N Ramachandran Nair, popularly referred to as NRC among his colleagues, was my grandfather's personal assistant in KANFED(Kerala Association for Non Formal Education and Development) - an organisation founded by PN Panicker, in 1978, after leaving the Kerala Grandhasala Sangham. What I remember about NRC is his ever smiling face which always sported soda bottle-thick-glasses in a black frame!
He used to accompany my grandfather during his tours towards the latter years and the family felt assured that NRC was there, at hand with the old man, all the time. Between them, they'd forged a very understanding relationship with NRC jotting down everything that PN Panicker observed, in his scrap book which were duly followed up to their logical conclusion.
My grandfather had asked me to see as to whether his son could be recruited into the IN and NRC used to update me about his son's educational achievements when I came on leave/short breaks. It was another matter that the youngster could not make it for the entrance test that he'd attended. Sometime in late '94, NRC - for reasons unknown, even to this day - distanced himself from my grandfather and he used to cite personal problems to keep away from accompanying him on his tours. What really had surprised me was that he used to tell me earlier that for him and I quote, "Accompanying Panicker sir on tours and being with him is a great experience, a great education. I sincerely hope that it continues forever."
KANFED, itself began to see the machinations of two groups - the one led by Thengamom Balakrishnan and the other led by Dr. Sivadasan Pillai - within the organisation which imploded after my grandfather's passing away in Jun '95. What made NRC to behave in the manner that he did was a mystery and continues to be so especially because my grandfather was his true mentor.
We met a couple of times after my grandfather's passing away and he used to remind me about my grandfather's directives about his son. It was not that I could give him a job outright but something in me had snapped that severed the comfortable relationship that existed between us after I'd learnt about his duplicity. After that we had hardly met all these years.
Yesterday morning I was told by one of my cousins in Thiruvananthapuram - three of my cousins had attended NRC's funeral as a mark of respect for the departed soul and for his association with my grandfather - that he'd passed into the mist of time. He'd intestinal cancer which was detected quite late and I understand that his last few weeks were very, very painful. He was over 70 yrs.
Adieu Ramachandran Nair sir! Thanks for looking after my Muthachan and the family shall always remain indebted to you for your kindness. My tears and prayers. Here's us wishing that your family has the strength to cope with their irreplaceable loss.
Tailpiece.
My first reaction on knowing about his passing away was one of guilt at not having been of help for his son's professional progression. It was more of not having fulfilled the covenant that I'd given to my grandfather on the issue. On discreet inquiry, I was relieved to hear that he's doing extremely well in the state's Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity department and that he'd got the job on his own steam. Phew!
He used to accompany my grandfather during his tours towards the latter years and the family felt assured that NRC was there, at hand with the old man, all the time. Between them, they'd forged a very understanding relationship with NRC jotting down everything that PN Panicker observed, in his scrap book which were duly followed up to their logical conclusion.
My grandfather had asked me to see as to whether his son could be recruited into the IN and NRC used to update me about his son's educational achievements when I came on leave/short breaks. It was another matter that the youngster could not make it for the entrance test that he'd attended. Sometime in late '94, NRC - for reasons unknown, even to this day - distanced himself from my grandfather and he used to cite personal problems to keep away from accompanying him on his tours. What really had surprised me was that he used to tell me earlier that for him and I quote, "Accompanying Panicker sir on tours and being with him is a great experience, a great education. I sincerely hope that it continues forever."
KANFED, itself began to see the machinations of two groups - the one led by Thengamom Balakrishnan and the other led by Dr. Sivadasan Pillai - within the organisation which imploded after my grandfather's passing away in Jun '95. What made NRC to behave in the manner that he did was a mystery and continues to be so especially because my grandfather was his true mentor.
We met a couple of times after my grandfather's passing away and he used to remind me about my grandfather's directives about his son. It was not that I could give him a job outright but something in me had snapped that severed the comfortable relationship that existed between us after I'd learnt about his duplicity. After that we had hardly met all these years.
Yesterday morning I was told by one of my cousins in Thiruvananthapuram - three of my cousins had attended NRC's funeral as a mark of respect for the departed soul and for his association with my grandfather - that he'd passed into the mist of time. He'd intestinal cancer which was detected quite late and I understand that his last few weeks were very, very painful. He was over 70 yrs.
Adieu Ramachandran Nair sir! Thanks for looking after my Muthachan and the family shall always remain indebted to you for your kindness. My tears and prayers. Here's us wishing that your family has the strength to cope with their irreplaceable loss.
Tailpiece.
My first reaction on knowing about his passing away was one of guilt at not having been of help for his son's professional progression. It was more of not having fulfilled the covenant that I'd given to my grandfather on the issue. On discreet inquiry, I was relieved to hear that he's doing extremely well in the state's Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity department and that he'd got the job on his own steam. Phew!
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