The birth anniversary of Tamil scholar and poet Mannarmannan was celebrated on Tuesday. Son of poet Bharathidasan, the Kalaimamani, Thamizhmamani and Thiru Vi Ka awardee, who passed away in July, would have turned 93.
His son and trustee of the Bharathidasan Trust, poet K. Bharathi had organised a quiet function at his father’s home in Gandhi Nagar in Puducherry.
The scholar, who was famously known as Perumal from his radio show on current affairs Sarkkarai Pandhal, began his life as his father's printer and publisher.
“Since my grandfather Bharathidasan loved the gold colour print, my father would come home covered in gold on many days. As the content of the writings would be explosive, he did not entrust the work to anyone else. He respected and loved the works of Bharathidasan so much that he allowed them to be nationalised so that the public could benefit from them,” recalled Mr. Bharathi.
Mannarmannan had his schooling in French and learnt Tamil from his father, who would teach him everything in the form of songs. After the death of his father, he took part in the anti-Hindi agitations and was arrested. “The family was in very dire straits at that time and to survive he started a library and a cycle pump shop,” he said.
G. Murugan of the Pondicherry Book Society, who fondly recalled his association with Mannarmannan, said that the scholar would encourage young poets. His monthly meetings at the Tamil Sangam were very popular. “He lead a very simple life and would move around the town on a two-wheeler riding pillion behind his son. He had an amazing memory and was a keeper of Pondy's history. He could speak on any topic,” he said.
Radio broadcaster and poet Uma Mohan said that Mannarmannan was always young at heart. “As a broadcaster he held sway over the hearts of listeners for 20 years. There have been times when he has stayed over at the station broadcasting information about cyclones during the monsoons. His Karuppu Kuyilin Neruppu Kural, an extensive biography of Bharathidasan also captured the way of life during those difficult years. It should be reprinted so that younger generations can benefit,” she said.
Friends and fans of Mannarmannan have urged the government to institute annual awards for up and coming Tamil poets and scholars in his name. They also want a chair to be installed at the Pondicherry University and at the Pondicherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture.
