Is a newspaper merely a publication printed on paper and issued regularly? Does it give just information and opinions about politics, crime, business and sports? No, it also enables some of its writers to enjoy a bit of popularity and a proud status in society. In my life too, the Express, of which I have been a reader for five decades, has done so.
In addition to having been an English teacher, familiarising me with linguistic nuances and enabling me to write this much, the newspaper has gifted this ordinary senior citizen with great friends—doctors, professors and other readers-cum-writers of Express.
In one of my Mindspace write-ups published in the newspaper about two years ago, I had given a passing hint about my 50th wedding anniversary that was then nearing. A good number of readers had congratulated me for the anecdote on my mother. Going a step further, a reader mailed me: He not only appreciated my Mindspace article, but also requested us, an aged couple, to bless him and his better half. In a reply, that writer broke his identity. It was Dr P Mohan Nair, the head of the ISO-certified, half-a-century-old Dr Nair’s Multi Speciality Hospital in Kerala’s Kollam. The gentleman is a well-known surgeon. Remembering our 50th wedding anniversary, he made us happy by WhatsApping his greetings right on that day and seeking our blessings.
Joyous, I went to his hospital to meet the gentleman. A nurse came out and asked me to get in. Nair was there majestically seated with a few doctors and nursing staff around. No sooner did he see me than he rose up from his seat, came close to me, held my hands and received me with a near-hug. Those standing around seemed pleasantly surprised on seeing the level of hospitality shown by the MD of their hospital towards a simple-looking man. The day will be etched in my memory forever.
The doctor is simple and kind. I see him excel in humanitarian values scarcely seen nowadays. We share our thoughts and I have learnt a lot from him. Can there be anything else other than this to drive it home that a newspaper can do something good besides its defined duties and responsibilities? The list of Express-given friends includes a lot of prolific writers. My immense thanks to the newspaper.
E Sethuramalingam
Email: esrlingam@gmail.com