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TO K. Parameswaran Nair and his wife Priyamvada M.K Pillai, their golden wedding anniversary is a very special occasion, and making the event even more memorable is the fact that it coincides with the 50th anniversary of Merdeka.
The 80-year-old Parameswaran recalls vividly the day he married Priyamvada at Subramaniam Temple in Seremban. It was Sept 5 1957, just days after Merdeka.
“I was an Indian national working in Kuala Pilah and married Priyamvada, who was a Malayan, in an arranged marriage. At that time, many people discouraged me from applying to be a Malayan citizen but I went ahead, anyway.
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Recalling the days of yore: Parameswaran (left) and Priyamvada sharing a light moment as they look though an album of old photographs in their house in Petaling Jaya.
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“It was not too difficult to apply for citizenship in 1957. People used to gather in groups and the authorities would process their applications and issue them citizenship if they met the requirements.
“I never turned back after I obtained citizenship, and to this day, I am glad to be a Malaysian. Most of us were very much focused on working and leading a happy life,” said Parameswaran, who now lives in SS3, Petaling Jaya.
Parameswaran and Priyamvada, 72, are set to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary on a big scale at their home on Sept 5, and they have invited many family friends and relatives for this auspicious occasion.
“Our three children are well off and have families of their own. Our daughter Deepa Kumari, the eldest in the family, is a senior lecturer in Inti College Subang Jaya.
“Our elder son Dinesh Kumar is a director of operations in British Plaster Boards while our other son Rajesh Kumar is a senior lecturer in the Open University of Malaysia. They are very happy and so are we,” he said, as he interacted with grandchildren Divya, 11, and Dashana, seven.
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Just married: Parameswaran (left) and Priyamvada just after they had tied the knot at Subramaniam Temple in Seremban.
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Parameswaran was among the founder members of the Malayalee Association of Negri Sembilan, which was formed in 1957.
“We used to organise sketches and act in plays to raise funds for the Malayalee Association of Negri Sembilan building. By 1962, we managed to raise enough money and bought the Malayalee Association of Negri Sembilan building in Seremban for RM32,000.
Parameswaran, who had started work in Dunlop Rubber Research as an assistant clerk, retired from Guthrie Research as a supervisor in 1984.
During those days, Parameswaran remembers, the easiest food to get was bread and milk. It was difficult to get any other food as there were no small towns near the estates where he worked.
In 1988, Parameswaran and Priyamvada shifted to SS3 in Petaling Jaya as Parameswaran is a dialysis patient and goes for regular check-ups.
As his health does not permit him to walk, the couple decided to celebrate their anniversary by hosting a dinner for family and friends at home.
