Jeyasingh David

Samuel Victor * Leela Sahayaraj * King Calvin *Job Anbalagan

HIS CHILDHOOD DAYS IN MUNNAR

Jeyasingh David was born as the 4th child and 3rd son to M A Thangasamy Nadar couple, on 28-4-1948 in Munnar. His name 'Jeyasingh' was suggested by a North Indian lady of Bombay, who was the neighbor at the time of his birth! Her husband was a businessman known as 'Sait' in Munnar. Jeyasingh was a 'born' humorist and well known for his humoristic wits and jokes, even when he was very young! His instant jokes were 'unique' and there was no comparison! The children and elders in the neighborhood were always seen enjoying and laughing at his jokes and wits and seen surrounding him. People used to forget their worries in his company, at free of cost. His father also liked to spend his most of the time with him when he was at home, to laugh at his jokes! One of his cousins (maternal) used to address him with a nick name 'Munnar Nagesh'! 'Nagesh' was a well known artist in Tamil cinema industry (no more today), who made the people laugh by acting in comedy roles, which were written and directed by somebody else! But, Jeyasingh's case is entirely different, that, his speech or reaction to a situation or happenings with instant remarks make the people burst into laughs! His quick repartee amuses the listener with joy and astonishment. Any moody person can't help laughing in his presence!I give below a few examples from his childhood humorous jokes and heroic activities:-

When his mother found that the stock of coffee powder exhausted, she used to tell that 'Coffee powder suththama illai', which means 'Nothing is left over'. But the direct translation of Tamil word 'suthththama illai' is 'it is not clean'. He would willfully take it in a literal sense, and tell her, "if so, clean it and use''. Likewise, if his mother, when emotionally narrating any unpleasant happenings, in anger, used to tell,''Athai nenachchaa vayiru eriyuthu'' means, ''Stomach is burning when I think about it''. Immediately, he would bring a bucketful of water by her side. If asked ‘why’? he would tell that he wanted to pour water on her stomach, which was 'burning'. Likewise, if anybody found him standing and blocking their way, they used to tell him 'thallu' in the meaning to 'move away'. But, in fact, the exact translation of 'thallu' in Tamil is 'push'. Hence, he would push down the person who told him to 'thallu' (move).

Since he was the 'pet' of the father, his mother was reluctant to punish him for any mischievous behavior. So, he had no fear for the mother, and the other children would make use of it. When she prepared snacks in bulk, she used to store all in big tin containers for the children's consumption in future, and to issue limited quantity daily in order to keep the items for maximum days. But the children would felt the daily share given by her was not sufficient. So, they would reveal their feelings to Jeyasingh, and he would plunge into action. When the mother was away, he would search the hidden containers and remove the items inside and give the same to them. When the mother found the items missing or depleted in the containers, she would question him, (suspecting he was the culprit) for which, he would pretend that he was not aware of it, and informed her that rats were roaming inside the house which he had seen and these might have eaten it up. For this, she would tell him in surprise, how it was possible for rats to open the lids of the container to enter. But, he would wisely put the blame on her saying, she only did not close these properly after opening, and made her to believe that the fault was with her. His humorous activities did not end here. It was very common for him to make such 'adventures'.

Likewise, one day, his mother brought a banana bunch from the garden and tied it in the kitchen above the oven, with proper covering, for ripening. Since the children did not have the patience to wait till the whole bunch was ripened, they informed their ambition to him. He, in order to avoid suspicion by the mother, wisely removed the ripened fruits daily and supplied these to all, leaving the peels hanging in the bunch itself. When the mother noticed the bundled bunch shrinking, she removed the cover and was shocked to see the peels hanging, without fruits inside. She threatened all the children to inform who did it, but none of them opened the mouth. This time she did not believe Jeyasingh's assumption that it might be eaten by the rats and opined that he was the culprit, and reported the matter to the father. But he did not take it seriously, as he knew that it was consumed by the children only. As he loved the children very much, he never punished them.

Since Jeyasingh had the liberty to search his father's shirt pocket, he used to take money out of it and distribute it to the other children and even to his mother, with the father's knowledge.

