Doctor patient relationship

Much has been written about the doctor-patient relationship. We have heard of doctors who are friendly, understanding and reassuring and others who put the fear of God every time the patients meet them. Such doctors, whose tribe is growing, are impatient, unfriendly and very often rude to their patients.

I have had the pleasure of dealing with both types of doctors in my fairly long life. I remember, in my student days in Bombay, where I grew up, we had a family doctor whom we would visit for all our health related issues- be it common cold or anything more serious. A very negative person, this doctor would mention the name of some dreadful disease or the other while listening to our complaints. If it was a severe cough, it could be because of Tuberculosis; if it was a stomach ache, it could be because of ulcers or appendicitis. I always hated going to him. But my father believed in him and felt that he was a `rasiana` ( lucky ) doctor.  It did not matter that he frightened us beyond our wits! However, we did become alright after visiting him. Consuming the special mixture in glass bottles with dosages indicated by paper stickers and the packets of medicinal powders that was dispensed by  his compounder - a tribe which has vanished thanks to the invasion of prescription drugs for every ailment.

I now have a family doctor who is ever positive and cool. As soon as you enter his consulting room he will check your BP and pull out a prescription pad and start writing the names of medicines to be taken even while you are describing your symptoms. He does not believe in prescribing unnecessary tests. In my anxiety whenever I requested him to recommend some tests, he would say ` For your age , all your parameters are ok. No need for any tests. Just take these medicines as prescribed and you will be alright`. Whenever I suffer from any ailment for more than two days, I rush to him and invariably begin to feel alright after meeting him and paying his fees ( Dakshina!). That is what trust in a good, friendly doctor does to you! He can be rightly described as an `Intuitive doctor`. 

On the other hand my experience with a heart specialist a few years ago was dreadful. A couple of months after becoming a member of the `Stent men`s Club` ( yes, I have a stent in one of my arteries after I suffered a heart attack), I had gone to see him regarding  a stomach related bleeding problem I was undergoing. After hearing my complaint when he screamed `Blooddaah`, I almost had another heart attack. Instead of pacifying me and telling me that the bleeding problem was because of the blood thinner tablet I was having after the stent procedure and that the problem could  be sorted out with alternative medication, he frightened me beyond words.  How I came out of his clutches and got cured of the problem is a story by itself

It is a fact that majority of  modern day doctors who lead a highly stressful life have no time or patience to listen to their patients’ complaints and rush with tests and treatments  without taking the patients into confidence. Result is that most of the patients visiting  specialists very often feel  cheated and exploited.

 Even as I was thinking that  it is high time that Medical colleges  taught  human psychology as a subject to the doctors during their training period I was happy to a read news item that India has already joined a long list of countries that have included a course in medical ethics as part of an undergraduate medical education. The Medical Council of India calls it `Attitude Ethics and Communication Competencies` under which the medical students will be `trained in effectively communicate with patients and their relatives in a manner respectful of the patient`s preferences, values, beliefs, confidentiality and privacy`. Wow, that sounds great. Can we hope for ` Ache din` for patients in their dealings with doctors in India?

Three generations of herbal medicines

It was a week before Diwali when I had gone to interview Mr.Badrinath, the current owner of the iconic Dabba Chetti Kadai- well known for `Nattu Marundu` ( traditional herbal medicines). The small  shop on the busy Cutcheri Road in Mylapore was teeming with customers. It took me almost 50 minutes to get the attention of Mr Badrinath, seeking an interview with him for this article. He rightly advised me to come after Diwali and preferably around 11am when he would be comparatively free. Two weeks after Diwali when I reached his shop around 11.30 am, on a weekday, I was surprised to find Badrinath still surrounded by half a dozen customers. And there was a continuous stream of customers arriving  by foot, by two wheelers, and by cars. It took me 45 minutes before  Badrinath agreed to spare some time for me and  answer my questions while he continued to  attend to his customers – some placing specific orders with a long list in their hands, some seeking his advice about the ideal medicine for their specific health issues and others seeking his approval for herbal medicines recommended by some other doctors. Mr. Badrinath was catering to the demands of every one, unfazed,  without loosing his cool and with  information on his finger tips. He was being helped by his wife and two assistants in identifying and packing the medicines.

 Badrinath is the third generation of the Chetty family to run the business started by his grand father  Krishnaswamy Chetty together with  his brother way back in 1885. Though initially it was  started as a Kirana shop also having a paints section, it started specialising in herbal medicines only in the early Nineties. The starting of Venkataramana Ayurvedic college down the road in 1905 provided an opportunity for the shop to supply raw materials to the dispensary being run by the College. That was the beginning of the evolution of the shop specializing in Herbal medicines. Since the products were neatly placed  in tin containers on display, it came to be known as the `Dabba Chetty Kadai` in the neighbourhood which eventually became the official name of the shop-a memorable brand name for quality herbal medicines, which has survived for 127 years.

