered. They talked to me in a pleasing manner. When I asked about my need for a gold loan, they asked me to bring the jewels and get the loan sanctioned immediately. The interest rate they mentioned didn't appear to be high. So, I got the loan from them. But, they sent me a notice for my failure to pay the interest on the loan for two months. The interest they have charged is exorbitant. When I went in person and asked them for details of the interest calculation, they didn't give me a satisfactory reply. They have told me that if I didn't pay the interest and principal by tomorrow, they would action the jewels, I had pledged for the loan" said Sabhapathy.

"How much should be paid?"

"Nearly one lakh rupees."

"It will be difficult for me to mobilize that amount within a day!"

"I had asked for help from several people. No one was in a position to help me. I have come to you as the last resort" said Sabhapathy.

"I will try to mobilize the money. I will give you a call by the evening" said Mani.

Mani was a distant relative of Sabhapathy. Though the two were acquainted, they were not close. They would meet during the functions of their mutual relatives and exchange a few words. Otherwise, they have not been in frequent touch.

That evening, Mani rang up to Sabhapathy and told him, "Sorry, sir. I couldn't mobilize the money."

The next morning, Sabhapathy went to the finance company, feeling nervous and apprehensive. He thought that he would make a final appeal to them.

"We have kept your jewels ready to be auctioned. The auction will take place at 12 noon. If you come here at 2 pm, we will tell you the amount for which the jewels were auctioned and whether you would get any surplus money back" said the official of the finance company.

Sabhapathy felt that his last hope was also belied.

Sabhapathy went to the finance company at 2 pm, in the afternoon.

"Sir, you could have paid the money yesterday itself. When we had kept your jewels ready to be auctioned, your man came and paid the dues at 11 pm. If you had been ten minutes late, we could not have stopped the jewels from being auctioned" said the official of the finance company.

"Who paid the dues, sir?" said Sabhapathy, unable to believe what he had heard.

Surprised by Sabhapathy's reply, he said "Was he not sent by you? Let me see who paid your dues" 

After checking the voucher, he said, "The voucher is signed by Mani. Is he not known to you?"

"Yes, he is" said Sabhapathy, overwhelmed by emotions.

"Please wait for a minute. I will bring your jewels" said the official.

Sabhapathy rang up to Mani and said, "Sir, I can never forget the help rendered by you. I didn't expect it, after you had told me that you couldn't mobilize the money."

"I have been calling you on your mobile phone, since this morning. But you didn't pick up my calls" said Mani.

"Yes. I had put my phone in the silent mode, by mistake. I realized my mistake only just now. You have done me a timely help. I will always remember this" said Sabhapathy.

"After you came to my house yesterday and asked for the financial help, I discussed the matter with my wife. She told me, 'What if we don't have money with us? We can pledge our jewels and get a loan from the bank and lend it to Mr. Sabhapathy.' I thought I would tell you after getting the money from the bank. I went to my bank this morning, got the loan and gave you a call. But you didn't pick up the call. When you came to my house yesterday, you had left at my house, the notice received by you from the finance company. I took it to the finance company and paid the amount due on your account. Did you get the jewels from the finance company?" asked Mani.

"Sir, your wife offered her jewels for pledge, to help me redeem my jewels. You pledged the jewels, raised the money and paid the amount payable by me. The help you have rendered is huge. I will pay you back the amount paid by you with interest. within two months" said Sabhapathy.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 11
Gratitude

Verse 103 (In Tamil)

payan thUkkAr seydha udhavi nayan thUkkin
nanmai kadalin peridhu.

Meaning:

The value of the help done by someone, without expecting any return, will be vaster than the ocean. 

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'nagaik kadan' by the same author)

Verse 104
Verse 102

449. The Queen's Suggestion

"Do we have any case to hear in my court today?" asked King Dasarathy.

"We have one case, Your Majesty!" said the Minister.

"What is the case?"

"A merchant had borrowed money from many people, but failed to repay the loans. The lenders have filed a case on him."

"Why didn't he repay the loans?"

"The merchant had been running the business, without investing any money. He had been procuring goods from big merchants on credit and selling them to the consumers, for a profit. He had been borrowing money, even for running expenses. With the interest on the loans eating up his profit margin, he had been finding it difficult even to survive. With the losses going up, at one stage, he closed his business. He could not repay his loans. He had not even paid the salaries to his employees for the past three months. He has no properties for us to confiscate, sell and pay his creditors."

