A MAN WHO NEVER TOOK REST

There is a saying, ‘It’s not your fault if you’re born poor, it surely is your fault if you die poor’. The real-life story of Mr. Vasudevan V A is like that of a fairy tale or any inspirational story that can be narrated to young minds to lead a successful life. A story that inspired all of us to work hard, because it is evident from his life that hard work will pay off.

Vasudevan V A was born in a village called Vadakkanchery in Palakkad district. He was born to Appukuttan and Karthyayini on 27th August 1958 into a middle-class family. The date of his birthday was coincidentally on the auspicious day of Thiruvonam in the month of Chingam according to the Malayalam Calendar. Malayalees world over celebrate this day as the birthday of Lord Vishnu-The Protector.

As most families of that time who lived off the land relying solely on agriculture, financial struggles were common. A turning point in the life of Mr. Vasudevan was when his father passed away from a massive heart attack. The family of 6 got into a situation where they had to struggle for food and shelter. It was around this time Vasudevan decided to quit his studies and stopped going to school in the 4th Grade. He couldn’t sit and watch his mother struggle to put food on the table. He left home and travelled far and wide in search of jobs that could support his mother and siblings.

At the age of 12, Mr. Vasudevan got a job as a cook at a Match-Stick factory. Alongside his cooking duties, he started to closely watch and learn what was being done at the factory. He was fascinated by all the machinery and he quickly picked up on how they work and each of its different functions. He soon started to help with repairs and at the tender age of 18, he was made foreman of the factory. In those times and even now, to be made a foreman at such a young age is quite the feat. Once he was made foreman, he was able save more money than before when he was a cook. A few years down the line, he took over the lease of a match factory located in Payyannur with a few friends. The factory turned out to be a success and that was followed by the lease of another factory. After counting every little bit, not over spending, saving a good amount of money and gathering all that valuable knowledge and experience over the years, he started his own factory in Dharmadam, Thalassery. He named if after his beloved mother as Karthika Match Factory.

Karthika Match Factory was a success, but Mr. Vasudevan didn’t stop there, he diversified into other products and businesses. He started Karthika Pencil Slats in 1996 which started processing raw materials for Hindustan Pencils LTD. At the peak of everything, he had a few wine shops, an advertisement agency, oil distribution for British Petroleum, Transport and Logistics Solutions and so on. In the year 2002, he started Senex Computer Forms. He now has a combined workforce of more than 200 people across various businesses, 50 of them being women. He and his family have always been patrons of women empowerment and this has been reflected in his workforce. He was elected as the Vice-President of the Kerala Small Scale Industries Association (KSSIA) for the District of Kannur in the years 2002-04 and 2004-06. From 2006 onwards, he was the State General Committee Member of the KSSIA. His next Big Venture was to enter the Food Industry and was nearing launch when the unfortunate happened.

In the case of many businessmen around the world, we see that they often find it hard to have a blessed family life and effectively handle their business at the same time. This however was never the case with Mr. Vasudevan. He was a family man who had always been closely involved with his family and this mattered to him above everything else. He got married to a hard working and humble woman, Jalaja with whom he raised 3 children. His foresight in business was reflected through the commitment he gave in educating his 3 Children. Siril, his oldest son is an MBA Graduate from London. Sijul, his 2nd son holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the prestigious Christ University in Bengaluru and his youngest, Samridha is currently an Engineering Student. The combination of 3 different backgrounds adopted by his children goes to show the business acumen and foresight he inculcated in each of them. He has and will always be a pillar of strength for his mother, wife, children and many other families.

After all that he was able to achieve, God had other plans for Mr. Vasudevan. He was involved in a tragic road accident on the 19th of November 2017 that took his life. His untimely demise shocked his family and everyone alike.

Mr. Vasudevan taught his children that ‘A dream never becomes reality through magic, it takes sweat, determination and hard work’. Men like him are not born every day. He was one among many who came into this world with nothing but left it making a tremendous difference. May his soul rest in peace.

By Maneesha Janardhanan