Though in the early years the shop sold only the raw materials required for making medicines at homes  based on Patti Vaidyam, ( Grandma Remedies), in recent years based on the demand from the customers, who were hard pressed for time, the shop started selling ready mixed medicines- mostly `legiams`. Though the Diwali legiam is most in demand during the Diwali festive season which lasts for about two weeks, what sustains the shop is the continuous demand for post natal` legiams` used by young mothers after the delivery of their  babies. The shop also sells a few typical puja items apart from a very limited number of branded Ayurvedic products, supplied on demand.

I was also surprised to learn from Badrinath that the shop which went through a  lean patch a few years ago has picked up business with a  lot  of youngsters patronizing the shop. It seems the internet and the increasingly popular ``google doctor`  are playing a major role in the revival of the herbal medicines among  the youngsters. I could vouch for this judging by the number of youngsters who visited the shop. Three of the six customers whom I talked to had come to buy the `Post natal Legiyam`.

Do his customers come only from the Mylapore area?  Mr.Badrinath`s prompt response was, `No sir, they come from all over the world. Wherever our people are located in India and the world, they come to us  searching for specific items. Many of them are from USA, Australia, Middle East, Europe etc. and belong to all age groups.  It is the  word of mouth advertising  and our guaranteed quality which have helped us gain popularity over the years.`

 Most popular items are `Chukku, Homam, Panam Kalkandu`.  The major problems for which the herbal medicines are sought are for common cold, Diabetes and other seasonal ailments, besides ,  the ever popular `Post natal` legiams.

 I asked Badrinath, a commerce graduate,  who has been running the shop for the last 40 years, if he ever thought of growing bigger  and opening more branches like  what other Food and Snack units like Grand Sweets or Adyar Anandh Bhavan have done.   He said he was content with the current operations where he could guarantee the quality of the products sold from his shop which occupies just 180 sq. ft area and another 280 sq. ft  godown area located in the neighbour hood.  

He was hesitant to talk  about the future of the shop. His two sons  who are still in college may or may not come into the business, as  it involves a lot of hard  work , sweating it out in a road side shop amidst the constant noise from the passing vehicles enveloped by the smoke,  dust and grime which naturally follow  the heavy traffic on the road. Yet, since it is a profitable business one of his sons might get into it and take the `Dabba Chetty brand name`  to greater heights as the second generation of the owners of Grand Sweets have done to that iconic brand. Let us hope Badrinath`s  dream comes true and the  `Dabba Chetty Kadai` continues to serve its customers in the years to come.

This article has appeared in the Madras Musings issue dated 1-15, December,2018

Digital Detoxification Digital Detoxification

 According  to a Paediatric Therapist in U K excessive touch screen use by modern day kids is preventing children`s muscles from developing sufficiently making it increasingly hard for them to even hold a pen or pencil, leave alone writing.  A lady speaker at our Rotary meeting mentioned that addiction to electronic gadgets is like drug or liquor addiction. Billions of people in this world, especially the youngsters, are gadget addicts living in a virtual world leading to a major social crisis. I was shocked.  Is there no solution to this problem? It seems there is.

A news item talks about the idea of `Digital Detoxification` becoming very popular in the Western World. The idea is to temporarily get disconnected from the `Data Deluge` that every one is subjected to every day. This is done by enrolling oneself in one of the hundreds of special `Digital Detox` camps which are held periodically in Resorts or in any facility available to the organizers of such camps. In the camp the participant refrains from using electronic communication devices like the smart phones or computers. This provides an opportunity to reduce stress, focus more on social interaction and connect with nature in the physical world. The benefits include increased mindfulness, lowered anxiety, and better appreciation of one's environment. I wonder if people undergoing this treatment also suffer from withdrawal symptoms.

Closer home, many of the Nature or Ayurvedic health camps have already been banning the use of gadgets during the duration of the camps  by participating members. Of course in these camps the primary objective is to `detox` one`s body by various treatments offered by the organizers. If you also get `digital detoxification` it is a bonus .

I believe that such temporary efforts will not cure society from the harmful effects of the `data deluge`. What is required is to tackle the problem at the grass roots level. Right from the time when children are exposed to these gadgets. As the lady speaker mentioned earlier is attempting to do through her ` Jhoola Activity Centre` where  children  are  kept  away from  gadgets  and taught  social and life skills.   They are taught history and mythology through games. They are also introduced to traditional games. She  believes that parents should create and share gadget-free time with their children.  

She recommended that new born babies should not be exposed to any form of electronic screens until the age of two. Seems a good idea. But will the young parents take this advice seriously. I wonder. Because it is the parents who thrust the gadgets in troublesome children`s hands  to divert their attention so that they are free to do their chores.

I was happy to learn about other initiatives like ,`Utopia` started in Chennai which has facilities for fitness, music, dance, play, adventure and art where parents and kids can immerse themselves in a real world away from gadgets.

But you will agree that electronic gadgets have been a great boon to senior citizens, who have retired from active professional life. They spend most part of the day either watching television or are busy connecting with their near & dear ones through `WhatsApp` forwarding all kinds of messages. No need for them to attend `Detox camps`!

This article has appeared in the Adyar Times issue dt 21-30,2018, under my column `Rajan`s Random Reflections`

Feedback welcome on rvrajan42@gmail.com or 9840392082

Doctorate at a price?

