|
-- By Arulnambi K. Humanism (noun): a doctrine, attitude, or way of life centered on human interests or values; especially, a philosophy that usually rejects supernaturalism and stresses an individual's dignity and worth and capacity for self-realization through reason; any system or mode of thought or action in which human interests, values and dignity predominate. Also: devotion to human welfare. Humanist (noun): an advocate or follower of the principles of humanism. To say that my father embodied humanism would be an understatement. Appa was born in a well-known and respected family who lived in a small village in the rural countryside. He grew up in that village. Superstition, casteism and other social and economic divisions were the order of the day, and many of them continue even in present times. His father was the impetuous and hot-tempered youngest brother of the village leader. These leaders were not elected. They would always hail from a certain family and caste. The lower castes would serve them, especially the lowest of the low, the "untouchables". The "untouchables" were literally that – the higher castes considered it taboo to come into skin contact with them, directly or sometimes even indirectly. Growing up in that social environment, one would expect that Appa would have picked up some of those prejudices and attitudes, maybe from his own parents, whom he revered throughout his life. But he chose certain paths and ways to live his life, and had a strong and natural proclivity to question anything which is considered a norm or a tradition, and dared to think differently even if that thinking was not considered "safe". He also loved human beings and forever sought out the good in anyone and everyone. These qualities made him reject divisive thoughts and customs that sought to segregate people into groups, establish group identities, and foster artificial camaraderie within those groups. Language, religion, caste – such things had no meaning for him when he weighed a person. You could not hope to curry a favor from him by saying you belonged to the same caste as him, or spoke the same language, or least of all, followed the same religion (as he essentially followed nothing but his own heart). Last year, when we were in Appa's village, Thambi and I came across an example of Appa's humanism and his tendency to always place human relationships and interests above everything else, and the impact this had on the people he had known and interacted with. One family from the lower castes, the "untouchables" I spoke of earlier, that was closely associated with my grandfather, was the family of a man called Naachi, who had worked for my grandfather. Naachi and his wife, Naacha, were very attached to my grandfather and fiercely loyal to him and his family. Casteist attitudes were still in play, but there was friendship that could be discerned even beneath those attitudes. Appa, the eternal humanist, had sensed that friendship which cut across social boundaries, even as a mere youth. Last year, a man came to see me and Thambi at Appa's village home. I could not recognize him until he had introduced himself as the late Naachi's son. We had met him a few times as children when he visited our grandmother. He was now a retired schoolteacher. He had been able to educate his daughters well, and they were settled in their lives. He shared an old photocopy of a letter (reproduced below) that Appa had written to one of his daughters in reply to a letter she and her father had written to him.
Naachi's son, who was educated and had risen somewhat above the milieu thrust on him by such shameful discriminations as untouchability, still would not sit in our presence, or God forbid, shake our hands. But he had hung onto that letter from Appa all those years. Appa's warm humanism, so mesmerizing to anyone who was touched by it and on full display in his reply and in his taking the time to do so in writing, had compelled him to seek us out that day and share it with us. This Father's Day, and every other day, such flashes from my father's life, however big or small, offer guidance and clarity on what really matters and what doesn't.
[Click on images above to enlarge]
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Dr. K. V. Kaliappan+ The Father of Applied Psychology in India Archives
March 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed