Efforts Never Die: A Voyage to the Sky

By Sukumar V

Sukumar, an aviation professional, traces his journey though life in this candid biography, even as he explores the philosophies that shaped his views and thoughts.

The author goes back in time, tracing his childhood paths, the experiences that shaped his attitudes and his outlook; revealing his life s lessons learned through his interactions with people and incidents, resulting in a spiritual as well as practical understanding of the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Notion Press
• Release date: Feb 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9789384878641

Book preview

Donors

Chapter - 1

Childhood Dreams

"End is not the end. In fact E.N.D means ‘Efforts Never Die’.

So let’s be positive." Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Dr. Abdul Kalam’s says, that when we see a child, we see the child’s innocent. When we come across the child in primary school, the child smiles less since he has to carry a heavy school bag. When we see the child in his teens, the smile slowly fades away and the signs of concern appear.

This is because of anxiety about the future. When they complete their education, the topmost question in their mind is, what will I do after my education? Will I get employment? Can the principals and teachers see this dynamics of children’s and preserve the smile on their faces when they complete their school education?

This transformation can only be brought about by a teacher who has a vision to transform, who has the ability to take risks against all challenges, who is a good listener, who is a good innovator, who maintains a cordial interpersonal or intrapersonal relationship and who has the ability to reach out to parents, community, media, and colleagues for accomplishing the vision of generating an enlightened citizen for the nation. We all should give due respect to our nation as highly privileged citizens of our nation in the form of an oath.

I have a goal and work hard to achieve that goal. I realize that less ambition is a crime, I will work with integrity and succeed with integrity. I will be a good member of my family, a good member of the society, a good member of the nation and a good member of the world. I will always try to save or better someone's life, without any discrimination of caste, creed, language religion or state. I will always protect and enhance the dignity of every human life without any bias. I will always remember the importance of time. My motto will be Let not my winged days, be spent in vain.

I will always work for a clean home, a clean planet Earth and clean energy. As a youth of my nation, I will work and work with courage to achieve success in all my tasks and enjoy the success of others. My National Flag flies in my heart and I will bring glory to my nation.

I am Sukumar, 55-years-young and a proud aviation professional for three decades. I was born in 1959 in Erode, Tamil Nadu to an Agaram Vellan Chettiar family, a business community that is also labelled a backward class Hindu community in Tamil Nadu, India. I cannot say that I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth but I was brought up in an environment with the richness of love and was cared for by my entire family: parents, a sister and two brothers. Most of the people in my neighbourhood adored me and often commented on what a smart looking child I was. I was showered with love, affection and kisses. And that’s how my life began: with sweet memories, making me what I am today.

A brief note on my community:

The Agaram Vellan Chettiar community was founded on August 28, 1942 to support the deprived people within the community and help the community to improve. To mark the foundation and support of the community, a Kalayana Mandabam (marriage hall) was constructed and rented out at an affordable rate, primarily for conducting weddings of people from our community and for conducting many cultural events.

In those days, having been classified by the Indian Government as a backward class, the people of our community mostly lived in small towns in and around Salem, Rasipuram, Erode and Thiruchengodu. Later on, many of our people moved to cosmopolitan cities like Chennai and Bangalore and currently reside there. Currently this Sangam (community) is led by its President Mr. A. Bhaskaran, along with Vice Presidents Mr. S.S.P. Murugesan, Mr. S. Kulzanthaivelu, and Mr. J. Saravanan as General Secretary.

Honouring their cultural backgrounds, the community leaders ensured continued service to the community in many different areas. They formed many youth and ladies’ wings and conduct several annual debates on social issues. Every year they award top-ranking students and honour achievers award with the aim of inspiring and motivating the younger generation. They also continue to sponsor top-ranking students for their educational expenses. My family and I are among the many who have sponsored students (in my case, two boys and a girl who are currently studying Engineering).

Way back in the seventies, our community had their own closed circle and never dared to spread out and venture outside India. But I have to admit to being impressed with our younger generation’s mindset. Many of them have achieved success in their careers and have become doctors, engineers, teachers, professors and entrepreneurs.

In pursuing the noble causes of our community, one of our elders,

Mr. Jayavelu, a retired Commercial Tax Officer, and his wife Mrs. Jagathambal Jayavelu, who is a registered homeopathy Siddha doctor, help people in our community to find suitable marriage alliances with others in the community thereby ensuring the bond within the community stays strong.

I wholeheartedly salute the kind-hearted community elders who stood by and have given an identity to our community, which now happens to be one of the most well-known within our region in Tamil Nadu. It is still widely recognized as a community for the people and by the people. My own wedding took place at the same marriage hall in 1986.

Born in a business community of the Hindu Vellan Chettiar caste, I was raised in a family of high cultural values. My grandfather was a very strict man of great principle. He had his own farm land which used to be my playground ever so often. Often our servants took me to the farm and this was where I learned to swim. I think that my astrological sign being Pisces had something to do with my affinity to water. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was just pushed into a70-foot well (without warning) and had to struggle to keep my head above the water and breathe. But I started to swim from then on and it eventually became a hobby of mine that I really enjoy. It was an insignificant but vital lesson for me that anything worth having comes with some struggle and sometimes, all you need is a little push.

