Ayyadurai passed away on 21st May 2013.
I had been working with him in Parry Agro for around 3 years and he was in Estate, being Tea Industry, and I was in Corporate office interacting over phone and meeting eye to eye during quarterly/Half Yearly/Yearly audits and any other special occasions.
His retirement is due this year end and he passed away due to cardiac arrest at the age of 58
Before I start my obituary, my heartfelt condolences to his wife Smt.Viji and his daughter Deepa and SIL Dinesh. It is equally sad for the departed soul not enjoying his retirement life with his wife and see his grand children. May God give them enough heart to come out of this sadness.
In my professional carreer spanning around 20 years, I have come across many people and Ayyadurai is one of very few with a difference and that really made me to write this obituary. I normally don't spend spend time on obituaries. This is my second one, the first being Padma, who passed away in her tender age of 18 because of cancer in Mumbai.
When I joined Parry Agro, Guru, the then CFO told me that I would be meeting ICE to know more about this business. He also added "His name is Ayyadurai and we all call him ICE". It was bit amusing for me to hear that name ICE and was yearning to meet him.
More than his thorough professionalism, I have seen his human side many times which I think, would be apt to mention here.
Once, we were going to Estate at Martycherra, in the TN/Kerala Border and , he patiently introduced me to all the staff and taught me the process of tea and he accompanied me everywhere in the Estate so that I could get the feel of the business. For his caliber, he could have entrusted this job to someone else. On our return, he provided me Bisleri water warning me that I could get stomach upset. He asked me the menu at his residence.
In Ayapadi Estate, knowing that I apply vibhuti and the previous night I told him that I forgot. He brought this from somewhere and provided me that morning.
Our trip to Hongkong was unforgettable. The award, we both got jointly, for completing the audit in time from Mr.M.A.Alagappan, the Chairman of the Group, was one of the memorable events in my parry agro life. It was a marathon effort to complete the audit in 7 days and we had an excellent team in HO and Estate and got the work done. He complemented me in this mission but I know the giant role he played and how modest he was
Though, he was cantankerous many times with the staff, I always introspected and found that such a person who ruled the Estate as a king and for a King, to be ruthless is part of his profession. His Estate atmosphere made him as an icon and the relationship between Estate and Ayyadurai was “stick” rule, unfortunately, no carrot.
I also thought, sometimes, psychologically, a person who is alone in Estate and moved with labourers, it is very obvious that he shows the same attitude to others. It also stems from the fact that the confidence he had in the business, Tea Industry, made him full of showing his authority and whatever he did and obviously his behavior had embedded with the authority.
Whenever he visited Chennai for Audit, his acumen on the numbers always amazed me and his expertise in spread sheets and he would take head on with any person on the performance metrics of the Company.
Another incident was on his daughter’s marriage. He introduced me to his relatives and praised me for coming in traditional dhoti and asked me to sit near Nadaswaram vidwans and listen to the music. He called me in my house and thanked me for coming for the marriage after two days.
I just called him a month back about his health and he thanked me for that too.
For me, honestly, I had a tough time working under Guru and ICE. It was a nightmare and many times unbearable. He also asked me many times how I was within my nerves handling him and Guru. He felt sorry many times for breaching the laksman rekha of his attitude.
My tenure with ICE and colleagues Balaji, Rajaopal RD and Praveen was very nice and pleasurable.
Will be missing his authority and his love for home made food. Invariably, April 14 and January (Pongal), he would be here for quarter closing and we shared home made food and enjoyed. Almost all Sundays, day and night working in Parry agro which did not happen anywhere in my life. It was another challenging working pleasure for me.
The late night discussion, we had in his room in MCC Club and Hongkong trip, where he made my wife, who never talks to any one, comfortable and allowed his wife to spend more time with my wife and made the later comfortable. When my wife finished the prayer in Hongkong meet, he complemented her for the prayer which no one did. My wife, of course, remembered this and quoted when I informed the passing away of ICE.
ICE is a difficult person to comprehend. For me, he lived like a King. One should always keep a distance to a Raja and observe and do what Raja says. For me, he is a like a jack fruit. Though, we had a love-hate relationship. Many times, honestly, I liked him silently.
Thanks ICE. Had you been there till your retirement, I would have come for your farewell. God is unkind sometimes.
Bid adieu ICE. Thanks for everything. I will be missing your smile more than your other gimmicks.
