AN OBITUARY TO KGR CHITAPPA

                                                                                         (Rama Venkataraman)

K.G. Ramachandran was called KGR chitappa fondly by us. Hailing from Kavuseri  a village in Kerala Palghat district ,

he rose to  great heights in his carrier, worked with the international unit UNICEF, lived in grandeur, bequeathing 3 sons.

His job took him to several places in India and abroad. It was In Delhi , I met him where often we used to come down

from Dehradun where we were posted with our 2 small kids and come to meet the senior kids in Suresh, Raju and Sanju

in chitappa’s and chittis  Greenpark house at Delhi , a well set independent house.

A Gentle man to the core , chitappa as a person worth emulating, always smiling, courteous, and affectionate

with his big family clan both from his side and Lalitha chitthis side.

He used to be present or all family functions making his  mark by his dignified presence along with chitti.

A never to forget incident clearly stands in my memory well etched. It was in 1981, nearly 36 years back, I was still

 new to Venkat’s family, we were posted at Lucknow and suddenly I had to rush to Bombay along with my son Ravi

 still a toddler on hearing the news of my fathers demise. Venkat was not in station as he had gone on a tour to Assam.

 I had to fly from Lucknow to Delhi and Mumbai to be in time at Mumbai. It was chitappa then came to the airport

 at Delhi and saw that I and Ravi  boarded the Bombay flight properly. I can never forget the care and the effort

he and chitti took to see us  through. Such was his affectionate and generous nature to a new entrant like me at that time.

I am sure each one of us would have come under his radar of affection and concern some time or else.

He always appreciated my literary efforts and again I remember when my book  `Dramatic version of Seven major Upanishad

got published , I felt like presenting him one of my first copies though by then he was not in a very good frame to put his mind

 in such heavy readings. It should be in his archives somewhere.

The last I remembered was when he came  to Delhi in 2008 along with chitti to attend Raghu,our second son’s marriage,

he made the effort though he was not keeping very good health. After that as fate had made plans, chittappa’s health never

looked up fully again. When chitappa and chitti were in Tippusudra at Bangalore , often we used to meet them.

He stood his forte and tried to live by his terms as long as he could, finally chitappa and chitti moved to Hosur

with Suresh and family.

Perhaps he was left to contemplate and spend his last years peacefully with himself and grow inwardly.

 We never know the ways of God nor can fathom it. What looks apparently difficult situation may be having

 some reasons to help his soul to grow in ways we cannot understand.

But on looking back to chitappa’s long dignified life, he had made his mark and touched many lives positively and lived a life of dignity .

May his soul rest in peace.