One of my unfulfilled dreams in life has been that I could not acquire  a doctorate in a subject of my choice. I always wanted to be called as Dr.R.V.Rajan. Unfortunately, since I  do  not have a Masters degree,  Universities in the South refused  to even consider registering my name as a Phd student. I could have done a Master`s late in life to qualify but the very thought of sitting down to write a formal examination, sends shivers down my spine. You see, my handwriting is so awful that  I can`t decipher my own handwriting after I wrIte a piece. (I find that I am not comfortable typing my thoughts directly on the computer) .With that kind of handwriting I am sure I would never pass any written examination. Throughout my working life, I was lucky to have a super efficient secretary, who would type a draft which would have captured 90% of my manuscript  right and I could make corrections on the printed draft
.

Some well meaning friends, knowing about my  ardent desire, suggested that  I apply to one of the many unrecognised Universities in USA which offer doctorates at a price. All that you have to do is send them a collection of a few published articles on the topic of your expertise,  accompanied by a cheque for the prescribed fee. Within a couple of weeks you will be holding in your hands a beautifully designed and printed Certificate announcing to the whole world that you are now a qualified doctor in the subject of your choice. No research, no thesis, no defending the thesis- A Phd certificate on a platter; Sounded very tempting. But my conscience did not allow me to take that easy route as I was particular about acquiring my doctorate the hard way as some  of my  friends have done post retirement

But I have had the privilege of being addressed as Dr.R.V.Rajan  during a certain period in my life without actually getting a Phd. I had the opportunity to rub shoulders with academics  during my long stint as  a Country Representative and later as a member on the board of AMIC ( Asian Media Information & Communication Centre) an NGO devoted to promotion of Mass Communication in the Asia Pacific region with head quarters in Singapore. At the annual conference of AMIC held in Singapore every year, there would be a seminar on a communication related topic. While as a country representative,  I had to present an overview of the topic of the seminar, there would be another subject specialist, invariably a person holding a doctorate in the subject who was expected to present a more in depth presentation on the topic. Since most of the participants around the table were having doctorates, they would assume that I was also a Phd. Most of the mails I used to receive those days ( pre- email days) would come with envelopes showing my name as Dr.R.V.Rajan.  Later, when I started teaching Rural Marketing  in many management Institutes across the country, I would be always referred to as `Professor Rajan`  - a position which is given  only to a    teacher in any college who is  holding a doctorate. So I  am a professor without the necessary  Phd.  Did my conscience not prick receiving a recognition without  the necessary qualification. Of course not because both the recognitions were offered to me without my seeking them.

At my age I think I have no other choice but to live only with memories of my days as `Prof Dr.R.V.Rajan`

  

This article appeared in Adyar Times issue dt 14-20, Ocotber,2018 under my column `Rajan`s random reflections`

Feedback welcome on rvrajan42@gmail.com or 9840392082                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Lost & Found

Most `bespectacled` human beings like me would have gone through the experience of misplacing their specs; then frantically searching for it and very often finding it tucked above their foreheads. A couple of days ago I found my missing specs in an unusual place.

While at home, I normally don`t wear my specs. It will be lying around in some place , until I wear it when I am going out. On that day  I could not find it anywhere in spite of a desperate search. I remembered that I had placed it next to me while doing my physio lying on my bed.  I was very sure it must be somewhere in the house but I could not locate it. When my housemaid came to work, I told her to look for my specs while sweeping the floors, hoping that she will find it as she always does with the things  I miss like  utensils in the kitchen or  any other personal items like my wrist watch, pen etc. I was relaxing on my easy chair with a cup of  degree coffee and the morning newspaper, when I heard her scream, `Saar, I have found your specs`.   I rushed to find her  holding my specs  in her hand sitting next to the washing machine. She told me that the specs had popped out of the bed sheet, when she was removing the washed clothes from the machine. I was surprised to find the specs  totally intact with not even a  scratch. It had withstood all the churning and twisting in the machine . Amazing! I realized that while pulling out the bed sheet from the bed, the specs which was lying on the bed, had gotten entangled in the bed sheet and gone into the machine. I heaved a sigh of relief and thanked God for saving me a couple of thousand rupees.

On another occasion I was not so lucky. My wife and I were on a visit to Brindavan in UP, the birth place of Lord Krishna, as a part of  our pilgrimage to Divya Desams. A place teeming with monkeys, where you are warned , not to carry anything in your hand as the monkeys were trained snatchers of items carried by pilgrims on their person. Though I did not carry anything  in my hands I was totally unprepared for what happened to me that day. Only when I heard people looking at me and screaming ` Aap ka Chasma ( specs)… `, I realized that a monkey had snatched my specs straight from my nose even while it was in  motion, jumping from one location to another. An incredible act of speed and precision indeed! The next minute I saw the monkey sitting on top of a structure and waving my specs, as if to tease me.  I tried to throw some stones at it hoping that it would  throw my specs back. No such luck. In a few moments it vanished from the scene. I had lost a good pair of expensive specs for ever! Later I learnt that snatching of specs from  unwary pilgrims by monkeys  is a regular feature in Brindavan. I was sure that the monkey was an agent of some guy who was dealing with used spectacles. I managed the rest of the trip with the spare spectacle I always carry with me whenever I am on tour. 

