This incident happened in Virudhunagar district of Tamilnadu in the early sixties.
Sivamani Nadar is busy making arrangements for her daughter's wedding the following week.
Sivamani reaching to her wife in Kitchen,
Parimalam, can you get some fruit juice to drink, really tired and thirsty ..
Parimalam: Come on, you think we have fruits and vegetables lined up in this house, we don't have enough stock of rice and grains for next week. Take the cold water from pot.
Sivamani's daughter fetched the water from pot, before he could reach out for it.
Dad, you seem to be continuously working for hours, writing the name and address on the invitations, why don't you let me help you?
Sivamani: No dear, I enjoy writing on my own to my old friends, as I write cherish the old memories with them. Moreover they would be delighted to see the invitation written in my handwriting.
Agreed Dad, but how do you manage to remember the old friends?
It is this way kid, showed the photographs taken by Sivamani with his friends
His daughter amazed to see political leaders Satyamurthy, Kamaraj, etc.
Dad, do you think they would accept your invitation and attend my wedding?
Why not dear? my friends will do anything for me no matter how busy they are...
Parimalam hearing the conversation from kitchen came out shouting loud ...
Your dad's friends have all become rich and popular, only your dad is sticking on with his old printing press.
Sivamani heard that CM Kamaraj is coming to Virudhunagar in two days to accept petitions from people and discuss the complaints. He decided to invite him in person. Carrying the invitation, he stood in a long queue to meet the CM. He was pushed aside by the police saying CM don't have time for receiving invitations. He later rejoined the queue pretending to submit a petition, after a long wait managed to meet the CM. On seeing Sivamani, CM was moved and took him to his room.
CM: you need not wait in the queue to give the invitation, anytime welcome to meet me
Sivamani: Oh, that's fine. I expect you positively for the wedding.
CM: I am blessing the couple now itself, don't have time to spare for attending weddings. You know it, moreover what people will think of me if I come and attend weddings here having come on an official visit to hear petitions from people.
Sivamani not expecting this from his old time friend, and unable to compel him any further returned back with a disturbed mind.
The following week, Sivamani is busy in the marriage hall, inviting the guests and overseeing all the activities. To his surprise CM's car came on time to the marriage hall, CM with his usual cheerful manner greeting Sivamani and the wedding couple.
Sivamani was unable to hide his anxiety: Frankly didn't expect you, it was a surprise!!
CM: Well, I liked to be it that way. If I had accepted your invitation the other day, you would have spent lot of money specifically for inviting me, didn't want you to spend those unnecessaryexpenses, also your focus would have been on receiving and welcoming me rather than attending to your other important guests for the wedding.
Sivamani & his family were moved to tears hearing CM's response. It was really a magic moment for Sivamani experienced from his old time friend. This is an other instance of simplicity and careful spending habits of Kamaraj.
As I read many of the autobiographies of great celebrities, I realize that this simplicity and frugal habits seemed to be common among them. Few to mention here include Kamaraj, EV Ramaswamy (alias Periyar), Mahatma Gandhi, Warren Buffet.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
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