Scholar and visionary

MEMBERS FROM different strata of society in Chennai recently gathered to pay tribute to a prominent citizen of the metropolis - a man who was responsible for spawning residential colonies and for pioneering the `open air theatre concept'.

Dr. Devanathan, distinguished scholar, former member of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board and promotor of urban colonies in and around Chennai, who passed away recently, was paid glowing tributes last week at a special condolence meeting. That a road in Mandaiveli in the city and a few colonies are named after him is a tribute to the man's vision for the growing metropolis. As another developer, Mr. S. Appaswamy put it, in 1960 itself, Dr. Devanathan introduced the four-in-one type flat system in Devanathan colony for the first time in the city and even developed an industrial estate. A visionary and missionary, he did not lose humane characteristics while pursuing his business activities.

Dr. Devanathan was a scholar par excellence with equal ease in Tamil, English and Sanskrit. He obtained the Sironmani degree equivalent to a PG degree, from Madras University, a diploma in Sahithya Visharada from the Madras Sanskrit College. He also secured a Litt. Degree from Ballarpura University and a Ph.D. on Sri Ramanuja's philosophy, teachings and achievements. He was engaged in filing a thesis for getting the degree of D.Litt on Visishtadwaitha, from the University of Pune.

But his versatility did not end there. His scholarship in various branches of Law, such as Urban Land Ceiling, Urban Land and Entertainment Taxes, besides on Constitutional Law, drew for him great respect from judges and senior advocates. He also pioneered the art of presenting memoranda for bringing ``corrections'' to legal provisions that caused hardship to the public at large. He was also a well-known honorary special magistrate.

Industrialist Mr. T. T. Vasu, former Judge of the Supreme Court Mr. S. Natarajan, Mr. Justice R. Balasubramanian of the Madras High Court, advocate Mr. Mohan Parasaran, Indian Bank General Manager, Mr. T. Valliappan and senior bureaucrat, Mr. R. S. Kannan, recalled Dr. Devanathan's ``warmth and simplicity''.

Mr. Vasu noted that Dr. Devanathan owned a property in Injambakkam, which was later developed as an open-air theatre. Mr. Mohan Parasaran recalled how Dr. Devanathan was a key advisor to the late N. T. Rama Rao, when the latter was the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Features
Previous : Art camp at Pondicherry
Next     : Vedic scholars honoured