Blast from the Past

Blast from the Past.

My School classmate,best friend,prolific writer,Software Professional,Financial Wizard Rtn Saiseshan in his inimitable language penned this note about my family wayback in 2012……..

Arul, Vani and Aathirai

Come November 22nd, Arul will be completing a decade in Chenna Patna.I’m sure this will automatically qualify him as an old timer – Ann Vani kindly excuse.

Dr. Arul Natarajan, Arul to all of us was born into a family of Doctors.His father, the renowned Tamizh scholar Dr. Avvai Natarajan is a Doctor of Literature and his mother a leading doctor in pediatrics.

His elder and younger siblings decided to follow their mother in pursuing medicine, while Arul followed his father immersing himself in the beauty of Tamizh literature.Arul completed schooling in 1985 from the famous Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School and went on to complete his Bachelor’s in Tamizh Literature from the famous Presidency College.

His love for Tamizh led him to pursue Master’s from Madras University that he completed in 1990.He went on to do a project on the influence of words from other languages in Tamizh and presented a paper “Arunthamizhil Ayarchorkkal” that earned him an M. Phil from Chennai University.

The project paper has also been published as a book of the same name.He earned his Ph. D from the Department of Modern Indian Languages, Delhi University for his “Translations of Shakespeare’s Plays” in Tamizh in 1995.

This paper with changes as needed for a book, is awaiting a sponsor for printing and publishing as is the sad case of many Tamizh works.As for his career, he started with Clea Advertising in 1989 a complete departure from what he did in college.

He then moved on to “power” representing a Malaysian Power consortium when the Government here opened up power generation for the private sector in 1998.He was managing the affairs of Tenega Trichy Power and liaising with government officials for all approvals.

The government policy changed and Arul found himself back in advertising.He was with Pressman Advertising (it then he joined Chenna Patna) running their Chennai office between 2001 and 2005.

He then went to UK for a couple of years as a research fellow and joined UDS, the leading facilities management company that has a pan India presence.When an offer from the TN government came his way to head the Translation Wing as its Director, Arul did not think twice.

His love for Tamizh made him let go of a rewarding corporate career and pursue his passion.He has been the Director, Translations with the TN government since 2009.He is now following the footsteps of his father, who was also the Director a few decades ago.

Arul continues to be someone with untapped potential !!Ann Salaivani, Vani to all, is a perfect foil to Arul.She is a Software professional currently with CTS.

She was with TCS for a considerable period and when the change bug bit her, she moved to CTS just interposing two letters !!!Arul and Vani are blessed with Aathirai a bubbling addition to the Chenna Patna fold.

Her again the love for Tamizh shows – Aathirai is a character from the Tamizh epic of the Chera period, ManimagalaiShe was considered so pure that she could douse a fire with her purity just by walking across !

A family that lives and breathes Tamizh amongst the fun loving Pattinathars !