Life in the 50s
I was admitted in the Middle School adjacent to the church in the 5th form and it was in that year that I decided that I should study well. That was after reading a book on Madam Curie, the Nobel laureate.Her tireless work which culminated in getting the Nobel was really inspiring.Meanwhile one of our uncles told us that scholarship would be given by a Trust in Thrissur to deserving poor students and I should apply for that.Accordingly I applied for it and to my surprise I was given the scholarship.As father had no specific job to maintain us and the tenants start delaying the payment of rent thinking that new Govt would bring legislation to end the agricultural tenancy,financial position of our family became critical.However the eldest brother completed his graduation and got a teaching job in a college in Palghat.
.The life in those days was pretty bad as financial position of the family continued to be poor though the elder brother had started sending money through money order facility of the post office.
Father also earned a little by doing some work for the local namboodiri family such as visiting their farm houses and supervising the agricultural operations there and also attending to sraddham etc.There was no pocket money given to us by father but during cashew season we were allowed to sell some cashew seeds and utilize the proceeds for going to cinema etc.I became a member of the local grameen vayanasala(library) on the specific advise of our Head Master and became a voracious reader reading anything that was printed..I passed the 7th Form from the middle school run by the church and while receiving the certificate and TC the teacher told me that I got the only first class in the public examination. from that school
My elder brother was admitted in the Government School in Thrissur and I also wanted to join in that school.But father took the stand that it would be better to join a nearby school as Thrissur was faraway (about 5kms) .So I was admitted in the high school in a nearby place, about 2.5 kms from our house.
I used to carry the lunch in a box which would be kept in a shop near the school and at lunch time I would come all the way from school , had lunch and returned to school. Everyday the same items used to be kept in the lunch box, rice mixed with buttermilk, some achar of gooseberry and sometimes some vegetable .One day I complained to mother that I was fed up with these items and wanted some money for buying something fried from the hotel near the school. but mother told that we didn't have enough cash to meet such expenditure.So my desire for fried snacks(vada) remained only in dream.
I also joined in the Boy Scout organisation of the school and had opportunity to meet Boy Scouts from another school(Wadakkancheri).In one of our camps I showed a magic of burning paper without the help of match sticks.and my friends were wonder-stuck.It was done with some potassium permanganet and glycerin, a knowledge I got from a magazine.
Due to financial problems I could not buy new text books and therefore depended on second hand books available at half the price from seniors.That practice was continued till I passed School Final(Secondary School )I used to walk about 4 kms sometimes(village A) to read books available with my cousin..I studied well and got first class in the final exam(SSLC).Another boy also got first class in that year.The rest of the students passed without any class.
During the school days I developed a liking for writing short stories and got the first prize for short story writing conducted in connection with School Annual Day.I also got the first prize in short story writing conducted by the local Library.
Having passed the School Final the only option for higher studies was to join in the college as I did not like to go for diploma/certificate course in engineering. Since I had first class there would not be any problem to get admission in the best college in the town.So I applied and got admitted in the Pre-Universty Cass, a one year course to be completed for joining degree course
.I used to walk from home to the college, a distance of 5 kms in an hour or so everyday as the buses were very very limited and they charged also..I approached the management of the college for financial assistance and I was called for an interview.at the office of the bursar of the college at the Bishop's Palace.I told everything about our financial condition and how I completed the school education with scholarships from charitable organisations.The priest took a favorable stand and recommended my case for reduction of 50 percent of the normal fees.Still I had to pay Rs 9 every month which my family found difficult to pay. as other brothers were also required to pay their tuition fees
As already stated in an earlier blog , immediately after joining the college, the Asian flu(1957) started spreading throughout India and most of the people fell victim.In our family mother did not contract the disease and we were all believing that because of her pious nature she did not get it saving our family .After I got rid of the disease, my health condition became poor , had to be on leave very often from the college.My close friends including R came to our house and one of them expressed the view that I might not survive.
As already stated in an earlier blog I passed the Pre- university exam with the encouragement received from my Professor of English VS
After passing the PUthe problem again arose about future studies.I went to Coimbatore alone at that age(17-18) to meet my elder brother who was a Lecturer in a Govt. college there.He advised me to go for Arts subjects as my marks in the PU for maths , physics and chemistry were not that good.The other option was to go for zoology, botany group for which I had better grade in the PU but I did not like those subjects and going for medicine later was unthinkable as I was afraid of sickness. and death.
Finally I joined in the local college for BA Economics Main with Political Science and World History as subsidiary subjects
In those days there was a feeling among the students that only dullards would go for Arts subjects and the intelligent would go for science , maths or commerce. I found the classes boring and got the feeling that I could clear all the exams with ease.Only selection of Hindi as an optional language during the degree course was my mistake and I cursed myself for selecting a subject I was not interested..I used to tell all thereafter never select a subject you were not interested for studies for heaven-sake and make your life miserable .