The above old photos were taken in 1981 during the marriage of Jeyasingh David attended by our relatives and friends.

HIS EDUCATION

He studied in Munnar High School upto 8th Std. followed by 9th Std. in Jayaraj Nadar HS, at Nagamalai Pudukottai in Madurai, where his younger brother also joined. After completing 9th Std. there, he studied 10th Std. in U. C. High School, near Central Bus Stand, (Now, Periyar Bus Stand) by staying in YMCC hostel in Kremmerpuram, of Karimedu, at Madurai. He also studied Diploma in Automobiles and Radio Mechanic Course afterwards. Since his father also had expired, he could not continue his studies and since he was also not keen in studies, he returned to Munnar.

HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE FAMILY

When he was back in Munnar, the shops of the father which were managed by his eldest brother were running in irreparable loss facing a big financial crisis and there was no sufficient income for the family, especially for his mother. Further, the eldest brother's family also moved from Thenmallay Estate to Munnar house, after disposing of the shops in Thenmallay Estate. Hence, Jeyasingh joined as an employee in a chit fund agency, called Sekar Agencies and supported the family, till his other brothers Calvin and Anbalagan found suitable jobs in the KDHP Co. and supported the family. He used to provide pocket money from his earnings to his elder brother Calvin. His mother was also working hard to manage the family's expenses by cultivating vegetable garden, rearing fowls, cows etc. His unforgettable contribution to the family in the most critical period is highly commendable. Once, the family was relieved from the financial stress, by the income from his younger brother Anbalagan and elder brother Calvin, he went to Palayamkottai, where his sister was living, and worked in St. Andrew's Bus Company for a brief period. (Photo: Marriage of Joshua held in December 2017)

HIS LIFESTYLE IN MUNNAR

While he was in Munnar, he made lot of friends by his jokes, wits and sense of humour, though he was a little bit shy in his approach towards strangers! He liked to dress in new fashion and introduce latest designs which were admired by the locals and friends.

DETAILS OF HIS CLOSE FRIENDS

1) GEORGE: He was working in Pankajam Theatre in Munnar, as operator, who was also the younger brother of Dhas, a prominent foot ball player in Munnar.

2) SASIKUMAR (Sasi): He was once his neighbor, who later worked as a staff in the Kolukkumalai Tea Plantations office at Bodinaickanur, Tamilnadu.

3) KALAAM: He was a son of T. M. Pareeth, proprietor of No. 47 shop in the GH Road, in Munnar. He was also the younger brother of P.M. Salih. Kalaam later migrated to Kodaikanal, a hill-station in Tamilnadu.

4) NAZEEMDEEN: He was a son of Mohammed Ali, proprietor of Deen Bakery & Biscuit Stall, Munnar.

5) SANGILY (Stephen) : He was his best friend while staying in Madurai, in his sister's house. He was a Christian convert, hailing from Chinnamanur, near Theni in Tamilnadu. He is no more now.

6) MOSES JOHN: He is the younger brother of Mrs. Jebakkani Victor. He is more than a relative and one of his best friends. He was a fan of Jeyasingh for his jokes and was seen together in all domestic functions of both families. He is very affectionate towards all the other siblings of Jeyasingh. He lives in Madurai with his family. He retired as PA to Supdt. of Police, Madurai. You can see him in the family retreat photo on the page "Children of Thangasamy Nadar".

HIS LIFE AT MADURAI

When Jeyasingh was living in her sister's house in Palayamkottai, his sister's husband, late N.D. Sahayaraj. The latter was working in the Customs & Central Excise Dept in Tirunelveli, and was subsequently transferred to Madurai. Jeyasingh also moved to Madurai and then studied an Automobile Diploma course by staying with them. But, his sister's husband expired in 1976, while working in Madurai, and that was the greatest shock and loss for the family which could not be borne, as the children were too small and the family was left with no income for living. He was a great help to his sister and her small children during that critical period. He acted as a guardian for her family and filled the vacuum created by his brother-in-law's death to a great extent. He made them forget their worries by his jokes and wits. He and his sister established very good relationship with the neighboring Christian family in Narimedu. The neighbor’s family liked him and his sister's family and became guardians to them. In due course, they became active members of the A G Church of Narimedu, in which they were members. The pastor's family also liked them and strong fellowship was built between them, which continued for a long time. The members of the church became addicted to his jokes and used to surround him whenever they saw him, to enjoy his wits and unique jokes. He was in Madurai, until he was called by his younger brother Anbalagan to Delhi, and got him employed as an accountant in a private company. Whenever he visited his sister in Madurai, he never forgot to visit his erstwhile friends.