 As they say, In life you  win some  and  lose some!

This article has appeared in the 7-13^th October,2018 issue of Adyar Times

Bookshop on the Footpath

For several decades Alwar Book Shop located on the pavement next to Mylapre Club on Luz Church road has been synonymous with old and rare books, including school and college text books. Readers from not only across Chennai but also from other parts of the country came visiting the shop looking for books. One of them was M.S.Gill, the former CEC who had purchased books worth over Rs 1000 during one of his official visits to Chennai. Avid readers, well known writers, popular stars of the tinsel world, politicians , professionals  were regular customers of Alwar Book shop. The famous names who were patrons of the shop were Arignar Anna, Alladi  krishnaswamy,  C.P.Ramaswamy Iyer and Ramnath Goenka among others. Thousands of students who could not afford to buy new text books made a beeline to Alwar`s book shop to buy the text books they needed for their studies, which are sold for half or less than half of the cover price of the books, depending on  their condition. I think, there would not be any serious reader  in Chennai,  who has not visited Alwar Book  shop some time or the other in his/her life time.

Who is this Alwar? Is He still alive?  Is the shop still functioning? My search for the answers led me to Alwar`s  second daughter Ammu`s  home in  Nacchhiyappa street in Mylapore where I found  that 94 years old Alwar is still alive but not kicking. Both his vision and hearing are impaired. I could only communicate with him through Ammu. The shop still exists in the same location where it has been for the last 60 years,  albeit smaller in size and better organised with books arranged on shelfs donated by a well wisher, compared to the haphazard heaps of books found earlier.  While at the peak of its popularity, the shop had nearly a lakh of books, today it has only about 20,000 books.

In the last six decades the shop has suffered closure many times because of its encounter with the law enforcing agencies or nature in the form of rains & storms. Every time, Alwar would be devastated but would bounce back with steely resolve to serve his loyal customers. Often with the help of sympathetic Mylaporeans and other well wishers.

Alwar`s story is one of passion, perseverance and sheer grit. Hailing from Vilupuram, he came to Madras in late forties as a teenager with dreams of making it big in the film world. Unfortunately he only got  to perform as one of the `extras` in many films  with meager income He had to do odd jobs  to earn a living.  Fate had its own plans for his future. When his uncle with whom he was staying passed away, the responsibility of running the small bookshop that the uncle was running fell on young Alwar`s shoulders. He took to the business like the proverbial duck to the water. He was educated enough to read the titles of the books to help him group them subject wise, The first shop which he started in 1952 was located outside the Suguna Vilas Sabha which was later shifted to the location opposite  the old Kamadhenu theatre where it continues to exist even today.

Alwar remembers that the first set of books he received was from the owner of Amrutanjan Pain Balm factory, located close to his shop. This was followed by donations from other well wishers. He also went around door to door to  collect discarded  text and other  books from homes across the city and  from waste paper merchants for a price.  He ran the shop single handedly for the first few years until a friend Ramanan joined him. Ramanan, a Tam-brahm used to run an old books shop in Moore Market which he lost when a fire destroyed the whole market. Ramanan, who was paid a regular salary by Alwar assisted Alwar in his business for over 30 years until he passed away in 2013 due to  cancer.

Alwar  lived on the pavement adjacent to the shop  and would not sleep the whole night guarding  his shop from petty thieves. Looking at his plight, Sadagopan,  a local Corporator &  a well wisher arranged for the marriage of Alwar, a Hindu  with Mary, a Christian. Thanks to her association with an NGO connected with the local Church, Mary  had a working knowledge of both reading and speaking English. This helped in his business. Alwar was in his mid forties and  Mary was nearly 30 years younger than him when they got married.

Inspite of the age difference Mary proved to be devout wife not only  actively helping her husband  in his business but also blessing him  with four daughters, all born in the makeshift living accommodation on the pavement. His daughter recalls,` All four sisters were brought up on the pavement. My father was so involved with running the shop , that  he never thought of having a proper home for the family. It was only in 1999 when we  daughters had reached marriageable ages  that  due to my mother`s initiative we  moved to  a modest rental accommodation in Mylapore. My father, however, continued to live in the shop at nights.  We owe a lot to our mother that all of us got  basic education and married off in due course to respectable grooms. After my father seriously fell ill due to an accident at home in 2012 and after uncle Ramanan`s passing away, my mother ran the shop with help from me and my elder sister Julie. Unfortunately my mother also  passed away in January this year (2018) suddenly  leaving the responsibility of running the shop to my sister and I which we have to do in addition to the responsibility of looking after our own families.`

Ammu is proud of the fact that her father has got recognition from several voluntary agencies for his service to the society, providing `quality second hand books` and being  a` Treasure house of  secondhand books` Among them is the `Thanthai Periyar Award` that was conferred on Alwar a few  years ago.