"A person who thought he could earn profit by doing business, without investing any capital should be a fool. Try the case and give him the severest punishment. Inform his creditors and employees that we couldn't help them, since the merchant has no assets."

After instructing the minister, the King went to see the queen.

"When I was standing at the balcony, I happened to listen to you talking to the minister about the case" said, Queen Vanavani.

"What can we do? We are living in an era in which there are foolish people like this merchant, who run the business without any investment" said Dasarathy, with annoyance.

After being silent for a moment, Vanavani asked him, "Since long, I have been thinking of asking you this. Do you know why your father named you Dasarathy?"

"Dasarathy means son of Dasaratha. The name refers to Rama, the eldest son of Dasarathy. My father would have wanted me to be an emperor like Dasaratha."

"Don't mistake me for saying this. Dasaratha expanded his kingdom. But, the extent of our kingdom has contracted during your period."

"Yes. A couple of regional chieftains had revolted against me and declared their regions as independent countries."

"You told me that a few more regional chieftains have also been creating trouble."

"Yes. I am worried that some more regions may secede from our country and become independent" said Dasarathy, with concern.

"Did you ponder over the reason for these happenings?" asked Vanavani.

"Are you suggesting that I have not been a strong ruler?" asked Dasarathy, angrily.

"No, my dear. This is not about your strength. You have the might. But you don't have the base to support your might."

"What do you mean, Vanavani?"

"Your father wanted you to become a strong ruler like Dasaratha. Dasaratha's success was not due to his might alone, but also to the fact that he had the counsel of  Vasishta, the great sage."

Dasarathy was silent.

"You also had Chandrachuda, a sagacious man as your minister. He took offense at your showing your anger at him on some issue and left your court. Eventually, he went out of our country. Even during the time he was with you, there were problems with some regional chieftains. But he handled them deftly and ensured that they remained loyal to you. Even at this time, when some other chieftains are creating problems, those chieftains continue to be loyal to you. You should be aware of the whereabouts of Chandrachuda. If not, you can find out his location in no time. If you invite him either in person or by sending an emissary, he will definitely come back. You will  be able to not only overcome the incipient rebellion by a few chieftains but also gain back the territories lost by you."

Dasarathy reflected on the suggestion made by the queen.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 45
Association With Great Men

Verse 449 (in Tamil):

mudhal ilArkku Udhiyam illai madhalaiyAm

sArbu illArkku illai nilai.

Meaning:

One who has no capital will have no profit. A king who is not supported by the counsel of wise men will not have a secured tenure.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'rANiyin yOsanai' by the same author.)

Verse 450
Verse 448

1113. The 'Chimera' that Appeared in the Dream!

"Why should we work so hard to crack the GRE* and go to the United States, for pursuing higher education? Is it not better to settle down India, by getting a good job, after completing our Engineering degree?" asked Ravindran.

"For the past two years, you have been talking about going to the US. Why are you changing your tune suddenly?" asked Veena.

"The arduous task of preparing for the GRE makes me think like this. Preparing for the GRE requires that we learn new words in English. They say we should develop a vocabulary with at least 3000 words. We have not even learnt 300 words, till now."

"That's why we have been learning words, by going through the word list of important words. Starting in the alphabetical order, we have come to the letter 'C' now. If you get discouraged even at this stage, how can you progress? Since learning the words by studying alone could be difficult and boring, we have been learning together. Is this process a problem for you?"

"About 'learning together,' I enjoy the 'together' part. What can be more exciting than doing something together with you? But, it is the 'learning' part, that is challenging to me." 

Ravindran smiled at Veena and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Take your hand off my shoulder."

Veena gently pushed down his hand from her shoulder, smiling. "See what the next word in the list is."

"It is 'collage.' Have they misspelt the word 'college'?" asked Ravindran, sounding innocent.

"No way. 'collage' means an art piece made from diverse materials like cloth, paper etc. It is pronounced 'collash.' I have made collage paintings myself."

"Oh, I have seen you splash a few colours on a sheet of paper, stick some rags and paper bits on it and call it an art. So that is called collage!"