HIS CAREER IN DELHI

He joined as an accountant in a private company called, 'Bright Shaft Industries Ltd'. Since he was hard working and was honest in his work, he got into the good books of the employer and became an asset, and life-long employee of the Company.

HIS MARRIAGE

His pre-marriage experiences in fixing the marriage by his sister & sister-in-law was much interesting. Since he was looking after his sister's family, and also was not in a position to marry at that time, he agreed to the proposal for conducting the marriage of his younger brother who was already well settled in Delhi. Accordingly, his brother's marriage was held, and his wife's parents were living in Thillai Nagar, Trichy. Since then, his younger brother and his newly married wife Alvina and her mother were seriously searching for a life partner for Jeyasingh. For this purpose, Alvina had come all the way from Delhi and camped in Trichy in her parent's home. In the meantime, Leela, Jeyasingh's sister, along with his younger son Jeyakar was returning in a govt. bus from Vellore to Madurai. But, on the way, the bus broke down due to some mechanical problem and it was parked on the roadside, waiting for the Transport Corporation people to carry out the necessary repairs. The conductor of the bus arranged to send the passengers to their destinations through the other govt. buses bound for Madurai. Since Leela found that the bus was parked in Thillai Nagar, she wanted to make a brief visit to Alvina's parents' house there, and planned to return to bus in an hour, after consulting the conductor. When they reached the house in an auto rickshaw, they found to their surprise that Alvina was there. She was surprised and very happy to see them there, and Alvina exhorted them to stay there that night after cancelling their bus tickets.

The next day, Alvina and her mother took them to a place called, 'Mukkombu', a tourist spot of River Cauvery near Tiruchy. There, they found a group of young girls at the bus stop. By their look, they confirmed that they were Christians, and they found an elder girl among the lot who appeared to be suitable for Jeyasingh. Then, they approached them and enquired about their identity, address of their parents, the details of their church etc. to follow up the matter. They found that all the girls were sisters and then they immediately shortlisted the eldest one. As they had already decided to proceed further in the matter, they asked that girl for her name for which she informed 'Daisy'. On hearing this, Alvina's mother who was also eagerly searching a suitable bride for Jeyasingh, could not control her emotion, and exclaimed , "The names are also tallying. David ... Daisy''! On hearing this, those girls were also surprised and confused, as they were not aware of their intention. The following Sunday, as per the details collected from them, Leela along with her son Jeyakar, Alvina and her mother visited Golden Rock, attended the service in the A G Church and met the girl and the family. Afterwards they visited their home and initiated the marriage proposal. The girl’s parents happily agreed for the marriage proposal after hearing all the details about Jeyasingh and his background. The marriage was held in the Trichy Golden Rock A G Church on 7-10-1981. The major role in this marriage was played by Alvina, her mother and father, from beginning to the end.

HIS WIFE

His wife Daisy hails from a God-fearing family, and her date of birth is 1-3-1959. Her father Mr. Edwin, a native of Nazareth of Tuticorin Dist., was a railway employee in the Golden Rock, and her mother Rajammal, hailing from Palliady of KK Dist., was a teacher there. They were strong members of the A G Church of MK Kottai. Daisy studied upto 11th Std in Seva Sangam Girls High School, followed by a secretarial course, in Trichy. After her marriage, she joined in the Faith Academy School in Delhi as an office staff. She is actively involved in Jesus' Redeems ministry as a prayer warrior.

