Happy to report that nine of my articles have appeared in as many publications in the last six weeks. That includes Times Of India, Chennai, Adayar Times, Dignity Dialogue, Seniors Today & Seniorgiri ( both e-magazines published from Mumbai, Vidhura, Kalaimagal ( Diwali Issue) and Ladies Special ( Diwali issue) and a guest article in the Biography of my good friend R.T Chari released at a glittering function held at Music Academy last Sunday at which the who`s who of Chennai were present. My guest article in Chari`s Biography talks about Chari`s service to Tamil Literature through Tamil Puthaga Nanbargal ( Tamil Reader`s Forum) with which I was also closely associated. My article in Ladies Special is an adaptation from this guest article and the first bio sketch I wrote about Chari published in an issue of Madras Musings in 2013 which is featured in my new book `Bright Stars in the Chennai Sky`. I am happy to reproduce below the English version of my article on Chari, the Tamil translation of which for Ladies Special was done by my brother`s wife Mythili Seshadri . I thank Mrs Girija Raghavan the dynamic editor of the magazine for inviting me to write this article. If this article on the inspiring story on Chari motivates you to read his full biography titled `The Inspiring Saga of an Accidental Entrepreneur` by my good friend S.R.Madhu, the purpose of this posting would be more than served. Book is not for sale but available on request to Rajagopal on Whats App no 9884320292.
How many businessmen will think of building an auditorium, not to make money, but to primarily conduct programmes of their choice and to derive great joy in throwing it open to friends and well-wishers as well? This always preceded or followed by delicious South Indian tiffin. Food for the stomach and food for the soul! Doing it month after month for more than 20 years. That businessman is my good friend R T Chari who has been sharing his wealth and his passion with the society, long before Corporate Social Responsibility became a buzz word in the corporate world! The auditorium he built is the Tag Centre on T.T.K.Road in Chennai.
Chari was born into a typical middle class Iyengar family at Kesava Perumal Street in the heart of Mylapore, as the fifth child and fourth son in a family of nine children. His father, with his limited means could only assure his children three square meals a day and decent education. While he was the favourite of his grandfather, his grandmother was more fond of his other brighter brothers. Sometimes she would join her brothers in tease him about his inadequacies arising out of his being mildly dyslexic as a student.
Chari says, “It was this constant comparison between me and my brothers that sowed the seeds of an angry young man in me. I was determined to prove to the world what I am capable of.”
Fortunately, the family moved to Tambaram where he was enrolled into Corley High School run by Christian missionaries. The headmaster of the school discovered that not only was Chari a good student but the tall young man was also good in sports. It is in this school that Chari realized that he was good in Maths and also in Science subjects.
“My success in sports and the recognition I got because of it changed the attitude of my family towards me. My family members stopped teasing me. I was now even more determined to prove to my family that I was different from others”, Chari recounts.
Different he was as happenings in his life over the years proved. After successfully completing his engineering degree from College of Engineering, Guindy he joined Seshasayee group as an Apprentice Engineer in 1961 and quickly rose to become the Chief Technical Commercial Manager in 1972.
Chari was married to Rangi, a multitalented girl from Bangalore, chosen by his parents, in 1971. A year after his marriage through a force of circumstances and backed by luck Chari was allowed to start his own company in 1972 while continuing as the Commercial manager of the Seshayee until he proved himself in his business. Chari could have his cake and eat it too! This turned out to be the ultimate break in his life
Chari took to business like duck to water. Within a couple of years of starting on his own he started seeing big money and instead of just hoarding the money, he decided at the young age of 40, to share his prosperity with society. From being a successful businessman, Chari was on the road to becoming a generous philanthropist. A philanthropist who did not believe in just cheque book charity.
He joined Rotary Club of Madras South in 1974 and became close to the well known Diabetologist Dr.C.V.Krishnaswamy who motivated him to help in some of his pet projects in Voluntary Health Services.
While Chari was continuing with his generosity, an incident in his personal life completely changed him as a person and the direction of his philanthropic activities. Provoked by a challenge posed by his brothers regarding his lack of interest in Carnatic music, Chari decided to listen to Carnatic music every day. He realized that Carnatic music was not only giving him great joy but also helped him to become a calmer and a focused person. Just as he had decided to share his wealth with the deserving in the society, he also decided to share the joy of listening to Carnatic music with his close friends and relatives. Thus began his tryst with not only Carnatic music but also South India Heritage.
As one of his good friend in Rotary he would invite me and Prabha to every one of the events that he organized. First to the series of Chamber Music he organsied at his own flat in Poes garden and later to the South India Heritage Lecture series at Tag Centre. The number of Musicians, heritage enthusiasts and writers /authors he has encouraged & rewarded and the number of institutions he has supported with his active involvement is too long to be recorded in this short article.
Later in
life Chari developed an interest in
Tamil literature which led to his starting a Tamil Readers Forum ( Tamizh
Puthaga Nanbargal) the idea for which he got at a Tamil book launch function I
had organised at Tag Centre. In his inimitable style of
identifying the right man for the right job, he roped in Charukesi, Ravi Tamilvanan
and me to help him with the project. Thus was born Tamizh Puthaga Nanbargal
comprising the four of us. Though I have known Chari for the
last 45 years thanks to our association with Rotary Club of Madras South, it is TPN which gave me an opportunity to
work closely with him and observe his style of working.
Chari is
an ideas man. Every time he gets an idea he pursues it relentlessly. He is also
impatient to get things done fast. He is
highly focused on whatever idea is
implementing. He is a stickler for time. He always believes in starting meetings on time and ending on time.
So much so that even if the auditorium is full and waiting eagerly for the
start of the meeting he will not start until the scheduled time. Similarly you
can see him getting fidgety if a speaker
exceeded his time limit. Chari has always believed in his
invitees responding to the RSVP for any meeting he organizes. The same rule
applied to TPN meetings also. It was my job to receive the RSVPs and inform
Chari about the number of people likely to attend the meeting so that he could
make catering arrangements.
Another interesting feature of the
TPN meetings was the decent honorarium
which Chari decided to give the chosen author and the reviewer at every
meeting. Authors from outside Chennai were also given a travel allowance to
cover their travel costs. An unheard of
practice in any Tamil literary meetings.
.
Thanks to my involvement with TPN I
started reading Tamil books. I think the
same thing happened to Chari as well. Even at the age of 83 he his bubbling
with ideas to serve the society.
I must thank Rotary for introducing me to a
wonderful friend who motivated me to get involved in philanthropic activities
in my own small way but also for reinforcing my belief that age is no
barrier to pursue one`s dreams!
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