"Your ignorance is not confined to vocabulary, but covers the aesthetic sense as well."

"Bear with me, Miss Artist. After our marriage, I will definitely try to appreciate your creations you dare to claim to be pieces of art! Don't throw an angry look at me. Can we go to the next word? Please read the next word."

After looking at the word list, Veena asked him, "You have skipped some words, coming before 'collage!'"

"That is the style of studying, I and my friends have been following. While studying a lesson, we skip some topics. If any question on those topics is asked in the examination, we will skip it and choose some other question to answer!"

"In the GRE, there is no option to choose a question. You have to answer all the questions. If you can't, you have to give up your aspiration to go to the U.S for higher studies. Let us be a little more serious. We will take up the words skipped by you. The next word is 'chimera.' Do you know the meaning of this word? Don't say it is a typo and it should be 'camera!'"

"You are one who is holding the book. Look at the answer and enlighten me!"

"'Chimera' is an animal created with organs of different animals. This is to be pronounced 'kimera.'"

"This also appears to be a kind of 'collage.'"

"'Collage' is a beautiful art piece. Do you think that an animal created by combining the organs of different animals will be good to look at? It may look ugly or monstrous."

"Not necessarily. A chimera created by a good artist like me can be good-looking!" said Ravindran.

"I think today you are not in a mood to study. You have been making frivolous remarks. We will stop our study today and resume it tomorrow."

Veena closed the book.

"The moment you closed the book, I got into a good mood. I have the mood to chat with you" said Ravindran.

"Leave this place, now!" said Veena, in mock anger.

The next day, when they met to resume their studies, Ravindran told Veena, "Veena! You may not believe what I say. Last night, I saw the figure of a chimera in my dream. It was the image of a beautiful woman."

"How can a chimera have the image of a woman?"

"It was a woman, alright. Her shoulders were like a gently curved bamboo pole. Her torso looked like a creeper. Her teeth were like pearls. Her eyes, highlighted by the black dye on the edges, had the sharpness of a lance. A pleasant fragrance was emanating from her body..."

"How horrible! Because we had discussed the word 'chimera' yesterday, such a creature seems to have appeared in your dream!"

"No, Veena. That woman was very beautiful. I have already seen her."

"You have seen her! Who is that damsel? Do I know her?" asked Veena, somewhat perturbed.

"How do I know whether you know her. I have her photo in my mobile phone. I will show it to you. Check whether she is known to you."

Ravindran took out his mobile phone. 

'You have her photo in your mobile phone and you have the temerity to tell me that. See what I am going to do to you!' thought Veena, a wave of anger rising in her mind.

But on seeing her own photo shown by Ravindran, Veena's anger turned into exhilaration.

Thirukkural
Section 3

Love

Chapter 112
In Praise of Her Charms

Verse 1113 (in Tamil):
muRimEni muththam muRuval veRinARRam
vElunkaN vEyththOL avaTku.

Meaning:

Her body is supple; her teeth are pearls. She is fragrant. Her eyes, that have dyed edges, dart forth glances like a lance. Her shoulders gently curve as the bamboo. O! what a varied charm my beloved has!

*GRE - An Entrance Test for getting admission to master's programs in US universities.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kanavil vandha uruvam' by the same author.)

 Verse 1114 
Verse 1112

448. Advancing the Elections

"Can you tell me which is the strongest weapon to destroy democracy?"

"No. What is it?"

"Democracy!"

"How do you say this?"

"Mahendra became the President of our country, under a system of democracy. He has been destroying democracy, after coming to power."

"How can you say that he has been destroying democracy? Democratic institutions like the People's Parliament, the media etc. have been functioning."

"They have been functioning as per the wishes of Mahendra! In the People's Parliament, opposition members are afraid to speak against the government. If any member does, the very next day, there will be a raid on his house by the tax enforcement authorities. After the raid, the tax authorities will publicly announce that a large amount of cash and several incriminating documents were seized from his house. The member will then stop speaking against the government. Once the 'erring' member 'mends' his ways, there will be no action on the seizures said to have been made by the authorities.

"Coming to the media, we have seen how several newspapers and television channels, that have been critical of he government, changed their ways and began to sing the praise of the President. Only they and the government know why they changed their stand suddenly. Media personalities and editors, who have the courage to express views criticizing the government's actions, are sacked or made to resign.