Alwar, though incapacitated insists on being taken to the shop at least once a week where he spends a couple of hours sitting in his favourite chair lost in thoughts and oblivious to the goings on in the shop. According to Ammu, thanks to availability of books online, the market for the old text books, which were the most profitable business, has shrunk drastically.  Though there is some demand for books of fiction, it cannot make up for the loss of revenue from the sale of old  text books

Will the  Alwar`s book shop,  made popular only by  word of mouth publicity  and which has survived so many disasters  in six decades, survive the latest attack by technology. Only time can tell!

Edited version of this article appeared in Madras Musings

Feedback welcome on rvrajan42@gmail.com or 9840392082

My ninth book is out!

Yes, my new book, ninth in nine years is out! Titled `Rajan`s Random Reflections on This & That`, it contains the first 50 of my articles on a variety of topics published in Adyar Times under my column  `Rajan`s Random Reflections`. It also features articles published in other publications like Madras Musings, Times of India, Hindu,  New Indian Express  among  others. This 220 page book, priced at Rs 275/- is published by Bookventure, (Chennai) and printed at Compuprint.  In Chennai it is available at Odessey in Adyar/Tiruvanmiyur and Words & Worth, Besant Nagar. You can also get your copies through  Amazon. If you  place your orders directly with me,  I will courier the book free anywhere in India .  The payment can be made electronically to the following account. I will dispatch the copy as soon as I receive your payment advice on rvrajan42@gmail.com

Beneficiary Name :  R.V.Rajan

 Bank Name :  Karur Vysya Bank

 Bank Address :  Whites Road, Chennai- 600014

 Beneficiary A/c No :  1219155000004455

Account Type : SB A/c

NEFT / IFSC code : KVBL0001219

- The  following books written by me are also available on Amazon or you can order your  copies from me  at: rvrajan42@gmail.com.  A combo of two or more books  can make an ideal gift for your near & dear ones.

1. Courage my Companion-  A candid autobiography - considered an uncommon autobiography of a common man ( Rs 295/-)
2. This & That….. Then & Now- Random Reflections of the author on a variety of topics covering everyday experiences of people ( Part 1) ( Rs.350/-)
3. A Difficult Choice-A collection 15 short stories ( Rs. 200/-)

I am happy to inform you that the proceeds from the sale of this book will be used for the activities of Prabha Rajan Talent Foundation.

Grandparents as baby sitters

 A news item in a leading daily regarding the role of grandparents attracted my attention. It seems a woman, from a broken marriage with two small kids filed a case in the family court accusing her old Parents in Law for not coming to her help, to look after her small kids  because of which  she had to pay for a crèche service. The family court passing its final order observed that ` Grand parents cannot be blamed if the children had to be placed in a crèche . With more women getting educated and employed, it is not an unusual scene that their children are kept in a crèche for their care. It is the prerogative of the aged grandparents  to willingly accept to  babysit their grand children considering their own age, health, strength, engagement in extra curricular activities and other plans.` The court also questioned the prevalent presumption of a majority of Indian families that grandparents are a substitute for nannies.

With growing number of NRI parents in the country, it is common knowledge that they have to provide  IAS (Internatioal Ayah Service as the Nanny  service is popularly known) to their children settled abroad , at least six months in a year. If grand children have two sets of grand parents, they take turns in providing this service. While the grandparents are very enthusiastic in the initial years when they are young and energetic, it becomes painful as they grow old and are beset with age related problems. They begin to shudder at the very thought of making such trips. Unfortunately, many self centered NRIs demand such services from their parents, irrespective of the condition their parents are in.

Recently a friend of mine was a faced with such a challenge. His son, working in USA, had decided to move to Hyderabad on a temporary transfer in his company to help speed up his Green card application. Since his wife also managed to get a similar transfer arrangement, he wanted his parents in Chennai to move to Hyderabad to not only help them to settle down in  Hyderabad but  also to look after the grand children for a year. The request ( nay the  demand) meant that my friend  had to uproot his entire family  of three members to Hyderabad, after settling all the issues in Chennai which would need attention in his absence for a year. He was also very concerned that he did not have any contacts in Hyderabad, which would help him in case of any problems he faced in looking after a household. Besides, his wife’s and his own failing health was also a major concern. However, being a typical Indian parent he  decided  to go to Hyderabad to help his son`s family, hoping that `God will take care of everything` .

With the breaking up of the joint family system and many grandparents with financial resources leading independent lives, it becomes a problem when children demand nanny services from their parents, ignoring their health conditions and priorities. If the parents willingly accept such responsibilities, it is not an issue. For any reason if they are not able to provide such services, it should not be held against them.

As the court observed in the said case, `It is the primary duty of the parents and not the grandparents to take care of their children`.

This article has appeared in Adyar Times issue dt. 2-08, Sep.’18 under my column `Rajan`s Random Reflections`

Feedback welcome on rvrajan42@gmail.com  or 9840392082

Anna Centenary Library- A Dream Project of the late Kalaignar!

Anna Centenary Library (ACL), a dream project of the former Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, was inaugurated in September,2010. However, I had the opportunity to visit this awesome, State of the Art library only a few days ago. I must thank Arvind, a relative from USA who persuaded me to accompany him on his visit to the library and Jagadish , the former Director of Library in the U.S.Consulate, Chennai, for taking us on a conducted tour of the library.

