The Coin Man
To the tributes paid to ‘The Coin Man’, Raja Seetharaman, I would like to add my own by providing a bit more information about a person whose life had promised so much, yet had been cut so short.
His visiting card used to read ‘numismatist, notaphilist and philatelist’. It had a picture of his heritage home on Iyya Mudali Street in Chintadripet on which he spent most of his savings restoring and preserving it, after a legal battle for ownership that consumed 20 years. At the bottom of the card was the legend: ‘Let us be proud owners of our heritage’. Indeed, there are few to match his passion, dedication and commitment to the cause of heritage.
Seetharaman began collecting coins as a schoolboy, after he once brought home an old coin and asked his father (Dr. A. Srinivasan, who retired as Additional Director of Public Health & Preventive Medicine) about it. However, he learnt the art of collecting coins, the thematic way, from M.T. Karunakaran, senior research scholar and coin collector, who lived in Tambaram. It was through Karunakaran that Seetharaman met D. Hemchandra Rao and forged a close bond with the then president of the Madras Coin Society. Soon, collection of old coins became a family responsibility and whenever someone in the family came across an old coin, it would be deposited in a bowl kept in the drawing room. Gradually, Seetharaman’s collection of coins and stamps included those of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Lady Diana. Rao encouraged him to focus on Indian coins and Indian bank notes.
Seetharaman studied at the Children’s Garden HS School, Mylapore, up to Class 5, then at Dr. Guruswamy Mudaliar TTV HS School in Kondithope. He graduated in economics from Vivekananda College in 1988 and went on to obtain diplomas in marketing, PR and computer application from the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. For a decade and more, Seetharaman worked with Take Wing Communications before turning a financial consultant. In recent years, he would visit the homes of prospective clients to answer any queries they had about LIC policies, housing loans, general insurance, shares and mutual funds, and Post Office small savings schemes. And he either walked or travelled by bus. Not for him a scooter or two wheeler.
“He introduced us to a whole new world. We learnt that society is a web of relationships,” his sister Lakshmi Srinivasan says, adding, “His energy was simply amazing. He showed us that if you pursue what you like doing, even if it is a hobby, you can make a mark.” ‘Let’s make things better’ was Seetharaman’s motto.
What he treasured most was his meeting with A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. A few months before he became the President, Kalam dropped by one late night to see a coin exhibition Seetharaman had organised at V. Kalyanam’s home. “So, you are the coin man!” Kalam exclaimed on seeing the young man. It was a greeting Seetharaman kept recounting proudly to his friends.
May Seetharaman’s work inspire others.
Sashi Nair
sashinair63@hotmail.com
Beach debeautification
As a long-time resident of Besant Nagar, it is really heart-breaking for me to see the Chennai Corporation proceeding with the so-called beautification of Elliot’s Beach. It is actually a debeutification scheme being implemented with absolutely no consideration for the ecological issues involved or any understanding of the concept of beauty itself.
As a concerned citizen, I feel depressed and helpless, not knowing how to discharge my duty to protect the beauty of Elliot’s Beach for the benefit of future generation, if not the present one. How can the authorities do this, ignoring the views of the citizens many of whom obviously know better than those implementing this painful scheme said to cost Rs. 25 crore. When the city is so dirty with sewage water overflowing in several places and many, particularly those in the lower income group, are forced to live in extremely unhealthy conditions, why are the authorities in a great hurry to invest such a large amount of money in such a scheme that would bring no benefit to anyone, except perhaps the contractors.
With a Governor’s bungalow coming up at one end and a concrete jungle coming up at the other in the name of beautification, Elliot’s Beach is now facing the threat of becoming one more ugly part of Chennai.
What are the options left for the concerned citizens when authorities implement decisions as if the views of the people do not matter to them at all?
It is not as if the politicians sitting in the government and in Chennai Corporation alone are responsible for such moves that would kill the glory of Elliot’s Beach. The many officials working in the Government and in the Corporation, and who are said to be better trained in administration and should know better, are also responsible.
Don’t the officials or those they are meant to advise understand that you cannot beautify nature? All that is required is that Elliot’s Beach gets greater attention to ensure the cleanliness of the sands and the surroundings than towards constructions around.
N.S.Venkataraman
M 60/1, 4th Cross Street
Besant Nagar, Chennai 600 090
Disappearing spirit
The story of Shri Sivasankara Pandyaji (MM, September 16th) was fascinating. A few years ago, I was invited to deliver the Founder’s Day address in the school. I had always associated The Hindu Theological High School with the renowned Headmaster, Kulapthi S. Balakrishna Joshi, who was held in high esteem in educational circles. When I gathered details of the founder, I was really thrilled with admiration for the patriotic and sacrificing zeal with which Shri Pandyaji had established the school more than a century ago.
But when I reached the school for the function, I was in for a great shock. More than half the number of classrooms were under lock and key. The school strength had fallen to about 300 students. Most of the students were the children of kalasis working in the godowns or of housemaids. More than 60 teachers had been declared surplus and their redeployment was pending the cancellation of the Court stay. I learnt with sadness about the unruly behaviour of the teachers. All my initial enthusiasm vanished.
On my return, I asked the Director of School Education how teachers without any work could be paid their salaries for years and requested him to have the stay cleared and teachers redeployed.
Similar is the state of affairs of many renowned aided schools with the advent of fee-levying English medium schools. The spirit of the founders like Shri Pandyaji has disappeared.
Dr. S.S. Rajagopalan
30, Kamarajar Street
Gandhi Nagar, Saligramam
Chennai 600 093
Tut, Tut!
A propos of MMM’s refer-ence in his Short ‘N’ Snappy of September 16th to his being initially taken aback by a sweet little thing’s wondering question on his Chief's abilities, I am reminded of the following anecdote:
Here was this famous personality who was honoured by the Queen a second time at a relatively young age. His friend, several years senior to him, also a famous citizen, sent him a congratulatory cable, reading:
“Fancy, twice a Knight, and at your age too! Congratulations!”
I cannot, unfortunately, recall the names of the personalities – perhaps any of your readers may help with the names.
Bharat Doraiswamy
12A, Jeevika Apartments
46, Pulla Avenue
Shenoy Nagar, Chennai 600 030
Welcome addition
As an avid reader of your journal, I was delighted to find you have started a new column ‘Literature on Madras (an annotated bibliography)’ compiled by Dr. A. Raman. This is welcome.
I am currently reading a book titled Science and the Raj – A Study of British India written by Deepak Kumar and published by Oxford India Paperbacks. The book provides a great wealth of information on establishment and progress of various science institutes and research programmes in pre-Independent India.
Dr. Raman’s column will provide readers like me greater opportunities to catch with such reading material.
M. Ramanathan
1310, Sri Mahalkashmi Mandira
39, Justice Rathinavel Pandian Road,
Golden George Nagar, Chennai 600 107
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