"If we look at the social media, people who sing the praise of the President get away with their posts maligning the government's critics and making slanderous remarks against them. But cases are slapped on those who are even mildly critical of the government. Some are even arrested and kept in jail for a long time. Additionally, they have to face the abusive tirades from the supporters of the government, liberally spiced with false accusations and unparliamentary language.

"A lot of people feel safe to keep their eyes closed and adopt an 'all is well' attitude. So, the views critical of this government are hardly visible to the public eye. Even the courts do not pull up the government, for its violation of both the letter and spirit of the law. This is the pathetic state of our country!"

"You spoke to me in length, criticizing the government severely. Is this not a sign that democracy is alive?"

"My dear friend! I spoke to you freely, because you are my friend. For heaven's sake, don't tell anyone about my critical views of the government. If you tell someone about what I said and if that person tells someone else and ultimately, the word reaches the ears of a person who has a sycophantic loyalty to this government, he will bring it to the notice of the authorities. I will be flagged an anti-national element and incarcerated. You will then realize the truth of what I said!"

President Mahendra was engaged in a discussion with a few senior executives of his government, who were loyal to him.

"The elections are due only next year. But I am thinking of advancing the elections and holding them immediately. What is the pulse of the people, as felt by you?" he asked the executives.

"Sir, people are very happy under your benign rule. No one has any complaint or grievance. If elections are held now. an overwhelming majority of people will vote for you. There is no doubt about this" said the Head of the Intelligence Bureau.

"In that case, I will have the elections held immediately. We don't know how things will be after a year!" said the President, feeling excited by the prospect of getting reelected.

"How did this happen? I advanced the elections, based on the favourable inputs received from the intelligence bureau. I could have continued in power for one more year. With the election results going against me, my tenure has come to an end, one  year earlier!" lamented Mahendra bitterly. He was talking to the senior leaders of his party, about the outcome of the elections. 

"Driven by fear, people have not been expressing their dissatisfaction with your rule, openly. They have now communicated their anger, through the ballot paper. You silenced all the voices that pointed out the shortcomings and excesses of the government. So, you had no one, who could apprise you of the real situation on the ground. I don't know whether the Head of the Intelligence bureau told you the truth as perceived by him, or told you what you were pleased to hear, out of fear of you! Angered by your autocratic rule, people have not only thrown you out of power, but also decimated our party, by giving us only five seats out of the five hundred seats in the People's Parliament. The new government will file cases against you for your misdeeds and strive to get you punished with imprisonment. You have no sympathy within our party. Therefore, don't expect any support from our party leaders, including me" said a senior leader of Mahendra's party, venting his anger on the fallen dictator.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 45
Association With Great Men

Verse 448 (in Tamil):

idippArai illAdha EmarA mannan
keduppAr ilAnum kedum.

Meaning:

A King, who is not in the company of critics pointing out his faults, will be ruined, even without anyone trying to destroy him.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'mun kUttiyE thErdhal' by the same author.)

Verse 449
Verse 447

447. A Guide Called Grandfather

"Are you stupid? How did you get into the smoking habit at this age?" 

This was how my grandfather scolded me, when I was fifteen, after he found out that I had been smoking, stealthily.

I remember my grandmother pleading with him to forgive me, saying, "He is just a boy. Somehow, he had been drawn to this vice. Don't be harsh on him."

I could see the tears at the corners of her eyes. After all, she knew how strict and how unforgiving my grandfather had been. She would have feared that my grandfather would beat me severely, for what I had done.

"His parents are not living. It is my duty to bring him up properly" my grandfather told my grandmother. 

He then turned to me and warned me, in astern voice "Hey, if you smoke one more cigarette, you won't get food in this house. You have to live on cigarettes alone."

I gave up smoking, at that very moment.

"I understand that you feel indebted to your grandparents, since they brought you up from the time you were a child. I appreciate the respect and love you have for them. Your grandfather is eighty years old now and you are thirty. But, you still ask for his advice on various maters. If he thinks what you are doing is wrong, he scolds you, as if you are a small boy! You listen to his berating happily. I feel very bad, witnessing such events. Even our five year old boy asks me, 'Mom, why is grandfather scolding dad?' I think you should cut down your interactions with him" said my wife.

