Love is bliss …! – Professor Solomon Pappiah

Q: : In the beginning, topics related to literature only were debated. But, you deal with common issues that people face in their normal course of life and you have proved successful in your efforts at suggesting solutions for the same. Please tell us about the problems you faced during this change-over …

A: : I participated in the debates organized by the communist parties. Sa. Ganesan, a Tamil scholar, who founded ‘Kamban kazhagam’ at Karaikudi organized debates on the morals and views contained in Kambaramayanam. Great scholars like Ki. Vaa. Jagannathan had spoken in those debates. It was ‘Kuntrakudi Adigalar’ who took ‘Pattimanram’ to streets with the aim that good doctrines should reach commons also. In the ‘Pattimanrams’ presided by him, sometimes the orators might not be really good. But still, he would attract large crowds by his oratorical skill, his mastery over Tamil language and his personality. I had participated in many of his ‘Pattimanrams’.

Normally, no religious leader would relish others taking their seats before he sits. But Adigalar was an exception. He would give seat to all without discrimination and would give full freedom for all the orators to express their views. And, he would encourage those belonging to other religions even more. He had organized debates before the small temples on the streets during festival days. He was sharp and would understand other people’s problems from their facial expressions. At the time when a debate had been organized at the Vinayaka temple at Theni I had a very serious problem in my family. I was very much tensed. Adigalar, noticing the tension on my face asked me for the reason. I told him about my problem. When the program ended, he removed the ‘Rudraksha mala’ from his neck and slipped it round my neck and comforted me telling that all my problems would get solved. As per his blessings, all my problems were solved at long last and I got peace of mind. I am wearing that ‘Rudraksha mala’ even today, I never remove it. His demise is a great loss not only to me but to Tamil language itself.

As I belong to a different religion, criticism started mounting whenever I spoke about the characters in Hindu mythology. Though I am a Christian by birth, I used to visit Hindu temples too. I apply sacred ash on my forehead. I believe in all the gods. I had visited and worshipped at Tirupati temple. I am really interested in the beliefs of all religions. I read spiritual works like Ramayana and Mahabharatha. But when criticism mounted, I gave a second thought as to whether to continue my style, whether to continue the trend. And, when I wanted to choose the topics for debate, I couldn’t get anything substantial.