I had been working with him in Parry Agro for around 3 years and he was in Estate, being Tea Industry, and I was in Corporate office interacting over phone and meeting eye to eye during quarterly/Half Yearly/Yearly audits and any other special occasions.
His retirement is due this year end and he passed away due to cardiac arrest at the age of 58
Before I start my obituary, my heartfelt condolences to his wife Smt.Viji and his daughter Deepa and SIL Dinesh. It is equally sad for the departed soul not enjoying his retirement life with his wife and see his grand children. May God give them enough heart to come out of this sadness.
In my professional carreer spanning around 20 years, I have come across many people and Ayyadurai is one of very few with a difference and that really made me to write this obituary. I normally don't spend spend time on obituaries. This is my second one, the first being Padma, who passed away in her tender age of 18 because of cancer in Mumbai.
When I joined Parry Agro, Guru, the then CFO told me that I would be meeting ICE to know more about this business. He also added "His name is Ayyadurai and we all call him ICE". It was bit amusing for me to hear that name ICE and was yearning to meet him.
More than his thorough professionalism, I have seen his human side many times which I think, would be apt to mention here.
Once, we were going to Estate at Martycherra, in the TN/Kerala Border and , he patiently introduced me to all the staff and taught me the process of tea and he accompanied me everywhere in the Estate so that I could get the feel of the business. For his caliber, he could have entrusted this job to someone else. On our return, he provided me Bisleri water warning me that I could get stomach upset. He asked me the menu at his residence.
In Ayapadi Estate, knowing that I apply vibhuti and the previous night I told him that I forgot. He brought this from somewhere and provided me that morning.
Our trip to Hongkong was unforgettable. The award, we both got jointly, for completing the audit in time from Mr.M.A.Alagappan, the Chairman of the Group, was one of the memorable events in my parry agro life. It was a marathon effort to complete the audit in 7 days and we had an excellent team in HO and Estate and got the work done. He complemented me in this mission but I know the giant role he played and how modest he was
Though, he was cantankerous many times with the staff, I always introspected and found that such a person who ruled the Estate as a king and for a King, to be ruthless is part of his profession. His Estate atmosphere made him as an icon and the relationship between Estate and Ayyadurai was “stick” rule, unfortunately, no carrot.
I also thought, sometimes, psychologically, a person who is alone in Estate and moved with labourers, it is very obvious that he shows the same attitude to others. It also stems from the fact that the confidence he had in the business, Tea Industry, made him full of showing his authority and whatever he did and obviously his behavior had embedded with the authority.
Whenever he visited Chennai for Audit, his acumen on the numbers always amazed me and his expertise in spread sheets and he would take head on with any person on the performance metrics of the Company.
Another incident was on his daughter’s marriage. He introduced me to his relatives and praised me for coming in traditional dhoti and asked me to sit near Nadaswaram vidwans and listen to the music. He called me in my house and thanked me for coming for the marriage after two days.
I just called him a month back about his health and he thanked me for that too.
For me, honestly, I had a tough time working under Guru and ICE. It was a nightmare and many times unbearable. He also asked me many times how I was within my nerves handling him and Guru. He felt sorry many times for breaching the laksman rekha of his attitude.
My tenure with ICE and colleagues Balaji, Rajaopal RD and Praveen was very nice and pleasurable.
Will be missing his authority and his love for home made food. Invariably, April 14 and January (Pongal), he would be here for quarter closing and we shared home made food and enjoyed. Almost all Sundays, day and night working in Parry agro which did not happen anywhere in my life. It was another challenging working pleasure for me.
The late night discussion, we had in his room in MCC Club and Hongkong trip, where he made my wife, who never talks to any one, comfortable and allowed his wife to spend more time with my wife and made the later comfortable. When my wife finished the prayer in Hongkong meet, he complemented her for the prayer which no one did. My wife, of course, remembered this and quoted when I informed the passing away of ICE.
ICE is a difficult person to comprehend. For me, he lived like a King. One should always keep a distance to a Raja and observe and do what Raja says. For me, he is a like a jack fruit. Though, we had a love-hate relationship. Many times, honestly, I liked him silently.
Thanks ICE. Had you been there till your retirement, I would have come for your farewell. God is unkind sometimes.
Bid adieu ICE. Thanks for everything. I will be missing your smile more than your other gimmicks.
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