Periyasamy Thooran, a litterateur par excellence
B. Kolappan
He was a mathematics teacher by profession. But Periyasamy Thooran, like Lewis Carroll, the creator of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, had in him a fine mathematician and a gifted writer. While Lewis Carroll confined himself to children's literature by producing two outstanding works, Thooran's canvas was much wider and varied.
Periyasamy Thooran, whose birth centenary is being celebrated, is a creator of children's literature, short story writer, poet, dramatist, essayist, a Bharathi scholar, composer and above all the compiler of first encyclopaedia (Kalaikalanjiyam) in Tamil. He also compiled a separate encyclopaedia for children in Tamil.
A Padma Bushan awardee, he was also given the title 'Isai Perarignar' by the Tamil Isai Sangam for his seminal contribution to Tamil music.
He studied B.A. mathematics at Presidency College in Chennai, but refused to sit for the final examination to protest against the hanging of Bhagat Singh. He joined the Diamond Jubilee School in Gobichettipalayam. Later, he joined Ramakishna Vidyalaya in Podanur at the request of educationist T.S.Avinashilingam Chettiar. He completed his degree course after six years and became the headmaster of the school.
When Avinashilingam Chettiar became the Education Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thooran mooted the encyclopaedia. But Chettiar made it clear that the State government could not sponsor a project for Tamil when Chennai Presidency comprised in it parts of Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. So it was decided to form a separate organisation for the purpose and thus was born Tamil Valarchi Kazhagam. Thooran became the chief editor of the project. Between 1948 and 1968 he worked tirelessly and brought out 10 volumes. It was followed by the children's encyclopaedia.
"When he was working on the encyclopaedia he would take a five minute-break. He was fully committed to the work," recalls C. Chinnasamy, his son-in-law.
Besides writing, children and classical music were the two subjects close to his heart.
"He used to take me for a walk on the Ellitos beach. The moment we reached there hundreds of children would assemble and he would start narrating stories," says Selvamuthukumar, his grandson.
He also learnt classical music and composed hundreds of keerthanas. "I don't know whether he ever sang. But his sense of music was great. By the time you finish singing the pallavi, he will be ready with the lines for saranam. The words will perfectly suit the raga to which the composition was set," says Sangeetha Kalanidhi T.K.Govinda Rao.
Courtesy: THE HINDU
