From www.manakkudiyan.com :

Like Director Selvaragan said in an interview to a famous magazine, “Chennai is not one, it has two cities. Beyond these Tidal Parks, Tech Parks, Spencers, there is one more Chennai. It has very different, tuff and struggling people. It is

North Madras…” Irudhayaraj also struggle for his day to day life.  

He is son of the

North Madras’s soil. When he speaks, both his ruff-and-tuff typical Chennai slang (aiiyyaa.. thodaa! Innaahbaa?) And the intolerable strong beedi smell along with his words would make you move away from him.  But when you understand the heart behind that tuff man, you will say… “Oh I am moved by this man!”     

He is not a graduate. He does not have a concrete house. He lives with his big family in a hut. Every morning he takes his tri-cycle to the factory, load those polymer pipes onto his tri-cycle and deliver to the required address. Yes, he works on daily wages. There is no big income. Hot sweating whether or a rainy day…it doesn’t matter to him. His rule for life is simple - If he pedals his tri-cycle, whole family will be fed and they won’t sleep empty stomach. Everyday he struggles in life in the streets of Chennai to take care of his life, wife and three daughters. He goes on and on, not getting tired. This is the case for last so many years.  

An ordinary man of north madras suddenly came into media lights and flashes a couple of months ago. Almost most of the magazines and reporters go to that hut in the Vyasarpadi area of north

Madras.  

Yes… His elder daughter Ilavazhagi is world champion now.  She has bagged    her maiden women’s title in the fifth World carrom championship. World champion is an Indian girl and from namma north madras.

Irudhayaraj says, “I am feeling bad today that we could not provide education to Ilavazhagi as we were struggling to survive with three daughters. She took a stand as elder daughter, decided to stop the academics so that the other two can pursue their studies.  But Ilavazhagi is very talent, she has participated in lots of carrom tournament, she has won the entire tournament whichever she has participated. See all these things are her medals. We do not have space to keep all her medals and we keep all her medals safely in an IAS officer’s house. He only sponsored for her flight ticket for this tournament as well as lots of events. Antha maharaasan nalla irukkanum . Oh.. Local level, then district, state, national,

Asia and now World champion… I am very happy.  Every time there is a tournament, she would come and tell. We also want our daughter to go and win. But, we did not have money for transport or for flight. We struggled. But we did not give up. Our life itself is an ‘every-day-war’ and no give ups. I am very happy for my daughter’s achievement”. 

The press reporter asked his last question – “Who taught her this game? Who is the coach for her?” 

The proud father replied, “No body. She learned on her own.” 

And he added last, “When she was very small girl, I would take her along with me. She would sit in the bi-cycle and watch me playing carrom with my friends in the road corner. This continued for few years. When we friends took a tea break and came, we saw this little one was holding the striker and aiming a white coin. She picked up. I did not do anything, I kept her with me, she saw me playing and picked up.” 

When I read this in the news I was stunned.  

Irudhayaraj told the PROFESSY of parenting … ‘he TOOK her there, by SEEING him, she PICKED UP THAT’. Rest is history.  

Where do we want to see our children tomorrow and where are we taking them today?  

I am not concluding this article; it is ON in our contemplation.  Loving you. …

  “Thoughts Unlimited”– By Paraman Pachaimuthu 

:Category - “Thoughts Unlimited ”    | www.manakkudiyan.com . 

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