Way back when Beatles were still together, Jethro Tull was rocking the world with its whacky rock and Mick "rubber lips" Jagger was "painting it black", every Madrasi of any substance aspired to be a doctor. Mostly of the medical variety. Until they discovered a different route to doctor-dom: honorary doctor-hood. I do not imply anything derogatory by the use of the aforesaid four-lettered word "hood" although some aver that the "honorary doctor" was acquired mostly by "hoods". Be that as it may.
To get back to what I was saying, those were the days when we discovered that you don't necessarily have to go to the Medical College or slog towards a PhD to acquire the "doctor" title. If you were a sufficiently important politician one was given to you. Gratis. Without the hassle of learning, exams and long years of peering through microscopes or telescopes or whatever scopes that you had to peer through to get a PhD. Every other politician's highest aspiration was to affix a "doctor" in front of his name, some rumoured not to have been even conferred.
Times changed. Winds of revolution which were sweeping through South America blew over the South of India too. Suddenly there were revolutionaries everywhere. "Puratchi" (revolution in Tamil) was the name of the new game in town. Doctor-hood was temporarily cast aside in favour of "Puratchi". The leading revolutionaries were too well known to need introduction here. They were revolutionising, er.....um.....I forget what; but they were revolutionising something, else they wouldn't have been bestowed those titles. There was even an amalgam of the doctor-dom and revolutionary credentials for a while as in "Puratchithalaivar Doctor so-and-so....But that was a short-lived phenomenon and did not capture the public's imagination.
What did capture the public's imagination was military titles. So now you have Captains and Majors galore with a sprinkling of Field Marshals ("thalapathy"). There is even a case of "puratchi" making a hesitant though determined attempt to come back into vogue as in Puratchi Thalapathy (Field Marshal of the Revolution). No doubt a sumptuous title reflecting the achievements and status of the holder of that sonorous title. If landlocked Latin American countries can have Naval Admirals in resplendent uniforms gold braiding and all, we in Chennai certainly deserve Field Marshals of the Revolution.
After all we are a martial people with a great military tradition just as we have a great medical tradition.
To get back to what I was saying, those were the days when we discovered that you don't necessarily have to go to the Medical College or slog towards a PhD to acquire the "doctor" title. If you were a sufficiently important politician one was given to you. Gratis. Without the hassle of learning, exams and long years of peering through microscopes or telescopes or whatever scopes that you had to peer through to get a PhD. Every other politician's highest aspiration was to affix a "doctor" in front of his name, some rumoured not to have been even conferred.
Times changed. Winds of revolution which were sweeping through South America blew over the South of India too. Suddenly there were revolutionaries everywhere. "Puratchi" (revolution in Tamil) was the name of the new game in town. Doctor-hood was temporarily cast aside in favour of "Puratchi". The leading revolutionaries were too well known to need introduction here. They were revolutionising, er.....um.....I forget what; but they were revolutionising something, else they wouldn't have been bestowed those titles. There was even an amalgam of the doctor-dom and revolutionary credentials for a while as in "Puratchithalaivar Doctor so-and-so....But that was a short-lived phenomenon and did not capture the public's imagination.
What did capture the public's imagination was military titles. So now you have Captains and Majors galore with a sprinkling of Field Marshals ("thalapathy"). There is even a case of "puratchi" making a hesitant though determined attempt to come back into vogue as in Puratchi Thalapathy (Field Marshal of the Revolution). No doubt a sumptuous title reflecting the achievements and status of the holder of that sonorous title. If landlocked Latin American countries can have Naval Admirals in resplendent uniforms gold braiding and all, we in Chennai certainly deserve Field Marshals of the Revolution.
After all we are a martial people with a great military tradition just as we have a great medical tradition.
Can you hear the drums, Fernando?
ReplyDeleteRefreshing, though it's "many years since I have seen {a pen (or a keyboard now)} in your hands!