Often we equate wealth with bank balance and big cars. But a man from Tamil Nadu has told the world that real wealth lies not in money but in a big heart. His name is Palam Kalyanasundaram. He was just a librarian by profession, but today the whole world calls him ‘India’s richest poor’. With this mango, the man donated his entire salary of 35 years, pension received after retirement and the amount of reward, a total of Rs 30 crore for the destitute children. To support himself, he did small jobs in hotels. Come, let us know the story of this great man.
A village where even matchsticks were not available
Kalyanasundaram was born in 1940 in a very backward village in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. The name of the village was Melakarivellamkulam. The condition of this village was so bad that there were no paved roads, no buses, no electricity and no school. There was no shop even to buy matchsticks. His father’s shadow had vanished in his childhood itself. Mother raised him alone and gave him the biggest lesson of life – ‘Whenever you get a chance, always help others.’ This one thing of his mother remained in the heart of Kalyanasundaram forever.
Started paying children’s fees myself
At that time, for education, he had to walk 10 kilometers every day to school and then return 10 kilometers. It was very difficult to travel such a long distance alone, so he started taking other children of the village with him to school. At that time the school fee was only Rs 5, but the poor people of the village did not even have that much money. Kalyanasundaram decided in his childhood that he would pay the fees of these children. He himself started buying books and clothes for those poor children.
Donated life’s earnings to charity
Kalyanasundaram was very quick in studies. After studying literature and history, he did Masters in Library Science and won the gold medal. As soon as he completed his studies, he got a permanent government job as a librarian in a college in Thoothukudi district. When his first salary came in his hands, he took a decision which became history. He decided that he would donate his monthly salary to poor and orphan children. This sequence continued for 35 years. Including his lifetime salary, pension and awards received from all over the world, he donated a total of Rs 30 crore. To earn his living and meet his daily needs, he used to work in hotels and laundries after his job.
Gave gold chain for the country
His love for the country and society did not stop just here. It is about 1962, when there was a war going on between India and China. The then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had appealed to the people to help the country. Hearing this, Kalyanasundaram directly contacted the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Reached Kamaraj. He took off the gold chain he wore around his neck and donated it to the country. The Chief Minister was surprised to see his passion and honored him in front of everyone.
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