As I was overconfident in getting through the exams I started skipping the classes and doing some extra curricular activities like participating in the Association programs of RD, starting a small library in our village and taking tuition ..That tuition work brought me some pocket money and I started coming to college by bus instead of on foot and going to hotel during lunch break instead of bringing the lunch from home .all the way.
The Association used to bring out a magazine and I was officially the printer and publisher.It appears that every year by march the publisher should publish the ownership details of the magazine and if not published, liable for prosecution.
One day a police man came to the house in the morning with a notice that I should explain why I should not be prosecuted for not publishing the details as required as per law.We were all agitated and father told that I should immediately discontinue the membership of the association ... RD had become a full fledged Advocate then and I consoled father that RD would sort out the matter with the authorities and no need to cut off the membership. or association with RD.
The library became very popular and we tried our level best to increase the number of books in the library so that we could apply to the state library council for registration and get some grant every year,I approached some of our professors and lecturers to donate books and some of them gladly donated.We could collect some books but not sufficient enough to get recognition from the Govt.Then we arranged for the Annual Day, invited important people to preside over the function and deliver speeches .That was the second occasion when I tried to make a public speech.I was terribly upset being an introvert but with much effort could deliver the speech and later I was told it was not bad. by our President .The earlier occasion was when I was studying in the middle school , I was asked by my class teacher to make a speech at the send off function for the Father(priest) of the church managing the school. In spite of my reluctance, I was forced to come to the stage, say something, but no words were coming from my mouth.Fortunately the Father understood my position and prompted me from back( in low voice) what I should tell about him and I faithfully reproduced his words.and the audience applauded and we were taken to the new church at Thrissur were the priest was posted and were given a grand tea party.
After the Annual function of the library the accounts were to be finalized. A committee member told that he lost the receipt book and could not remember the exact amount he collected.The other members got agitated over the issue and started abusing the member telling that he had misappropriated huge amount..I tried to explain that the amount should not be that too big as from my own experience people gave maximum one rupee or half a rupee and not more than that..The financial position of most of the people was bad then and I found to my surprise poor people were giving more compared to the so called rich.Any way the dispute continued and the accounts could not be finalized and I got so much fed up with the whole thing that I tendered resignation letter as secretary of the Library .I also decided that henceforth I would not hold any responsible post in any organisation and get myself worried over small small things.With the resignation, the Library was closed for ever. the books were taken over by the President.and the owner of the library room let out it to some other people, I think
The last year (1959) passed away without any major event I think..I will come back again for stories starting from the year 1960
.The life in those days was pretty bad as financial position of the family continued to be poor though the elder brother had started sending money through money order facility of the post office.
Father also earned a little by doing some work for the local namboodiri family such as visiting their farm houses and supervising the agricultural operations there and also attending to sraddham etc.There was no pocket money given to us by father but during cashew season we were allowed to sell some cashew seeds and utilize the proceeds for going to cinema etc.I became a member of the local grameen vayanasala(library) on the specific advise of our Head Master and became a voracious reader reading anything that was printed..I passed the 7th Form from the middle school run by the church and while receiving the certificate and TC the teacher told me that I got the only first class in the public examination. from that school
My elder brother was admitted in the Government School in Thrissur and I also wanted to join in that school.But father took the stand that it would be better to join a nearby school as Thrissur was faraway (about 5kms) .So I was admitted in the high school in a nearby place, about 2.5 kms from our house.
I used to carry the lunch in a box which would be kept in a shop near the school and at lunch time I would come all the way from school , had lunch and returned to school. Everyday the same items used to be kept in the lunch box, rice mixed with buttermilk, some achar of gooseberry and sometimes some vegetable .One day I complained to mother that I was fed up with these items and wanted some money for buying something fried from the hotel near the school. but mother told that we didn't have enough cash to meet such expenditure.So my desire for fried snacks(vada) remained only in dream.
I also joined in the Boy Scout organisation of the school and had opportunity to meet Boy Scouts from another school(Wadakkancheri).In one of our camps I showed a magic of burning paper without the help of match sticks.and my friends were wonder-stuck.It was done with some potassium permanganet and glycerin, a knowledge I got from a magazine.
Due to financial problems I could not buy new text books and therefore depended on second hand books available at half the price from seniors.That practice was continued till I passed School Final(Secondary School )I used to walk about 4 kms sometimes(village A) to read books available with my cousin..I studied well and got first class in the final exam(SSLC).Another boy also got first class in that year.The rest of the students passed without any class.
During the school days I developed a liking for writing short stories and got the first prize for short story writing conducted in connection with School Annual Day.I also got the first prize in short story writing conducted by the local Library.
