On your 100th b’day let us thank you for sharing your life with us
View(s):Arunthathy Thiruchittampalam
God willing, Amma, for that is the term, that I affectionately used to address my wife’s mother since I became an integral part of the Thiruchittampalam family, was 100 not out, to use the language of a cricketer, on Saturday, June 17.
Amma belonged to a Colombo based, Jaffna Tamil family – the Paramanayagams. Her father was a Medical Practitioner. He with the popular SJV Chelvanayagam founded the Federal Party with others.
At school, Amma was with the likes of Aunty Leila Chitty and the first woman Prime Minister Mrs. Bandaranaike at St. Bridget’s. I am told, she was a good student, her forte being Mathematics. At a prize giving, she had carried away the prize in Christianity, although she was a fervent Hindu.
As the prize, Amma was gifted with The Complete Works of Shakespeare. That book Amma gave my wife, for she did English Literature for her University entrance from the CMS Ladies’ College in Colombo. Now that book is with my daughter for she also did English Literature for her Advanced level examination.
Romance came between Amma and the desire to enter University. That romance ended in marriage and the couple were blessed with three daughters and a son. Since Amma’s mother died when she was very small she along with her father brought up her brother and her sister. In lighter vein two stories. 1. When Amma’s lover had visited her and when her father had opened the gate Amma’s lover, the story goes, ran out through the kitchen gate. 2. Amma’s only sister married a Member of the Tamil Congress. Therefore at home there was Tamil party politics.
It was left to Amma to build their house at Cambridge Place. Therefore she made the plan, got it approved by the Municipal Council, bought all the materials and constructed the house. Since Appa was a Government Servant, the couple and the children one by one had the privilege of going to the local club where Amma used to play bridge.
Amma was not happy living in a rented house down Unity Place, hence the construction of this house at Cambridge Place. Another story in lighter vein: I was moving from Flower Road to Cambridge Place on my push cycle and Amma nearly knocked me down. She laughed, waved and moved towards Unity Place. Little did she realize that soon I would join the family.
Amma never idled. She read all the daily and Sunday papers, also the Madras Hindu and therefore was able to hold a good conversation.
She also used to watch a Tamil teledrama titled Shanthi. She plays scrabble and crotchets.
I have never tasted kalu dodol and iced coffee like hers. I can still picture her stirring the pot outside the dining hall to make that tasty kalu dodol.
When it came to birthdays and anniversaries, she used to personally choose the cards. And if one was lucky one got one of the following items as a gift: a crotchet item and kalu dodol or iced coffee.
To my mind, Amma was magnanimity personified. Why do I say this? For wherever we were in Sri Lanka or in India she used to write letters to us using the following opening sentence. “Our dearest son and daughter”. Amma, may I on behalf of all those concerned wish you all that is best in life, and may you move on to the next year.
What is then the secret of Amma’s long life? Her inner life and spirituality as a Hindu. This is illustrated in her having a prayer room in her house. At a certain point in her life she was also a follower of Sai Baba of South India. Amma, may I on behalf of all of us concerned in your life, say thank you for having shared your life with us.
Rev. Sydney Knight