The Hindu & me   

'I have one grievance'

By Sarojini Varadappan

Chief Minister M. Bhaktavatsalam

MY day starts at 5.30 with Venkatesa Suprabhatam on the TV, The Hindu and a cup of coffee. I am fond of reading the column on religion and sometimes cut it out and keep it for ready reference. What I like here is not only the fact that it is informative and gives us details about things that we do not generally know but that it brings to light their inner significance.

Language agitation at its peak in Tamil Nadu.

I also never fail to read the column, This Day That Age, which helps relive the past. Once I experienced the present intersecting the past in an uncanny way when this column published an extract from Pandit Nehru's speech at the opening of the Cancer Institute, founded by the Women's Indian Association, Madras, in 1953. The report ended with the words, "Sarojini Varadappan, secretary, WIA, gave the vote of thanks." This was just before the platinum jubilee celebrations of the WIA this year — and on that occasion I started my speech quoting from The Hindu.

At another time, I was really depressed to read The Hindu's prediction that the DMK candidate was bound to win. I was the Congress candidate who lost. Yes, The Hindu was right but for me that was no consolation. During the anti-Hindi agitation in Tamil Nadu I was upset that The Hindu did not more strongly support the stance taken by my father, M. Bhaktavatsalam, the then Chief Minister. I thought The Hindu could have created better awareness among the people to accept the three-language formula adopted by the other States.

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• Growing up with it
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• Correcting Churchill
• A 'born fighter' and his close ties
• A case of love at forty
• 'I have one grievance'

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