The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : Relationship with books cannot be severed: Adigalar

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Relationship with books cannot be severed: Adigalar

Staff Reporter

“Books have been instrumental in triggering many historical events”

— Photo: K. Ganesan

COLLECTION OF SPEECHES: Shivraj V. Patil (second from left), former Supreme Court Judge, releasing a book in Madurai on Thursday. V. Ramasubramanian, Judge, Madras High Court, receives the first copy. Author M. Karpaga Vinayagam (right), former High Court Judge, and Ponnambala Desigar of Kundrakudi Mutt are seen.

MADURAI: Books have been instrumental in triggering many historical events such as transformation of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi into Mahatma Gandhi and recognition of rights of the Blacks in the United States, said Ponnambala Adigalar of Kundrakudi Mutt in Sivaganga district.

Presiding over a book release function here on Thursday, he said that ‘books’ was the only answer received across the world to a question on what was the relationship that would never sever even if a person is put under quarantine after all his relationships with men and material ceases of. He also praised the book released by former Supreme Court Judge Shivraj V. Patil and received by Madras High Court Judge V. Ramasubramanian on the occasion. Titled ‘Let What Happens In The Future Be Good,’ it was a compilation of speeches rendered by M. Karpgavinayagam, former Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court.

Mr. Ramasubramanian said that there were three types of people in the world, people who make things happen, people who watch things happen and people who wonder what happened. “My guru Mr. Justice Karpagavinayagam and his guru Mr. Justice Shivraj Patil belong to the first category,” he added.

The Judge hailed the former Chief Justice for his inimitable style of conveying his moral messages through short stories and alliteration. The voracious speaker would very easily inculcate human values among the youth as a mother would administer medicine to her child by mixing sugar to it, he said.

Recalling some of the speeches, the judge said that the author of the book had once said: “If a tailor makes a mistake, it becomes a new fashion. If a doctor makes a mistake, it becomes a new treatment. If a lawyer makes a mistake, it becomes a new interpretation. And if a judge makes a mistake, it becomes a new law.”

In one of his short stories, he had said that a school student told his teacher that she cannot beat him because he had gained admission in the institution by paying Rs.10,000 towards capitation fee. To this, the teacher replied that she had all the authority to beat him because she had obtained the job on payment of Rs.50,000.

Delivering his address, Mr. Patil called Ponnambala Adigalar as Swami Vivekananda of the modern day. “God has created certain people in this world to serve humanity. Adigalar is one among them… He had carried dead bodies on his shoulder during the tsunami tragedy. I hope many more seers in this country follow him,” he said.

He went on to state: “There are two kinds of books in the world. The first kind of books are that which require you to wash your hands before reading them and the other kind are books which necessitates you to wash your hands after reading them. The book released today belongs to the first category.”

Mr. Karpagavinayagam said that the purpose of his life would be served if he could lead the youngsters on the right path. “Religion is a root. But spirituality is a fruit. We should not be confined to the root, rather aim to reach the fruit,” he said and announced that the royalty would be donated to SOCO Trust, a non-governmental organisation here.

High Court Judges G.M. Akbar Ali and D. Hariparanthaman and A. Mahaboob Batcha, Managing Trustee of SOCO Trust, participated.

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