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DEWAN BAHADUR T. RANGACHARIAR (Lawyer, Parliamentarian, Philanthropist) By Vengrai Parthasarathy At the climax of his speech, moving a formal resolution for Dominion Status for India, Dewan Bahadur T. Rangachariar, representing Madras City in the Central Legislature, said : “The government is inside and glass dome, working the levers, operating the engine inside that dome. I…

Select Hymns from Divya Prabhandham by Vengrai Parthasarathy Book-Review (Sirpi Balasubramanian) The Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Letters) has been encouraging known and budding authors of books on different subjects in a number of languages, Their latest effort is a book of ‘Select Pasurams’ from the lode of four thousand pasurams. Known as Nalayira Divya…

SAGA OF FREEDOM AND GANDHIJI Vengrai Parthasarathy My eyes settled on a random page of Gandhi- -Essential Writings, and there was this letter by Gandhiji to Rajaji, which he had signed off with the Tamil words Romba anbudan(which translates to ‘With Much Love’). Tamil is a language Gandhiji learned to read and write when in…

CHEEK TO CHEEK By Vengrai Parthasarathy The story I am about to tell opens on a gold-framed mirror in an apartment. Arjun stared at the mirror for one full minute, He could not believe what he saw. It was not there the previous day. The pink dot. He got up on his toes for a…

Select Hymns from Divya Prabhandham Book-Review (Sirpi Balasubramanian) The Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Letters) has been encouraging known and budding authors of books on different subjects in a number of languages, Their latest effort is a book of ‘Select Pasurams’ from the lode of four thousand pasurams. Known as Nalayira Divya Prabhandham, the magnificient…

The Iyengars of Cricket Vengrai Parthasarathy Being an Iyengar I am tempted to write about Iyengar Cricketers who have made a mark in this prince of games. No way is this brief article intended to downsize others who have represented Madras and India The first name that comes to mind is of M.J. Gopalan. In…

SHORT-CUT RAGHU Vengrai Parthasarathy Among the memories of my school life, Raghu stands out. A tall, gangling chap, he was a ‘character’. Breezy and affable, he was a talker, a talker’s talker,.He will never stand still in one place. .Some part or limb, a finger, a toe –will scratch, pull, nudge something or other.—altogether a…

Saga Of Freedom & Gandhiji– (Published by BHAVAN’S JOURNAL) Vengrai Parthasarathy My eyes settled on a random page of “Gandhi-Essential Writings” in a friend’s house, and there was this letter by Gandhiji to Rajaji, which he had signed off with the Tamil words Romba anbudan (which translates to ‘With Much Love’). Tamil is a language…

NAME MAGIC Vengrai Parthasarathy There is a romance attached to names, names like Juliet, Cleopatra and Helen They demand attention and conjure up visions of their romantic escapades. There are of course names like Heidi (the madam), and Monica Lewinsky the errant intern of Clinton fame, which straightaway puts you off., though some is romance…

Sundar aka Sunduru–Born 1915 Died 1946 * Sundar had a kudumi , which when unrolled flowed down to the butt almost and was the envy of women relatives. When, ultimately, it had to go it was as if a requiem was called for. I think Pathachi or someone took it to make a ‘switch’ out…