"It was due to my grandfather's strict upbringing of me that I became disciplined and responsible and came up in my life. I have grown to the level of running my own business. Even at this stage of my life, I find it useful to seek my grandfather's counsel, before taking decisions on certain important matters. Though he doesn't know anything about my business, he has the wisdom to guide me, in deciding what is good and what is not. He will not hesitate to pull me up, if he thinks that I have chosen a wrong path. When I was studying in the college, I was trapped in the illusion of love. My grandfather made me understand that at that age I didn't have the maturity to take a decision about my marriage and helped me extricate myself from an impulsive decision I was about to make. That is how I ended up marrying a wonderful person like you, after a few years. My grandfather has been growing old. I don't know how long I will be able to have his wisdom and counsel. I am wondering, after his time, who will guide me help me tread the right path" I told my wife.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 45
Association With Great Men

Verse 447 (in Tamil):

idikkum thuNaiyArai ALvArai yArE
kedukkum thagaimaiyavar.

Meaning:

None can harm the ruler, who seeks the wholesome counsel of his ministers, even if it is hard-hitting.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'ungaLaip pOl oruvar' by the same author.)

Verse 448
Verse 446

102. Admission Fees

"You are saying this now!" said Ramamurthy, feeling perturbed.

"They have put this intimation on the college notice board. My friend Ravi saw it today and told me just now" said his son Mani.

"We don't even have the admission letter, with us. The Correspondent had signed, endorsing your application form and we handed over the form to the college office. They told us that they would intimate us about when we should pay the fees. After that, there had been no communication from the college."

"They won't send any communication to us. We have to mention my application number and pay the fees."

"What should we do now? The registration of the property sold by me has been scheduled on a date four days from today. Manickam, the buyer, would pay me the sale value only on that day. That is the term of the sale agreement, against which I have received an advance payment. I cannot go to him and ask him to pay the money now" said Ramamurthy, gripped by a concern about arranging for the money.

"Dad! You secured admission for me at this college, with great difficulty, by approaching some influential people, through your contacts. My friends are surprised that I got admission into this college, in spite of my marks being lower than the minimum expected by this college. If we don't pay the fees tomorrow, the college administration may give my seat to someone else" said Mani.

"Values have been deteriorating with the passage of time. This is 1970. If this were like the time that was in my younger days..."

"During your time, you didn't even get a chance to study in the college, dad!" said Mani, interrupting his father.

"Even now, I don't have the means to give you college education. I had managed to fund your studies, up to the Pre-University level. To pay for your B.Sc. course, I had to sell a piece of our ancestral land. I need to preserve the sale proceeds and use it to pay for your studies, for the next three years!"

"How are you going to arrange for the money, to pay his college fees? Why don't you ask Manickam, the buyer, to advance the payment for the sale?" asked Parvathy, Ramamurthy's wife.

"He is not a person acquainted with us. I know him only as the buyer of our land. We had already received an advance payment from him and used it to meet certain expenses. As per the agreement, the remaining amount is to be paid, only at the time of registration. How can I go and ask him to pay that amount now?" asked Ramamurthy.

"Why don't you take our son, go to Manickam's house and ask him to help us. We have no other source to mobilize the required sum."

"Ok. I will go and meet him. If he says no, then we can think of other ways" said Ramamurthy.

When Ramamurthy visited Manickam, with Mani, Manickam welcomed him, enthusiastically.

"Sir, I need a favour from you. Please don't mistake me. This is my son Mani. He has got admission to a college. His college is suddenly asking us to pay the admission fees, before tomorrow..."

Before Ramamurthy could complete the sentence, Manickam interjected, saying, "So, you have come to ask me, whether I can pay now, the amount I have to pay at the time of registration?"

"I don't need the entire sum. If you can pay me five hundred rupees now, it will be sufficient" said Ramamurthy, feeling embarrassed.

"I don't have that much cash on hand. I will receive the sum from a source only after a couple of days. But, I can get the sum you need, from someone and give you. Can you come in the evening?"

"Sure, sir. Tell me when we should come."

"You may come after six in the evening. You don't have to come yourselves. It is enough if you send your son" said Manickam.

Ramamurthy went to Manickam's house, at seven o' clock in the evening.

"Welcome. I told you it would suffice, if you send your son. You need not have come yourself!" said Manickam.

