However, Pitchappan's research had unexpected fallout. After seeing the papers, the villagers began treating Virumandi like an untouchable.
"People started looking at me like I was some other species. Though they are mostly relatives, it took a lot of effort to explain the details," he said.
When he called a cousin, who also carries the marker, the hesitant man denied that he carried the marker and leaves in a hurry.
"Saw him?" Virumandi asked, "He thinks it is some kind of disease.
Pitchappan was also equally critical of the early media attention and is concerned about what is said and written about Virumandi. After the interview, he said, "Do you have all the details you wanted for your article? When you go back, please be a little more sensitive about what how you write it," he said.
The professor added that something like 'Here's the first family of India' would be inaccurate. "What the study says is that he is a descendent of the first bunch of migrants who came out of Africa. We can't say he is the descendent of the first man who ever set foot in India," Pithcappan said.
Virumandi, however, has come to terms with the quizzical looks and comments. He said: "Those things do not bother me any more. I was thrilled when I understood what the discovery meant. I am carrying something that is a pointer to the ancientness of mankind itself. I am proud of the fact that I had a role to play in one of the most important questions of science. And also, how many people can claim to have ancestors dating back to 70,000 years?"
Image: Virumandi's parents.
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