Job Anbalagan

Samuel Victor * Leela Sahayaraj * King Calvin *Jeyasingh David 

JOB ANBALAGAN

Job Anbalagan was born as the 4th son and the last child to Thangasamy Nadar couple on 23-10-1949 in Munnar. His name 'Anbalagan' was proposed by his maternal uncle Mr.G.J.Jesudhas, who was a staunch supporter of the Dravidian Movement, founded by Periyar Sri. E. V. Ramasamy at that time. He was the 'Last but not the Least', who firmly rooted and made the family withstand the disasters, by his earnings! Though he was the last born, he superseded his elders in shouldering the family burden with responsibility, once he started earning. He came up in life by his own effort without depending anybody else. He is the first dynamic person born in the generation of M.A.Thangasamy Nadar, and also he was the first permanent earning member in the family!

HIS FAMILY

He is married to Alvina and they are blessed with a son Iwin Johnson who was born on 22-11-985 after a long period of 7 years. He is married to Benitta Shephy and they have a son named Kevin.

“MAPPILLAI” RATHINAM

The tribute of Job Anbalagan to Rathinam is given below:

Rathinam and I studied together in the Munnar Govt. Primary School and then in the Govt. Munnar High School in 60s. I used to invite Rathinam to our house in Munnar for Christmas special food prepared by my mom. After I moved to Devikulam Estate for my career in K.D.H.Company in 1969, we used to meet in Munnar during the week-ends and our entertainment was watching movies, football matches, etc. After I moved to Delhi for my career in the Central Government, I used to meet him in his shops in Munnar during my visits to Munnar where my late mother lived till 1993. One Sigamani, Tamil Teacher, who taught in Munnar Govt. High School, was taking tuitions for me and Rathinam for all subjects in our house. Rathinam accompanied by Mohan, son of late M.P. David of Munnar Town and his shop employee visited Delhi for the first time in January 1993. I received them in the Railway station and accompanied them for shopping in Delhi. I arranged the Republic Day passes for them. Though I invited him to visit Delhi afterwards, he could not get any opportunity to do so. Photo: Rathinam and LakshmiWe used to address each other as Mappillai as we were like close relatives more than friends. Rathinam's elder brother Dr.V. N. Velraj is also very close to us. Rathinam has five siblings i.e. three brothers and three sisters. He has three daughters and one son (all married). Late Dr. K. Chandramohan, Ex.Professor, Madurai Medical College, co-brother of Rathinam was also our good friend who used to give medical advices to my wife. Unfortunately, he also expired days after the demise of Rathinam.  

Rathinam was a very good driver.  He had driven His lorries on the hilly road of Bodimettu Road with great ease. He led a very simple life and he was loved by many people and his friends in Munnar and Bodinayakanur. 

The late father of Lakshmi, i.e. M. Ramasamy Nadar was related to the maternal uncle of my wife Faith Bernard through one late Mookiah Nadar of Sivakasi. Faith Bernard is the daughter of Kumaradurai couple in Thiruchirapalli. Late Mrs.Kumaradurai was the sister of Late Mr. James Dharmaraj, IPS (Retd), who worked as Jt. Director, CBI, in 70s. 

The elder daughter of Late V.Nataraja Nadar, the sister of Rathinam is one Rajapushpam Dhanasekaran who worked in Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd. My wife and son use to call her Bodi aunty. During my 5 years’ tenure in Neyveli, she was our close family friend. When I joined NLC Ltd. as Vigilance Officer, she was shortlisted for appointment in NLC Ltd on compassionate grounds in  place of her late husband Dhanasekaran who worked as Statistics Officer there before my joining NLC. I got her appointment order in NLC issued. Since there was no accommodation available for her in the staff quarters, I arranged her accommodation in the sports hostel where she stayed for many years. When her father and the father of Rathinam expired in 1988, after receiving the sad news of his death, Rajapushpam akka and I rushed to Bodi at night in a taxi.

Rathinam used to attend all the marriage functions of our family without fail. Whenever my family visited Munnar, we used to break our journey in Bodi for refreshment. Lakshmi, wife of Rathinam, used to treat us very well.

The parents of Rathinam, Late V. Nataraja Nadar and his late wife lived a very simple life though they were very rich. Rathinam’s mother used to carry vegetable basket on her head while coming from the market in Bodinayakanur.