"I thought I may have to sign some papers" said Ramamurthy.

"No need for signing any papers. You are going to sign the document, during the registration, any way. Here is the cash. Please take it. I will deduct this five hundred rupees, from the payment I have to make at the time of registration" said Manickam, smiling.

"Sir! You have done me a great favour. I was clueless about whom I could approach for help."

"I have not done anything great. I only gave you a part of the money I have to pay you at the time of registration, four days earlier. That's all."

"You may not consider your help to be big. But from our perspective, you have rendered me a great help, at the right time and ensured that my son's college education is not hampered due to our inability to pay he fees in time. Both my son and I will always remember your timely help" said Ramamurthy.

Thirukkural

Section 1
The Path of Virtue

Chapter 11
Gratitude

Verse 101 (In Tamil)

kAlaththinAl seydha nanRi siRidhu eninum
GnAlatthin mANap peridhu.

Meaning:

A help done at the right time, even if small, will be considered bigger than the world.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'kallUrik kattaNam' by the same author)

Verse 103
Verse 101

446. The Cabinet Meeting

Gunaseelan, who was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the state, after his party won the elections to the state assembly, was discussing cabinet formation with Kumaravel, the President of the party. 

"Gunaseelan! It was your strategy and campaign that enabled our party to achieve such a resounding victory at the hustings. So, I think that you should have the freedom to form the cabinet with people of your choice. I will not make any recommendations or suggestions" said Kumaravel.

"Thank you, sir! It was your guidance and encouragement that provided the inspiration to me. I really mean it" said Gunaseelan.

"During your previous term as the Chief Minister, the pressures you had faced from various leaders of our party, the impediments caused by them and the wrongs committed by some of them led to our defeat in the next election. I had also failed to restrain the leaders of our party, who caused the problems to you. I don't want a similar situation to develop this time. That's why I believe that you should function with complete independence."

"Yes, sir. However, choosing the right people alone will not ensure good governance. I have a plan for providing good governance. I need your permission to execute that plan."

"Tell me what it is."

After Gunaseelan outlined his plan, Kumaravel said, with excitement "Excellent idea. Please go ahead. You will have my full backing in implementing the plan." 

The first meeting of the cabinet began.

"What is this? How can you do this?" asked Arasakumar, a senior minister, angrily.

"What have I done?" asked Gunaseelan, smiling.

"You have thirty ministers in your cabinet. But you have appointed six special secretaries under you. You have made each one of them in charge of five cabinet ministers. You have brought in a rule that each cabinet minister, should send all the files to the secretary assigned to him, who will forward the files to you, with his recommendations. This appears like having a super cabinet over the cabinet!"

"This arrangement also appears unconstitutional" said Kamalanahan, another senior minister, concerned an expert on legal matters.

"There is nothing unconstitutional about this arrangement" said Gunaseelan, turning to Kamalanathan. "The Chief Minister has the power to appoint any number of secretaries to assist him. The secretaries are not going to approve any proposal sent by a minister. They will just write their views on the proposal and send the file to me. I will approve or decline the proposal of the minister and send the file back to him."

He then turned to Arasakumar and said, "Mr. Arasakumar! During our previous tenure, several mistakes were made and we were unable to check them. That's why we lost the elections at that time. Our party president has advised me that this time I should not give any room for such mistakes to occur. He is very particular that our government should be one that delivers good things to people, without any scope for mistakes or wrongdoings. I am not suggesting that my cabinet colleagues could commit wrongdoings. But, mistakes may creep in, even with our being not aware of them. The people whom I have appointed as my special secretaries are persons of knowledge and wisdom. They have integrity and a concern for the society. Their guidance and counsel can be beneficial to you also. I have made this arrangement, ensuring that your status, prestige and authority as cabinet ministers will be preserved. I am sure that after a few weeks, you will realize how valuable their guidance and counsel is to all of us." 

Every one remained silent.

Gunaseelan turned his gaze on each of the ministers and said, "Of course, if any of you don't like this arrangement, you are free to resign from my cabinet" smiling.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 45
Association With Great Men

Verse 446 (in Tamil):

thakkAr inaththanAyth than ozhuga vallAnaich
cheRRAr seyakk kidandhadhu il.

