Dr.T.V.Sivanandam (1911 - 1984 ) was an eminent surgeon of his times. He had trained several surgeons and his inputs have nurtured an eco system that has made Coimbatore a medical destination. He gave free services to thousands of poor patients, mostly coming from rural areas, the sick and suffering with pleasure and efficiency. About fifty percent of the patients visiting the clinic and thirty five percent of them undergoing surgery were being treated free of cost by him. Dr. Sivanandam is known as a wonderful doctor, however it is also appropriate to recall the other services rendered by him to the society.
Dr.T.V.Sivanandam (1911 - 1984 ) was an eminent surgeon of his times. He had trained several surgeons and his inputs have nurtured an eco system that has made Coimbatore a medical destination. He gave free services to thousands of poor patients, mostly coming from rural areas, the sick and suffering with pleasure and efficiency.
About fifty percent of the patients visiting the clinic and thirty five percent of them undergoing surgery were being treated free of cost by him. Dr. Sivanandam is known as a wonderful doctor, however it is also appropriate to recall the other services rendered by him to the society.
He was a staunch believer in the co operative movement and had served on the Boards of the Coimbatore District Co operative Central Bank ( Committee Member & Vice President ) and Coimbatore City Co operative Bank ( Director & President ) for a number of years. He was responsible for reviving the bank from impending liquidation and make it a premier institution. The bank served a large number of needy and in recognition of the services rendered by him, the building that came up later was named as ' Doctor Sivanandam Co operative Building'.
He was the first to construct an underground strong room with safe vaults in the city. A number of banks including the State Bank of India at our city followed this pattern. He had also served as Director, Vice President and President of the Coimbatore Co operative Marketing Society for about a decade. This organization was catering to the needs of the farmers.
Dr.Sivanandam was also the Founder, Vice President and President of Coimbatore Co operative Housing Society and constructed 100 houses with the financial support of the Government for the poor as well as the middle class. Again, he was also the Founder President of ' Dr.T.V.Sivananda Nagar ' Co op House Building Society which has created a modern colony of middle income houses.
He was the first to launch the construction of houses for the middle income group in Tamilnadu. The co operator had also served in the managing committee of Tamilnadu Co operative Union for three terms. He has also conducted a number of co operative conferences and exhibitions.
He belonged to the golden age of the honest co operative movement. It was the time when the system served the people in the real co operative manner while also keeping the institutions free from` both - bankruptcy and political interference. The co operative leaders of the past used to give as charity what could not be accommodated by the system and this was from their pocket.
Education was his forte. He had served the Madras University Board for 15 years and had also served the Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya and the Avinashilingam Institutions all his life. The good doctor was also the President of the Government College Old Students Association and also the Chairman of the committee for selection of students for admission.
He was also a Member of the Executive Committee of the Tamil Academy which had published the Tamil Encyclopedia and Children's Encyclopedia in the year 1962. Its well known that he had served on a number of committees connected with medicine but it's also well known that he was a Member of the Central Advisory Board of Education, New Delhi for four years and it was the highest policy making body of the Central Government on Education.
The political career was also fruitful for the people. He was elected to the Municipal Council and he had worked towards the improvement of sanitation and civic amenities. Dr.Sivanandam was also elected to the Legislative Council for two terms and he had represented the Graduates constituency. It was a record of sorts for he was the first to be elected an MLC unopposed from the combined Madras State and the first to be elected from the Madras West Graduates constituency. He had done a lot of good work while being part of the old Indian National Congress. The country and the state had been served by these honest and hard working legislators those days.
Dr.T.V.Sivanandam was a deeply religious person and he used to organize a number of lectures during his heydays. Thirumuruga Kripananda Varier used to often deliver lectures at Coimbatore on his request and did so in order to raise resources for the Sukrawarpet Murugan Temple. Dr.T.V.Sivanandam was at the helm of affairs and he was responsible for the ' Thiruppani ' of the temple. He had also served on the committee of the Koniamman Temple and the Rathinavinayagar Temple.
The extensive lectures of Kripananda Varier at Coimbatore are recalled by the faithful even today. Dr.T.V.Sivanandam had organized a series of lectures on the occasion of his ' Pavazha Vizha ' ( Seventy Years ) at the Sharadhambal Temple and the subject was ' Deiva Thirumanangal'. The discourse took place between 17/6/1981 and 24/6/1981 and Thirumuruga Kripananda Varier enthralled the city with his devotion.
The year 1958 was historic for the Rotarian Dr.T.V.Sivanandam who had been active with the international movement since the year 1951. It was during this year that he had successfully mobilized Rupees One Lakh for the construction of the pediatric block in the district hospital and thereafter approached the Lions Club successfully for raising the Rupees Four Lakhs required for the maternity block in the same hospital.
Earlier he was with the Rotary Club of Coimbatore and thereafter he was the Charter President of the Rotary Club of Coimbatore West. He personally donated ten sets of the Tamil Encyclopedia to ten schools. The support to the society continued and he also donated books on Principles of basic medical research to ten research oriented medical persons while also honouring talented surgeons personally.
The Indian Red Cross Coimbatore gained enormously from his work. He had served as the Vice President for 15 years and in collaboration with Coimbatore West Rotary he arranged a medical check up and exhibition for four years. This brought in a net income of Rupees One Lakh those days !
Dr.T.V.Sivanandam had served as the District Secreatary - Madras Provincial Welfare Fund, Vice President - Discharged Prisoners Aid Society. He served on the District Development Council for 12 years. His services were quite useful at Seva Nilayam and he had also served as the Dr.B.C.Roy National Memorial Award Committee. Dr.T.V.Sivanandam had served the world of sports by being on the Governing Body of Nehru Stadium in Coimbatore. He was also the President of Victoria Town Hall Committee for a number of years. It was difficult to identify a sector that had not been served by this good man.
The great man was born to Parvathavardhini and M.D.Vellingiri Chettiar in the year 1911 and was married to Sundarammal. His only daughter Annapoorani is happily married to Engineer T.A.Shanmughanathan and the couple are blessed with four children. He had trained over 60 surgeons and this helped make the Government Hospital a surgical centre in the state. Thus this became the nucleus for starting the Coimbatore Medical College.
Annapoorani Shanmughanathan recalls her father and mother, " I was the ' sella kulandhai ' ( darling child ) of my parents and my father loved me. No other parents would have brought up their daughter with so much of love ever and no one will do so in the future too. I had a very happy childhood. He was a very loving and doting father. Father had contributed a lot to the temples. He had offered a number of Prabhavalis ( the metal arch behind the deity ) and Adhara Peedams ( a metal cover for the base ) to innumerable temples during his life time. Since I was born after my father had visited the holy city of Kasi, I was named as Annapoorani. Therefore my father took me to Kasi and Rameswaram before my marriage.
Father was deeply attached to Bangaru Adigalar of Melmaruvathur, Aranganathaswamigal at the Akilandeswari Temple in Peelamedu and Kaatu Swamigal on the foothills of Anubhavi. He used to often confer with the three of them on a number of occasions. My mother was lucky to have had such a nice husband. Appa was a really great man." The Dr.T.V.Sivanandam Memorial Hall stands as a fitting tribute to the noble soul.
Dr.T.V.Sivanandam used to study men and matters carefully. He used call a spade a spade and his hard work earned him a good name. He had worked with sincerity of purpose. Sometimes his frank outspoken statement may have incurred the displeasure of vested interests. This multi faceted social leader did much in not only in the field of medicine but in a number of other sectors successfully. A life worthy of emulation.