TENDER AGE

Grand PA

Grand MA

My Parents

                                              

1)    1940              In our Family Tree, we are all first-born BOYS, beginning from my grandfather to my grandson. Being Landlords, I was adored by the people in our village, everyone calling me ராசா RAZZA. My grandfather opened a school in the village for my sake and a teacher was brought from the nearest town to run the classes. Every morning the bullock-cart will be ready with the servant to take me to the school with the teacher.   All the boys of the village will come running behind the cart to attend the school.  We had many cows, buffaloes and goats in our courtyard. A sturdy Bull was our prestigious possession; controllable only by my father and the servant Chandrahasan … For security we had a ferocious Rajapalayam dog. A stray stag was also with us for sometime until the dog chased it away. My father started a poultry farm also to provide eggs for me on medical advice. We had a well, two ponds for our domestic use. My mother used to swim in the pond; using an inverted vessel as a prop…I used to cry from the banks seeing my mother swimming in water. I used to join my father in supervising the paddy fields, ploughing, sowing, harvesting and knew well about, cereals, vegetables, fruits, gardening etc.  My childhood was totally exposed to rural settings, paddy fields, harvesting, cows, buffaloes, goats, poultry, fruits, vegetables, plants and trees of all varieties. Tamarind, Gooseberry and Badam trees were our favorite haunts.

At my mother's village, the Caveri river was the broadest where all the residents went for bathing, swimming, washing and other activities. My father used to carry me on his shoulders and cross the river at some spots and reach the islands in the middle of the river and leave me there to play, while he used to swim in the river. I used to stand there alone in the island and the river flowing around me. My  mother used to take me to the nearby temple in the evenings, where I used to play in the sands with other boys. My mother used to teach me the alphabets by writing in the sands using her fingers. Our house used to be crowded with children, all cousins and the sisters of my mother. There was a Ramakrishna Mission School in Elamanur station and my maternal grandfather  was the station master there. Quite a prestigious position in those days. Our family was very well known to one and all.  My mother was one among eight sisters and three brothers. Today when I try to compile the family tree of my mother's side, it is nearing a century and spilling over with many siblings spread all over the world. My maternal grand mother, lived long, presiding over her expanding empire as God-Mother. Many of us had to introduce ourselves by telling our mother's name for easy reference, as a few of us had same names which confused her. My mother was the most talkative and popular and there used to be riotous laughter around her. The kitchen and the dining area used to be busiest and crowded most of the time.


2)     1941           My father was involved in FREEDOM MOVEMENT and used to take me out along with his servant Chandrahasan to nearby villages to address meetings. When the police jeeps arrived, the crowd will disperse, my father will disappear from the scene and the servant will take me home. I vividly remember my father taking me in a bullock-cart to see MAHATHMA GANDHI who was passing through by train.  There was so much crowd to see him that a temporary structure was installed near the Railway tracks where he would present himself for our darshan. This was the standard method adopted by the general public to see the MAHATHMA by waylaying the train carrying him.  My father climbed the steps carrying me to garland MAHATHMA GANDHI with the Khadi yarns spun by us at home. What an occasion to garland one of the greatest men who ever walked on this earth. Gandhi was observing MAUN on that day and did not speak.

3)   1942             The Communist movement turned violent against   landlords. Once when all the male members were out, the mobs surrounded our house and were about to lynch all of us. The teacher was also trapped with us. They were shouting “victory for communism”ஜே  and my younger brother ஆத்மாராம்  gave a counter shouting “victory for Congress” ஜே and the wild mob threw a big brick at him, felling him unconscious. We were all crying for help. Suddenly the Big BULL got loose in the melee and chased away the entire mob. You can say the communists ran for their lives. The dog also played heroics in chasing the runners and we were saved that day…

4)    1943            We enclosed all the poultry  கோழி  in a wooden shed in the night. The first thing we boys did in the morning was to open the shed and release the hens and collect the eggs lying inside. On that fateful day when my younger brother RAM ran ahead of me to open the shed, a snake eating the eggs inside struck him and escaped. I saw its yellow stripes. My father knew it was poisonous and the bullock cart was getting ready to take him to the town hospital. Suddenly my grandmother was possessed by the family-spirit பூதம் and grabbed my brother and kept him on her laps, shouting weird things and preventing anyone from touching him. All were crying in panic…She was uncontrollable… By the end of the day my brother recovered and was o.k. Even today we are all wondering about this strange episode.

                                                                      

ME

 5)                Among the many servants who looked after me in our village, I cannot forget tall hefty Chandrahasan with his long mustache, which we used to pull around often to his discomfiture. Next was Kalimuthu who was a ruffian and drunkard. I always admired Marriappan who had an excellent physic and muscular body. Anjali the old lady was our favourite refuge.. Pongal was the happiest occasion for one and all. We had two houses, one a big one where we lived and the other where we had granaries to store our grains, cereals etc., with some extra rooms for guests. My grandfather used to arrange a big feast for the entire village and distribute a pair of Dothis and Sarees to one and all. Gigantic vessels will be removed from our storehouse and brought into the open ground for cooking rice and sambar for the feast. Very long ladles made out of coconut shell will be used to cook and serve. After the feast, my grandfather & mother will distribute the dress to the villagers, who will prostrate before them. Next day was  மாட்டு  Pongal meant for the cattle.  All bullocks, cows, buffalo, sheep etc., will be bathed, painted in colour, horns decorated and fed with rice and sweets and released and chased around by owners in merriment. Sometimes there will be bullfights when the lads of the village will fight and try to control the bulls in open fields. There was oil making wooden structure drawn by bullocks, which was a great attraction to the children. The workers will bring thousands of coconuts to our house and for days together, remove the outer portion, break the shell, remove the coconuts and dry them for days together before putting them into the structure செக்கு  rotated by the bullocks to draw out the coconut oil. We had a wonderful time drinking mugs and mugs of coconut water and also eat the coconuts. The boring period will be the 10 days of drying by exposure to sunlight. My grandmother பாட்டி  used to keep a watch over the drying coconuts from the birds/crows. It was such a tiring job that she used to fall asleep while on duty. On one such day a visitor came to see my grandfather and found my grandmother asleep with a stick in her hand. Disturbed by his presence my grandmother woke up suddenly from her slumber and raising the stick, tired to drive him away by shouting at him (assuming that he was the crow trying to steal the coconut). The unsuspecting visitor was scared to his wits end, not knowing what has he done to provoke so much anger, and disappeared from the scene.

6)    1944            I was drawn into the realm of snakes during my school days in the village. We used to wash our empty tiffin boxes in the tank opposite to the school after eating our lunch. It was fun watching, so many fishes rushing to eat the leftover eatables. We were scared when some water snakes also came to eat or observe what is going on. One grownup boy use to grab a few unsuspecting snakes under the water and pulls them out and scares us. In course of time I also learnt the art of catching the snakes and throw them on the ground and watch them rushing back to water.  One day I watched a snake chasing a frog. I was alarmed when it finally caught the frog and swallowed it.  I was very much disturbed by the incident. I went on asking my parents and others why the snake is eating the frog. I was so angry at the snakes that I used to go in search of them in the paddy fields, chase them with sticks. I used to thrust the sticks into the rat holes in the fields to drive out the hiding snakes and chase them out.As I matured, my boyish anger on the snakes slowly faded away from my mind…Snakes revisited my life fifty year later, when I was in Bhandara. Within two days of my arrival, I found a big snake sleeping in the handle-bar of my motorcycle. In the nights, I used to see the shining skin of the snakes on the roads. Once I stopped my motorcycle and focused its light on the snake and instead of running away, the snake started coming towards me. I had to beat a retreat. Once I was late for a programmed in the Club and was driving fast when suddenly a long snake crossed the road ahead of me. It was longer than the breadth of the road and for a moment I was not able to stop my motorcycle nor ride over the snake. It was a frightening moment. I simply lifted both my legs and crossed. The snake was faster than my motorcycle and had vanished into thin air.  I was trembling when I reached the club. The birds always chased the snakes and I was able to locate their presence with this sign.

