Jaswant Singh
In the passing of Jaswant Singh, India has lost a son who had a sense of the grandeur of the country. A scholar soldier at heart, it was he, who as the Foreign Minister of A.B. Vajpayee, articulated our nuclear policy and enabled positive engagements with the U.S., Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and the Arab world. The suave and sophisticated Jaswant Singh may be criticised for the Kandahar episode, but he dared to undertake the ignominious task himself, rather than passing the buck. The political stalwart leaves behind a rich legacy of astute and positive diplomacy, courage of conviction, and a mark as an upright parliamentarian.
R.D. Singh,
Ambala Cantt, Haryana
S.P. Balasubrahmanyam
The legend is gone, but his legacy will live on. I thought S.P. Balasubrahmanyam’s songs with Illaiyaraja for actor Mohan were very special, with ringing songs such as ‘ Ilayanila pozhigiradhe ’ in the film, ‘Payanangal Mudivathillai’. As long as YouTube exists, his music will continue to mesmerise and enthral his fans spanning generations.
M. Balakrishnan,
Bengaluru
Way back, in the 1970s to 1980s, SPB sang for the triumvirate of Tamil cinema — MGR, Sivaji Ganesan, and Gemini Ganesan, which became super hits; ‘ Aayiram Nilave Va ’, (MGR), ‘ Pottu Vaitha Mugamo ’ (Sivaji) and ‘ Iyarkai Ennum Ilayakanni’ (Gemini), to name some. His songs in the Bollywood films, ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’ and ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, enthralled India. There used to be a time when public transport in Tamil Nadu, mainly bus services, played the hit songs of SPB all the time to please passengers. A matchless voice, multilingual skills, a beaming smile, humility personified and hard work were his forte.
K. Natarajan,
Chandranagar, Palakkad, Kerala
As a Tamilian growing up in Pune in the 1960s, I did not find many opportunities to watch Tamil/regional movies or listen to Tamil songs. The first time I heard SPB was when the film, ‘Shankarabharanam’, was released. The sheer range, exquisite control and the verve and vivacity of his singing just blew me away. Then ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’ arrived and I became a die-hard SPB fan. There was a time when he was known as the voice of actor Salman Khan. His singing in ‘ Bahut Pyar Karte Hai ’ in the film ‘Saajan’ had the same velvety quality of the ghazal maestro, Talat Mahmood. SPB will remain as one of those rare singers who are equally admired by and popular with connoisseurs as well as roadside romeos.
V.V. Koushik,
Chennai
The versatility of SPB is unmatched given his non-Carnatic background. Unwavering in encouraging every co-singer and budding singer, he remained a symbol of affability throughout his life. He was an artist above par and a gentleman to the core.
T.L. Sathiyanarayanan,
Udhagamandalam, The Nilgiris
Why the common man mourns SPB’s passing so much is not only to do with his music but also his personal qualities. The great degree of humaneness with which he has treated his kith and kin, fellow musicians, admirers, young music aspirants and even his competitors is what has earned him legions of fans. His eyes always expressed only kindness, love and admiration even for the small achievements of other musicians.
Rameeza. A. Rasheed,
Chennai
Years ago, I once flew from Madras to Hyderabad. Just before take-off, someone whispered that SPB too was on the flight, but in the business class. Word spread and most passengers in the economy class craned their necks to steal a glimpse of the celebrity, but ended up being disappointed. Perhaps the airhostess sensed what was happening and tipped off the singing legend. After we landed, we were greatly surprised to find SPB at the bottom most step of the ladder, greeting each one of us. He was humility personified.
Sivamani Vasudevan,
Chennai
