Dr. T.V. Swaminathan I.A.S. (80), retired Addl. Chief Secretary, Kerala and father of our Spl. Correspondent S. Chandrasekhar expired at Thiruvananthapuram on 12-02-2008.
Starting his career as Tamil news reader of the All India Radio, New Delhi, he joined I.A.S. in 1956 and was from Kerala cadre. He held illustrious positions like District Collector, Alappuzha; Chairman, Rubber Board; Chairman, Spices Board. He was Commissioner and Secretary of most of the departments in Kerala like Home, Industries, Co-operation, PWD and Electricity. He was also Secretary to Governor Jyothi Venkitachellom. An easily approachable official, he has provided government employment to more than 1,000 people, during his tenure.
A known writer and Poet in Tamil, he has several poems, essays, short-stories to his credit, the most notable being Kalather (Chariot of time).
A staunch devotee of the departed Mahaswami of Kanchi Mutt, Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamiji, he was associated with Hindu movements in Kerala. He personally took interest in making arrangements for the Vishal Hindu Sammelan and the Hindu Sangams organised by the VHP and the RSS in early eighties. He has had one-to-one interviews with Balasaheb Deoras, the then Sarsanghachalak, in 1982, when his son Chandra Sekhar was undergoing OTC in RSS.
A host of serving, and retired IAS, IPS officers including Chief Secretaries, DGPs etc. paid last respects to his body. A large number of BJP and RSS leaders including , O. Rajagopal, S. Sethu Madhavan, P. Parameswaran, Gopalakrishnan, Nandakumar, A.R. Mohan, P.K. Krishnadas, Umakanth, Raghavan, B.K. Shekar paid respects to the departed soul and condoled his demise. His last rites were performed at the Karamana Brahmins Crematorium by his only son Chandrasekhar in the presence of a large crowd of relatives and friends.