 7)    1945           My grandfather decided to dig a well near our house and many workers were engaged in the job. I used to spend all my time watching the proceedings. After a few days when the well was about 15’ deep, they discovered a big pot and there was tremendous excitement about gold, jewelry and other treasures lying inside. The pot was excavated and the contents were cleared. There was no gold but only a skeleton and a few small vessels. I understood from the discussions between senior villagers that it appeared to be an ancient burial container, where very old, senile, infirm persons were put inside along with some vessels containing water and eatables and buried. The work was stopped for sometime, astrologers were consulted, rituals performed and the work resumed.

 8)                By the end of summer and before the rains started, the ponds near our house used to be cleared of the silt and the remaining stagnant water, to be replenished by fresh rainwater. Many workers will be employed to clear the water and I used to sit and watch the fun, when the fishes used to struggle in the receding water level. Sometimes snakes, tortoisesஆமை  will start escaping from the pond. The workers used to catch some of them and show them to me. Many birds of prey used to circle over our heads in search of food. One day a tortoiseஆமை  was brought to our house to be shown to me. My grandmother was so angry and upset with the servants, as it was a bad omen.

9)    1946        My father had an interesting hobby of collecting honey by setting up a big table size box full of hanging shelves. Once the queen bee is lodged inside, thousands of task-force bees will get busy in building the honey-comb, in every shelf inside the big box and start gathering the honey. Our garden was full of flying bees, gathering the honey from all flowers. It was great fun watching the honeycomb grow in size and content. It was dangerous to disturb them as they would chase and sting. When the honeycomb was full and spilling, my father would tactfully remove the queen-bee and transfer it to another box, a few feet away and the whole battalion would migrate to that box instantly following the queen-bee. Is it tragic or comic?

10)     1947      Victory Club was the recreation center in the Court compound where my father used to spend the evenings with his lawyer, police friends. My father acted as Police 0fficer in a Drama enacted there and I saw it with my mother sitting in the open grounds. Suddenly in the middle of the Drama there was commotion among the spectators  “snake snake” and everyone ran helter-skelter in the darkness. My mother was holding me in her hips and running around when a Police 0fficer stopped her. We got more frightened and shrieked.  It was my father in his costume.  After the snake was removed we all sat again to watch the Drama.

Sannadhi street

tank

 11)              Sannadhi Street at Tiruthuraipoondi, where we stayed was mainly occupied by Iyers & Lawyers. Our neighbors on both sides of the house were also Lawyers and I did not know, until decades later my mother told me that R.Venkatraman who later became the President of India was our neighbour in those days.  The evenings used to be full of devotees passing through our streets to visit the temple. We used to go to the tank in front of the temple for our daily bath and when the rainy season came we used to go to the river Mulliyar and jump, dive, somersault from the small pedestrian bridge into the river for hours together, until our parents came in search of us. During Dusera every house in our street celebrated 10 days of navratri festival, by arranging Kolu (display of dolls, idols & other articrafts) It was mainly a function for girls who used to dress themselves in silk outfit, bedecked with jewellery and go from house to house to sing songs in front of the கொலு kolu, and collect eatables (சுண்டல்  & prasad). Though uninvited, we boys also used to follow the girls mainly attracted by the சுண்டல்.  In some houses we were forced to sing songs before getting our share of the சுண்டல்.  During Varalakshmi pooja I used to be called by all neighbours to draw the Symbolic picture of Goddess, in their Pooja room for worship.

12)           Mariappan was deputed to train me in cycling.  The cycle was so big that it took me great effort even to climb over it, leave alone drive it. It was great fun learning it in village but when I tried it in Tiruthuraipoondi town, I was in for trouble. The town was bristling with activities and vendors were strolling in the streets carrying their goods and merchandise over their heads. I drove the front wheel of my cycle between the two legs of one street vendor and turned the wheel too late to avoid him, thereby totally uprooting him upside down, crashing him to the floor leaving his merchandise scattered all around him. He never knew what hit him (probably the wandering bull). By the time he collected his wits, I collected my cycle and vanished from the street.  Decades later, when I was in Pune, I used to hire a cycle and move around the town. On a particular day I parked my hired cycle in front of Hind Vijay Theatre and went inside to enquire about the movie. When I came out I was shocked to find my hired cycle missing. Someone advised to look for it in the cycle stand as I had parked it illegally in front of the entrance. Since it was a hired cycle I could not recognize which cycle was mine in the cycle stand. I went on trying my keys with all the cycles.  I was shocked when suddenly a policeman caught hold of my hands thinking that I was the most wanted cycle thief, he was in search of. It took lot of effort to convince him and I was finally released from his grip after showing my Defence Identification Card. Subsequently he also helped me to locate my hired cycle.

13)   1948        We were living in TIRUTHURAIPOONDI a Tamil-speaking town but at home we always spoke Marathi and our neighbors knew it. The other one speaking URDU was the Muslim shopkeeper Rehman. On the fateful day when MAHATHMA GANDHI was shot dead the whole town was stunned and suspected that some Muslim might have done it. Rehman was in tension…He was also sturdy and getting prepared to face the situation. When the name of the assassin was announced very late, it was Godse, a Maharashtrian. Suddenly the wrath of the town turned against us and my father went for police protection. When the crowds came to our house, it was REHMAN who came to our rescue with a big bamboo stick threatening and driving away the mobs. Today all this appears to be strange but that day would have been fatal to all of us.

14)      1949      My father was very good in English and his handwriting was excellent. My mother used to sing, play harmonium and also drew pictures. My obsession to excel in English and Art-works can be attributed to parental influence. When my right-hand was in bandage, I used to draw with my left-hand to the amazement of my relatives. In the school competition, I won the first prize for drawing (a picture of woman carrying a vessel on her head) When I was in VIII std, I was running வெற்றி  முரசு a handwritten magazine, contributing stories, pictures, jokes and the entire editorial work. I also competed in Ring-tennis tournament in school for the first time. I was very good in sports popular to that period namely pebbles, tops, ball-game, cycling, swimming, kites, chadu-gudu, cricket and football. I learnt the technique of photo-colouring of black and white photos, as color photos were yet to come decades later. I also acted in a drama where I was presented as heroine for the first time. I was fond of films….


15)          1950   Music always enthralled me. We lived in the street, which was the entry point of the big temple every year the சித்திரை திருவிழா  FESTIVAL of the Temple was conducted in our street where the top Carnatic Musicians of South India used to perform and I was always there in the front row.  (Madurai Mani Iyer, Madurai Somu, Ariyakkudi, Semmangudi, Chembai, GNB, Murugadoss, KB Sundarambal, DK Pattammal, MS Subbulaxmi, ML Vasanthakumari,  & countless other Nadaswaram, clarinot, Flute, Violin, Veena vidwans). My favorite film actors were MKThiagaraja Baghavathar, PU Chinnappa who sang so well in their films which I relish even today. Ghantasala was also my favorite playback singer in films. We also joined the மார்கழி  Bajans of singers, singing devotional songs and going along the four streets around the temple, early in the morning everyday throughout the month of Margazhi.   We used to get   சுண்டல் /prasad at the end of the trip daily.

my first painting

16)        The manager of the only cinema theater in the town was a tenant in our house and I had unrestricted entry into the theater for all the shows. He had lots of film posters and pamphlets in his house. My first water color painting was from one of his pamphlets namely Chandralekha reclining on a tree, which I’m still preserving. Actor Ranjan who was the awe-inspiring villain in that film became a role model. I appeared to resemble him and many of my college friends use to call me “Ranjan” which excited and enthused me. This continued even in my Official life in Pune until it slowly vanished along with the decline in the career of the film star.
 

TEEN AGE

                            

1)  1952          From village to town and then straight to the city of Bangalore, brought great transformation in my outlook. I shouted in wonder when a saw a girl riding a bicycle in Ulsoor. I was blinking   in surprise when people spoke in Kannada or Hindi.  The cleanliness and beauty of the city enthralled me. I was under-aged when I cleared my High School and took special permission of Government to join College. My father took me to Bangalore for admission in St Joseph’s College. We were in the queue and the Principal was sitting in an elevated chair behind a counter and processing the admissions. My father was pleading with him and the irritated Principal asked, “Why you have not brought your boy?” Immediately my father showed me standing under the counter and the Principal peeped and saw me “Oh! Such a small boy” and beamed. I was admitted and became his favorite. I was attending college in my half-pants. All my classmates were big boys who often teased me, even stealing my lunch-box. I used to go to the Principal crying and complaining and he pacified me by allowing free lunch in the college canteen.  In the first year college Souvenir, my photo was published with a caption ‘Baby of the college’. Of course I wore full- pants from second year.  Hindi was a subject in college syllabus and I mastered it by seeing more Hindi films.  "Awara' of Raj Kapoor was probably my first Hindi film.  I memorized all the songs by writing the words in Tamil script.  Since my aunt had taught me at home how to read and write Marati script, my problem with Hindi script was less severe. Anarkali and Nagin also helped me to pass my Hindi exam. When I returned to my native place on summer vacation, my local friends were amazed at my transformation, making me feel as if I was a giraffe standing among them. 

