Paul Harris Daniel - Red Tea

Hey There! Let me not blabber this time. You all know that I wrote a so-called My Views on the movie Paradesi. And I sent it to Visitors' column in Behindwoods. And someone who read my has shared some thoughts on the Author of the Novel Red Tea. Since so less information regarding the author is available on the Internet, I just thought of putting it on my blog and contribute to the answers of those who are searching for this great Author. I sincerely thank the person Mr. Devadas Mohan for taking his time to send what he knew about the Great Person who wrote the Novel "Red Tea". Thank you, Sir. If you're reading this, I am happy like I am in heaven!  So, Mr. Devadas Mohan sent me an Email expressing his love towards Paul Harris Daniel who named Devadas Mohan. Pretty interesting, huh? :) 

Dear Mr. Raja Guhan,

Recently I have gone through your article in ”Behind Woods” regarding Bala’s Paradesi & Dr. Paul Harris Daniel’s Red Tea.

Many people unaware of Dr. Paul Harris Daniel and his Novel Red Tea.

I am sharing here the details of Dr. Paul Harris Daniel, which are in my memory for long time.

·         He was a Chief Medical Officer of Peria Karamalai Group Hospital, a plantation Hospital at Peria Karamalai Estate, Valparai and was living with his family in the Bunglow provided by the Plantation Company near by Hospital.

·         My memory never lost, because I was the first born child in the said Hospital in 1956 ( 1955) and Dr. PH Daniel named me as ’ Mohan Das’, as he was staunch supporter and admirer of Gandhi.

·         In those days, the plantation life was very miserable, and every thing good or worse, was happening around the plantations were known to him.

·         He was also visiting other Plantation Hospitals, like Mudis, Paralai etc., and the doctors working there are well known to him.

·         His visits to different plantations instigated him to write the novel ‘ RED TEA’ which I read when I was in 8^th Std. The narrations in the novel are still in my memory.

·         What I read in the novel were really happening in our presence.

·         My father was also working in the said hospital till his retirement and we were frequent visitors to there and know the doctor PH Daniel.

·         The photographs of Dr. PH Daniel were with us for long time and have been lost in the changing locations.

·         He started the co-operative movement of Anaimalai Staff Association at Valparai.

·         As a part of Election Campaign, he organised a programme at Valparai Ground. Mr. T M Soundararajan & LR Easwari were invited by him, in the year(not exactly known)

·         He was a faithful Christian. But never involved in Conversion of plantation workers to Christianity.

·         Always he fought for the betterment of plantation workers, health, hygienic living conditions, sanitation etc.

·         Bharat Scouts & Guides – movement was in the Plantation School ( Peria Karamalai Aided Middle School) and then Head Master Mr. P Israel worked closely with Doctor Daniel for the children of Plantation Workers.

·         After leaving the plantation, he was at Coimbatore for quite some time (ref.Personal Interview by Mr. Raviraman for his thesis ‘ Bondage in Freedom and Colonial south India Plantation Area-1797-1947”.

·       Photograph of the Hospital, where Dr. Paul Harris Daniel worked.

The Slum Dog Millionaire Effect

First of all, let us get this straight. I am not from Mumbai. Just letting you know, because you might have jumped into wrong conclusions after seeing the title. Neither am I gonna be participating in any Game show and win money nor am I gonna escape from a Child-kidnapping Group.

This happened to me in the second year of my college. I was volunteering my Agricultural College's Literary events 2012-2013, and all thanks to Dr. Kothandaraman Sir for giving me that offer. I surely wouldn't have had any more experience and exposure elsewhere. It was literally the best week I've had in that academic year. So many new friends, Bonding with the participants, getting to know the Seniors (for the first time, seriously!), motivating fellow students to participate in events, Self-participation ( and winning, it seems like I am bragging, doesn't it? Anyways..) and having a wonderful time away from classes. Sir, if you're reading this, I am extremely grateful for getting me that volunteering. Thank you so much, Sir!

I was so much into this Volunteer-thing that I loved it so much and did each and every thing with all my heart and soul (bro, we only have one heart and one soul. People, introducing the disastrous Guhan!). There are couple of things that I needed to work on when I go there.

