Kinathukadavu was a tiny hamlet those days. Dr. Kuppuswamy (Advocate) states that it used to rain heavily for three months year on year and the farm wells used to brim with good water in the thirties of the last century. They used to cut out a channel next to the well wall in order to take the well water to the farms. Therefore the place came to be known as Kinathukadavu (Kinaru means well in Tamil). A tiny hill on the western side housed the Ponmalai Velayudhaswamy Temple and the great Saint Arunagirinathar had sung divine poetry in this location.
Kinathukadavu was a tiny hamlet those days. Dr. Kuppuswamy (Advocate) states that it used to rain heavily for three months year on year and the farm wells used to brim with good water in the thirties of the last century. They used to cut out a channel next to the well wall in order to take the well water to the farms. Therefore the place came to be known as Kinathukadavu (Kinaru means well in Tamil). A tiny hill on the western side housed the Ponmalai Velayudhaswamy Temple and the great Saint Arunagirinathar had sung divine poetry in this location.
While farming had been the main vocation, a few tailoring outfits, ginning factories and small shops added to the flavor. There were about 200 odd houses here prior to the second world war and the local Sub Inspector, Revenue Inspector and the Sub Registrar were the big officials in the neighbourhood. Kinathukadavu had a Zilla Board primary school and another school which taught upto standard eight. This school was being run by Christian missionaries. An eighth educated person was considered to be highly qualified and if he could do a Higher Grade programme. It would help him to get appointed as a primary school teacher.
The Kinathukadavu railway station was known for its tasty sundal. The Coimbatore - Madurai train had to wait in Kinathukadavu for 15 minutes in order to get water for its steam engine. This gave a oppourtunity for the sundal vendors to make their stuff popular. Dr.Kuppuswamy was born to Palaniappa Thevar and Mariammal. She was the only daughter of Vedappa Thevar, therefore the son in law was requested to stay with the family of the bride. Kuppuswamy and his sisters Nagarathinam, Ponnammal and Subbulakshmi lived in the village.
Grandfather Vedappa Thevar had a lovely Villu Vandi (neatly covered cart) drawn by two bulls. It was well maintained and the plump bulls were well fed. It used to be requisitioned by officials on special occasions and therefore Vedappa Thevar was well connected. He used his petty shop and tea stall income to get his granddaughters educated. The three girls grew up to become teachers. Kuppuswamy's grandfather wanted to set up a tailoring outfit for his grandson but destiny thought otherwise.
Andipalayam Palani Gounder (father of Mohan Kandaswamy MLA) advised Vedappa Thevar to send Kuppuswamy to a school in Coimbatore. However Vedappa Thevar felt that it would be an expensive call. Therefore the advise of Palani Gounder helped Kuppuswamy to get a season ticket for three months at a cost of Rs.9. Kuppuswamy wrote an entrance and was chosen out of 40 aspirants. Kuppuswamy used to get up by 5 AM, get ready, have his breakfast, pack his lunch in a ' Thookku Posi ' (a container with a hook like handle) and walk one kilometer to the railway station. He would reach Coimbatore and walk to the City Municipal High School. Kuppuswamy would board the train once again by 5:30 PM and reach his home by about 7 PM. The young boy used to refresh himself and study until 9 PM everyday without fail. He was given a sweet by the school authorities on the day when our country attained freedom (15/8/1947).
Teacher Meenakshisundaram Pillai of Kinathukadavu used to make kids learn Naladiyar, Thevaram, Thiruvasagam everyday after the school hours. Ku. Natesa Gounder of City Municipal High School was the one who instigated Kuppuswamy to love Tamil. He was an expert in Tamil and Sanskrit also. Kuppuswamy completed his schooling and his grandfather wanted him to work. However the father Palaniappa Thevar supported him during his first year of Intermediate at PSG College in Coimbatore. He continued with his train journey and used to travel by bus number 2 to PSG everyday. His Principal B.R.Krishnamurthy, English teacher Kovil Pillai, History teacher Narayanan and Tamil scholar Ma.Ra.Po. Guruswamy had left an indelible mark on him. Guruswamy had learned from stalwarts and had moved with many of them. This would be reflected in his teaching - the stalwarts included Thiru Vi.Ka, Vellai Vaaranaar and M.P.Sivagnanam.
