WALKING-STICK—3..
My GrandFather was a Criminal Lawer attending cases at Thenkasi/Thirunelveli courts..He was very successful and won many no.cases either by his effective arguements/presentation of the cases or because of 'weak' handling by the opponent lawers. [which..should have been ..mostly..!!] ..I never had the opportunity to 'inter-act' with my grand father as he 'kicked the bucket' when I was just one month old baby.. I earned the dubious distinction of 'Un-lucky boy’ as if I was responsible for 'that' soul to deport to the place where it belongs.. These things I understood from my Mother earlier...
Sankaralingam and Maadasamy were two brothers with diagnoly opposite characters, nature and attitude…The elder Sankaralingam was ruthless, cunning, greedy and money lender too for small farmers..He acquired many properties by way of coercion, threatening and even by kidnapping..He had many enemies.. but non-of them dare to clash with him openly.. fearing for their life as he was known to have ‘eliminated’ some of them..Eventhough Police suspected his involvement ..no case could be taken up against him due to lack of proper complaints and witnesses…Maadasamy was very pious, soft spoken…and on no. of occasions he argued with his brother to mend his ways but without success.. In spite of opposite characters ..both brothers were very affectionate to each other and Maadasamy considered his brother not only as guardian but as next to god as they lost their parents very early in life..Sankaralingam was married and he was on the look-out for a suitable bride for Maadasamy…But no family was prepared to have an alliance with Sankaralingam family as everybody was aware of its reputation and that hurts both the brothers and coercion tactics could not be used by Sankaralingam as Maadasamy was against any such move..
It was a customary habbit on every Sunday evening for the Brothers to worship at Nellaiyappar temple,.. taste the Halwa at ‘Iruttukkadai’ ..and return home in their bullock-cart..Normaly when they reach the Railway level-crossing.. the gates would be in closed position to enable Rameswaram-MaanaMadurai passenger to cross.. On few occasions they could cross the level-crossing whenever that train was running late.. Sankaralingam had a habbit of getting down from the bullock-cart [Maadasamy used to drive the cart always] whenever it stopped at level-crossing ….light his favourite Chokkalal Ramset Beedi ... watch the train till it crosses…and get into the cart after finishing his Beedi..
On ‘that’ Sunday Evening Sankaralingam got down at the level-crossing and when he lowered his head to light the Beedi… he was attacked and ‘ASSASINATED’….The assassin whose face covered by a red towel [We call it as ‘Kasi Thundu’] slit-open his throat and Sankaralingam fell down with blood gushing-out like courtallam water falls from his wide opened cut in the throat..
Shell-Shocked Maadasamy jumbed from the cart..pulled-out the ARUVAA..[ It was always a part of life on those days] and ran towards his brother to assist him and to catch the assassin.. Sensing he could not reach the assasain before he escapes as the cart was parked about 60’ to 100’ away from the level crossing gate..he aimed and threw the Aruva at the assasain from a distance of around 15 to 20 feet.. The assasain evaded the throw..but while doing so.. the red towel covering his face slipped..and Maadasamy could see his face and RECOGNISED him immediately..The Aruvaa thrown by Maadasamy fell in the pool of blood gushed out from Sankaralingam’s throat…Maadasami’s shouts and rise of alaram were drowned in the whistling of the steam engine with the noise of the passing train at the level-crossing and the assassin ESCAPED…through the surrounding thick bushes..
TVK
My GrandFather was a Criminal Lawer attending cases at Thenkasi/Thirunelveli courts..He was very successful and won many no.cases either by his effective arguements/presentation of the cases or because of 'weak' handling by the opponent lawers. [which..should have been ..mostly..!!] ..I never had the opportunity to 'inter-act' with my grand father as he 'kicked the bucket' when I was just one month old baby.. I earned the dubious distinction of 'Un-lucky boy’ as if I was responsible for 'that' soul to deport to the place where it belongs.. These things I understood from my Mother earlier...
Sankaralingam and Maadasamy were two brothers with diagnoly opposite characters, nature and attitude…The elder Sankaralingam was ruthless, cunning, greedy and money lender too for small farmers..He acquired many properties by way of coercion, threatening and even by kidnapping..He had many enemies.. but non-of them dare to clash with him openly.. fearing for their life as he was known to have ‘eliminated’ some of them..Eventhough Police suspected his involvement ..no case could be taken up against him due to lack of proper complaints and witnesses…Maadasamy was very pious, soft spoken…and on no. of occasions he argued with his brother to mend his ways but without success.. In spite of opposite characters ..both brothers were very affectionate to each other and Maadasamy considered his brother not only as guardian but as next to god as they lost their parents very early in life..Sankaralingam was married and he was on the look-out for a suitable bride for Maadasamy…But no family was prepared to have an alliance with Sankaralingam family as everybody was aware of its reputation and that hurts both the brothers and coercion tactics could not be used by Sankaralingam as Maadasamy was against any such move..
It was a customary habbit on every Sunday evening for the Brothers to worship at Nellaiyappar temple,.. taste the Halwa at ‘Iruttukkadai’ ..and return home in their bullock-cart..Normaly when they reach the Railway level-crossing.. the gates would be in closed position to enable Rameswaram-MaanaMadurai passenger to cross.. On few occasions they could cross the level-crossing whenever that train was running late.. Sankaralingam had a habbit of getting down from the bullock-cart [Maadasamy used to drive the cart always] whenever it stopped at level-crossing ….light his favourite Chokkalal Ramset Beedi ... watch the train till it crosses…and get into the cart after finishing his Beedi..
On ‘that’ Sunday Evening Sankaralingam got down at the level-crossing and when he lowered his head to light the Beedi… he was attacked and ‘ASSASINATED’….The assassin whose face covered by a red towel [We call it as ‘Kasi Thundu’] slit-open his throat and Sankaralingam fell down with blood gushing-out like courtallam water falls from his wide opened cut in the throat..
Shell-Shocked Maadasamy jumbed from the cart..pulled-out the ARUVAA..[ It was always a part of life on those days] and ran towards his brother to assist him and to catch the assassin.. Sensing he could not reach the assasain before he escapes as the cart was parked about 60’ to 100’ away from the level crossing gate..he aimed and threw the Aruva at the assasain from a distance of around 15 to 20 feet.. The assasain evaded the throw..but while doing so.. the red towel covering his face slipped..and Maadasamy could see his face and RECOGNISED him immediately..The Aruvaa thrown by Maadasamy fell in the pool of blood gushed out from Sankaralingam’s throat…Maadasami’s shouts and rise of alaram were drowned in the whistling of the steam engine with the noise of the passing train at the level-crossing and the assassin ESCAPED…through the surrounding thick bushes..
TVK
