A student celebrates Diamond jubilee

 “A student celebrates Diamond jubilee”

     As people retire from jobs they look for taking time off to relax and chill outs somewhere possibly in luxurious resort, it’s different for T.D.Krishnamachari, a 75year old scholar, perusing a regular M.A. Programme in journalism at the university of madras. The rigid rules of the university did not at first allow him to taken-in for the reason that he had not written the entrance test, he had to wait for a year and then true to the saying that is no age for education .He got in after complying with all the requirement.”He is systematic and punctual” adds G.Ravindran, The Head of the Department of Journalism.

                  As a second son to Desikachari and Lakshmi;He was born in Chennai on October 11 ,1935.His grandfather Mahamahopadhyaya  srinivasachari  great Sanskrit Scholar .He was the Head of the Department in Sanskrit at St.joseph college, Trichy. At his instance; Krishamachari born with seven others was given an adoption to Nathamuni, who has no issues. Following that he came to live in a village called Jiyapuram 7 miles from trichy. Because of limited facilities, he had to go everyday to trichy for his schooling and college education. He graduated with a degree M.A. in Mathematics from St.Joseph College. A.P.J.Abdul kalaam,the former President of india and Sujatha ,The Writer were his classmets at the Intermediate level;they branched off to study Bsc,.Physics  adds Mr.Chari, then joined The University of Madras to do his Msc course in Modern Mathematics with statistics as a special subject.

                          He started his career as an inspector in the statistical department at the Government of Tamilnadu on a monthly salary of Rs.200, 1st of his posting was in Karur. While being there he got married .His wife Saroja was musically talented; he has two daughters and a son through the marriage; at present his son is a leading Head and Neck   Surgeon running an advanced specialty hospital in Chicago (USA), his two daughters qualified themselves as engineer and settled in the United States. Then the ambitious Chari moved  to kerala to head the Statistical Quality Control (SQC) department of Travancore Rayons, a pioneer in the manufacturing of Rayon yarn and Cellophine films; while being there, he was exposed to a number of management programs; these qualified him to be taken in as a Fellow in the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmadabad, there he had the rare opportunity of  working with Dr.Vikram Sarabhai, the greatest Scientists, The institute was then, at its formative years and a two years MBA programme was just introduced, “I handled the first  batch of MBA students” recalls Krishnamachari with pride.

                                       In 1965; he returns to madras to manage an engineering position in Lucas-Tvs; the leaders in auto electrical. With an academic and on-the-job experience of decision making, he was called upon to take over the manufacturing unit; a subsidiary of Lucas-tvs. He retired as an advisor from the company after working for 33years.Then after, The West India Power Equipments (WIPE), makers of wiper systems for all new generation cars appointed him as a director of the company to take care of the car manufactures in the south state of India.

                        Krishnamachari was a social activist; he worked for the cause of the deaf; setting aside a considerable part of his time. He was principally responsible for obtaining exemption from second language for the hearing impaired students. His continues struggle helped to get this benefit extended to the various stages of education .One of his greatest achievements is to get the government give effect to the 1988 statue providing 1% reservation for the hearing impaired in the engineering college admission facilitated nearly 3000 students in the whole of tamilnadu gain entry for B.E. in 2009.His concern for the deaf could be visualized from the fact that ;he functioned as the president of PTA of Bala Vidhyala  school for young deaf; In fact he was instrumental  in getting A.P.J.Abdul Kalaam to preside over 40^th Annual day of the above deaf school. KrishnamaChari now working on a documentary titled “Inga” to highlight the need for early identification, intervention and mainstreaming to realize near normalcy.

                              His latent desire to pursue studies in different disciplines drove him to take up a M.A.programme in Sanskrit at The University Of Karnataka; There after he joined University of Madras and Completed M.A.Degree in Vaishnavism .Not being content with the masters degree he had; he applied for PhD,. in Sanskrit at the age of 72 he got his doctorate. Even after that his interest in studies did not diminish and he was there once again in the university campus to do a Masters program in Journalism and communication. BBC was the only radio which was giving updates   in news during the Second World War, Krishnamachari had a radio in his house and that was the only radio in the village. At the news time the village people gathered in his house to know  the day today developments ;His constant listening to the news initiated in him a desire to read the news himself; the desire was fulfilled when he become a news reader in Dhoordharshan in the initial years.

                              His life would have been taken in different direction, had he been taken-in The Air Arm of Navy; following his successful completion in various tests at the Air head quarters; but to his ill luck, he was declared color blind. His desire to join the defense forces led him once to coorg, in Karnataka with his family to call on Field Marshall.Cariappa, The First General of the post independence Army. His wife and children were thrilled at the experience they had in meeting the retired Army officer.

                              In the words of Robert Frost; Krishnamachari says he has promises to keep miles to go before he sleeps; his untiring zest to identify his personality keeps driving him to expand his knowledge base. He hopes to get at the truth someday.

_Lingaraja