A TRIBUTE TO MAMI (Smt. LAKSHMI RAMACHANDRAN) ON HER BIRTH CENTENARY

 

A TRIBUTE TO MAMI (Smt. LAKSHMI RAMACHANDRAN) ON HER BIRTH CENTENARY

It was in July 1977 (46 years ago) that I first met Mami, my future mother-in-law, Mrs. Lakshmi Ramachandran. As I set foot into the precincts of what was to become my second home, I was overcome by an aura of affection and compassion that seemed to permeate every nook and corner of the house. I did not have to look far inside for its source. There she was standing at the door to welcome me and my mother. A stately lady with a smile and eyes that conveyed a genuine human being. That was the moment when it dawned on me, that I belonged there and Revathi, her daughter, became my wife. 

Like all her nephews and nieces and there were quite a large number of them, I called her Mami, but she treated me like a son. Many of the anecdotes I have listened to narrated by them and other close friends of the family, would dwell on the affection showered on them and the generosity of Mami and Mama. Invariably on weekends, there would be a congregation of people at the house and I have seen Mami playing the perfect hostess. She and Mama enjoyed having people around.

They say that behind every man’s success, there is a woman, and Mami more than filled that role in respect of her husband. They were the ‘Universal Couple’ whose home was an open house. Mami was a strong personality, affectionate yet putting her views across to her children in no uncertain terms. You find the effects of that childhood upbringing so much so that all her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren still remain as a close-knit family supporting and being there for each other, lending a shoulder in times of physical and emotional crisis. 

I was the only outsider mappillai(son-in-law), but soon became an integral part of the household. Unlike the others who were in Madras and had the occasion to interact with her frequently and be the recipient of her affection, we were the only ones who lived far away, in Gujarat, but we made sure to be in Madras during every vacation and attend all the functions in the family to bask in the warmth of the sunshine cast by Mami and Mama. My daughters eagerly looked forward to these visits to be with their cousins and be pampered by their grandmother and they all formed a strong bond among themselves under her affectionate care. 

In later years especially after Mama’s passing away and her own failing health she still retained that smile and the twinkle in her eyes whenever she was in the midst of her near and dear ones. And when she departed it was as if a large banyan tree had fallen. Though its shade is no longer available, her memories continue to light up our lives.

A hundred years have passed since she came into this world, and when she went away to the higher realms, she left her indelible footprints for us, as if to remind everyone, that ultimately it is selfless love and affection that remain and that is what we shall remember of her. She was a Karma Yogi and on the centenary of her birth, we will be paying homage to her soul only by keeping alive the ideals by which she lived, spreading the word of Love, Compassion, Humility, and Commitment.