Subsequently the young Kuppuswamy did his BA (Economics) at the Government Arts College in Coimbatore. The Principal Menon had an Oxford background. It was in 1954 that P.Kuppuswamy completed his degree and he was the first graduate from his village. He had heard Arignar Anna and Director Samy's speeches by then. The youngster was drawn towards Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru those days and he had even composed a poem on him. Meanwhile T.V.Venkataraman (later this gentleman became the Chief Secretary of Tamilnadu State) offered him guidance. He advised Kuppuswamy to do some exams in order to get a good Government job.
Kuppuswamy had known Kovai khadar Ayyamuthu those days and this introduction got him a temporary assignment at the time of the Avadi Congress. This got him a salary of Rs.75 per month and was provided food everyday. His job was connected with the Congress conference and the exhibition. Kuppuswamy got the oppourtunity to see several national leaders and Pandit Nehru in close quarters. He joined Government service thereafter and joined law in 1960. Kuppuswamy acquired his law degree in 1962 and began his practice thereafter.
Meanwhile Kuppuswamy had got married (1956) to Subbulakshmi, the daughter of Thyagi Shanmugha Thevar in the presence of Chief Minister K.Kamaraj and Minister C.Subramaniam.
One day a young graduate had sought the guidance of Kuppuswamy with regard to his career. Kuppuswamy suggested that the graduate pursue law. On hearing this his wife Subbulakshmi (who was cutting vegetables and over hearing the chat) suggested that Kuppuswamy could very well follow his own advice by pursuing law. The couple could not decide on this and they decided to seek the advise of Shanmugha Thevar, the father in law. Therefore they packed the cut vegetables and came over to his Coimbatore residence. Shanmugha Thevar told Kuppuswamy that it would be better to be a lawyer and pursue politics for a Government servant was constrained. Therefore Kuppuswamy went on to pursue law at Chennai. He was with advocates like N.V.Nagasubramaniam, Arunachalam during his hostel days. Kuppuswamy joined under Rao Sahib R.T.Naidu in order to pursue his work as an advocate.
P.Kuppuswamy did very well has created a number of successful juniors. A.P.Jayachandran, A.Viswanathan, N.Sundaravadivelu, M.Savithri, M.Rajendran, A.Mohammed Riyaz, A.Rajesh Khanna, N.Prabhuram are well known among them. Kuppuswamy continued to serve the society through the Congress Party. He was with K.Kamaraj in the seventies of the twentieth century at the time of the Emergency and has had oppourtunities to move with Prime Minister Morarji Desai.
The successful advocate was a life long learner. It was under the influence of Sarvodaya Sangham Secretary Dhandapani that he did he began M.A in Gandhian Thought from the Madurai Kamaraj University in 1988. He used to study from his friend's estate home in the Nilgiris. Years passed and Kuppuswamy began to pursue a doctorate through Gandhigram University on the advice of Dr.Markandan (Vice Chancellor - Gandhigram University). Kuppuswamy used to visit Gandhigram University often and he submitted his thesis with the institution.
Advocate Kuppuswamy presented a paper at Divyodaya and it was here that he met Prof Dr. Meher Master Moos of the Zoroastrian College. He told her about his attempt to do a doctorate and Dr.Meher suggested that he pursue it at their institution in Mumbai. She had been the first Parsi woman to graduate in law from Oxford. Dr.Sulochana Sekar became the local guide. Meher Master used to read the essays written by Kuppuswamy while travelling to Tokyo and send her response along with inputs from the airport itself. Finally Kuppuswamy was awarded a doctorate in 2004. His study was titled ' All faith - Inter Faith - Peace Studies'. The doctorate was a comparative study based on Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism. Advocate Kuppuswamy became Dr.P.Kuppuswamy and he was awarded the degree in the presence of Dhandapani (Sarvodaya Secretary who was responsible for his MA degree), his wife Subbulakshmi and grandson Ganesh (his father Dr. Raja Shanmugham is a well known ENT surgeon).
Dr.P.Kuppuswamy used to talk freely on varied subjects with friends at the Coimbatore Cosmopolitan Club. His doctoral thesis was much appreciated in the Coimbatore Book Club. He was among the few to pursue a doctorate at the autumn of life.