Gopal

2)           I remember vividly how good I was in singing until my 15th birthday. Later my throat turned coarse and I slowly discontinued. As a boy I used to sing film & devotional songs during the Navrathri festival to get the சுண்டல் eatables. My third brother கோபால்  also used to sing well. My best performance was in first year College when I reproduced the sound of Lata Mangeshkar, when my friend sang the song “आजारे, अब  मेरा  दिल  पुकारा  ” in Mukesh’s voice. It received thunderous applause. Later I switched over to Instrumental music, played famous film songs in Mouth organ. I also learnt to play ‘Bul-bul-tara’ fascinated by the excellent way it was employed by Shankar-Jaikishan in films like Boot-Polish etc., Finaly, listening to music became an obsession and gave me tremendous release from stress and strain. Radio or a Recorder beside my pillow, playing melodious tunes, has been an essential requisite for me to go to sleep.


3)        1953    When my friend’s sister was drawing water from the well, her golden chain dropped into the well. She was scared of her father and her brother approached me to help retrieve the chain.  Since I was a good swimmer, I agreed and gave instructions to him, stating that I will go down to the bottom of the well, holding on to the rope and if I am in trouble I will shake the rope and he should pull me out. I had heard of swimmers getting stuck at the bottom and in my bravado this idea appeared to be scientific. I touched the bottom and looked for the glitter of gold but could not due to invisibility. I started collecting the silt in the bucket and sent it up for checking. After a few attempts I got it finally. It was an adventure. My sister came to know about it and told my parents. They quarreled with my friend’s parents and the relations were strained.


4)       1954       Linguistics landed me in trouble while in college.  There is a proverb in Tamil   யாகவாராயினும்   நாகாக்க “whoever you are, beware of your tongue”. It may mean different things to different people, as tongue relates to taste of food or talking. My trouble had the double effect. We are vegetarians for generations   and when my friend Mr. Nair invited me to partake the Annual Dinner party in the hostel, I agreed. He asked me what food I take.  I answered “ நான் naan vegetarian” in Tamil language,நான்  which means I am a vegetarian.  He mistook my answer to be in English language, which means I am non-vegetarian. When I entered the Dinner Hall and looked at my plate, I could not make head or tail of it…. (It was probably liver) the smell also repelled me. I called Mr. Nair and showed an item and asked what was that…He said “chicken”. I got up and left the hall immediately in anger protesting against   the mischief done by him.  “You only told me Non-vegetarian,” he pleaded in Malayalam accent. The fiasco was resolved later and I was ushered into the pure vegetarian section for my dinner.


5)     1954       Call it by any name Witchcraft, Blackmagic,பூதம்  Possessed by evil spirit, EXORCIST…The landlady of the house where I was staying was possessed by spirit and lived an enigmatic life for many years.   All efforts to get relieved were in vain. She was a widow and her sons brought an Exorcist   who finally got rid of the evil spirit. I was present with the boys when the weird proceedings took place in our house. He shouted in Urdu and commanded the spirit under his control to locate the source of witchcraft. We were asked to keep our hands inside our own big metal pot குடம் (which was empty) and catch hold of anything that may turn up anytime during the rituals. After an hour of struggle with the ghost, he shouted at us to get ready. The eldest son shrieked that he got it and held it firmly. Later on, we found it to be a doll-girl whose head was pierced with many pins and wore a piece of cloth worn by the landlady when she was young. She was a victim of witchcraft for the best period of her life. We were given instructions to destroy the doll and the lady was healed and restored to normal life.  I was witness to the event.

6.   1954               It was summer vacation from college and I was back to Tiruthuraipoondi I was surprised to find that the entire Drama team of TKS Bros was camping in my street to enact three of their famous dramas. The eldest TK Shanmugam was the hero of films and leader of Tamil language propagation. I tried to meet him with one his portrait from film “one night” He was inside busy rehearsing with the actors. His younger brother TKS Bagavathy who acted as villain always (Ravana in Ramayan) was talking with me and was impressed with my drawing and assured me to get the autograph. Some comedians TN Sivadanu, Karuppiah were also there talking with me. When TKS was ready, I was called and I presented the picture and asked for his autograph. I spoke in Tamil but used some English words like “sir, autograph” etc., which he did not like as he insisted on speaking pure, uncorrupted Tamil, I apologized.  He was happy and signed his name in the picture in Tamil but used the initials T.K. in English. I was quick to point out this to him and you should have seen his face. Since he was leading a political organization also, I happened to attend the public meeting where he specifically mentioned about me and my inclination to use English words instead of Tamil words and denounced this malady taking over Tamil population. It was satirical. Only he did not know that my mother tongue is Marathi.


 7)    In the FIFTIES of the last century, when I was studying in College all alone at Bangalore city, my father used to send Rs.20 per month for my boarding, lodging and college expenses like fees, books, notes etc., I managed my four years with that monthly remittance and came out in flying colors. I think the budget was something like this. Rs.5 Rent and the balance amount for my food until I get the next remittance. Mostly I used to eat 2Idly,1Vada Sambar @ one anna (6paise) and go to college. The Principal had permitted me to take meals in the College canteen. The dinner was also the same for one anna. The Masal Dosa used to be @ two annas which was quite sumptuous for me whenever I was hungry.Lime Rice(chitranna) was for one and half anna and quite adequate. I was able to manage a whole month with  just ten rupees. The Principal gave freeship and so college fees was saved. I could not buy even one text book for my studies. I managed with help from friends.  During the final year, I had saved money to buy "Principles of Economics by Dewett" for one rupee from a second hand shop in Bowring street. I scored the highest marks in that subject from my College and my Professor of Economics was stunned. My classmate and bosom friend Mani was my Godfather; he used to keep a watch on me and take me to his Hotel in Chickpet for a sumptuous meal. During the first year, when the postman came to my class to deliver the money, many of my friends forced me to celebrate. I could not escape from four of them who took me to the restaurant at Cubbon Park and ordered Masala Dosas. I was actually crying but they would not listen. One British Officer with a cane in hand came to me and enquired. I told him everything. He shouted and drove away my friends and cancelled the order.  I told the Principal who arranged that I would be called to the office where the postman will wait and pay me without attracting anyone's attention. During the final year, we went on a picnic, cycling 20 km to Hesaraghatta Lake and enjoyed lot of fun.


8 )       CUBBON PARK was an ideal and adjacent place near my house for relaxation. I used to go there, climb a tree and start reading my Economics and other text books. What an ideal pace to study. On Sunday evenings there used to be an orchestra, playing film songs in the Band Stand, entertaining quite a big crowd of people, for almost three hours. The climax used to be the song "உலகே  மாயம் " from the film Devdas sung by the singer exactly like Ghantasala.  Even today I can visualize those wonderful moments. LAL BAGH was another famous Park, very close to my College. The excellent garden, Water body and the Glass House were popular landmarks. Many film songs were shot in the Park adding beauty to the visuals. When I came to know that Gemini Ganesh and Anjali Devi were shooting in Lal Bagh for the film  கணவனே  கண் கண்ட  தெய்வம், I bunked the classes and witnessed the shootings for almost a week. It was my first visual experience to watch how film sequences are shot. The horse drawn chariot in which the princess passes through the park escorted by the soldiers; the clash with the hero; the fight scenes and the interlude with the princess--everything looked clumsy to me, until I saw the actual film which was quite exciting.  After many decades, I visited both the Parks again and was astonished that they still retain much of its past glamor, quite undiminished..

