Famous M.S.

I was reading an article about Famous Amos.  It is the brand name of a fast selling cookie in USA.  The company was founded by a guy named Wally Amos.

 

While reading about Famous Amos, my thoughts went to famous Indian emmus (M.S.) I am aware of and/or read about.  Here they are:

 

M.S. Subbalakshmi – Needs no introduction.  Carnatic music singer.  Awarded Bharat Ratna.

 

Dr. M.S. Swaminathan – Father of India’s green revolution.  Responsible for high yield varieties of wheat and rice.  Awarded Padma Vibhushan.

 

M. S. Viswanathan – Music Director. King of Light Music. Composed songs for more than 700 Indian films, mainly for Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu films. Even today millions of people are mesmerized by his melodies.

 

Dr. M. S. Venkataramani – A doyen of American studies in India.  Professor emeritus at the School of International Studies, Centre for American and West European Studies, at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.

 

M. S. Gurupadaswamy – Freedom fighter.  Politician. Indian National Congress and later Janata Party.

 

Mani  Shankar Iyer – Famous or notorious? Will leave it up to the readers.  Belongs to Indian National Congress.  The more he talks the more BJP wins.

 

M. S. Dhoni – Needs no introduction.  Cricketer.

 

M. S. Golwalker – Former Chief of RSS.

 

M. S. Ramaiah – Engineer, Educationist, Philanthropist

 

M. S. Rajeswari – Playback singer, South Indian movies.

 

If you know any famous M.S. please share with us here.

 

Friday afternoon now.  Looks like I have too much time on my hands.

15 Minutes of Fame

(Courtesy: The Image)

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit was having a press conference in Chennai. At the end of the press conference, while leaving the podium, the Governor patted the cheek of a woman journalist Ms. Lakshmi Subramanian.

I agree what he did was not a custom in Tamil culture. Patting the cheek or touching the head of a younger person by an older person is an honorable North Indian custom.

But this woman journalist and a few political parties are making this a big issue. The woman journalist wrote an email to the Governor telling him she did not appreciate that pat on her cheek, The Governor sent a reply to her apologizing for this. She is still angry.

This woman journalist is now giving lot of interviews to various channels about this horrible incident that happened to her. A few political parties are making a big deal out of this incident. They are asking the Governor to resign and go home. A Chennai Press Club member is charging the Governor with “outraging the modesty of a woman”.

This woman journalist says she washed her cheek several times but could not get rid of that disgusting feeling.

Oh yeah? Come on. Suppose President Obama visits Chennai and you were one of the reporters at his press conference. At the end of the press conference Mr. Obama kisses you on your cheek or hugs you. What will you do?  Kissing on the cheek and hugging are American custom and not a Tamil culture. 

Will you write an angry email to Obama telling him your modesty is outraged?  Noooo.  You won't wash your cheek for 6 months (if it was a kiss) or you won't change your clothes and take a shower for 6 months (if it was a hug).

Also, you will be giving interviews how lucky you are because Obama singled you out..

Aththaan

I was at a get together recently. A Tamil iady addressed her husband as “Aththaan”. I was pleasantly surprised. Nowadays, almost no Tamil woman address her husband by that word.

 

The actual meaning of “Aththaan” is either he is her dad’s sister’s son OR mom’s brother’s son. That word always has a romantic connotation in Tamil Nadu.

 

When some girl says, fondly, he is my aththaan , it is understood he is the guy she intends to marry.

 

In Tamil culture, a girl can legally marry her dad’s sister’s son OR mom’s brother’s son. I know it will be disgusting to our North Indian readers. Actually, 50 years ago 70% of the Tamil marriages were within close relatives. My mom and dad are related. My brother married his aunt’s daughter. No, I did not marry any of my cousins. I married an outsider.

 

I asked that lady in that get together if she and her husband are related before marriage. She said no. Still she addressed her husband as "aththaan".

 

So many romantic songs in Tamil movies with that word. For example:

 

Aththaan varuvaga. Oru mutham koduppaga (Aththaan will come. He will give me a kiss).

 

Aththaan en Aththaan. Avar ennaithaan. Eppadi solvenadi (Aththaan he is my Aththaan. How can I say what he did with me.)

 

Kulungum mundhanai sirikkum aththaanai viratuvathenadiyo (Why the shaking loose end of your saree is chasing out this Aththaan)

 

Akkaluku Valaigappu. Aththaan mugathiley punsirippu (Baby shower ceremony for elder sister. Aththaan’s face is full of smile.)

 

There is a dialogue in a Tamil movie (Bangalore Naatkal). A guy is telling his close associate what kind of wife he wants. One of his condition is the girl should address him as Aththaan after marriage.