- Edited and Published by S.K Nair Director Edutech Foundation - Bangalore
Benedictions of the Garden City to Sri P.Divakaran..
Sri P Divakaran is a name that is familiar to the Malayalis of Bangalore. He has made great contributions to the social, cultural and political spheres of the Dooravaninagar. He has served the people in the area for more than four and half decades now. His dearest friends and well wishers have decided to felicitate him in a befitting manner.
The Sapathathi Celebrations.
Sri P. Divakaran hails from a well known family in Vadakara. The name of his ancestral house is ‘Puranthodathu’ situated in the verdant village of Memunda. The area is of great historical importance as it gave rise to the heroes of the erstwhile ‘Kadathanadu.’ It is the region that has gifted to the world, the famous martial art form, ‘kalaripayattu.’.
Sri Divakaran completed his Secondary Education at Memunda Govt High School and came to Bangalore hunting for job in the Indian Air force. However he found his vocation at Indian Telephone Industries where he joined as full term apprentice and completed the course successfully. He was appointed as technician in 1975 and started his professional career. He acquired a huge number of friends through his dedicated services. He started his social service activities through Dooravaninagar Kerala Samajam and displayed his talent in organizing people for good and effective activities. He worked as the Zonal Secretary, Vice President and President for Kerala Samajam and the Educational institutions managed by Kerala Samajam.
He was elected as the Secretary for the Malayalam section of ITI Fine Arts Society. He was extremely active in the field of social service and became the President of Kalaranga, and a member for the ‘Ashraya Scheme’ of Govt of Karnataka.This characteristic of helping others had its origins in Sri Divakaran’s tenure as a member of the ‘Gandhi Squad’ at the Memunda High School, Vadakara.
He started his association with the Drama troop of Kerala Samajam stage plays during 1977 enacting in a play Malayalam ‘Neerchuzhi’. He evolved into a great actor and received many laurels and awards for his histrionic talents. Some of the plays he acted in are ‘Vedanayude thazhvarayil’, Ezhu Rathrikal, Mukalillakasham thazhe bhoomi’, ‘Kathirukanakkili’, ‘Jwalanam’, ‘Viswaroopam’, ‘Sannidhanam’, ‘Thulaseevanam’, and ‘Belakkinadige.’He also acted in many Radio dramas, ‘Ana Avana,’ the Tamil Serial, ‘Chuvappu Nada’, and ‘Noolpalam,’ Malayalam Serials, ‘ThirayumTheeravum,’ a Malayalam documentary film, ‘Balanavika’, and Belakkinadige Kannada films etc. More than remaining a mere artist he liked to be the organizer of various cultural programmes. He was also nominated by Government of Kerala as the member for the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy.
Sri Divakaran entered the political field in 1980. He was associated with KSU while studying in High School. He started being involved in various activities of the Indian National Congress. When the split happened in the Glass House meeting he stood with the Indira group. When the Congress supported the CPM Candidate at Varthur constituency, he boycotted the election campaign at Varthur and went to Shimoga to work for the Late Bangarappa. This set the stage for his close relationship with the leader.
Sri Divakaran Worked as the Block Congress Committee member, District Congress Committee Member etc and later became the member in the ‘Ashraya Scheme’ of the Karnataka Government. He was a close associate of the Late A. Krishnappa, the former Minister of Karnataka. Sri. BA Basavaraj, MLA, KR Puram has nominated him as the Land Tribunal Member, Government of Karnataka. Sri Divakaran was fully involved in the election campaign of Sri BA Basavaraj from the beginning. He mobilized his friends and well wishers in support of Sri BA. Basvaraj MLA during the elections.
Among his friends, Sri Divakaran has many nicknames the most popular being ‘Paropakari’ as he has always helped a friend in need. When his close friends shifted homes, he would be the one to often carry things from one place to another for them. This earned him the nickname ‘porter.’ None of these name or jokes aimed at him deterred him from his strong social commitment.
Once feeling pity on a child who had contracted rabies, with scant disregard for his own safety, he tried calming the violent child by hugging the child. This he did in a selfless act even as the child’s parents were reluctant to help. He had to take anti rabies shots for a week as a precautionary measure.
On another occasion he along with his friends Late T.Raveendran, TVC. Mohan, Haridas and me went to Oothungara Dharmapuri to help the victims of the Island Express tragedy. The group met all the victims in the hospital and informed their relatives in Kerala, arranged to send the dead bodies to their home in Kerala. There also identifying the dead bodies was a task. About 45 dead bodies were kept on a truck. Each and every dead body had to be taken out and searched for identifying marks. It was a gruesome task but performed with commitment. The entire police officials and Railway authorities appreciated the help extended by Sri Divakaran and team. Even today he has kept that spirit alive and is ready to help any bereaved families in extending his help round the clock.
Even while choosing his life partner, Sri Divakaran showed his sense of social commitment by choosing to share his life with a person afflicted with polio. Through his love and the treatment provided by the orthopedic surgeon of ITI hospital, the late Dr. Cherian, she can toady walk without much difficulty. He is blessed with one son, Mr. Kiran who also takes after his father in his involvement in the political and social arena.
When his friends approached him for celebrating his 75th birthday first spoke about the memorable association of his colleagues who are no more today. The people he remembers with great love and affection are Late M. Venugopala kurup former President of Kerala Samajam and Trustee of KNE Trust Indiranagar, T.Ravindran former General Secretary Kerala Samajam, KM. Ramachandran – President of Kerala Samajam, Somashekaran Nambiar KK – the best actor and Director for Malayalam Dramas, VR. Sudhakaran – a prominent stage actor and director, Ck Prabhakaran – a blessed lyricist, KD. Idicheriya – the Best Comedian, K.Vijayaraghavan – an organizer, Devaraj- Artist, C.Aswath– Kannada singer and Music composer, V. Eswar – Stage Artist and organizer, and many more.
Sri Divakaran is so secular but a deep devotee of Lord Sree Ayyappa. He visits the hill shrine of Sabarimala often and a large number of friends have accompanied him on his journey. It is believed to be a great achievement to visit Sabarimala eighteen times and Sri Divakaran has undertaken it more than sixty times.
His contributions to Kerala Samajam and the KNE Trust is highly admirable. He is the Zonal Chairman – KR Puram. He has worked as the Trustee, Treasurer and President of Kairalee Nikethan Education Trust under Kerala Samajam Bangalore. His association with Rejikumar the General Secretary and Sri CP Radhakrishnan President Kerala Samajam has shown the fruitfulness of getting 2 acres of land for Kerala Samajam in order to establish the Kerala Bhavan in Bangalore. The effort made by Sri P Divakaran in Coordinating our Honarable MLA Sri BA Basavaraj and Sri Sidharamaiah the then Chief Minister of Karnataka is known to all.
It is indeed a matter of great pride to celebrate the birthday of such a personalityand I on behalf of the felicitation committee, express the deep sense of gratitude to you all for supporting us in making this a memorable event.
SK NAIR