`The built up area of this centralized air-conditioned library is 3.75 lakh sq. ft., encompassing the  ground and eight floors. At present, it hosts five lakhs books covering a wide range of subjects to serve the information needs of the public, academic and corporate community. ACL has a Braille Section, Own Books Reading Section, Children Section, Periodicals and Newspapers Section, Tamil books Section, an English Books Section and an archive of old manuscripts.. In addition, the library has  two fully equipped Conference Halls- one  that can accommodate  150 people and another that can accommodate 1100 people( under renovation). There is also an amphitheatre with a seating capacity of 800.. An AVIN Milk Bar and a cafeteria complete the facilities available.`

While Arvind went berserk shooting pictures  of palm leaf manuscripts in the archival section, I was impressed with the `Own books reading` section which was packed with students, most of them from not so privileged backgrounds, reading in the quiet & comfortable ambience provided by the library. It seems hundreds of aspirants writing Public Service examinations also patronize the library. The children`s section is equally impressive, with facilities for conducting activity based learning.

Though it went through a lean period during the AIADMK regime under JJ, it seems the library is coming back to life because of  the support being received from the people who are governing Tamil Nadu now. The management has recently started having regular literary meetings over the week-ends providing  opportunities  for budding and well known authors to interact with their readers.

Undoubtedly, Anna Centenary Library,  among his other ideas,  will remain one of the most enduring contribution of Kalaignar  Karunanidhi,  built to commemorate the 102nd Birth Anniversary of his mentor ANNA. If you have not visited this Library located on Gandhi Mandapam Road in Kotturpuram, I will urge you to do so. You will feel proud that such a wonderful library of International Standards, exists in our own neighbourhood in Chennai.

Amma Naana - Growing from a milk depot to a department store

`There is a perception that Amma Naana is an expensive shop. It is not. We sell all the Indian brands at the MRP rates mentioned on the packaging. Imported items are priced depending on the costs incurred in procuring them~, says Senthil Raj, the CEO of Amma Naana, the stand alone department store well known for stocking imported brands of a variety of products.  The store is located on the intersection of Chamiers Road and Boat Club Road facing the Crown Plaza Hotel ( the old Park Sheraton).

Amma Naana was started by Mrs Raja Mani an aunt of Senthil in the year 1971, 11 years before Senthil was born. Her husband V.R.Govindaswamy  was also a partner in the venture. It was a  milk depot  occupying only 500 sq.ft. Sale of vegetables & grocery were added later by acquiring additional shopping space. To cater to the growing demand for imported items by the elite residents of the neighbor hood, the shop also started stocking imported items, sourced from other   local  shops which were already selling these items. As the business grew, the family started `Amma Wines`, which not only sold IMFL brands but also stocked  popular foreign brands of liquor, procured from official sources.. This section was closed when the Government of Tamilnadu decided to take over the sale of Liquor under the TASMAC umbrella. Today, Amma Nana is a three storied department store occupying 8500 sq.ft of space with limited parking facility.

It was in 2004 , that Senthil was invited by his aunt to join the family business. He had just completed his B.Tech from a college in Coimbatore. Full of ideas Senthil took to the business like the proverbial `duck to water`. In due course, he married his aunt`s daughter Sakthi Devi who is also a partner in Amma Naana. This was also the time when new, national and international   brands of department stores were entering the Chennai market. Besides, the city also witnessed the influx of expats from different countries employed by several automobile companies in and around Chennai, who were demanding the popular brands of food ingredients and other products from their countries. This opened up a window of opportunity for the shop. Senthil went around the world identifying original sources for foreign brands in Singapore, U.K. and U.S.A.

`Even if we don`t have a particular item,  if a loyal customer wants it, we will try and specially import it to satisfy the customer. Whenever any new brand is introduced in the foreign countries, we will ensure its availability in Amma Naana, simultaneously. Some of the popular  imported brands available include Country Kitchen, Hershey`s, Diana of London, Ceylon Tea, Thousand Islands and Starbucks Coffee.  Popular product categories are imported Sauces, Jams, Noodles, Butter etc. This kind of personalized customer service has enabled us to build a core of loyal customers` says Senthil.  He continued, `on an average 1500 Indian customers and 100 expats visit  the  shop  every day. Home delivery service is offered to customers who place orders for Rs 1000 and above.  While 80% of the sales come from customers visiting the shop personally, Home delivery accounts for only 20%. The shop has not got into online sales because of the prohibitive cost of acquiring and implementing the software required for such  an effort.  Besides, Indian customers still prefer the `touch & feel` shopping experience when it comes to the purchase of grocery and vegetables.` So, the  growing phenomenon of online shopping for all kinds of products  does not  worry Senthil at the moment.

Amma Naana`s growth has come purely through word of mouth advertising by loyal customers. Senthil adds, `We keep in close touch with all consulates in Chennai. Every time a Consul General is transferred, we  ensure that the incoming Consul general is informed about Amma Naana .  In fact the Korean Government has recognized Amma Naana as one of the best shops for getting the Korean speciality items in Chennai.