During our visits to Munnar, I used to inform Rathinam for arranging accommodation for our stay in Munnar. Once my family and the family of my sister-in-law travelled to Munnar and stayed at night in the guest house of the V.N. Cardamom Estate. Rathinam during our visits to Munnar ensured that cardamom packets, pepper, etc, were delivered to us. We never bought cardamom from outside for two decades.

In 2016 I visited my sister’s house in Madurai and Rathinam visited me in her house. During the meeting, we discussed many things. That was my last meeting which lasted for a long time. Afterwards, I met him during the marriage of my brother’s son Joshua’s marriage which was held in Azhakiapattanam near Nagercoil in December, 2017. Rathinam visited us in the early morning of the marriage, took bath in the hotel where we stayed and spent happy time with all of us. I was always giving him company during this marriage. When I bid him goodbye that was my last sight of him. I never imagined that I would not meet him again in this world.

When I received the shocking news about his sudden demise in July 2018, due to massive heart attack, I wanted to go to Bodinayakanur. Due to some misunderstanding that his cremation would take place the following day, I dropped my plan. In fact it was held after two days. I still regret my failure to attend his cremation. However, during December 2018, my wife and I paid a special visit to Bodi to call on Lakshmi and his son Senthil Kumar. Since Lakshmi was in Theni during our visit, we engaged a taxi and went to Theni to see her in the house of her brother, a businessman in Theni. I see the image of Rathinam in his son Senthil Kumar who looks after his father's businesses in Bodi and Munnar. Photo: Son Senthil KumarThough I miss my Mappillai very badly, I remember him always and this memoir will be ever green in my memory. In eternity, I will definitely meet him.

Testimony of Job Anbalagan about his beloved dad, Thangasamy Nadar

"My memories on my father are still fresh in my mind. He used to gently massage my legs to make me sleep. Once he took me to Ernakulam in a taxi along with his business friends to attend the marriage of the son or daughter of Urumbath Mathai Thariath, from Alwaye (who was supplying goods to our shops, and also one of the directors of the erstwhile The Bank of Cochin Ltd. which was later amalgamated with SBI). During the car journey, I asked my father many inconvenient or foolish questions which he answered patiently. Whenever the summer vacation arose, we were filled with joy as our father would take us to Tamilnadu, especially Madurai for entertainment. During our vacation tours to Tamil Nadu, he used to take the entire family to Madurai via Udumalpet, the only route connecting with Tamil Nadu. In the buses, we would be given front seats. When the bus stopped in Maraiyoor for refreshments, our father used to pay for the bills of the driver and the conductor concerned.

In the Udipi Hotel and Lodge in Madurai, we used to enjoy food of our choice which our mother could not cook at home, especially Dosa Roast, etc.  We enjoyed our hotel stay and our father used to visit other nearby towns for business purpose and would return at night. He used to take us to our village Sivalingapuram also but would not allow us to stay there for a long time as there were no comforts for us in the village.

He used to give money to whomsoever he met in the village.

Once in the Udumalpet bus stand, I was eating some fruit. When a beggar approached me asking for the same, I refused to share it with him. But my father gently scolded and advised me to give any food or eatable to the poor who asked for it. 

One incident is still fresh in my memory. There was one Tamil Pandit, namely, Sunderarajan who hailed from Coimbatore, working in Munnar Govt. High School.  During my class in 8th Standard, while taking a session, he praised about philanthropists and referred to one particular philanthropist (Vallal in Tamil) without naming him who had recently died in Munnar.  When I asked him out of curiosity who that Vallal was.  Immediately, he named my father. 

When my dad was sick unto death, my mother and elder brother Victor were with him in the Vadamalayan hospital, Madurai. Other members of the family stayed in our house in Munnar. Our aunt, Jebamani Samuel was taking care of us in the house. One early morning, there was a knock on our door. On hearing this knock at the unusual, odd hours, we were hesitant to open the door thinking that there was some bad news. A.P. Joseph, our relative who was in charge of our shop Jeya Stores was at the door telling us that something bad had happened. He immediately broke the sad news.

On the day of the burial, there was heavy rain and I accompanied our relatives to the cemetery in our church. There was heavy rush and I stood near the grave when the coffin was let down and people threw the earth over it. 

(Written by King Calvin and Job Anbalagan during May 2013 and updated recently in July 2019)

.