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Initials

INITIALS

# INITIALS

“Initial” is the letter beginning a word esp. a name, so the dictionary defines it. But, in real world, with some initials your mind is immediately drawn to some men/women and fond memories of these persons.

In our family, say GRS, doesn’t it bring memories of our father / grandfather? I don’t know if GSR was widespread, but I feel KVS is rather prominent. Any other instances?

Just say MS – who do you recollect instantaneously? That wonderful, melodious Queen of Carnatic music. MLV takes you to another Carnatic musician; TMS was the ‘voice’ of Sivaji and of MGR. Yes, MGR is known as just MGR. Like MGR, NTR was there in Andhra. But, no other actor was famously known by his initials. I doubt whether Shah Rukh is known as SRK. The film personality Meyyappan is known by AVM.

Think of JRD, the name Tata just pops out. The man who put India on the steel industry map and on civil aviation among many other things. The three letters TVS signify the man TV Sundaram Iyengar, the one man who is behind Tamilnadu’s automobile eminence. The financial brain Krishnamachari was simply known as TTK. How many of those traveling in their TVS bikes through Mowbray’s Road, now re-christened as TTK road know these famous personalities?

Ma Po Si was a Tamil freedom fighter who was instrumental in the formation of Tamil Nadu State and chiefly for the retention of Madras City in Tamilnadu. Had it not been for “ma po si”, Andhra would have annexed this City. His full name was Ma Po Sivagnana Kramaniyar. Incidentally, this year is the 100th birth year of “ma po si.” Another famous social reformist known by his initials is “ee ve ra” (EVR).

“Mu Va” was a famous Tamil scholar; so were “Thiru Vi Ka” (Thiru Vi Ka saalai aka Royapettah High Road) and “U ve su”. Some Tamil writers like “Laa Sa Raa” and “Ja Raa Su” were famous. Ki Vaa Ja was another famous Tamil writer; he was the editor of “KalaiMagal” a very decent magazine.

I cannot recall offhand any non-Tamil politician or social activist who was known by his/her initials. Then, Gandhi would be MKG and Nehru MJN!! How about other countries? Except for JFK (John F Kennedy), I cannot count any other name.

Among sports-persons and scientists there is none, as far as I know, who is called by his initials.

Decades back, people put their initials invariably – e.g. C Subramaniam, DK Pattammal, CV Raman, B Saroja Devi, MAK Pataudi, etc. but recently it is the trend to call everybody by “two names”, like Lalu Prasad, Sudha Ragunathan, Verghese Kurian, Hrithik Roshan, Rahul Dravid. Tell me, in names like Murali Karthick and Dinesh Karthick, what part is HIS name and what part his father’s?


Rajappa
17 Nov 2004 14:00

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