Finance Minister P Chidambaram pays rich tributes
The centenary celebrations of Chitra S Narayanaswamy at the Music Academy, Chennai, on 26 March 2006 was attended by several dignitaries including Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram who was the chief guest at the function.
Addressing the gathering, the Finance Minister described Narayanaswamy as a pillar of Tamil and Chennai society. Like Rajaji and many others, he would have welcomed liberalisation as a measure to eradicate poverty in the country and bring economic growth, Chidambaram added. '
Chitra Narayanaswamy, founder of Chitra & Company, a Chennai based stock broking firm in 1946, was a former president of the Madras Stock Exchange and Chairman of the Seshasayee Group of Industries. Narayanaswamy was close to the Sanmar family for three generations. In a message N Sankar, Chairman, The Sanmar Group, said, “During my
formative years in Chemplast and Industrial Chemicals, I had considerable interaction with Sri Narayanaswamy, who was a Chairman of these companies. He was acknowledged as a financial wizard and an economist. But I soon realised his depth of knowledge extend to all matters concerning the companies where he was a Director. His practical advice and guidance were invaluable to me.”
(L to r): Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, N Sridhar, son of Chitra S Narayanaswamy and P R Ramasubrahmaneya Rajha, Chairman, Ramco Group, at the centenary celebrations.
Narayanaswamy was the President of the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a Member of the Tea Board for two terms. He was the President of the Voluntary Health Services, Adyar, the Children’s Club Society, the Brahma Gana Sabha, the CP Ramaswamy Aiyar Foundation, the Besant Centenary Trust and a host of others. He succeeded C Subramaniam as the Vice Chairman of
the Madras Kendra of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and was a Trustee of Kalakshetra. An outstanding economist, a distinguished philanthropist, successful businessman, dedicated social worker, connoisseur of art, an ardent lover of music, gifted speaker and a voracious reader, Narayanaswamy was affable, jovial, witty and ever careful not to hurt others. He gave his time liberally for a wide variety of causes. Endowed with a photographic memory and a fine sense of humour, he was a much sought after speaker at seminars and other public fora.
Dignitaries at the centenary celebrations (l to r): V Ganesan, Past President, Madras Stock Exchange, R V Ramani, Member Secretary, Kalakshetra Foundation, B Shivkumar, Chairman and Managing Director, Alpump Limited, P Chidambaram, N Sridhar, Ramasubrahmaneya Rajha and Mrs Lakshmi Krishnamurthy, Trustee, Sathyamurthy Trust for Democratic Studies