M Ravi

A good friend, Joshua, messaged me whilst I was on the plane to inform me that M Ravi had died.

I didn’t know him. But my mother did. And she was sad when she learnt that he had passed away. He participated in a Tamil dance competition when he about 12 or 13 organized by Christ Church School, where my mother was a Tamil teacher. He didn’t win but they were so impressed with him that they awarded him a consolation prize. Later on he became a relief teacher at that same school for about 4 months. That was when she got to know him better. She found him kind and polite and his students liked him and he would stay back after school to spend time and talk with them. He spoke good Tamil.

I have read his arguments he made to the Court before. They are well reasoned and good. Such a pity that he was afflicted with mental condition which at times might have affected his behavior and judgement.

Nevertheless, with lots of passion, he took up many cases for people who probably couldn’t afford to pay him any fees and he did his best for them, even when the cases seemed hopeless. And he put his heart and soul into the way he went about helping them, even at the expense of getting himself into trouble at times.

The outpouring of grief I see on social media and in the Singapore and Malaysia main stream media is a clear sign that people knew, noticed and appreciated all his good work.

A life well lived, albeit unfortunately short and flawed at times.