A tribute to my Thirukkural Mentor, Mr Thiru

Of the things I've done in JC, this has to be the most unusual. I was hunted down by the ICS tutor-in-charge, Mr. Thiru, to participate in the annual Aadiperruku competition by PJC. He was impressed with my portrayal of Iago in the Drama Club's production of 'Othello' earlier this year, and sought to use his character for other purposes.

Let me first confess that I've never had any affinity with Tamil. The only two words I knew in Tamil were "Vanakkam" and the 999 recitation played on the MRT platforms. My ICS classmate then approached me, asking for 'Iago' to memorise and recite some Thirukkural (Tamil proverbs) in 2 weeks' time. For some reason, I agreed, and that opened up a whole new world.

Mr. Thiru enthralled me with his Jedi-like manner and his vivid explanations of the Kural. I remember him saying the first time we met: "I have faith in you, young man", and though it sounds like a corny Yoda line, his faith was clear. From then on, I devoted myself to this task.

I came up with the speech, but had to rely on my Tamil friends and Mr. Thiru to develop my pronunciation and explain the Kural's meaning. Mr. Thiru had a way of capturing my attention when teaching, which contained an odd style of contemporary humour. He was explaining this Kural:

Thandhai Magarkeattrum Nandri Avaiyaththu
Mundhi Yirupach-Cheyal

Translated, it means "A father's duty is to give his children precedence in the assembly of learned men", or simply give them an education. Mr. Thiru then asked me:

"Do you know why Thiruvalluvar (the Kural's author) said 'children' and not 'son'"?

"No idea, Mr. Thiru."

"Because if he said 'son', the feminists will protest!"

It may have sounded rather deadpan, but it was funny to me. More than that, I saw a teacher making his lesson come alive for his student. Its been so long since I've had someone open up my mind like that.

It was a frustrating experience at times. The ICS members would say "you are pronouncing 'urei' when it's 'uzhai', listen to yourself." Easy for them to say, 'urei' and 'uzhai' sounded exactly the same to me given the nuances of this language. Many a time, I provoked laughter from the rest of the ICS members when I unintentionally injected a Chinese accent into the multi-syllabic words, which gave us relief from the hard work.

Nonetheless, I stayed with them for many a late night. In-between recitations, I would immerse myself in Indian culture by observing their rangoli (rice design), appreciating its beauty. A painter paints with his brush and paint; a rangoli artist paints with drops of paint (rice) and his fingers. It is amazing how human effort can produce something which was much more than the mere sum of its parts, and this I intimately witnessed during my ICS experience.

During one of my practices, Mr. Thiru said, "Good. You're winning this competition," even though I hadn't memorised my lines yet. He then told me: "When you go there, do this for yourself. Don't worry about the college, don't worry about ICS". These were the golden words.

At the finals, I strode upstage towards a hall of people from the Indian Community, various colleges, and Mr. Kwek's successor – the new principal of PJC. I realised I was wearing my NYJC uniform, and it felt so heavy all of a sudden.

I've done public speaking so many times, but now I felt a tremor in my right leg. The competitive spirit of the competition and the weight of representing NYJC immediately stuck an arrow in my heart, and I became aware of its anxious palpitations.

It was then that Mr. Thiru's words came to mind: "…Do this for yourself…" These were the words which helped me convert the anxiety into passion, and I remember pacing around the stage, constantly gesturing, not asking for people's attention but rather commanding it.

I received applause after my speech and after the competition, many Indian people – young and old – came to shake my hand. One even said I gave all the Indians present a slap with my speech. The judges apparently thought so too, and we brought home the Thirukkural Challenge Trophy together with the Championship trophy.

Believe me when I say that shock was the immediate sensation – a sensation that stayed with me even when I left the PJC campus. In two weeks I had learnt some Tamil proverbs, in two weeks I elaborated on them in Tamil in front of hundreds of people, and in two weeks we won a championship.

This was the first time that NYJC has won this trophy, but till, I never thought of it as my victory, but ours: Mr. Thiru, the ICS, myself. It would not have been possible without his guidance and their support which inspired me to perform at my best.

This was the wining phrase I used:

Enniya Enniyangu Eithuba Enniyar
Thinniya Raagap-Perin

It means: "Whatever men think, men may obtain. If those who think, can steadfastness of will retain".

I used Dr. William Tan, a paralysed neuro-surgeon's life story to illustrate this point. Then I realised, I could use my ICS experience as well. In two weeks, I practised hard everyday and obtained what I was practicing of.

You've shown me the beauty of Indian culture, which I had previously restricted to delicious food, intricate dances and Bollywood. Thanks ICS, for these wonderful memories. Most of all, Thank you Mr. Thiru.

Nenjathil Aasiriyar
Teacher in my heart

Vaaipukku Nandri
Thank you for the opportunity

By Benjamin Low