9)    FILM CHRONICLE  --  Gemini films "Strange Brothers" (first double role) Chandralekha (greatest film) Samsaram etc., created history in film making. MKT film Haridoss, Sivakavi etc. ran endlessly throughout the year, [3  years]  in all theaters.  Everyone got a post card invitation, as per the census records,, to see the film Gemini Samsaram. The old lady KB Sundarambal was the singing heroine of Gemini Avvaiyar.   MGR came as sword-fighting, kalaripattu hero of many films. Shivaji Ganeshan came as a great dialogue speaker and histrionic actor. Films became part of everyone’s life. Annadorai and Karunanidhi (both film story writers) used to make political speeches in our streets. Films became my favorite pastime and I might have completed my century during my school days. College life at Bangalore saw me crossing the 1000 mark, what with 25 theaters  in Majestic circle alone. My record is ரத்தகண்ணீர்  “Rathakanneer” 17 times, “Ten Commandments” 12 times.    Later when I was working in Bangalore, with half working days on Wednesdays/ Saturdays, I was unable to cover all the English/Tamil Hindi films running in the city.  I cried so much while seeing Telugu “Devdas” and left the theater, by requesting the watchman with tears in my eyes to open the gate. In a Jerry Lewis comedy I laughed so much that an elderly couple asked me to move away from near their seats. 

 Much later, as a father I took my boys to all films regularly. Later on they could not cope with me, due to their homework etc., and refused to come. Once when I was dragging them to a film, my neighbor inquired why the boys are crying and I said that they are refusing to come to the theater and he was flabbergasted. When my younger boy was refused admission to “Enter the Dragon” I quarreled with the management and had to sign an undertaking to take him inside the theater.

10)     It was my friend Mani who sent the congratulations..telegram.. I became a graduate - in flying colors.  Quite an achievement in those days. . My parents and grand parents were delirious with joy. Plans were ready for me to go to Bombay for job. I wrote to my Professors thanking them and asking for character certificates etc., and got a reply forthwith.....  

---------------------------------------------------------------     
 PS NARAYANA RAO
PROF & HEAD OF DEPT OF COMMERCE
ST JOSEPH'S COLLEGE,BANGALORE    
Dt 15-6-1956
 
Dear Sri Govinda Rao,
I am extremely happy to receive your letter. I send herein my warmest congratulations on your creditable success in the B.Com examination. Throughout your stay here, you had to undergo several difficulties but you were able to overcome them because of God's grace and your sincere efforts.

In your letter you have stated that I helped you and all that.  But I know how little was the help rendered by me. On the other hand, you helped yourself and God helped you finally.

In your present circumstances, it is better you join some appointment and later study for some useful Exam privately eg., cost accounts. Write to British Institute of Commerce and Accounting, No.359, D Norosji road, Bombay for their free copy of prospectus. That will give you full information regarding several  exams  You could study them privately yourself or through that Institute which will coach you.

The College clerk Mr Francis told me that you have to send one rupee and sufficient postage (say about twelve annas for registered post) to Commerce college in order to get your Transfer Certificate, which is ready.  I have enclosed herewith your certificate.
I wish you Good Luck,          Yours sincerely,         PS Narayan Rao
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 I can never forget the noble sentiments of the noblest GURU of my life who not only bestowed GYAN in my formative years but also Gracious enough to give SHIKSA for my future life beyond the corridors of the college campus. GURU DEVOO BHAVA

11)    1956       Immediately after graduation, I went to Bombay for job. I befriended a neighbor who was working in Mckenzy. Once he arranged a picnic to Vajreshwari Hot springs and I also joined the group. There was a wild river by the side of which we camped and I wanted to swim. My friend also was eager to swim but his wife protested saying that he did not know swimming. When I was swimming in the middle of the river, I heard people, including the wife of my neighbor shouting frantically. I found that my neighbor was struggling in the river and was actually drowning.  I swam to him and to my bad luck he caught hold of me in desperation and both of us sank into the river. Fortunately I struck a rock and held on to it against the running waters and pushed him up. One Sardarji came in a basket boat to rescue us and we held on to it and reached the shore. My neighbor was trembling with fear and shock having escaped from the jaws of certain death and everyone appreciated my efforts. Shortly thereafter, he got me the job in his company.

12)     I was first in the clan to seek a job for a career, thereby breaking the family history and tradition of Landlords. The first thing I did after getting my first salary was to send Postal Money Order of Rs.100 to my grandmother by name,  delighting her and everyone. My Grand Ma broadcast it non-stop, all over the world. During 1956, Entrance ticket in India's premier theater METRO  at Bombay was Five annas (30paise) Front stall, Ten annas (62 paise) Middle stall  and Balcony One rupee and five annas (130 paise)only.  My salary was more than adequate after sending the Money Order.  My first personal acquisition was a Henry Sandoz Watch for me.  I asked my mother to come to Bombay and we stayed in Thakurli with my aunt. I took her to VT station, roamed with her in Flora Fountain area, ate South-Indian Meals in plantain leaves in the third floor of  WOODLANDS Hotel, showed her Gateway of India and saw the film "Three Musketeers" in Balcony class in METRO theater. [ experiencing Air conditioning for the first time]  We took the TRAM and moved slowly for two hours via Byculla to reach King's Circle, took the train and returned home. She was wide eyed and looked at everything with wonder and I felt a great sense of fulfilment.

 

Later when I got my job at Pune, I called her again and she came with my little brother VIJOO and stayed with her brother, sisters and mother for a couple of months. She was the happiest. I used to take VIJOO on cycle, sight-seeing the city and on the auspicious Saraswathi Puja day on Dussera, I admitted  him in SVUH School. My mother was very talkative and popular with her sisters and brothers. My maternal grand mother reigned over 8 daughters, 3 sons and about 50 grandchildren and many great grand children..with same names repeated under different surnames. Later, I rented an adjacent house and my mother frequented us for many decades.

13)     1957           I came to Pune  and got involved in multiple activities. A group of my friends started Socio, Literary and Cultural Union and I became active member. I initiated a multi lingual manuscript magazine and contributed stories and articles in English and Tamil, drawings, caricatures, sketches etc., I also involved many other contributors and soon it was a popular literary issue. I wrote an excellent article in Tamil using the literary style (like அடுக்கு மொழி ANNADORAI). My friend took the issue to Kanjeepuram and showed it to Annadorai himself, who beamed with appreciation at our efforts at a far off place like Pune. He particularly complemented my article and wrote appreciative remarks in the Magazine itself. He was surprised to know that the writer was a Maharashtrian.


14)        1959     The Cultural activities involved enacting Dramas and I was the natural choice for heroine roles, as no lady was coming forward to act in dramas in those days. I acted as heroine in three dramas to raise building funds for the SVUH School, Pune. I invited my माउसी   Mausi to one of the dramas and she was disappointed to find that I did not appear at all throughout the drama.  When I told her that I was the heroine of the drama, she was so much surprised and could not believe it. I performed in popular city theatres in various drama competitions. The students of Film Institute attended one such performance, in the year 1969, appreciated my acting and requested me to perform in one of their projects. I took three days casual leave and took part in the film shooting   (which was witnessed by Shatrughan Sinha, Jaya Bhaduri, Asrani and other students).   My 4 years old son also witnessed the shooting.   I was a regular performer in our Annual Day plays for a long time until I found it embarrassing due to my official status and rank. I used to write stories, dialogue, scenes, cast, direct and produce such plays. I liked make-ups and chose many different roles to suite my liking. (Explanation: mausi माउसी =  mother’s sister)

15)    1959           There were two heroines in a Drama enacted for fund raising. I was one and the other heroine was truly great. He was a born heroine. He was also working in our office. My Director had instructed me to listen and learn from him all the tricks of the trade. It was no easy job acting like a woman and he tried to make it easy for me. I spent hours together watching his facial expressions, pronunciations, gestures, smiles, giggles, glances, eye-brows, lip-stick, walking style,  body-language etc., Even sitting and getting up in a feminine way was different. It was impossible for me to transform myself to such totally unnatural and completely opposite way of behavior, even for a short time whereas he was so naturally adept and clever that he excelled to the extent of becoming a role model for real women. The way he dressed in colorful sarees, wore glittering ornaments and made stylish gestures really captivated the audience. Many of the spectators mistook him for real. He was a specialist. I should say that I endured all this only because of the role I was destined to play. Once the drama was over, I avoided him totally as he continued to be effeminate and refused to change and act like a man.

