By Sanjay Pinto
On every patriotic occasion, the Manasarovar Buildingin Abhiramapuram would be the first to hoist the national flag. An initiativespearheaded by its oldest resident P.Ramalingam, a retired Executive Directorof the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board, who passed away on Wednesday after abrief illness. He is survived by his daughter Indrani Kailas and son R.Parasuram, a serving IAS Officer.
An alumnus of Loyola College and Benares Hindu University, Mr.Ramalingam proved that social service can extendwell past your retirement. While in Govt service, Mr.Ramalingam wasinstrumental in the creation of the HighTension Power System. After hanging up his boots, he slipped into his keds –setting up a community radio station, writing books and creating awareness onpower conservation and the NREGS.
As a neighbour, two incidents are fresh inmy mind. On Valentine’s Day, a few years ago, I remember featuringMr.Ramalingam on NDTV – 1962: A Different Love Story!Although his wife Kamala passed away many years ago, Mr.Ramalingam told me thathe still celebrated Valentine’s Day (and even went on to talk about his firstkiss!) because “memories don’t die.”
Just before he was hospitalised, he hadasked his maid Muniyamma for her Pongal wish, to which she casually retorted:“get me a silk sari!” But guess what, while lying in the ICU, he ensured thatthe money for that sari reached her before Pongal.
Come Republic Day, we will continue to hoist the tricolour at Manasarovar.Because memories don’t die.