1. Getting the names of the Participants as a Name list.
2. Serving Tea to the Volunteers and the Judges and the Guest Professors present during the event.

I had to take care of these two jobs with utter care ( Why am I using this word "utter" in many places? Yeah, in Facebook  in my movie reviews and here. Hmm. Suspicious) My personal favourite is the serving-the-tea part. My juniors Yuvaraj, Naveen and Boopathi were co-operating so good. Thank you, Junior Volunteers.  So, here's the thing, they would buy Tea from the canteen and place it outside the competitions hall. And I would serve them to the Judges and whomsoever I am told to serve.

That day was the day for Quiz. yes, it was a General Quiz Competition. There was a Professor hosting the show after a Preliminary test for selecting the 5 finalists. So, my first job was to collect all the question papers from the participants who participated in the Preliminary test. So Number One : CHECK

Before going to Number Two, (No, I am not making a Poo-poo joke ) get this. There were some of my friends who had come to participate in the preliminary. And they all did their best but among them was a friend of mine named Raj Kumar hailing from Pudhukottai district. Actually why I am mentioning his name with his place is that there are 13 Raj Kumars in my class, so to break the confusion rings, I did that. Anyways, he participated and after writing the preliminary, he and his team ( a team has three participants) said that " We're leaving" but luckily, they were luckily selected for the Finals and guess what they bagged the second prize. A Special Shout-out to him and his Team mate Jeeva and another guy. This shows what? Participation does matter.

Then the second job is......Serving. Yeah, you remember? Guess I am not boring you this time. No? I am. Well, Some things never change. Back to business. The juniors picked up tea and the Finals was going on inside where I was filling up the tea cups to get crackin' ( I mean, to serve ). In the competition, if the participants don't answer, the question goes to the audience and if someone from the audience answers he/she gets a chocolate. LET THE GAMES BEGIN. (Guhan, wrong time, wrong Dialogue) Sorry, got distracted.

There was this one round where they would show a personality with 1/4th of the photo and the participants have to find who the personality is. It was going when I was ready with the Tea tray and Biscuits arranged on the tray entering the hall. Before I tell you that, I watch The Big Bang Theory, right? The show is very popular that they sometimes talk about this popular Physics guy and that guy has even appeared on the show. I hang out at a place called Calorie Corner in Chidamabaram. There, they keep the walls with the pictures of Scientists like Einstein, Newton, and this guy! So, I am so familiar with this guy.

As I said, as I entered the room, the participants were looking at the Screen in a puzzled manner. I planned to give tea to the Volunteers first before giving it to the Professors who were there that day. Because the benches and the seating arrangement was like that. While walking towards the volunteers, I glanced at the screen. I didn't even know what the round was. But I am no duck, I could easily understand what was going on there. "They have to guess who the personality is". Bam! Nailed it. And whom I see there? That Big Bang Show guy's one quarter picture beaming on the screen. I was so excited that I wanted to answer and I didn't know that there would be an audience's turn. The Participants were all silent and the question was passed to the audience. And now who watched "The Big Bang Theory"? Who was bringing tea? Who knew that guy? Well, all these questions could be answered with a simple monosyllable. ME!

It was none other than Stephen Hawking. I answered and the audience roared with applause. Never expected it, still don't believe it. They gave me a chocolate and I gave that to someone. It was a very fun day and yes I did serve the remaining tea to everyone. Don't worry.

Dude, What does this have to do with the Slumdog Millionaire?

Well, in that movie, he is a Chai Wala ( Tea Guy ) and he serves tea in a Computer Company or something when he goes into a place where there's someone teaching and the one who teaches asks a question and a guy doesn't know the answer and this protagonist answers. You've seen this? Well, as soon as I answered with that tea tray in my hand, I felt as if I was a part in the Slumdog Millionaire. Yes and that film got Oscars.

But you get the point, right? Anyways, this time, I think I've bored you less. I am capable of more.

Jokes apart, thanks for reading. Love, Guhan! :)