16)  The trains were run on coal and the engines were so hot like a furnace. The noise and spray of the steam pushing the gigantic wheels forward signaled the start of the journey.  If you get a window seat, you are sure to be covered with coal ash in your shirts and face, emanating from the engine. Many times the eyes of the travelers turned red due to the flying ash and coal particles.. I have travelled in the erstwhile TRAMs of India in Madras Calcutta and Bombay cities when they were the popular modes of  travel inside the town. I have seen the man-pulling-rickshaws of yester years in Calcutta and Madras cities which were banned in later years.I paid Rs.10 taxi fare from Dadar to Flora Fountain and the monthly Railway pass was Rs.3.from Kalyan to VT. Horse-drawn carts (Jatka) were the luxury at Pune, Bangalore Railway stations and other important Pet areas. Jatkawakas agitated vehemently when autos were introduced. The waiting period after booking Vespa Scooters was more than 5 years. You have to have licences for your Radios and Cycles. Cyclists used  kerosene lamps in the night and riding side by side together was an offence. Pune was known as the city of cycles and walking short distances was quite normal for one and all. For less than Rs.30 a month, we got two full meals per day for the whole month, with a feast on Sundays as special attraction. Chappels made by the inmates of Yerwada Jail, sold for one rupee, were the most durable and popular. Pedas of Pune were the most popular eatables to be carried to our native home towns on our annual visits.



17)   1959    All my hectic activities in Poona came to an end when I was transferred to Bangalore. I had made a mark in sports, Table tennis and Caroms, winning prizes and making many friends. I had enacted many drama performances for SVUH school Building Fund, thereby enlarging my friend’s circle. My art and literary work in BHARATHI  multilingual magazine and social-work in laying a road in Loni village also widened my acquaintances and associates. My transfer came as a shock to many of my friends. The day I sat in the  Bangalore bound train, the entire platform was full of my friends and admirers. The Secretary of SVUH School garlanded me and gave a small speech eulogizing my services to raise funds for the Building Fund of the school and called me “Saraswathi in disguise”. The President of the Tamil Sangam and the SLC Union also garlanded and spoke about my talents. My brother, cousins and Uncle had also come to the Station and were overwhelmed by the send-off given to me. They were actually struggling in the crowd to shake hands with me. I was just 22 years and such a ceremonial send-off made me feel grand and great. I never thought that I had made such an impact during those thirty months at Poona. I can never forget that day. 

PRIME AGE

 Ranjan

                                     

1)   My all time favorite actor was SIVAJI GANESHAN and I was a FANATIC. I knew all his dialogues in the films Parasakti, Manohara, திரும்பி பார்,  including his physical and facial actions and used to perform many of his film scenes, exactly like him.I used to get as much emotional and excited as he was, while seeing his films. He was the ultimate in acting. I never knew that he was shooting near Poona for a film. ஆத்மா ராம் My younger brother came to know about it and rushed home to tell me. Not finding me at home, he ransacked my Almira and took one of  my sketches of Sivaji  Ganeshan  and met my idol, had a nice talk with him and got his wonderful signature in my drawing. This is still my treasure even though I missed to meet him personally. 

           

2)                 I joined Government Job and immediately got involved in various hobbies. In a CAROMS tournament held in Pune, I reached the Finals which was played for many hours (as there was no time limit) When I equaled the second game at 10 pm we went out for dinner and came back to play the decider. It was such a close match each winning one or two points after every board, stretching well past midnight that the referee started sleeping with our permission, leaving us to resolve the result of the finals. I won and got the first prize from the Minister of Maharashtra State.  I started playing table Tennis for hours together and became an expert and began  participating in local tournaments. I was very good in offense, defense, spin, tricks etc., and I used to play for the gallery. Spectators used to crowd in when my name was announced as my game used to be very entertaining. My name started appearing in local sports columns.  Later I was elected to the PDTTA and started organizing the Tournaments. In late sixties I even represented Poona Team and played in Lucknow and defeated the local champion mainly by my tricky shots and actions. Slowly Table Tennis and myself became inseparable and we became two in one, in the eyes of my friends and colleagues.When I won the prize in 1985 defeating the Factory champion who was a youngster, the GM chided their staff for losing the cup to an old Accounts 0fficer. I continued to defeat my staff during lunch hour matches, until I retired.

3)   1961     JOG FALLS was the picnic spot and two busloads of staff were heading for it, including myself. The boss was the one who could not fix whether I was Chari or Rao. We settled at the top of the crevice from where the falls began. ‘No one should go wandering in this dangerous area’ warned the boss. Chari and I decided to descend to the bottom. The peon was told to keep it a secret and we started our downward adventure. After the first one hour, the descent became slippery and dangerous with the water running downward everywhere.  We found an awe-inspiring spot where the giant sheet of water was falling twenty feet away from us. We stood in that ecstatic place for a few minutes and came out finding difficulty in breathing in that area. After another hour of lurking danger and without finding the bottom, we decided to return. We lost track and were losing time. Over the mountain everyone was searching for us around sunset we met the peon who was in search of us in the terrain and we rejoined. The boss was totally upset and everyone was angry as our adventure delayed the return journey by 4 hours.

4)  1962         I was working in the Accounts office in the M.E.S. In the annual MES Southern Command Kabadi tournament, my inclusion in the team was objected as I belonged to Accounts department. Major Jay overruled the objection and I was included in the team. In the semi-final played in the Parade grounds Bangalore, Cochin team almost vanquished all the best players of our team and I was left alone in the field. It was a crucial situation and with more chances of losing the game. All eyes were focused on me when I entered the field with prayer in my lips. I kept an eye on an unsuspecting, dull player of Cochin and managed to win a point. The best player of our team came into the field (on this account much to the relief of Major Jay). One by one we scored points and eventually won the game. Later in the evening Major Jay called all the players and admonished them, for objecting my inclusion in the team and congratulated me for having saved the game at the crucial moment. We finally won and brought the cup.

5)  1962        I was staying near Ulsoor lake and went for boating. The boatman took us around the big lake and I was fascinated by the experience. Subsequently I started hiring the boat and enjoyed rowing around the lake for hours together all alone in the serene surroundings. There were three beautiful islands in the middle of the lake, where I used to disembark and stroll around. Boating in the lake involved tremendous physical effort especially when rowing against the current or wind. Soon I became an expert and could carry loads of people in the boat and row it dexterously. Five years later, when we went for a picnic to Mahabaleshwar, I took dozens of my staff in a boat and rowed it around single-handedly in the lake against the wind/current. It is not an easy task to manipulate two oars in perfect rhyme and speed and navigate the boat smoothly to your destination. In another assignment I made the maximum use of this facility, in a beautiful lake inhabited by water birds, frogs, snakes etc., The scared birds, disturbed by the intrusion, would suddenly submerge into water and emerge somewhere else far away from the boat. The rare lotus and other flowers were another attraction. Pulling out the lotus is a dangerous affair as in the effort one is likely to tumble down from the boat. I always carried a few lotus flowers on my return to distribute to the children. The last time I rowed a boat full of passengers was at Saputara (near Gujarat) a few days before my heart attack. I was 62 then.

6)   1962       My involvement in writing to different newspapers on various topics led me to constant search for knowledge, information etc. I had to visit various libraries including USIS to gather the details. On one visit to the public library at Cubbon park, Bangalore (Red building) I was so much engrossed in reading about the freedom movement that I did not know how long I was there.  Suddenly the lights went out and presuming it to be the normal power-cut I waited for sometime. Since it was already very late and dark I started moving around the big building between bookshelves and Almiras trying to find my way out, in the darkness. I was no more interested in the Freedom Movement as my own freedom and movement inside the Library was in peril. To my shock I found it was already 9 pm and there was complete silence in the hall. I was shouting hello etc in all languages, without getting any response as everyone had left. Finally I located the main entrance and found it locked from outside.  Library closed and all gone home. Since it was a lonely building in a public park ,there was no prospect of getting out of the building.  I finally managed to open one of the windows, squeezed myself  and scrambled out, swearing never to come back again.

