“Saninum Ulan...Thanmai Anuvinai Satha Kooritta Koninum Ulan.” “Atom can be divided into 100 parts and one such division is ‘Kone’.”— King of the Tamil verse form, KambanQuoting the stunning insight that ancient Tamils had into nuclear science, which is reflected in the verses of Kamban and Avvaiyar, retired Tamil Nadu Electricity Board engineer, TK Natarajan, sets out to narrate the growth of nuclear power in his book “Min Vala Membadu”.Undoubtedly, the 221-page-book in Tamil on the development of electricity with special reference to Tamil Nadu is a handy primer for all those interested in understanding the basics of electricity, its origin, generation, transmission and distribution.Probing several ticklish issues including the reasons for below par quality of electricity, the desirability of nuclear power vis-a-vis thermal and hydro plants, the author diligently documents all the latest trends in the power sector including new sources of energy.Notably, the author uses poetic narrative wherever possible and draws on rich Tamil literary corpus like the Tholkappiyam to leave an enduring image of what he tries to convey. The working of power stations like hydro and thermal units, the systems that are integral to electricity generation like the draught system and ash handling are described in a remarkably lucid style.Throughout the book, Natarajan’s passion for using only pure Tamil words, without any shade or influence of other languages is evident. He refers to solar power as “Kay Kathir Veppa Kazhi Peratral.” For wind, he uses the word ‘Vali’, though ‘Katru’, is more common. Interestingly, to refer to Japan he uses the word ‘Yappan’. Although the choice of words and its usage demonstrate that the author is a puritan and a stickler to rigid Tamil grammar traditions, communication becomes hazy. The saving grace is that he has given English equivalents in brackets.Also, his style of using certain words together, as if such words were single, is archaic (like Meethuyar and Neduthuyar) and could be confusing to some sections of readers.Nowadays, Tamil words are often written and pronounced separately to ensure better understanding.For example, ‘Vizhipunarvu’ (Awareness) is today ‘Vizhippu’, (the state of being vigilant) and ‘Unarvu’ (feeling), which are two separate and distinctive words. Little wonder thenthat those without exposure to a high standard of the Tamil language will find the work cumbersome and tiring.A highly respected man for his erudite knowledge of the power sector, Natarajan served in the erstwhile Electricity Board in various capacities and retired as a chief engineer. He can be contacted at 9445272750.
Comments
0 comment