Love is bliss …! – Prof. K. Gnanasambhandan

Q: I’ve read that you had failed many times during your college education. Can you tell us about it …?

A: They say that ‘defeat’ is the first step for ‘victory’. In my case, it proved 100% right! For me, many steps constituted the first step! I studied in Thygaraja College. In those days PUC was the course after finishing schooling. If you failed even in any one of the subjects, you would have to write all the subjects again. I wrote the examination three times before I could pass the course. But I took this ‘failure’ as a lesson and when I did post graduation in Tamil, I passed out with a high rank. I owed this success to my father who encouraged me a lot. Please never discourage your children if they fail in any effort, instead, find out the factor responsible for the failure and rectify it. Encourage them and make them succeed in their next attempt. They’ll remember you with love and gratitude as I remember my father. I lost my mother when I was twenty-one. After her demise, my father did the cooking, he would learn new recipes and I learnt cooking from him helping him in the kitchen. Today, I am an expert cook!

Q: You’ve told about how you became an expert in cooking. Tell us about your talent as an orator …

A: There’s a temple for Draupathi in our hamlet. In the Tamil month of Markazhi, I used to sing verses from ‘Thiruppaavai’ and ‘Thiruvempaavai’ and give explanations too. At that time, I never knew that my rendition that was supposed to ‘awaken’ Lord Ranganatha and singing His praises would be the dawn of my literary horizon. And, I used to deliver lectures also during those times when my father couldn’t make it. This period lasted over a span of sixteen years and I gained control over my oratorical skills with so much ease. And, I became an orator by profession too. Though my talk would be peppered with humor when chatting with my friends, I used to be serious on the stage. My professor S. Paramasivam pointed out this and told me that humor was the sense enjoyed by everybody including children and that I should not become serious while speaking on the stage. I ran a hand-written magazine ‘Kalaiyosai’ during my school days and I had written humorous scripts also for stage plays. I would read for at least 30 minutes at nights even if I return very late. And, I am an ardent viewer of films too.

(When asked about his wife) – She is a professional speaker today. Recently, she participated in a debate on ‘Family ties’, for which I was the judge. She argued it was the woman who strengthened the family ties. And, she won the prize. You can ask her about this.