`There are plans to open one more shop on the OMR. It will be owned and managed by the management of Amma Naana. We don`t believe in the Franchisee route but are open to investors who are interested in investing in the project` says Senthil. I am sure that the young & dynamic  CEO of Amma Naana, with his `Hands on` style of management will make the new venture also a big success.

Edited version of this article appeared in Madras Musings issue dated- 1-15^th August,2018

Parent Allergy

 `Teenagers’ Parent Allergy starts at 13`, screamed the headline of an article in a leading daily. The article talks about how parents find themselves in confrontation with their children- boys or  girls-as they enter their teens- the age of thirteen to be precise; when nothing that they do sits right with their teenagers. This phase can last a couple of years or even more depending on how the parents are able to handle their children.

A few months ago, a friend came to me with loads of complaints against his teenage son  who had turned extremely hostile towards his parents accusing them of real and imaginary charges .  ‘You don`t like me because you don`t allow me to do anything that I want to do. You are my worst enemies… I hate you.` he screamed at them one day.  He even threatened to walk out of the house and start a life on his own.  My friend`s efforts to get a few people close to the son to talk to him was also not working. The friend was obviously shattered.

I told my friend that almost all parents go through this phase with their teenage children when they begin to have their own dreams, different from their parents dream for them. Very often the teenagers’ thoughts are greatly influenced by their close friends and peers.  Once the teenagers have had time and space to establish their  own skills, interests and tastes, their allergic response to their parents usually dies down.

I remember the time when we faced  problems with our elder daughter as  she entered her teens .  I was very busy with my career and other activities and it was my wife who had to face the brunt of the tantrums that my daughter used to throw from time to time. As a writer, my wife even wrote an article on the problems she was facing with her daughter, which was published in a leading Tamil monthly for women.

My advice to parents; Try to be friendly parents instead of being bossy. Listen to your children and try to understand their own aspirations before you start imposing your ideas on them. Most important, keep a careful check on the kind of friends that they are close to when they enter their teens. Friends and peers at this stage play a major role in building or ruining a youngster`s life. I know of any number of brilliant students going astray and ruining their lives after they get into bad company at this stage.  Very often such friends belong to  more affluent families  where either the parents have no time to spend with their children or the child comes from a broken home  where the parents are separated. A careful use of `carrot & stick` approach and enormous patience should help parents tide over this particular phase in the upbringing of their children.

Tailpiece:  My friend who complained to me about his son, informs me that, on the verge of entering a college, his son is slowly coming around to becoming a normal boy. God Bless him!

This article appeared in the Adyar Times issue dt. July 15-21,2018 under my columbn `Rajan`s Random Reflections`

Memory Hooks

Some brands become famous because of catchy tunes or a sound effect used at the end of the spot. Just by listening to the tune you can recall the brand being advertised. The signature tunes of Airtel, Titan, Nirma, among others, are famous examples of this.

“The secret of a good advertisement commercial is to ensure that it has a good memory hook which people can never forget. It could be in the form of a sound effect, catchy jingle or tune, a striking visual effect,  a striking action or even a celebrity” said  a successful director of several advertising commercials.  He was famous in his times for the success of brands like `Regaul Blue  powder and  Rasna . Who can forget the memorable `Chottu Neelam Doi…` advertising commercial featuring Kushboo which made a big success of the Regaul Blue brand . `I love you Rasna` series of spots  were also produced by him. In the same vein you cannot forget spots with catchy lines like `Boost is the secret of our energy` or ` I am a Complan boy`.

Many brands also use memorable caricatures which get deeply associated with the brands. The oldest example is that of `AIR INDIA  Maharajah`  and the cute baby featured in the Amul Butter series, which incidentally celebrated its golden jubilee recently. Like the famous, ageless `Markandeya` in our mythology, the age of the Amul baby has remained frozen at 5 even after fifty years!  How can you also forget the iconic `Devil` used by ONIDA for over three decades in all their advertisements , who told us that `Owners Pride is the neighbours envy`. In recent years `Vodafone` has made use of caricatures like `Zuzus` to bring memorability to their brand.  The cute `pug`` they used in their spots earlier has made a comeback with its whole family being featured in the latest Vodafone spots.

Today scores of Corporates’ use endorsement of their brands by celebrities.  Hindustan Lever was one of the earliest to use this idea for their `LUX` soaps. For over 80 years they have been using famous film stars of the time to promote Lux . Today modelling for brands has become a major source of income for celebrities ranging from film stars to sports icons. The Big B has been one of the most famous and enduring celebrity endorser of brands- from `pin to elephant` followed by Sachin Tendulkar who is fast being replaced by Virat Kohli.  Our own `Ulaga Nayagan` Kamal Hassan broke his resolve not to model by agreeing to model for `Pothy` range of textiles last year!

`Thanda Matlab Coca Cola` was another  memorable series of commercials featuring Aamir Khan donning the role of characters from different regions to promote the Rs. 5 bottle of Coca Cola primarily aimed at the rural markets, now withdrawn. 
 

