When the Sun rises on the first working day of the year 2014, the cycle stands adjacent Guindy railway station will be one bicycle less. The Guindy race course road which connects the railway station to KVS IIT RO will no longer endure the creaky sound of an old bicycle tire. The road which was institutionalized with these sounds for the past 20 years as regular clockwork, will first be surprised with the break in routine and then slowly will await longingly for those sounds. Why so dramatic, you ask? Well, the reason being there are very fond memories associated with that bicycle and its rider. You cannot visualize this cycle without the man, or the man without his cycle!
Why this change in routine, you ask? 31st December 2013 happened to be the last working day of Mr. Ramakrishna Babu. He retired from service from KV Sangathan after many years of dedicated service. This blog isn't about his sincerity and dedication to work, which needless to say was excellent, this is about my personal memories of my dear "Babutha".
I am the proud founder of the word "Babutha", being first to call him by that name (Babu Chithappa == Babutha), and the name became so popular in our family that even my older cousins/relatives started to address him by the same name. Babutha was kind enough to fit a baby seat on his cycle (especially for me) and he was even thoughtful enough to fix a small baby bell in front of it, to keep me engaged! I don't know how many times have I traveled with him on that cycle of his right from my early childhood, through a kinder garden, and during my Class I in KV CLRI. Words won't be enough to describe those wonderful rides we shared on the bicycle. I've taken numerous bi-cycle rides ever since, but nothing has been as enjoyable as those.
Having moved over to Urapakkam in the early 90s, Babutha had to commute 35KMs to the office every day. He did this by cycling to UPM station and then taking the 8:05 Fast to Guindy Railway Station and then cycling again from the station to his office. He has managed to do this tirelessly for the past 22 years, even when the roads were immersed with "waist-deep" water. He could have very easily taken the easy route and moved over to somewhere closer to Office, or not visit the office on such days. But he has never taken the easier option. The distance to commute was never a reason for him to skip any functions of relatives and friends in the city and elsewhere.
Sample this, a minefield (Sabina Park 2006, India vs West Indies), with a battery of good pace bowlers, you don't know which way the ball will turn or if there will be any bounce at all, Rahul Dravid's immense concentration and struggle to play each ball safely, doing this ball after ball, day after day and never complaining one bit. Now picture Babutha going about his daily duties tirelessly for the past 20 years, never complaining even one bit. I can't find much difference between the two!! As coincidence would have it, both Rahul Dravid and Babutha will share their birthdays on Jan 11th, 2014!!
Congratulations Babutha for having a wonderful career and service, and now when you embark on a new phase of your life, I wish you all the happiness. You truly need a well-deserved rest and you can continue to gain pleasure in finer things of life!!
Why this change in routine, you ask? 31st December 2013 happened to be the last working day of Mr. Ramakrishna Babu. He retired from service from KV Sangathan after many years of dedicated service. This blog isn't about his sincerity and dedication to work, which needless to say was excellent, this is about my personal memories of my dear "Babutha".
I am the proud founder of the word "Babutha", being first to call him by that name (Babu Chithappa == Babutha), and the name became so popular in our family that even my older cousins/relatives started to address him by the same name. Babutha was kind enough to fit a baby seat on his cycle (especially for me) and he was even thoughtful enough to fix a small baby bell in front of it, to keep me engaged! I don't know how many times have I traveled with him on that cycle of his right from my early childhood, through a kinder garden, and during my Class I in KV CLRI. Words won't be enough to describe those wonderful rides we shared on the bicycle. I've taken numerous bi-cycle rides ever since, but nothing has been as enjoyable as those.
Having moved over to Urapakkam in the early 90s, Babutha had to commute 35KMs to the office every day. He did this by cycling to UPM station and then taking the 8:05 Fast to Guindy Railway Station and then cycling again from the station to his office. He has managed to do this tirelessly for the past 22 years, even when the roads were immersed with "waist-deep" water. He could have very easily taken the easy route and moved over to somewhere closer to Office, or not visit the office on such days. But he has never taken the easier option. The distance to commute was never a reason for him to skip any functions of relatives and friends in the city and elsewhere.
