Words have literally failed me for the past few days
as I come to terms with the passing on of Ram [more widely known as Dr Parasuram Ramamoorthi ] .I could not bring
myself to post this till today as I would break down each time I tried to do it
.
Over the past 10 years we developed a close bond that
is indescribable in common terms - he was so many things to me - mentor, friend,
inspiration . Few people have influenced
me in this space, and he is certainly one of them. He opened a window called
“Arts” in my life and that of Nishant’s and that has changed the course of our lives.
Initially I would call him “Sir” and then “Ram Sir” …but
he would get very upset and insist I should call him “Ram” as that is how he
feels comfortable. It was difficult for me on two counts – his seniority and
also the fact that my husband was also “Ram “ [Sriram] .However he was
persistent and over time I got used to calling him “Ram”.
He was a maverick of sorts and his ideas for Drama
based intervention , his brain child –
The Velvi “Art for Autism” festival changed the landscape of the intervention
space for Autism . His vision was that of Autistics being honed to their full
potential and his belief was that each person has an interest or ability and if
we focus on that it can transform their lives. He had complete faith in his
methodology and in the client and that itself led to a high impact positive
change for the clients whose lives he has touched. His courage of conviction was
commendable.
He liked to liken himself to the Neem tree - and like
the neem tree he was sought after for his transformative abilities and wide
area of shade [read support ] he provided to those close to him . He could also
be perceived as a bit harsh in his approach at times as he never minced his
words – with him it was WYSIWYG [What you see is what you get]. He was the
master of masks, yet he wore none in real life. He was the teacher of Drama but
preferred “No Drama” in his life .
Excerpt from his poems “The Neem Tree”
“A boy looked at my leaves
tasted the leaves
cried " oh bitter bitter"
A girl looked at the flowers
oh they look like beads, she said.
a woman vendor sat at my feet
oh how cool , love the neem breeze
A carpenter looked at my trunk
" not good for a table"
The crow came flying
with a mouse in her beak
sat at the farthest branch on the left
started pecking into the bowels of the mouse
"yummy yummy" the crow said
suddenly i heard a scream
" kill kill him"
a man came running
hid behind my trunk
fifteen men came running with sickles
they were looking for some one
my trunk grew large and broad
the man was totally hidden now
fifteen people passed by still shouting and
screaming Kill kill him
He wants to start an industry in our village
how dare he
he is from the next village
How can he start an industry here?
They went away
the man in hiding came out
went away without even saying Thank You.”
He was also a very emotional person and experienced
all the “Navarasas “with authenticity. He held those who he loved in his heart
with deep feelings for them. I am privileged to have experienced that deep love
and faith from him which itself gave me such energy to go forward. I have seen
him do this for so many people, both facilitators and persons on the spectrum.
He had a deep love for his wife Nirmalaji and would
treat her with so much care and respect. He really took to heart the loss of
his close relatives and friends in the recent times, his mind was disturbed by
the finality of death. He felt courted by death and literally died of a broken
heart – so deep was his love.
He has left a void so deep that it will never be filled.
He has also left a legacy of love and work that we all have to carry forward .
He was and always be a legend. Bye dearest Ram
.see you in the ether world sometime …till we meet again ..adieu
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