Jeyasingh David-Daisy couple has a daughter named Jedidah Synthy and a son named Joshua and their details are given below:-

JOSHUA DAVID

He was born on 2-12-1989. He also studied in The Faith Academy School in Delhi. After the schooling, he joined B.Com course in The Bishop Heber College in Trichy, by staying in the hostel, under the guardianship of his maternal uncle. After successfully completed his PG course in MSW in the Madras Christian College, Chennai, he is now employed in Delhi with Astreya for Google. He is very active in social net working sites like Facebook. He is married to Shimmi who hails from Azhakiamandapam and who is working with WIPRO in Delhi. They were blessed with a son.

DEVOTIONAL ACTIVITIES OF JEYASINGH'S FAMILY

His family has a very close fellowship with Pr. Joshua Daniel, of Central Assembly of Tamil Church in Sathya Niketan at South Delhi. They extend all possible helps to the pastor in all activities and remain as pillars of the church. Jeyasingh used to conduct All Night Prayers, Joshua plays the key board while in Delhi, Daisy besides praying, used to read Bible at church, and Synthy does gospel work. She had visited Nepal along with a group of people to spread gospel in that country. Also she has a passion to extend help to the poor, whom she happens to meet on the roadside, without any hesitation. Her helping nature and smartness resembles that of her paternal grandfather and her physical features resembles that of her paternal grandmother and paternal aunt Leela.

THE DETAILS OF JEYASINGH'S SIBLINGS

1) SAMUEL VICTOR & his wife Jebakani Victor. Victor is the eldest, living in Udumalpet. His daughter is Matilda (Rani) & son Barnabas. Rani is living in Udumalpet with her family & Barnabas in The US. Jebakani is no more.

2) LEELA SAHAYARAJ & her husband Sahayaraj. Leela is the only sister who worked as DOS in the Customs & Central Excise, lives in Madurai. They have 2 sons namely Ebenezer Sudhakar & Allen Jeyakar. Sudhakar, a pastor of AG Church lives in Chennai with family & Jeyakar, who works as a French teacher, lives in Kuwait, with his family. Her husband Sahayaraj is no more.

3) KING CALVIN & wife Parimala Calvin, who live in Chennai. He was the immediate elder brother, who worked as a field officer in Tata Tea Ltd at Munnar. They have 2 sons namely Aaron Vijaykhar & Ruben Vinodhkhar. Aaron, who is working as a marketing manager, living with his family in Mumbai & Ruben, who is a manager in Ford India, living with his family at Chennai.

4) JOB ANBALAGAN & wife Alvina. He is his younger brother lives with his wife Alvina in Delhi. He is ex- DGM (vigilance) in Power grid Corporation. They have a son named Iwin Johnson, who is working as a banker, living with his wife in Mumbai.

THE DETAILS OF DAISY'S SIBLINGS

1) Late JOHN YESUDHAS & his wife jasmine. He is the eldest brother of Daisy who worked in Railways.

2) STANLEY JEYARAJ & his wife Aline. He is another brother who was running a press in Pudukkottai. His wife is a govt. employee.

3) DULCY & her husband Mr. Paul. Paul is a Railway employee. They are living in Trichy.

4) MERCY & her husband Mr. Mohanraj. Mohanraj is working in Railways, and they are living in Trichy.

CONCLUDING REMARKS ABOUT JEYASINGH

Though his academic qualification was not very high, God has blessed him and elevated him to a higher status in life. His contribution to the family is praiseworthy. When the family of Thangasamy Nadar was on the brink of financial disaster, he helped the family withstand it by his small earnings. He was a great support to his sister's family in difficult times. He helped the family members recover from the shocking deaths of his father M A Thangasamy Nadar and his sister's husband Sahayaraj, by his humorous wits & jokes. He took his mother in her old age to his house, and kept her with him in Delhi till her death in December 1997. His wife Daisy looked after her with much patience during her stay there. Anbalagan, his younger brother took care of her health and ensured quality treatment in reputed hospitals, whenever she fell sick, till her death. Anbalagan with the help of Rev.T. Victor, Evangelical Church of India, Janakpuri, Delhi, managed to get a place in the prestigious War Cemetery by his influence, to bury her body.

(Written by King Calvin and edited by Job Anbalagan)