During my childhood, I was told that I was an innocent and lovable boy and everybody loved me for that. When I was born, my grandfather named me Thiruvenkadam; but my parents changed that and named me Sukumar. My mother’s family used to fondly call me Mappuroti [cute plump bun] – name given to me by my mother’s father Mr. Varadhapa Chettiar. Even today, my cousin, Mrs. Lalitha Thiagarajan calls me by that name. Born into a rich and respected family, the entire society looked up to our family, led by my grandfather, the late Mr. Kavetti Chettiar; the family included my parents, the late Mr. Venkataram K, Mrs. Sampooranam Venkataraman, my younger sister Hemalatha (who was two years younger to me and is no more) and my two younger brothers - Mr. Dhinakaran and Mr. Sridharan.

My fondness of animals began quite early in my childhood. I grew up with two cows and two calves which were my pets. I never missed a chance to see elephants up close at zoos, temples, circuses or on the road. My love for animals continues even today. I’ve had quite a few elephant rides. I enjoy horse rides on the beach or when visiting hill-stations.

After returning home from school, I used to chuck my yellow school bag and head straight to the courtyard where we had an eight-year-old cow named Laxmi and its male calf Murugan, who were my dear pets. In those days, we never had pedigreed dogs but my kids were lucky to have pet kittens - Chevie and Vetti. The moment Murugan saw me, he would run to me. Laxmi would follow. This would go on till my mother pulled me away for other chores.

During the Mattu Pongal festival, I used to help my father decorate Laxmi and Murugan. I always volunteered to be the drummer and used to play many previously unknown beats by hitting a long sugarcane stick on big round steel plates. My siblings and I would raise our voices and scream, ‘pongaloopongal’ as part of the tradition and we used to long for the boiled sweet Pongal. Many of these unforgettable moments from my childhood still linger in my memory.

Just like me, my son Dinesh too enjoyed beating the steel plate with a piece of sugarcane and began when he was just eight years old. His fondness for drums and music was evident whenever he accompanied us for any marriage functions, when he would sit close to the Thavil player. He wouldn’t leave till he had a chance to play the thavil a few times. (The Thavil is a barrel-shaped drum from South India. It is used in temple, folk and Carnatic music, often accompanying the Nadaswaram. The Thavil and the Nadaswaram are essential components of traditional festivals and ceremonies in South Indian festivals and functions.

I never missed an opportunity to go to our farmland in Kanangkurtchi, 15 kms from my home town, Salem. There was a huge cattle shed with four buffalos and some eight sheep. I used to spend my weekends with those wonderful animals. Many times I would forgo meals, so engrossed was I with the animals.

I enjoyed my primary school years and continued my studies in a well-known Christian school, The Little Flower High School in Salem. Being an introvert, I kept to myself. I didn’t know anything other than studies and enjoyed going out with my grandfather, who was a renowned cotton merchant. My granddad used to tell me stories about his childhood and how he was forced to marry my grandmother.

Front Row: 4th Grandmother, Grandfather Kavetti Chettiar with, Sukumar, Uncle M.Rangaswamy, Uncle M.C.Vaidyalingam, Rajamanikkam 1st son R. Boopalan Back Row Standing 3rd- Cousin Varadhappan, Father Venkataraman, Mother Sampooranam with sister Hemalatha. 6th- Aunty Pakkiam, Aunty Dhanam with Muralidharan, Aunty Pusphavazli, [Behind] Uncle Rajamanikkam

He adored me and would offer my tasty evening snacks at a well known restaurant. Since I would accompany him to the Shiva temple in the city, I became his pet grandson and as a result, I could savour his delicious snacks. That’s how I began listening to Hindu religious ubadeshas that were regularly organized by the temple. My grandfather would clear any doubts I had.

In those younger years, my sister Hemalatha Selvaraj loved me to the core. She was the only girl in the family, and she made my childhood more worthy. Even though she was two years younger than me she was everything to me, a true mentor, as she had the wisdom of lateral thinking and advised me on what to do, when to do it and what not to do.

She saved me on many occasions, from the beatings I received as punishment from my caring father. My brothers were average students in school. As the eldest of the siblings, I guided them with their studies, till they finished school.

No one can forget the cartoon characters TOM and JERRY; we were the Tom and Jerry of our home, and obviously I was Jerry. She could pinch or beat me but she was a part of my childhood till she got married to our maternal uncle Mr. Selvaraj. Alas, after 13 years of married life, she left me forever, but her soul will dwell in me always.

She always shared her gifts, mostly toffees, with me. She taught me the meaning of love and that love continued till the time she died in a road accident on December 22, 1993. From that time onwards I always worried about the safety and health of those close to me. And only after 30 years did I realize how much of my passive and possessive nature had influenced my personal life and caused problems in my family life in later years.

