Veerapandiyan : - From food-server to research scholar
- Veerapandiyan is pushed forward by a fierce determination to educate himself and make a change to people who lived like him | N Vinoth kumar
Whenever you meet Veerapandiyan, he always greets you with the query Saaptingala? (Have you eaten something?). This is because he experienced hunger all through his college days, despite having worked part-time in the catering business. His debut novel Parukkai weaves the tale of first generation graduates, who have all chosen to work as caterers, in order to meet their educational expenses. Written during his post-graduate days, it has been published recently to good response.
A native of Andhanur, a small village in Tiruvannamalai, Veerapandiyan was born to Selvaraj and Kamatchi, who worked in the forge as blacksmiths. Born with three siblings, Veerapandiyan was the first person in his family to step into school, college and university. After a while, he started to pen his experiences, which resulted in the autobiographical sketch Parukkai, which has been well received by readers. Currently, he is pursuing his doctoral research at the University of Madras.
Speaking to City Express, Veerapandiyan looks back on his early days, his experiences as a caterer and what pushed him to write such a novel."I completed my schooling by walking three kilometres up and down daily. Even to travel in a government bus was an expensive thing for me," says Veerapandiyan.
He added, "Food was mostly noyyarisi, the favourite dish for us not because of we liked it but because it was the only kind that we could afford to buy. All the siblings were earning by that time as labourers except me. Though I had an interest in continuing my studies, my economic condition didn't permit me and I too worked as a labourer for a while. Later, I managed to join BA (Tamil) in a government college".
"Even after the graduation, my parents were apprehensive over sending me to work. But I decided to study further and with the help of my savings I also completed BEd course" he said.
"Little later, I came to Chennai, to pursue my post-graduation and I got a seat under the first generation graduate scheme. The Government only gave me a seat but didn't provide any basic facilities such as hostel, food, etc. At first I slept in parks and beaches, and then with the help of my fellow student friends, I stayed in their rooms and ate without the knowledge of wardens. Staying in those hostel rooms and not affected by jaundice, typhoid, malaria itself a great achievement. And that was the time when most of the students decided to work in part-time jobs regardless of what type it was — such as working in a petrol bunk, as a security guard or even in the catering line," he added.
"But it is not such an easy job. We will get food after serving all the invitees of the function. Most of the times, we won't get food due to shortage. Those times, we go to bed with tears in our eyes. Even though we were paid some meagre amount as our wages, our pain was that we could not spend even `15 to eat, because that money could be used to purchase magazines and books to study or on travel," he said.
Against all odds, he managed to score 81 percent marks in MA "I missed the gold medal by one percent" he smiled. "My experiences pushed me to write. I met Siva Senthilnathan, publisher of Parisal Pathippagam, who helped me. I dedicated padaiyal to all the persons who give food" he said.
"Now I have received a scholarship from UGC and I am able to live a normal life. But still there are many of my juniors going to catering and now its my turn to help them" he concludes.
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