Babus sincerity, dedication were extraordinary

The handwritten post card addressed to ‘Priyappetta Vilakkudy Rajendran’, and informing about a forthcoming meeting of Charcha Vedi, had a very personal touch to it. They bore the signature of his sincerity and dedication. Through all these years, he never thought of resorting to easier methods, or maybe, he knew the heart-to-heart bonding that those two-line, handwritten messages could forge.  It is not easy to imagine the passion behind the selfless dedication which marked the life of Charcha Vedi Babu. Unlike most people who are at the helm of social movements, Babu had absolutely no intention of projecting himself. And for this very same reason, the meetings of Charcha Vedi never killed the time of speakers and audience with customary rituals like ‘welcome speeches’ and ‘vote of thanks’. Babu simply did not believe in such peripheral show of courtesy. And never have I known a single meeting of Charcha Vedi to have started late for the sake of a guest’s arrival. The learned persons who have presided over the meetings, from N Krishna Pillai to Guptan Nair, were also in agreement with Babu in that matter. The discussion was of prime importance and nothing could hinder the optimum utilisation of time.  But those discussions were not indifferent social commentaries. They have undoubtedly cast the light of informed thought on a plethora of developments around us. By ensuring the participation of people like M Krishnan Nair in literary discussions, Charcha Vedi had played a major role in sensitising the public to new paradigms of thoughts. In a world where nobody has time for others, the discussions organised by Babu in memory of departed personalities ought to be seen as a rare gesture. You must have read in the newspapers the calendar of meetings chalked out for the entire year.  During the brief encounters outside the discussion venues, he would still be talking about forthcoming activities of the Charcha Vedi. And he had a remarkable capacity to remember details like dates and the people attending each meeting. I cannot remember a single instance when Babu shared a personal grievance. He must have known about the disease eating into his vitals at least for quite sometime. Whether he did or not, such concerns did not figure among his priorities. When it is said that Babu’s loss is irreplaceable, it is not just a cliched phrase said out of courtesy. Babu’s absence will create a vacuum in our social milieu, and I don’t see who or what can substitute his zeal and dedication.