Love is bliss …! – Gopalan Balachandran, IAS

Q: You would have served in various capacities and held various positions in the government. Please tell us about some interesting incidents and experiences …

A: I got the opportunity to mingle closely with Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO, when I was an official in it. The satellites are launched with the aim of bringing the benefit of space technology to the development of the nation and people at large. Many aspects including changes in climatic seasons, water resources, land, and nation’s security are being benefitted by satellites. When I was in the department of environment, I visited a state in Africa to attend a seminar. Scholars from various countries participated in the event. We all used to dine together. And, we used to sit and discuss various topics before going for dinner. At one time, it was agreed that each representative should talk about the greatness of his own country. The British man said, “Let it be any part of the world, it would surely have been under our government at one point in time! This is my country’s greatness!” The German spoke about his country’s advanced technology in machinery. The French claimed superiority be extolling the works of great writers like Maupassant and Moliere. The Swiss spoke highly of his country’s famous Swiss Bank. When the turn came to me, I said, “The whole globe is my village and every living human being is my relative!” These lines had been sung by Kaniyan Poonkunranar, a poet who lived 1,200 years ago in Tamil Nadu. Also, he had sung that we ourselves were responsible for all the good and evil that happened to us. I said India could feel proud for having given a truth that should be followed by people world over for their own benefit. All those present were very much impressed by my words. My Canadian friend wondered how the poet could think so high especially at a time when travelling beyond 50 km was not possible due to lack of transport facilities. On his words, all the representatives gave a standing ovation saying, “This is for Tamil’. Instantly, I felt proud for my nation and tradition. I really believe that if today’s young men and women show interest in Tamil literature, their future will surely be great.