Sockalingam “Sam” Kannappan is a first generation immigrant from Nattarasankotti, India, and came to the United States in 1968.  Mr. Kannappan is a recognized leader in Houston’s Indo-American community. He is the founder of Bharathi Kalai Manram, a Tamil language and cultural organization, and is founder secretary of Sri Meenakshi Temple in Pearland, Texas. Curretnly he is the President, GOPIO (Global Organization of People of Indian Origin) Houston Chapter.

As chairman of India’s Disaster Relief Committee, Mr. Kannappan spearheaded efforts to win support for India at the United States government level. He coordinated earthquake relief in Gujarat and met with lawmakers in Washington D.C., who approved an additional ten million dollars for earthquake relief. Kannappan has also helped Indo-American organizations to jointly raise $230,000 for victims of September 11. He also organized a seminar of federal agencies to improve awareness and reduce hate crimes against Indo-Americans.

Birth Place: Nattarasankottai
Education: BE (Hons) Annamalai University, M.S. University of Texas, Austin.
Profession: Consulting Engineer in Piping, Registered Professional Engineer, Texas

(sitting) Sockalingam Sam Kannappan, Meenakshi, Abirami, Ryan
(standing): Ramakrishnan, Ramesh, Soundaravalli (first daughter-in-law)

2. When did you migrate to the USA? How do you feel being in the USA far from your motherland India?

1968, I feel that I could more for India from USA than what I could have done if stayed in India.

3. Describe your early years in the USA.

Texas is very conservative State. Civil Rights bill was signed only in 1964, four years before I arrived. At that time, India was considered as a poor country with uneducated population. We worked very hard to receive any respect.

4. You are known for many social activities and community volunteer projects and you have done a lot for the community. How did you get involved in social activities? Who was the motivator? What was your first project?

1964 Fundraising Rs. 4000 for Bharathi Library and Road repair work in Nattarasankottai.
1969 Write instructions to assist new International students at UT, Austin
1970 Form Patients Hospitality Committee, India Student Association, University of Houston

I want to help all people, regardless of how I have met them. My satisfaction is to see the smile on the face of the other person. My mother Kaliyammai Achi and elder sister Saroja where inspirational in this way. I saw them help others when I was a child.

5. What are your other prominent community projects.

1971 Cremation of Heart Patients who came alone to Houston and died
1974 Starting Bharathi Kalai Manram after many differences in screening Tamil Movies
1977 Starting Sri Meenakshi Temple after working for three years and buying one acre land north of Katy freeway, Houston, for the Hindu Worship Society, Houston
2001 Millennium Republic day and Qujarat Earthquake Relief. Building 200 homes in Krishnanagar, Kutch after earthquake from funds raised in Houston.
2002 9/11 Relief efforts, Hate crime prevention against Muslims in Houston
2008 Hurricane Ike Relief to American Residents and UTMB Indian students, Galveston
2003 Speech delivered at NRI Conference, New Delhi  for linking Indian Rivers
2006 – Present: Vice-President, SNOM Trust USA
2009 Starting Global Organization of People of Indian Origin, Houston Chapter

6. How are you managing these projects amidst your tight schedule?

I ignore insignificant events happening around me. I focus only on “What I am doing and NOT on what others think about my performance. So time spent is always productive.

7. We have heard you have created some software for speech or recognition therapy and Tamil language. Please elaborate about it?

My son Ramesh and I created the first Tamil fonts on a TI computer with TI voice synthesizer first to assist MGR, who lost his speech due to stroke. When I showed Tamil words "Anna Namam Vazgha" on the TV monitor, MGR smiled and held my hands. Then I printed Tamil words for him. That was the first time Tamil words were created, spoken and printed in a computer. I used Basic and ForTran76 and the corresponding compliers.

8. What was the most satisfying community work you have been involved with?

In 1974, ten year old boy died in heart operation. Just before cremation, his dad Mr. Ramasamy wanted to place a pair of shoes in the casket. I trained myself to be unemotional when working with families of people who died. But the action by Mr. Ramasamy  was too much even for me. I was touched by this family even never encountered them  again.

SNOM Trust USA is a 501 c 3 tax exempt non-profit organization in USA. We raise $300,000 to $500,000 annually to sponsor free eye operations in Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkatta.Serving as Vice-President of SNOM Trust, USA Inc. Dr. S.S. Bhadrinath, Founder of Sankara Nethralaya is very humble and dedicated person. It is indeed a honor to work with him.

The Jaslok Community Ophthalmic Centre at Sankara Nethralaya offers free services to the Economically weaker sections. All our units follow the same policy of providing high quality treatment to the rich and poor alike.Some of the highlights of our Community Ophthalmic services are listed below: 1987-1992-Camps conducted on alternate Sundays in the Hospital premises. 1992-1995-Camps conducted with the help of NGOs especially the Tulsi Trust .1995-1997-An entire floor in Mahyco block dedicated for community services  1997-1999-With increasing demand, a separate Hospital started for free patients .1999 onwards-Jaslok Community at Pammal in the outskirts of Chennai.  Ophthalmic Center started in the heart of Chennai close to Sankara Nethralaya Main Hospital.

9. During your volunteer work what have you learned and what you want to tell to today’s youngsters.

Do things which brings inner satisfaction. Do not expect rewards. Reward will come in unexpected ways.

10. It is not an easy task to build a temple. You were the inspiration and the leader behind building the Houston Meenakshi temple. How did you manage to do this being in USA?

Sri Meenakshi temple is in Pearland, city south of Houston towards NASA space center. Acceptance of building a Hindu temple from the Americans living near the temple was critical. So it was a time consuming task to win American friends to accept a Hindu temple in their neighborhood. Pearland was very conservative. In fact the Pearland School District did not admit minority students in 1950s. After paying earnest money to buy 4.9 acres with my own funds, I visited with temples neighbors one by one with an American friend and requested their support.  In the later years I was able to use this experience to advice and help other temples . In Dallas, the temple committee was forced to sell back the land the committee bought to build a Hindu temple. In Livermore and San Diego, temples were built after a lot of difficulty. I assitsted these temples to get building permit. 

11. Any activities/projects in India

-Water Transfer between Indian Rivers in Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
-Making Nattarasankottai a Tourist Center.

12. Who are the most eminent and admiring personalities you have met in your life time?

Dr. Alagappa Alagappan, Former United Nations Officer and Father of Hindu Temple Movement in USA
Dr. ECG Sudarshan, UT, Austin. He was nominated for Physics Nobel prize twice. I worked with him from 1969.
Honorable Kamal Nath, Union Minister, Government of India
Pearland Mayor Tom Reid who helped to build Sri Meenakshi temple.

13. Awards you have received.

14. Are you involved in any social activities for nagarathars.

Trying to organize noon meals for elderly in Nattarasankottai

15. Any word on preserving our nagarathar heritage, homes and culture.

Start residential schools in Chettinad Mansions. Start small scale industries in Chettinad.

16. Opinion about our website http://www.nagarathargateway.com

Will be very useful. My best wishes are with the growth of the website.

Kannappan's 59th birthday at Nattarasankottai 

Inauguration of GOPIO Houston on Nov. 20, 2009