The disowning of MAMR Muthiah alias S Ayyapan was unusually public for the incredibly conservative Chettiar community.
But the same family in the same generation has another failed but lesser known adoption — that of Annamalai Chettiar. Adopted by MAM Ramaswamy’s sister-in-law Meena Muthiah, the ‘Kumararani of Chettinad’ and the founder of Chettinad Vidyashram, was Annamalai Chettiar — founder of the Chettinad Foundation ‘A’ Schools.
Sources say that Annamalai, who burst into the scene by opening a flurry of schools and his adoptive mother are no longer on speaking terms.
While how and when that relationship began to sour is unclear, the adoption itself holds many parallels with MAMR Muthiah’s adoption. “They were both done against a certain amount of opposition. While the opposition to MAMR Muthiah’s adoption was stronger and deeper, Annamalai’s adoption was ill-advised since he was a fully grown adult at the time of adoption,” says a source.
Annamalai and Ayyapan were also highly independent and had been exposed to the wider world, having spent considerable amount of time overseas. “You cannot except a grown adult to behave according to your wishes, especially when there is no natural bond to fall back on,” points out another source.
Ayyapan’s adoption, done after a long and hard search on the insistence of Ramaswamy’s wife Sigappi Aachi, was opposed on another stronger ground. According to Chettiar tradition — one that is enforced strictly, in extreme cases even by ostracisation — a family can only adopt from within their own clan. “There are nine clan temples; you can only adopt from within your own clan and temple. This adoption faced a lot of opposition because Ayyapan was from another clan. But the family sailed through because they have immense money and power,” says a Chettiar elder. Annamalai was also involved in a scandal that rocked the State. In 2009, Annamalai Chettiar founded the Chettinad Foundation ‘A’ School. The school opened 36 branches and continued to operate for a while until a portion of the schools parents found out that the school had no recognition from any board. Cases were filed and in 2011 and the Madras High Court ordered the State government to initiate action against the management.
In June 2014, the Courts also ordered the management to pay out `15,000 per student. But while one adoption has continued to throw up nastiness, the other has been resolved quietly. “Meena and Annamalai are estranged. But he wasn’t disowned and is still legally her son. There was an amicable settlement,” says a family member — a solution that has constantly eluded MAM Ramaswamy and MAMR Muthiah.
