L. Swaminathan, an alumnus of the P. S. High School, R. K. Mutt Road, passed away on April 28. He was 101 years old.
After graduating from school, he joined Presidency College. As a student, he was briefly taken into police custody for participating in the Quit India movement.
A chemist by academic qualification, he specialised in plastic technology and was also trained in Japan in the field. He worked in several corporates in Burma (now Myanmar) and India in several capacities. He started his own small scale unit at Guindy and was an active member of the Guindy Industrial Estate Association.
After he retired from his industrial career, he focussed on researching the Ramayana, and many of his works were published by reputed publishers like Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Motilal Banarsidass International.
Swaminathan was closely involved with the cultural association, Hamsadhwani, through which he promoted young NRI talent. This was an activity that gave him immense satisfaction, his family said.
Popularly known in school as “Elsa”, he was honoured with the Distinguished Alumnus award by P S High School in 2018; he also received the Oldest Alumnus Award in the Octogenarians Meet of the school held in 2025.
Swaminathan was the eldest son of another famous Mylaporean, Dr. P. S. Lokanathan who headed the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far-East.
Swaminathan is survived by a daughter and a son.
