TO CARRY FORWARD AN ANCIENT LEGACY

IN the heat of the summer in April 2022, R Ram-akrishnan swayed the bo staff in his hands, parrying and blocking, in front of a cheering audience during a Tamil new year’s event at Ponmalai in Tiruchy.

- P THIRUSELVAM @Tiruchy

His fluid yet dynamic movements caught the eye of a group of youth from Manachanallur, a town nearly 20 km away from Ponmalai. Impressed by his mastery over the art, they requested him to teach silambam to the children of their area. Without a second thought, Ram-akrishnan agreed; a decision which transformed the ordinary life of a private school clerk into a tale of dedication, and cultural pride.

Born into a humble background in Ponmalai, Ramakrishnan, who lost both his parents at the age of 11 due to an illness, was raised by his grandfather V Nagappan, who ensured that his grandkid received proper education. After schooling, Ramakrishnan went on to complete his B.Sc. in statistics and currently works as a clerk at a private school. Despite his financial challenges and modest living conditions — he resides in a small house with a tiled roof — his commitment to silambam remains unshaken.

Over the last four years, Ram-akrishnan has taught the ancient Tamil martial art to over 400 children and youths in Manachanallur, free of charge. For this 35-year-old, the commitment to silambam stems from a vow to carry forward his late father-in-law’s legacy.