 7)  1963         I was preparing for my 0ffice Examination and my friend asked me to join him in his house in the night so that we can jointly study and discuss together. I was also staying nearby and agreed to the proposal. The first day I went with Office Manuals etc., and we studied well past midnight. He suggested that I sleep in his house itself and go back home in the morning.  It suited me and I slept. I had a weird and frightening dream in which I saw a woman coming out of a house and running wildly with her baby in her hips.  She ran towards a well and was going to jump into it. I was shouting at her “No. No.” and she did not care and jumped into it with her baby.  I got up from the bed screaming.  My friend also got up frightened by my shouts and asked me what happened.  I sobered down and told him about the dream in detail and we slept thereafter.  In the morning when I left his house to go home, I found a crowd of people in a vacant spot at the end of the road junction. I pushed myself inside the crowd of spectators to find out what was the matter and to my shock I saw them standing around a well. I inquired what had happened. They said a woman with her baby had jumped into the well in the night after quarreling with her husband and the Fire Brigade is on the way to fish out their bodies. I was stunned. Later my friend also came to see the mishap and was equally stunned. He told everyone in the office about my dream vis-a-vis this bizarre incident. Even after so many years, this incident is always a focal point for my exploration into the mysteries of mind, body and soul, that dreams are not inconsequential and that dreams are films shown by God.

8)  My third brother MURALI was about 15 years old when I was working in Bangalore. I had invited him and he was sent to Bangalore all alone, with all instructions and my address and a postcard sent to me to receive him at Railway station, which I did not receive. While changing trains at Trichy, Murali sat in a wrong train and reached Coimbatore. He managed to come back to Trichy, took the correct connection and reached Bangalore after 2 days. With my Malleshwaram address in hand, he walked all the way and reached my place in the evening, when I was standing in the balcony and watching the street scenes.  When I saw him walking in the road, I could not believe my eyes. I called him and he looked at me. I ran down and brought him home. He cried and explained everything. I was upset and placed a trunk-call to my father at Tanjore, to tell him all that. The Post office received the call and called my father to talk to me. I waited for three hours to get connected and when we spoke we wasted the two minutes finding out who is speaking at the other end. Murali later, joined the Air Force and then re-employed in my office. We were looking identical, leading to many hilarious situations. Even Raj Kapoor mistook him for me. We also acted in a Drama enacting a story of twins. Spectators wondered how I was able to perform such difficult double role scenes effortlessly.

9)       1962       NIKITA KRUSHCHEV and YURI BULGANIN were passing through and I took permission from office and stood at a strategic place in MG Road, Bangalore to see them.  What a famous man was Krushchev, who tore the iron curtain and came out in his western suite and hat, to captivate the attention of the world. After a few months, the tall and ever-smiling President NASSER of Egypt and Marshall TITO of Yugoslavia also passed through the same Road. I saw the QUEEN OF ENGLAND also, near Globe theater, when she came to visit the Church. . She was so gracious and royal.  It still amuses me to recall the state visit of the Emperor of Ethiopia in the same road, when the Emperor responded to my salutations.

10)    1963                     Pandit Nehru came to Bangalore to honor the centenarian Sir M VISHWESHWARAIAH, Doyen of Engineers, architect of the famous Krishnarajasagar Dam on Kaveri river at Mysore. I attended the public celebrations, when Pandit Nehru climbed the stairs of the stage, jumping four steps at a time like a small boy,to wild applause by the cheering public. Sir SMV was not present on the stage as he was very old viz., 100 years. After many months, while I was going to office.  The Police, near Vidhan Souda building, stopped me as the traffic was getting diverted. The police told me that Sir SMV is dead and that his body is lying in state for public darshan.  I joined the queue and the crowds started swelling. Sir SMV was lying in grandeur, fully dressed as usual in his western suit, coat, pants, shirt, tie, shoes and turban. He was always found in this apparel whenever he was seen in public. He was looking so small in appearance, due to old age. What a great man from the land of Mysore

11).   1963     An elderly colleague who had an invitation for the inauguration of an Art Exhibition by SIR.C.P.RAMASWAMY IYER (former Diwan) took me also with him. We were early to arrive and my colleague introduced me to Sir CP as an Artist. Sir CP was discussing with me about art and proceeded towards the Hall. I also joined him and went inside after his inauguration and discussed about the paintings exhibited there. Later he spoke about art in general and I was amazed at his proficiency and expertise in the subject, far beyond the frontiers of my knowledge. The   speech   appeared in the newspapers and I wrote a very long critical analysis on modern art based on the news item. It appeared in Indian Express and a few for and against views followed.  One day I got a letter from Mr.KH Rao, who was associated with Mahathma Gandi during the freedom Movement, inviting me to join him for tea. He was a VIP who attended the Art inauguration and had read my views in the Newspaper.. An eighty plus old man opened the door to receive me and he was disappointed to find a young man standing before him, many decades younger in age.. Anyway we had an uneasy tea party for some time, unable to strike rapport with each other, mainly because of our age factor.

12).   1965     The riots broke out in Pune and Office staff started getting frantic phone calls to rush home. I also left and found burning houses on the way. My wife was away at Pilani.  I ventured to go out and see what is happening in the town. My uncle also joined me and we saw riots in action. When we reached the city market, curfew was clamped and police lathi charged one and all.  We ran for cover and scrambled inside the Bata shop and closed the shutters. When Military jeeps started moving around, we came out and showed our Defence ID cards and got a drive back home. A tear-gas had exploded in our house and all my relatives inside the house were crying. I thought some mishap had happened. No. It was only the tear-gas. After three days, the war broke out and when I heard the Radio news that Jodhpur has been bombed, I applied for leave to go to Pilani. My officer scolded me “ Fool You want to go to the battlefield and die.” I retorted “I am going, whether you give leave or not.” And went to Bombay during black-out and found all trains to North cancelled. I got admitted into a military train (my ID card helped) and reached Sawai Madhpur, where crowds of people gathered in the platform to greet the soldiers going to war. Many people shook hands with me also. In the night, air-raids made us to leave the train and run for cover in the deserts. Due to blackout in the train, I landed in Bharatpur by mistake. I had to take a bus and come back to Jaipur next day to catch the train. Public was scared of Pakistani paratroopers and searching for them and I was always afraid that I will be caught. There was air-raid siren in Jaipur every hour. My father in law was waiting for me in Chirawa station and returned home without me.  My wife started crying. He came back and stationed himself in Chirawa. Finally I landed like a victorious soldier. Fighter planes were flying over our heads in Pilani throughout the fortnight and the peacocks of Pilani were the most frightened lot. Finally the ceasefire came and my son was born. On my return journey, I traveled with Pakistani POWs (wounded/ bleeding) and found the sardarjis dancing over Pattan Tanks in Chandini Chowk, Delhi.
 

 

                                          
13)   1966   I had never cared for mosquitoes but when I saw the bite-marks on the tender skin of my baby son, I decided to go all out for total protection. We went around the market place and bought a big mosquito net to cover all the three of us. When I fixed it in my small apartment, it almost occupied the entire room. I fixed the lower portion of the net securely under the bed to ensure that no mosquito can peep in. We spent one-hour playing with the baby who was fascinated by the new arrangement. It was such a tiring day and I do not know when I went to sleep. I must have slept like a log of wood. At 3 a.m., the terrible EARTHQUAKE struck. At first, during my sound sleep, I was hearing strange sounds, like big stones rolling downhill.  The whole town was shaking wildly and people woke up in alarm, ran out of their houses, shouting and crying, not knowing what is happening or what to do…My wife got up, grabbed the baby and tried her best to awake me. I did not budge. My neighbors were shouting my name in front of my house asking me desperately to come out. My wife ran out to tell them I am not getting up. They told her to come out immediately and she ran out with the baby crying. 