It was a cold morning in 1968. I was eight years old and was in the courtyard playing with my one-year-old pet calf. I could hear my mum yelling from the kitchen, calling me to drink my milk. I was lost in deep thought, looking at the sky.

I was staring at the sky, looking at a tiny object with a trail of distorted clouds of white mist. The tiny object was an airplane. I wondered... will I be able to fly an aircraft. I rushed to kitchen and asked my mum if I could fly a plane. My mother patted my shoulder and asked me to drink my milk and study.

The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur ( 4 yrs younger), were two American brothers, inventors, and aviation pioneers who were credited with inventing and building the world’s first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight on December 17, 1903.

From 1905 to 1907, the brothers developed their flying machine into the first practical fixed-wing aircraft. Although not the first to build and fly experimental aircraft, the Wright brothers were the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed-wing powered flight possible. If they hadn’t had a dream, we wouldn’t have got the chance to see the world and would have probably still believed that the earth was flat.

As Martin Luther King of US had a dream for his people and the famous ‘I have a dream’ inspired American people, our Indian great humane ex-president. Mr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam asked Indians to have a dream in pursuing his vision 2020. This is what inspired me to write this autobiography

Wikipedia says: "Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam{born 15 October 1931} is an Indian scientist and administrator who served as the 11thPresident of India from 2002 to 2007. Kalam was born and raised in Rameshwaram, 572 Kms from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, studied physics at the St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirappalli, and aerospace engineering at the Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai.

He was the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of Defence Research and Development Organization from July 1992 to December 1999. The Pokhran-II nuclear tests were conducted during this period where he played an intensive political and technological role. Kalam served as the Chief Project Coordinator, along with R. Chidambaram during the testing phase. Photos and snapshots of him taken by the media elevated Kalam as the country’s top nuclear scientist."

Chapter - 2

Knowing Religions

During school days, I used to visit the school church once school was over and learned about Christianity, the way they worship. Learning was my passion; it still is and always will be. I will never forget the humble priest from the Church and his soft-spoken words and I always went to get his blessings. I will also never forget the Bible and the Ten Commandments.

In the Bible

The Bible in Basic English translates the commandments from Exodus and says:

I am the Lord your God who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the prison-house. And that you should not have any other gods but me. It continue saying that you are not to make an image or picture of anything in heaven or on the earth or in the waters under the earth: you may not go down on your faces before them or give them worship: for Jesus, the lord your God, am a God who will not give his honour to other; and he will send punishment on the children for the wrongdoing of their fathers, to the third and fourth generation of my haters; and I will have mercy through a thousand generations on those who have love for me and keep my laws.

Jesus says that you are not to make use of the name of the Lord your God for an evil purpose; whoever takes the Lord’s name on his lips for an evil purpose will be judged a sinner by the Lord. Keep in memory the Sabbath and let it be a holy day. On six days do all your work: But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on that day you are to do no work, you or your son or your daughter, your man-servant or your woman-servant, your cattle or the man from a strange country who is living among you: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and everything in them, and he took his rest on the seventh day: for this reason the Lord has given his blessing to the seventh day and made it holy.

The Bible says: Give honour to your father and to your mother, so that your life may be long in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. Do not put anyone to death without cause. Do not be false to the married relation. Do not take the property of another. Do not give false witness against your neighbour. Let not your desire be turned to your neighbour’s house, or his wife or his man-servant or his woman-servant or his ox or his ass or anything which is his.

Muslim understanding

Having read the basic teachings of the Quran in brief: Islam teaches that the Bible is a revelation from God but the text used in Judaism and Christianity has been corrupted. The Ten Commandments are not explicitly mentioned in the Quran but each is implied by the following verses in the Quran.

Muslims firmly believe: There is no other god beside God. My Lord, makes this a peaceful land, and protects me and my children from worshiping idols. Do not subject God’s name to your casual swearing, that you may appear righteous, pious, or to get credibility among the people." O you who believe, when the Congregational Prayer is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration of GOD, and drop all business.

Your parents shall be honoured. As long as one or both of them live, you shall never say to them, Uff (the slightest gesture of annoyance), nor shall you shout at them; you shall treat them amicably. And that anyone who murders any person who had not committed murder or horrendous crimes, it shall be as if he murdered all the people. You shall not commit adultery; it is a gross sin, and an evil behaviour.

"The thief, male or female, you shall mark their hands as a punishment for their crime, and to serve as an example from God. God is Almighty, Most Wise. Do not withhold any testimony by concealing what you had witnessed. Anyone who withholds a testimony is sinful at heart.

And do not want what we bestowed upon any other people. Such are temporary ornaments of this life, whereby we put them to the test. What your Lord provides for you is far better, and everlasting.

Other religions

In general, religions other than those mentioned [Judaism, Christianity, Islam] do not recognize the Ten Commandments as ethical standards. Many of them [Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, etc] have similar laws or principles though. In the atheist Russian countries [previously known as Soviet Union].