A man of many words

Many would assume that government translators are born polyglots that grew up with a natural affinity for languages. It’s hard to believe then, that Narayanan S/O Velayutham, who serves as the Assistant Director of Public Communications at the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), nearly failed his Tamil mother tongue in primary school.

Desperate for him to improve, he was sent to his grandfather for Tamil lessons. Narayanan recalls: “He was the first simultaneous interpreter for Tamil in the Parliament of Singapore, and he taught me with a strict demeanour. Gradually I developed the discipline needed to learn the language, and I started scoring well.”

As his grades improved, his interest in the language grew. He wrote poems in Tamil and got involved in his school drama and debate clubs.

To keep the language alive in his life, Narayanan spent his free time participating in Tamil community events and literary activities while pursuing an undergraduate degree in political science. He also joined Ravindran Drama Group and ended up writing, directing and producing children’s plays.

He later followed in his grandfather’s footsteps. Narayanan now oversees policies and operations for government communications that focus on Tamil campaigns and productions. He has also been the Simultaneous Interpreter for National Day Rallies and state-level ceremonies since 2012, as well as the Chief Examiner for the Certification Examination of Professional Interpretation (CEPI).

“We live in a multiracial society, and I think these racial bonds will grow stronger the more we know our identity – who am I, where do I come from, what language do I speak, what food do I consume? And when we think about who the other person is, like where they come from, what they speak, what they eat, it helps us understand both the similarities and differences in our cultures.”

Narayanan says being recognised with the Outstanding Young Alumni Award affirms his conviction that he’s doing the right thing, no matter how tough the going gets. He still remembers some advice from Dr Lee Chu Keong, an assistant chair at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information. “He said that struggling hard and getting stuff done is the only way to feel complete and fulfilled,” he recalls. “This is why I always tell people not to take shortcuts. Pick the tough route, get that experience, and become a better person because of it. Whatever opportunity comes your way, grab it. That is the fighting spirit I developed at Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.”

Click here to read about other Nanyang Alumni Awards recipients.

This article first appeared in the first issue of U, the NTU alumni magazine.