 I was hearing all the pandemonium and bedlam and also the rumbling sound of the tremors of the earthquake in a semi-conscious state. Another wave of tremor sent the house-hold items crashing inside the room, followed by a chorus of people shouting my name from outside. The entire house shook wildly by the tremor and I got up with a start. When I stood, I was swaying as if in a boat and in whichever direction I moved I was like a fish caught in the net. The total darkness caused by the power-failure added to my confusion.  I was desperate. I was not able to come out at all as I was entangled in the mosquito net. I was searching for my wife and baby. A final jerk of tremor terrified my predicament and in a desperate effort, sensing danger, I tore the mosquito net and came out flying into the street, tracking the shouts of people. I was the last man to join the crowd. The famous Koyna Earthquake had already subsided.  I could not believe what actually happened and for a long time I kept tight-lipped and preferred to listen to people.  The after-effects of the Quake continued for some more days, sending tremors at erratic intervals. I bundled the mosquito net and stored it away from the bedroom once and for all, not caring anymore for the mosquitoes

14)    1968    My first ART exhibition was held in the reputed Bal Gandharva Art Gallery and the editor of Poona Herald declared it open. The experience of crowds of art enthusiasts  appreciatively admiring my works of art was very satisfying. I was surprised when some visitors asked for the price of some exhibits.

A few weeks later, an article about me and my art and literary works appeared in Marathi सकाल  newspaper. I was a prolific painter and this helped to organize annual ART exhibitions in my 0ffice, in which most of the hall was occupied by my exhibits. I was in Admin section and had access to ID Photos of all. I used to take one card every day and make his portrait during lunch hours. My exhibition contained many such faces, which attracted even family crowd. The portrait of the Boss was always there and Mrs. Boss used to declare it open and rush to see the face of the Boss. Often I had trying time to discuss and explain why the nose and chin of the boss was like that, especially if the chief guest was not pleased. I always landed with prizes and some wagging tongues wanted a total outsider to judge the prizes. The Curator, Film Institute was arranged as the chief guest and still I got the prize. Anyway I lost interest in prizes as the mere exhibition gave me enough satisfaction.My fame as Artist spread throughout my official circle. I was commissioned by my Boss to make big oil paintings to be presented to Army Units while on liaison visits. I already had enough stock at home, creating space problems, and this came as a relief. A special painting was required to be hung in the Reception room and I did it for a couple of weeks, after my dinner in the night. My mother was always awake watching me paint and when asked would give her opinion and suggestion to improve the looks. The painting was an attraction in the Reception room where the Army 0fficers reported for inquiry. They would notice and ask the Receptionist who has done the painting. And she would say “Oh! You are going to him only, with your problem”. They would always compliment me and say that they always thought differently about "Accounts" people.  On a holiday, I took my mother in my car to the 0ffice and showed her the painting hanging in the Reception room and she was overwhelmed.

                              
15)      1969      Slow eating habits do not go well with Indian Railways. I was traveling from Pune to Chennai, in a compartment next to the Engine, with my wife and four year old son. All the long distance passengers rush to the station Restaurant for their lunch during the 15 minutes halt at RENIGUNTA station and we joined them. My wife and son finished their lunch quickly and rushed back to their compartment, while I was still absorbed eating my lunch slowly as usual. When the whistle blew, my wife sent our son to fetch me. Meanwhile, I saw the train moving and rushed to pay the bill and catch the train. While running to the first compartment, I saw my son on the way and asked him about his mother, as I was confused about her whereabouts. I lifted him and started running and searching for my wife. The train was already gaining momentum and the first half of the train was already out of the station. Not finding my wife in the platform, I decided to catch the running train. I shifted my son to the left side of my hip and holding him tightly with my left hand, I chased the running train and caught hold of the door-handle of the last compartment, with my right hand.  The passengers in the train were shouting at me not to try. When I leapt in with my son, the velocity of the motion was so powerful that I was almost thrown inside, to be held firmly by a passenger near the door. It was thrilling but certainly a reckless attempt. I did not know the whereabouts of my wife and prayed that she should be in the first compartment. My son was of course confirming to that effect. Meanwhile my wife, who was in the first compartment, was making a hue and cry about me and son, almost tearing the Guard to pieces. The next stop took almost an hour of anxiety, in both the first and last compartments. I got down with my son and ran to the first compartment much to the relief of the Guard. The panic packed lunch-hour episode at RENIGUNTA was a great lesson for my slow-eating habits, besides improving my know-how “ to catch the train”.

16)        My wife had a hand-operated sewing machine, which was always intriguing me. During summer, I decided to stitch the school uniform of my sons with this machine.  Being an Artist made the cutting job easy. First I used the newspapers to make a model of the shirt, by cutting it into pieces representing the front, back, sleeve and collar portions of the body. After joining them, I tried it on their body, made corrections and finalized the proportions. Once satisfied, I cut the cloth in exact proportion and started stitching them in the machine. I made sure, with trial and error method, that the finished work was as good as the professional one. The collar portion was always the difficult one. I also made the emblem of the school in embroidery work, almost to perfection. I was delighted when they went to school with the uniform stitched by me. This work absorbed my interest for a couple of years when I tried some attractive outfits for the children.

17)          The shabby way Office records were maintained, always irritated me. The old record clerk was totally disinterested and unskilled. I used to observe bookbinding work going on near my house and coached my record-clerk the modes-operendi.  Soon I was fascinated by this art. At first I did a fine job of arranging my collection of drawings and paintings and binding them in an attractive folder for display. I learnt the art of arranging the papers, stitching them with twain thread, fixing front and back folders. After this preliminary work, I used to take it to the shop for cutting them in machines to get fine shape. Later I used to apply glue and paste laminated sheets, rexin or cloth and make attractive covers. I spent almost two years practicing and improving this art, as a hobby and my library has a collection of books, especially Readers Digest, in attractive covers done by me. All my newspaper writings and cuttings are well preserved in neat folders. Every beautiful cover, reminds me of a piece of shirt, saree or cloth worn by us. Later on, I started using plastic sheets as covers for our books as they were transparent and smooth to handle.
 

18)        Drunkards made the dull and drab official life interesting. The poor, low-grade peons were the most addicted lot. My peons never came to office when drunk because I never excused them. Once my Officer complained that his peon has reported to office fully drunk. I called him and in his presence telephoned the Medical officer to come immediately for checking up this man and ordered the Security officer to call the police and arrest this man. This totally drunk fellow immediately recovered from his stupor and came back to his senses. Next minute we saw him running wildly towards the gate, trying to escape from the Doctor and Police. My pretense had such an electrifying effect on him. Another clerk, who used to get drunk on the payday caught his evening local train in VT and lost his senses. The train was shuttling between VT and Kalyan stations and after five rounds someone removed his salary packet around midnight and he lost even his watch, shirt, pant, shoes, and goggles in subsequent rounds. By daybreak he woke up and reached home in his under-wear, to be welcomed by a crowd of anxious relatives and neighbors. In one tragic case, a watchman on security day-duty in a remote area in the Factory chose to have a drink and a nice nap.  He also snored. A stray dog found the sound of snoring extremely objectionable and went on growling at him. The watchman went on snoring and at the end of the competition; the dog bit and tore away his nose. The watchman damaged his nose but claimed compensation under Factories Act. The Management suspended him on dereliction of duty. Only the dog escaped punishment. 

 
19) I reached Victoria Terminus to catch my train to my quarters at Matunga. There was a big crowd in the platform around a man standing above a table.  As the crowd was swelling around him I went near to see him. I was surprised that he was not standing on a table. He was standing on the ground, like a giraffe. He was more that 7½` in height it was amazing to see such a tall, hefty person. We were all around his waist looking at him with tilted heads. He was not able to enter the train as his head was hitting the roof of the train. I was wondering how he was moving around the city, as he cannot board a bus, car, train or taxi with his colossal frame. Someone suggested he should try the double decker train where he can find space near the staircase. I went home wondering about this amazing individual. I told this to my roommates with great excitement. A couple of days later when I was going to the Restaurant for my dinner I saw this tallest man going ahead of me. I was very much excited and ran behind him. But he walked so fast with long strides that he soon disappeared from my sight. Soon the news item appeared in Free Press Journal about this man from North India who was admitted in Sion Hospital, Bombay for medical treatment to stop growing further. A case of GOING EXTREMES in GROWING EXTREMES.  I came to know that the tallest married couple was living in Pune but I was not lucky to see them. But 25 years later, I saw the tallest man in the world, from Pakistan, during the Dubai Festival.

