Dear Ghanshyamdasji,
Just yesterday I hear the
very happy news that you have programmed to come down to Madras, somewhere about the 20th
of this month for inaugurating this year's Music Academy celebrations. This Academy is
doing excellent work both in arranging performances of great musicians and also doing
research work of a very high order. I am very happy that one of your eminence is getting
yourself associated with this great organisation dedicated to culture and art. may be
permitted to mention that I had the privilege of inaugurating this Conference as early as
ten years ago, particularly at a time when there was almost a literal warfare going on
between what is called Tamil Music and Music in general, that is, without the emphasis of
a language. Happily that controversy has died down, and the Music Academy is proceeding
along very right lines under the Presidentship of Shri K.V. Krishnaswami lyer, and the
Vice President in the person of our erudite Finance Minister, Sri T.T.K.
You might remember I have
often conveyed to you a personal invitation to come over to Karaikudi and see the various
educational institutions I have been privileged to start, and you had agreed to come over
when you programme to come down South. Coming down South has been rather a far cry and it
is only now you are happily coming down to our area. But, un- happily enough I am unable
to take .advantage of your visit to Madras to call on you and persuade you to spend at
least a day in Karaikudi, because, I have been for the last almost a year inmobilised in
bed by reason of a foul disease, cancer which has over- powered me. There was a little
break of 15 days when I thought .I was well enough and I was advised by the doctors to
even go out to Delhi, i.e., on the 22nd March 1956 for our CSlR Governing Body meeting. i
did not have the pleasure of meeting you then because you were not in station on that
date. But while I was at Delhi, almost the very next day, 23rd March, I had a pathological
thigh fracture, and I Was removed by air from Delhi to Madras and I have been in the
Nursing Home and in my bungalow alternately all this time. The illness is so great and The
suffering is so terrible that I. find no relief excepting when I think and keep ruminating
over my educational activities at Karaikudi and elsewhere. It Is all God's will and with
faith in the Lord I keep lying in bed, waiting for some moment of relief some way or the
other.
you must kindly excuse me
for writing so much about me and my unhappy illness, but I am mentioning these just to
excuse myself for not being able to call on you when you come down to Madras and, what is
more, request you, if possible to just drop in for a few minutes at my bungalow and look
me up. It will give me great happiness indeed to meet elders and friends of your eminence.
In this connection I may be permitted to mention that our revered Rashtrapathi, Dr.
Rajendra Prasad was kind enough to look me up in August when he came down to Madras.
I shall be happy to know
from you a few more details of your visit to Madras to enable me to make arrangements for
your visit to Karaikudi if not this time, at least on some other occasion not very long
after. I am indeed very very sorry that I am not having the privilege of calling on you
when you come down to Madras. |
