Friday, March 03, 2006

But Rajaratnam lives on, my young padawan!

Chong Yong, a 15-year-old student in ACS (Independent), wrote a poem inspired by Rajaratnam's life and death (read poem here, posted at Otterman's blog).

The following lines (around line 15) caught my attention:
Such a great man, why did he die?

One of the old guards,
Faded into obscurity,
Those who cared, only a minority.

Kudos to Chong Yong for writing the poem, and for the youthful idealisms expressed.

In response to those lines, I'd like to tell young Chong Yong that all men and women, great or otherwise, die eventually. Immortality exists only in fiction (so far). Death is the equaliser, isn't it. The difference is in how we have lived our lives.

Did Rajaratnam fade into obscurity? Hardly. He's left a legacy. How many people could have said to have done that when their time is up?

S. Rajaratnam lives on, in words and spirit, my young Padawan!


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2 comments:

  1. I have to admit, I came to s'pore in 1989. Except for brief newspaper clips I know nothing of him till now. To think such an extraordinary man had spent his remaining life in recluse. Maybe it was for the better. For the nation to remember him when he was at his best.

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  2. You're not alone. Someone told me that the younger generation don't really know him. I guess Singapore school history text books might want to say something more about the Old Guard.

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