Meaning:

A person who is in the company of great men and acts as per their counsel cannot be harmed by his enemies.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'amaichcharavaik kUttam' by the same author.)

Verse 447
Verse 445

445. A Meeting with the Chief Minister

The only topic of discussion among all the journalists sitting in groups in the Press Club was about Kathirvelan assuming office as the Chief Minister of the state, with his party having won the elections to the assembly. 

Sankramani and his friend Kuzhandaisamy were sitting across a table and conversing.

"The person whom you have been strongly criticizing has won the elections and become the Chief Minister. He is going to be in power for the next five years. He has been maintaining a good relationship with a party ruling at the centre. So, he is likely to be well entrenched in power. What are you going to do about this?" asked Kuzhandaisamy.

"What is there for me to do? I will continue to write against his misdeeds. I may face harassment from the government agencies. They may file charges against me under various acts, flagging my writings as 'anti-national.' I may even be imprisoned. I am ready to face everything!" said Sankaramani.

"I would advise you to tone down your criticism of the government. It is very difficult to survive, after earning the wrath of a ruthless leader like Kathirvelan."

Even as Kuzhandaisamy was saying this, Senthil, another journalist, came near them. He bent down and told Sanksramani,"Mr.Sankaramani, I need to speak to you in private."

Hearing this, Kuzhandaiamy stood up to leave that place, telling Sankaramani, "We will meet again."

"You need not leave, sir" Senthil told Kuzhandaiamy. "I just have a brief message for Mr. Sankaramani. I will leave, after delivering it."

Sankaramani accompanied Senthil to a nearby spot in the room, that was secluded.

Senthil spoke to Sankaramani for a couple of minutes and left.

Sankramani returned to his table and sat against Kuzhandaisamy.

"Senthil is close to Kathirvelan. What did he tell you? Did he warn you saying, 'Our man has come to power now. So, be careful, when writing about him'?" asked Kuzhandaisamy, half in jest and half in seriousness.

"No. He conveyed a message that Kathirvelan wanted to meet me!" said Sankaramani, wondering why the Chief Minister wanted to meet him. 

"Meet the Chief Minister and find out what he wants. Perhaps, he wants to warn you in person. Be careful, while talking to him. You know how malicious he can be" said Kuzhandaisamy, his voice showing his concern.

When Sankaramani met Chief Minister Kathirvelan in his office, there was no one else in the room.

"I don't know whether you will believe me, if I say that I read all your writings thoroughly" said Katirvelan.

'I am aware of it. And I read all the pieces that appear in the mouthpiece of your party, viciously attacking me, for my views!' thought Sankaramani. 

"Thank you, sir" said Sankaramani, tersely.

Kathrivelan said:

"I have come to power now. Because I am in power, people around me will only tell me things that I want to hear. They won't tell me about things that will be unpalatable to me. You are a person, with a sharp eye. You keenly observe the things that are happening in the country. I know that you don't support or criticize anything blindly. You view things objectively and express your opinions without bias. 

"It is true that in the past, our partymen have assailed you for your critical comments about me and my party. Sometimes, they have hit you below the belt. I am sorry about it, but that is politics! Now, when I am in power, I want to be fully informed of what is happening in the country, people's perception of my rule, their grievances, expectations etc. Journalists who support me and people surrounding me will not bring to my notice news adverse to my interest or views critical of me. 

"Therefore, I want to have you, a person who has a sharp eye for facts and who has been closely following the developments in the country and people's perceptions, as my media adviser. You can keep writing in any paper of your choice, the way you have been doing all along. 

"But you have to update me, on a daily basis, about news and views including information, happenings and perceptions, which others will hesitate to bring to my notice, lest I should be upset by them. I appeal to you to accept the position of being my media adviser."

Sankaramani looked at Kathirvelan, with amazement and a new sense of respect and admiration.

Thirukkural

Section 2

Materialism

Chapter 45
Association With Great Men

Verse 445 (in Tamil):

sUzhvAr kaNNAga ozhugalAn mannavan
sUzhvAraich chUzhndhu koLal.

Meaning:

Since those who observe what is going around them in the world and bring it out serve as the eyes of the world, a ruler should keep such people close to him.

(This is the English version of the Tamil story 'mudhalvarudan oru sandhippu' by the same author.)

Verse 446
Verse 444