நவாப் of குடியாத்தம்

Continuing with my recollections of the most interesting people I have met over the years. I find this an interesting exercise and if anyone finds it offensive let me know.

Tiger, The Nawab of Gudiyatham

The Nawab of Gudiyatham was known to all as Tiger Gudi and his truly inspiring story is recounted here. It is hard to do justice to all the work he done over the last 26 years in such a short essay. Hopefully the words in the blog will reflect the spirit of a truly remarkable man.

In 1969, Indira Gandhi stripped the Rajas and Princes of their titles and purses. Thus people like Nawab of Pataudi jr. had to take their baptized name. The Nawab of Pataudi jr. was credited in scorecards as Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi after 1969. He was called Tiger because he would swoop on the ball like a Tiger in the field. But our man was called Tiger for very different reasons.

Arcot was once a princely state and Gudiyatham was a part of it. In 1978, our little Tiger was born in Gudiyatham. He had been stripped of his royal title even before he was born. Thus instead of being called The Nawab of Gudiyatham, he was baptized Khalid Ali Khan. But local people still called him the Nawab. In 1993, during many of his shooting expeditions he killed a Tiger thus saving a kid la Kollywood style. So people started calling him Tiger Gudi.

In his first 15 years he led a protected life, like never visiting the town where the real people lived. At the age of 15, an incident which changed his life happened. One fine wintry morning, his charioteer being absent he took a stroll. As fate would have it, none of the palace guardians watched him go over to the real world. He walked aimlessly and found new places in Gudiyatham la Gautama Buddha. Tiger was reduced to tears seeing the poverty and took
a lorry to Trichirapalli. There he met his spiritual guru Swami Premananda.

Premananda told him,
``இராஜா! நீ உலகத்தைப் புரிஞ்க்க Polytechnic போய் படி. அதோட 7 வருசத்துக்கு நீ யாருக்கும் தெரியாம இருக்கனும்.''.
(Translation To understand life go and study in Polytechnic. Also you should not be recognized by anybody you know for the next 7 years)

Premananda subtly hinted at Sri Rama who went to 14 years in வனவாசம் (vanvasa). Tiger took his word and deciphered his hint. He took to Hinduism to avoid recognition. In 1997, after 3 years in Polytechnic he wanted to acquire more knowledge in Electronics and life. He wanted to meet Premananda to seek his advise. But Premananda caught in some sleaze scandals was spending time in jail. He had topped his class and his teachers said that he had to go to a college to get a better deal in life. Tiger thought it was divine hint for having education in life as well as Electronics. Thus Gudi spent his next 3 years in an obscure college.

His classmates behaved as if they were from royal lineage. Tiger was usually thrashed during the birthday bumps. He took all this humiliation with equanimity knowing that one day he will be able to get even.

During 1999 malicious rumors were spread about his eating habits. Tiger and Sriram aka Sethji were rumored to have survived on Tiger biscuits which cost 2 rupees per packet for the entire summer. People laughed and somebody estimated that they had spent less than 100 rupees for food over those 2 months. What a joke! Peoples imagination knows no bound. This is one of the jokes designed to malign Tiger's reputation. I felt sorry for him.

Tiger spent another year of his sanyas in an obscure company. In 2001, his sanyas was over he had a complete make over. He took a position with UT-Star in early 2001. Quite fittingly for a man of royal lineage he spent most of time in traveling in air and in 5 star hotels. The latest I heard was that he is with Cisco Bangalore. There are unconfirmed rumors that he is the
next CEO in making.

May God be with Tiger as he guides Cisco into the next level of competition.