In recent years Kent water purifier and the Dream girl of yester years Hema  Malini  have become synonymous. At a session in the Hindu Lit Festival held this year  where she was a guest speaker, a member from the audience asked her if she really used the Kent air purifier,  she responded with a smile that she really used the brand at home.  It is important that the association between the brand and the celebrity is  credible.

Similarly, using clever gimmicks which have no relevance to the brand as memory hooks can very often misfire. The audience will remember the gimmick but not the brand.

This article has  appeared in the Adyar Times issue dt. July 1-7,2018

Hitting a double century!

 With the publication of my article titled `A Biography that became an autobiography` based on the book by Dr.S.Krishnaswamy in the Madras Musings issue dt. 16-30 June,2018 , I have crossed two  milestones.  I now have  200 articles published in various periodicals  which includes the publication of 50 of my articles  in Adyar Times under my column `Rajan`s Random Reflections`.

 

Encouraged by the success of my autobiography titled ` Courage My Companion` I started   writing on a variety of topics and posted on them on my blog. My first article titled `ubiquitous Velaikkari appeared in the April,2011 issue of `Eves Touch` magazine which  had the veteran journalist Mr S.Muthiah as a consultant editor. Later an  article titled ` Lord`s Abode- 106 plus 2`` based on my trip to Divya Desams appeared in the Open Page section of The Hindu in June,2011 for which I received an overwhelming response. Since then my articles have appeared in a number of periodicals which include Hindu,  Times of India, New Indian  Express, Madras Musings, Dignity Dialogue, Infinithoughts, Anglos in the Wind, Rotary News, Rind Survey & Vidhura ( publications of the Press Institute of India), magazines of the Madras Boat Club & the Gandhi Nagar Club. My dream of becoming a regular columnist became a reality when Adyar Times published my first article under my column in October,2015.

In the last eight years  I also have the satisfaction  of  publishing  eight  books covering 6 genres of writing.  I am happy that my taking up writing as a  hobby post retirement has worked well for me keeping me very  busy. God willing, I hope to cross some more milestones as a writer  and am looking forward to publishing my first  novel by next year. I believe age is no barrier for having dreams!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my readers who have kept me going as a writer with their often appreciative  and some times critical feedback on my articles. I would like to specially thank  Mr.S.Muthiah and my good friend  S.R.Madhu  for their constant encouragement.  And my brother Seshadri and my daughter Sowmya for their valuable inputs on my articles before I release them for publication.

Etiquette

Etiquette is defined as the `Rule of polite and correct behaviour` by the Oxford dictionary. Right from our childhood we are taught to behave correctly in different situations by our parents. `Eat with your right hand`, `say hello to uncle`, ` don`t bite your nail`.. `Do this… Don`t do this…`, the list is endless. While these are basics, we learn more about etiquettes in society as we are growing up in life. Some lessons we learn the hard way. As I did, early in my life.
 

The etiquettes that I had learned in my school and college days, staying in a chawl in Bombay,  had not prepared me for how I should behave in high society.  Especially when I entered the glittering world of advertising as a Management Trainee.  So when I was invited by my lady boss for a celebratory dinner at her home in the posh Malabar Hills in Bombay, I was very excited. It was my first experience of attending a formal dinner and that too in a luxurious flat.  At the party, when I saw the spread on the buffet table,  I went berserk. I started piling up my plate with all the delicious items on the table and started eating like a glutton, using my fingers. Suddenly, I found a hand gently pushing me to a corner and whispering in my ears, ` You are embarrassing me Rajan`. It was my lady boss in her best attire.  I did not know what wrong I had done. The food I was eating choked in my throat.  Completely shaken up, I quietly made an exit from her home, much to her relief, I guess. I was crying all the way back home because I was sure that I was going to be sacked from my dream job for not following some etiquette.

 The next morning, when I sheepishly walked into the office I found that my boss ignored me but did not sack me. Meanwhile, a good friend, who had seen what had happened the previous evening,  told me that my behaviour at the dining area was a bit uncouth. He volunteered to teach me the etiquettes to be followed in high society starting with how to dress  and  how I should use the fork, knife and spoon  etc.. Over a period of time I learnt quite a few lessons in etiquette.

Now, it was my turn to teach some etiquette to an old  friend from my chawl days when he came visiting  me in Chennai, where I had moved as a senior manager with an advertising agency , with a company car.   When I offered to give him  a lift in my car to go to  his next appointment, he was delighted. I was in the driver`s seat and when I asked him to get in,  he promptly got into the rear seat. When I requested him to come to the front he innocently remarked  ` Oh, I am very comfortable in the back seat`

I had to gently explain to him that etiquette demands that when a friend or a near & dear one is driving the car, you sit next to him/her. Only when an employee driver is driving can you sit in the rear seat and do backseat driving. Of course I did not tell him that some politicians, like the former nonageneraian Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,  always preferred to sit in the front seat next to his driver. Fortunately, by doing so he was not breaking any etiquette!

This article has appeared in Adyar Times issue dt 10-16^th  June,2018 under my column `Rajan`s Random reflections`

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