Prof. N. Subrahmanyam, M.A., L.T., F.R.G.S.,

(14.01.1885 – 29.01.1943)

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VI. General and Personal Traits.

Idealist as he was, he would look to the practical side of things. He was always at his best in the many committees and other bodies such as those of the University, Teachers' Guild, Co-operative Societies, etc. He came to them after full preparation, knowing every inch of the ground. Keen on the promotion of business he would reconcile the diametrically opposed, bridge yawning gulfs and seek the via media. He kept an open mind and was ready to change the position he took up, when convinced by the discussion. He stood on no false prestige (all prestige is false, he said with his Guru C. C. Iyer).

As lecturer, he was genial, whether at school or college or elsewhere. He was a good speaker, speaking with steady eloquence, holding the attention of every member of the audience in the manner of his teacher Prof. Ramanujachariar; and would also step beyond the syllabus to inspire them with the great things of the subject. Crammers, too, found it a pleasure to listen to him and follow with the head, as aptly described by one of his pupils.

With his colleagues, he mixed on terms of mutual respect and with his students he was very popular. Long after they passed from under his authority having left school and college, they used to keep up with him and seek counsel on personal matters as well. He helped them with wise and helpful advice - not only students but colleagues, friends and others. He was eager to do his bit and help forward the deserving.

As excursion-leader, he was all eyes and ears, arranging and planning everything in advance, and selecting and explaining the things to observe, with a view to their geographical importance. He would keep careful watch over the flock, rallying them with his whistle, keeping to the time-table and bringing them back home in safety. He was the poor man's friend, cutting costs to the bone. It was a personal triumph to him to have led with great success a geographical party of about thirty persons over a thousand miles doing geography in Mysore for ten days at a cost per head of about Rs. 35 only, all inclusive.

Though after 1926, he lived for an idea, so to say, and was Geography-mad, as it were, his enthusiasm (unlike Prof. Drew's) was tempered with saving common-sense and a shrewd understanding of the situation. The Royapuram training had inured him to humour even at his own expense.

A remarkable feature of him was his excellent business habits and financial integrity. These were his characteristics even as a boy and they stood him in good stead when in later life; he had much miscellany of work to get through. He lived through life an upright man.

He was a voracious reader and industrious, and ready with tongue and pen. His intellect was served by a strong memory for words and places and things. He could easily pick up old familiar faces after long years of separation. He would gladly learn and gladly teach, take immense pains to master a new situ-ation. For example, he used to conform to the exacting conditions of Mr. M. Subramaniam and take lessons, all the first three years of the Association, until he knew the ropes perfectly at last. He was ever handsome in his acknowledgements, as when at last year's Annual Meeting of the Association he introduced Mr.M.Subramaniam as the brains, himself the hand, in those early years. He gave everyone his due and that generously.

He was simple in life and manners, was plain living, without sides; unostentatious and unpretentious. Genial in company, he was social and sociable, and kindly. He wore his heart on his sleeve, though daws might peek at it. He would share his thoughts and feelings, his hopes and fears with all, making no secret of them. And his emotional nature was sensitive to carping criticism and back-biting. He felt keenly the injustice of aspersions and insinuations, took offence and was prone to sally out and fight, keeping himself, however, ever ready to forget and forgive.

A College-friend, Mr. P.C. Chetty, B.A., dropping in by chance, found him busy at his desk and wrote: 'My friend, whose enthusiasm is of an infectious quality, is the founder of a Geographical Association, the first of its kind in India. Though he has passed the age of superannuation at which men unlearn such subjects, my friend is never tired of increasing his stock of knowledge which has now assumed colossal proportions. He is certainly a credit to his alma mater' (Free-lance Writer, April-July 1942 p. 13).

A normal day before his retirement from his Chair at Saidapet (say October 1938) would find him rise at 3 a.m., take brisk walks in his garden and settle down to work at 4 a.m. First, the college work; next, reading up new books to keep abreast of Geography and Literature. Typing and proofs for the Press, Maps, Correspondence. 9 to 10 a.m. Breakfast and to the College. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at College: usual lectures on Geography-teaching and special ones on Rousseau and Pestalozzi; and attending to administrative matters. Home again by 5 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. carrying on with work left unfinished in the morning. 9 to 9-30 p.m. dinner, and so to bed by 9-45 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays and holidays he overtook arrears whether left over or due to going on tours. An hour's nap after the morning meal was the only luxury he indulged in after retirement (Jan. 1940). This full time-table was diversified by visitors who were welcome at any time without previous appointment, by social functions and by meetings which he seldom missed; by going out and arranging for lectures. The calls of house-keeping would come in now and then; and very often the ruffled children would demand his attention as they cut in with disputes to compose. His amusements were the morning walks; tours and travels; social functions; and motoring for business. He cultivated a taste for music late in life; and he would have it on the radio as an undertone while he was busy at work. All his leisure he gave to work and his work gave him pleasure. The more his work, the greater his pleasure. It used to be a wonder to us how he could manage time for so much out-turn. He got the best out of time by his using it carefully and doing things once-for-all; helped by his business habits, he found time for all things.

He was a warm friend, a good companion and mixer. The picture his last years' students carry of him is of the loving father lecturing with his last child seated by his side. In person, he was of middle height and medium build; fair of complexion; with a big round head and full speaking eyes, the eager face easily expressive of his mind, now lit up by joys and hopes, now darkened by griefs and fears.

He married twice. The first wife was Mrs. Rukmini (daughter to C. Srinivasa Iyer, C. C. Iyer's brother); she was genial and cheery, endowed with robust common-sense. She relieved him of house-keeping, took lessons herself and helped him with typing notes for his lectures. When she died (1924) without surviving issue, he married again; his second wife was Mrs. Annapurni (daughter to M. Swaminathan now in war service in Sudan), who excelled in house-keeping. She died in 1937, leaving two boys and two girls, all of tender years.

It has been a melancholy thing to think of him as dead; I almost feel his warm genial presence even as I write. He was my cousin, my father's sister's son. We have known each other for the last 54 years. We grew for years together and have shared griefs and joys together and he would look up to me for comfort and sympathy, opinion and understanding until death has closed his beaming eyes at last. Such was N. Subrahmanyam as I knew and I pay with tears the tribute to his memory.