Having passed the School Final the only option for higher studies was to join in the college as I did not like to go for diploma/certificate course in engineering. Since I had first class there would not be any problem to get admission in the best college in the town.So I applied and got admitted in the Pre-Universty Cass, a one year course to be completed for joining degree course
.I used to walk from home to the college, a distance of 5 kms in an hour or so everyday as the buses were very very limited and they charged also..I approached the management of the college for financial assistance and I was called for an interview.at the office of the bursar of the college at the Bishop's Palace.I told everything about our financial condition and how I completed the school education with scholarships from charitable organisations.The priest took a favorable stand and recommended my case for reduction of 50 percent of the normal fees.Still I had to pay Rs 9 every month which my family found difficult to pay. as other brothers were also required to pay their tuition fees
As already stated in an earlier blog , immediately after joining the college, the Asian flu(1957) started spreading throughout India and most of the people fell victim.In our family mother did not contract the disease and we were all believing that because of her pious nature she did not get it saving our family .After I got rid of the disease, my health condition became poor , had to be on leave very often from the college.My close friends including R came to our house and one of them expressed the view that I might not survive.
As already stated in an earlier blog I passed the Pre- university exam with the encouragement received from my Professor of English VS
After passing the PUthe problem again arose about future studies.I went to Coimbatore alone at that age(17-18) to meet my elder brother who was a Lecturer in a Govt. college there.He advised me to go for Arts subjects as my marks in the PU for maths , physics and chemistry were not that good.The other option was to go for zoology, botany group for which I had better grade in the PU but I did not like those subjects and going for medicine later was unthinkable as I was afraid of sickness. and death.
Finally I joined in the local college for BA Economics Main with Political Science and World History as subsidiary subjects
In those days there was a feeling among the students that only dullards would go for Arts subjects and the intelligent would go for science , maths or commerce. I found the classes boring and got the feeling that I could clear all the exams with ease.Only selection of Hindi as an optional language during the degree course was my mistake and I cursed myself for selecting a subject I was not interested..I used to tell all thereafter never select a subject you were not interested for studies for heaven-sake and make your life miserable .
As I was overconfident in getting through the exams I started skipping the classes and doing some extra curricular activities like participating in the Association programs of RD, starting a small library in our village and taking tuition ..That tuition work brought me some pocket money and I started coming to college by bus instead of on foot and going to hotel during lunch break instead of bringing the lunch from home .all the way.
The Association used to bring out a magazine and I was officially the printer and publisher.It appears that every year by march the publisher should publish the ownership details of the magazine and if not published, liable for prosecution.
One day a police man came to the house in the morning with a notice that I should explain why I should not be prosecuted for not publishing the details as required as per law.We were all agitated and father told that I should immediately discontinue the membership of the association ... RD had become a full fledged Advocate then and I consoled father that RD would sort out the matter with the authorities and no need to cut off the membership. or association with RD.
The library became very popular and we tried our level best to increase the number of books in the library so that we could apply to the state library council for registration and get some grant every year,I approached some of our professors and lecturers to donate books and some of them gladly donated.We could collect some books but not sufficient enough to get recognition from the Govt.Then we arranged for the Annual Day, invited important people to preside over the function and deliver speeches .That was the second occasion when I tried to make a public speech.I was terribly upset being an introvert but with much effort could deliver the speech and later I was told it was not bad. by our President .The earlier occasion was when I was studying in the middle school , I was asked by my class teacher to make a speech at the send off function for the Father(priest) of the church managing the school. In spite of my reluctance, I was forced to come to the stage, say something, but no words were coming from my mouth.Fortunately the Father understood my position and prompted me from back( in low voice) what I should tell about him and I faithfully reproduced his words.and the audience applauded and we were taken to the new church at Thrissur were the priest was posted and were given a grand tea party.
After the Annual function of the library the accounts were to be finalized. A committee member told that he lost the receipt book and could not remember the exact amount he collected.The other members got agitated over the issue and started abusing the member telling that he had misappropriated huge amount..I tried to explain that the amount should not be that too big as from my own experience people gave maximum one rupee or half a rupee and not more than that..The financial position of most of the people was bad then and I found to my surprise poor people were giving more compared to the so called rich.Any way the dispute continued and the accounts could not be finalized and I got so much fed up with the whole thing that I tendered resignation letter as secretary of the Library .I also decided that henceforth I would not hold any responsible post in any organisation and get myself worried over small small things.With the resignation, the Library was closed for ever. the books were taken over by the President.and the owner of the library room let out it to some other people, I think
The last year (1959) passed away without any major event I think..I will come back again for stories starting from the year 1960
posted by Bharat at 5:38 AM
3 Comments:
It is so nice to read your memories, papa
Thanks
Papa .. I really liked this blog .. took me back to 1950s . Very interesting ..
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