The following poem may not be the best elegy, dirge and lament of all time. But it
comes from the heart, not of an individual but the lament from the heart of a society.
You say
He is dead !
He left us!
He passed away!
But …
At the rising sun and at its going down; he is there
At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter; he is there
At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring; he is there
At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer; he is there
At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of the autumn; he is there
At the beginning of the year and when it ends; he is there
Still confused to label him… An orator? Social critic? Writer-turned-philosopher? Or a maverick with unending passion for everything that’s filled with life. But one thing is for sure his death … no one or no thing can fill the colossal gap in the malayalam aksharamala,… his razor sharp weapons … that constantly torpedoed human thought.
The writer, critic and orator, acknowledged for his contributions to Malayalam literary criticism and insights on Indian philosophy, Sukumar Azhikode leaves, leaving behind him the legacy of magical words. A quintessential critic in speech and writing, But his razor-sharp tongue and hard-hitting speeches interlaced with characteristic humour will remain in the memories of many who have heard him at least once. Azhikode’s had been a powerful voice in the intellectual discourse in Kerala. A towering literary figure he never confined himself to scholastic themes alone but kept on boldly expressing his views on each and every aspect of Kerala’s political and social life.
We were waiting in the lobby of Si properties, Appartments, Vazhuthacaud, along with our cousin Mr Venu gopal the Director of Ashraya, a home for Blessed girl children in Kollam, with great apprehension to meet one of the Management Gurus of India. We saw a man with flowing white beard, walking stick in hand, woolen cap on the head, wearing a kurta and pyjama, walking towards us as if taking a walk on the street. He could be any of those scores of senior citizens taking an evening walk. But a movement on my side suddenly caught my attention, I could feel a movement of reverence in the gesture of my cousin who was a close associate of Dr Ramaswamy. When the man came near us, this feeling of reverence unknowingly caught us like a fever and we then genuinely experienced the charisma of this seemingly simple man Prof.Ramaswamy even before he talked to us.
His smile, the way he talked , the way he looked in to your eyes , the way he asked about your interests and the things you do with child like curiosity and amusement, the way he encouraged your simple endeavourers, the aura of warmth and affection you felt around him…let aside the much spoken about management and humanitarian works he undertakes …are things which one could experience only if one meet the great personality in person. When he talked we felt that his each sentence was packed with information and he owned an unbelievable memory power.A vibrant personality he could eminate the vibrance and positive energy to others without making any loud claims of doing so, which made him stand apart from the crowd.
His thoughts became his words.
His words became his actions.
His actions became his habits.
His habits became his character.
His character became his destiny.
Prof Ramaswamy’s demise is a great loss to those who are not just management wizards but also are simple goodhearted humans who takes the strides of life with apprehension and who needs a guru, who can guide them to take life as it comes.
We should really thank Mr Venugoplan and Ashraya, his dream come true project for giving us the opportunity to meet this great personality, an enigma wrapped in charishma.
