Anbodu Rajamanickam chronicles a civil servant’s inspiring journey braving odds
Actor Mammootty with M.G. Rajamanickam at a function in Kochi during which the latter’s book, Anbodu Rajamanickam, was released.
| Photo Credit: R.K. Nithin
M.G. Rajamanickam’s rise from a boy who spent his childhood in a less-than-100-sq.-ft single-room home in Anuppanadi in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu to a senior civil servant has all the ingredients of an inspirational movie.
But Mr. Rajamanickam, now secretary in Kerala government’s Revenue (Devaswom) department, feels that unlike in a movie, his journey can hardly be packed into a couple of hours. That is why he holds on to a small book of gratitude as a reminder of all those who made the long journey possible, by extending a helping hand along the way.
His maiden book Anbodu Rajamanickam, which was released by actor Mammootty in Kochi on July 26 (Friday), is in many ways an ode to those benefactors while also being a motivational guidebook to youngsters, urging them not to give up on their dreams no matter how tough the going may look.
All through his career, Mr. Rajamanickam made it a point to interact with students, regaling them with his inspirational tales. Some years ago, a well-wisher asked him why not turn those stories into a book. “I resisted the idea till now since there was the danger of it turning into an autobiography, which I was not comfortable with,” he recalled. Of late, he had a change of heart. If it inspires at least a few youngsters, then why not, he thought. Thus was born the book that runs into 14 chapters over 260 pages, complete with photographs and caricatures.
The book mostly deals with his pre-civil service days with only a couple of chapters dedicated to his service period. “This is not a service story. In fact, I didn’t want to leave even the slightest room for a potential controversy,” said Mr. Rajamanickam.
Even the limited stories from his service days are confined to programmes being run under his watch, like the one for the remote tribal society of Edamalakkudy. The book also features interesting episodes like how his friendship with IPS officer R. Nishanthini blossomed into marriage and how his father, an ardent fan of the late actor-politician M.G. Ramachandran, found a name that would give his son the exact moniker, MGR, as his silver screen idol.
Senior journalist Tony Chittettukulam helped with writing the book through his many conversations with Mr. Rajamanickam and Ms. Nishanthini. The title of the book was inspired by a charity programme by the same name Mr. Rajamanickam came up with to help victims of the Chennai floods back when he served as the Ernakulam District Collector. A documentary by the same name was also released on the occasion.
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