‘Uncle’ logs off, for the last time

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Whether it was his 39-year-long spell as a public servant or his inherent trait to field justice almost like an obsession, we do not know. But N P Chandrakumar believed that his words would change a few matters, at least in the minds of those who read it. It was the best a retired government servant could do, he thought.  

Chandrakumar, who was ‘Uncle’ to bloggers around the globe and who was one of the elder bloggers who ushered in the trend to this city, passed away on Sunday. It came as shocking as the way some of his powerful articles dealing with corruption and power-abuse appeared in his blogs. His heart had failed at the age of 68, he collapsed and breathed his last before any medicines could help. His body is being kept at the mortuary of a private hospital waiting for the arrival of his son from the US. The cremation would take place on Tuesday.

He was one man who never sat in front of his computer to idle away time. He always wrote with a mission. Chandrakumar’s two blogs - www.sarkkaarkaryam.blogspot.com and www.upabhokthavu.blogspot.com - were mirrors to his personality, that stood for social causes, fought against corrupt practices, loved the goodness in fellow-beings and loved writing.  ‘’this is the way I can use my long experience in government service to the benefit of society. I want my blog to be educative and eye-opening,’’ he had once told this reporter.

Years back, in 1984, Uncle, along with K G Narayanan, a colleague, had successfully tried Malayalam computing. Much before even blogging was thought of.  Later, when new experiments happened on the blogosphere, good and bad, and when bloggers got angry, poured out harshly, fought and got banished, Uncle remained in full control of his emotions. His blogs, though had a detailed profile of his, never really got personal. At the same time, he remained a personal friend to many bloggers, irrespective of age.

Chandrakumar was a member of the Institute of Public Auditors India, which made him powerful enough to ask for financial statements of any public sector company in India. He made use of the Right to Information Act and shared all information in his blog.

‘’He used to tell me that his health was giving him problems. But till the last minute he was active, his blogs were an asset to trivandrumbloggers group. It is a big void now,’’ says Chandrasekharan Nair (Kerala Farmer) who was close to Uncle.

Chandrakumar lived at Vattiyoorkavu with his wife. His daughter is settled in Delhi and son in US.

trivandrum@expressbuzz.com