Sample this, a minefield (Sabina Park 2006, India vs West Indies), with a battery of good pace bowlers, you don't know which way the ball will turn or if there will be any bounce at all, Rahul Dravid's immense concentration and struggle to play each ball safely, doing this ball after ball, day after day and never complaining one bit. Now picture Babutha going about his daily duties tirelessly for the past 20 years, never complaining even one bit. I can't find much difference between the two!! As coincidence would have it, both Rahul Dravid and Babutha will share their birthdays on Jan 11th, 2014!!
Congratulations Babutha for having a wonderful career and service, and now when you embark on a new phase of your life, I wish you all the happiness. You truly need a well-deserved rest and you can continue to gain pleasure in finer things of life!!
4 comments:
The man might have 'retired' but he has never been 'tired' of the long journey up and down from Urappakkam to IIT Campus. Not a single day has any one heard him complain of the arduous 'official odyssey'undertaken by him for decades!
Like the famous poem "There is pleasure in the pathless woods..", this man finds pleasure in commuting the 80 odd kilometers daily, be it sun or rain, without a murmur or fever or fret!He perhaps avoided the easier options because he knew what it means to live in one's own house especially after the toils and tribulations underwent by us before completing construction of our houses in spite of the contributions of the notorious 'Kandasamy'.I too had experienced this 'odyssey' for just four years during 1994 to 1998 when I was in KV IIT. My case was even worse I was(and even now,shamelessly) a 'no cycle,no vehicle man !) and had to rely entirely on Southern Railway and 'Pallavan' and the 'Paati Bus' of KV IIT. My ordeal ended after four years when I got a transfer to KV II Tambaram. But hats off to this man who had developed a liking for the 'daily tedium'!
The blog is a well timed tribute to an "unsung Hero" of our family.
The bicycle and its rider take up the most important place in my life.tears roll down my eyes as I read ur blog,some 17 years back wen I enjoyed the most beautiful days of my life sitting on the child carrier of the cycle of my dear lovable father enjoying every bit of my journey with his wonderful company,wen I lost him in tambaram station and found him back that afternoon,when I had the sole authority to hug and sleep on his thoppai,when I was his dear little princess,the immense love that he showered and is still showering upon me is unmatchable.none else has made me feel so happy in my life so far.am a lucky chap indeed to have such a wonderful appa.babu is a lovable appa,maamaa,chthpa,baabutha,thambi,athimber and of course a very good aathukkar.the biggest award that he has got in his lifetime is from his grandchildren when they refer him as babuthaathaa,thoppathaathaa n baamthaathaa.As Suresh rightly pointed out, babuthaa has had his grand retirement after sachin tendulkar having brought out tears off the eyes of even the hardest ppl.let's pray ummachi for his happy,healthy and peaceful retired life with the beautiful company of shrimathi kalyani.My true salute to my dear 'karuppu kuzhandai' with the most milky white heart.
The bicycle and its rider take up the most important place in my life.tears roll down my eyes as I read ur blog,some 17 years back wen I enjoyed the most beautiful days of my life sitting on the child carrier of the cycle of my dear lovable father enjoying every bit of my journey with his wonderful company,wen I lost him in tambaram station and found him back that afternoon,when I had the sole authority to hug and sleep on his thoppai,when I was his dear little princess,the immense love that he showered and is still showering upon me is unmatchable.none else has made me feel so happy in my life so far.am a lucky chap indeed to have such a wonderful appa.babu is a lovable appa,maamaa,chthpa,baabutha,thambi,athimber and of course a very good aathukkar.the biggest award that he has got in his lifetime is from his grandchildren when they refer him as babuthaathaa,thoppathaathaa n baamthaathaa.As Suresh rightly pointed out, babuthaa has had his grand retirement after sachin tendulkar having brought out tears off the eyes of even the hardest ppl.let's pray ummachi for his happy,healthy and peaceful retired life with the beautiful company of shrimathi kalyani.My true salute to my dear 'karuppu kuzhandai' with the most milky white heart.
thank you sarathy and pavi. i am deeply moved by your kind and affectionate words.
S R Babu
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