20)    When red colored twenty rupees currency notes were introduced in circulation, I was the first to get a bundle of 100 notes and knew its serial numbers and used it sparingly. It has been my ritual to visit the roadside Maruti temple, every Saturday. As my wife wanted some groceries to be brought, I took two red currency notes and some loose coins and visited the temple with my two sons. It was crowded as usual as in Saturdays with all known persons. After my rituals I was praying in front of the idol of Maruti amidst unusually jostling crowd, when someone pick-pocketed my two currency notes from my hip pocket. An old woman acquaintance noticed the theft and alerted me. I checked and was shocked to find it gone. I could not believe that someone could pickpocket when in prayer in front of the idol of Maruti. In my pious mood, I even thought that if that is the will of God, let it be gone. But the old lady identified the thief and the crowd reprimanded and instigated me to pursue him. Meanwhile the thief moved away to the next street. As a late reaction, I started the chase, propelled by the crowd. Some people had quietly pursued him and we all found him in a nearby shop, trying to buy cigarettes. He was holding my red colored currency note, when a thug in the crowd asked us whether that is the fellow. When confirmed, he caught hold of him and thrashed. His cap fell down along with another red colored currency note. The thug collected both the notes and asked me whether they are mine. The crowd confirmed it. I was given both the notes. The thug holding the thief by the neck asked me what should be done to him Since I got back my money, I asked him to leave him. With a final smack, he was released. I was so much disturbed by the incident that I went home and tallied the serial numbers with my bundle, to make sure. What a Saturday it was.

 21)   THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY. I am still in a daze, how he did it. All my relatives decided on a pilgrimage to Pandarpur and I was given a few hundred rupees to book their train tickets. I put all the currency notes in a secret pocket in my under-garment and went to the bus stop and found an unusual jostling afternoon crowd. A small purchase made in front of the bus stop must have attracted the gang. I managed to get into the bus and found standing in front of a man, who after getting a signal from the gang, asked me to go the last seat in the last row where a seat was vacant. I saw a well-dressed man in coat and tie offering his adjacent seat for me. The moment I sat next to him, he placed his suitcase over his thighs, smiled at me and started a funny talk  with the man standing near him. I was so absorbed that when he disembarked after three stops, I missed his finale. In the next stop I got down and went to the station and stood in the queue. Within seconds, people started observing me curiously and started laughing at me. One kind man approached me and showed my pant which was neatly cut exposing my under garment. When I checked my secret pocket, I found the entire cash missing. There was no secret about it. I stood there with my tattered garments, unharmed, unaware and wonder struck by the smooth surgical operation of a great expert, who merely used hypnotic talk instead of anesthesia, to get rid of that malignant cash, lying deep inside a secret crevice, with an invisible high precision clinical instrument, without causing even a single scratch on my skin during a bumpy bus-ride.  I left the queue, covered my pant by loosening the shirt and went home to break the news. I am still bewildered how this “ HOUDINI” of rogues must have done it secretly (unseen either by him or by others) under the cover of his suitcase, surpassing the professional expertise of the cardiologist who performed angioplasty in my heart with so much fuss and ordeal.

 22) In the mid-seventies, the plague of staff union emerged, leading to unprecedented indiscipline and violence in our office. Officers were man-handled and office routine was paralyzed. The boss was gheroed and hierarchy went topsy turvy. At the height of chaos, the  boss was transferred ad-mist tumult and turmoil and the new boss arrived to take over the shattered office.  Within weeks, he brought the situation under his control. He turned the tables.  The Union activists struggled to prove their might. A tug-of-war situation emerged. The selection for the  post of Secretary became a trial of strength and the Union boldly announced their candidate and asked anyone to challenge. The Boss found this as a final and decisive knock-out and in consultation with his coterie, announced my name as the challenger and left the city on a fortnight tour.

I was stunned and pushed into a battle field. I did not want to be a pawn in their game.  I became an unwilling, untrained soldier, fighting somebody's war..It was a do or die situation. A group of staff were ordered to campaign, canvass and ensure my victory and demolish the union. The union activists canvassed vigorously even though all of them, including their candidate, were my dear friends. They garlanded the statue of  Shivaji and I was forced to garland the statue of Mahatma.     My group projected me as Guru ( lecturer of staff) Artist, Sportsman , etc., and the boss was making inquiries from outstations. The atmosphere was more militant than official. My brother thought that I might be assaulted. The ordeal was getting fierce.   

             The election day was a thriller. To my great luck and    popularity I won the election as the official candidate, against the union candidate. I was carried on the shoulders of my supporters,  who threw "गुलाल " and burst crackers,   unprecedented in the history of our office. When I reached home, immersed in red color of vermilion "गुलाल ", my wife and children could not recognize me and wondered what happened to me. The dark clouds vanished into thin air.  The boss returned from tour.  Slowly everything returned to normalcy. It was an eventful and unforgettable fortnight.
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23)   THREE  LESSONS  IN  SPORT
 
        Being junior-most in age and size during my college days,  I could not get entry into outdoor sports, even though i was too good in basket ball, volley ball, foot ball, hockey etc.,  My Sports teacher introduced me to Table tennis which was a turning point in my sagging enthusiasm. Here the size and age did not matter at all. Soon I mastered the game and started tormenting the stalwarts. Every hour of leisure was utilized to master the game of speed, agility and strategy. The coordination of mind and the whole body was remarkable. My concentration levels grew in crescendo. Many times I used to wonder how I retaliated the startling shot of the opponent or executed the most cunning and deceptive shot to make my opponent bewilder in disbelief.
 
        Later when I was working, the three Tables in the Recreation room of my 0ffice, sent me in raptures making me spend 3  to 4 hours daily in the evening, to my heart’s content. I used to play in tournaments, where my spectacular stunts and extraordinary shots used to excite the spectators in the gallery, exploding in thunderous applause.  Frankly, I liked playing to the gallery.  In later years, I was a member of the District TT association and organized all India TT tournaments mingling with the top players of India. I recall three instances, which every sportsman should keep in mind.
 
          Once during an All India TT tournament, I reached pre-Quarters and had to face the National champion, whom I knew as the Secretary of the tournment I was already in my mid-thirties and was no match for him. I was going to meet my Waterloo. Before the best of three games match, I smiled at him jovially and told him not to defeat me in straight games, but to grant me at least one game as a gratis.  I really thought of it as a friendly, sporting gesture. I was myself very complacent, doing it many times, whenever I found my opponent less challenging. But to my shock, he declined ruthlessly and said it should never be done, in a competitive match. The killing instinct is crucial in a serious sport, for a champion.He defeated me in straight games. It was an eye-opener for me. It is all about winning at any cost, inflicting sadistic pleasure in conquering, vanquishing and overthrowing the opponent.
 
            This reminds me of an earlier incident, when one of my clerk who used to watch me playing, requested me to coach him. After a few months of coaching, where I used to win the first game, loose the second, tease him in the third, decider game and finally win the match. I found this method quite challenging to both of us and ultimately he became a good player. Subsequently  in a local tournament, when I reached the semi-final, he turned out to be my opponent. As usual I won the first game and deliberately yielded the next game. In the third and final game, I was holding the winning point but started yielding points to him willingly, in the usual manner. The crowd was shouting disapprovingly. I was confident and allowed him to level the score. Now I have to score two points successively to win the game. I allowed him to take the first point and I took the next point and leveled the score once again. The excitement in the gallery was building up. Disregarding the risk, I did the same again and again with great confidence in me. It was now a mental game. At one stage, looking at the anxiety and desperation in his young face, out of softhearted tenderness I lost interest in winning the game and went on risking further points, giving him a long rope, until he won the grueling semi finals. God only knows why my mind chose to lose. I sat in the gallery next day to watch him play the finals.  It is the mindset that makes the difference.

The third incident was another lesson.  In another all India tournament, I reached the fourth round and my opponent was a boy from another state. When our match was announced, I reached the table and waited for my opponent. When I saw him reach the table, my heart sank and I did not want to play at all. He was handicapped.  The Umpire announced that the player was permitted, by the Sports Federation, to hold the Table by one hand and play.  I was known for playing tricky stunts and the situation was disheartening. I started playing with great compassion and leniency; within a few minutes I was shocked and stunned to find the opponent a Master of the game.  I lost the first game in utter confusion and disbelief. In the next game, all my tricks and stunts went up in smoke. I lost the match in straight games, totally vanquished.  Unforgettable lesson. Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will…spirit…character…. Mental strength is really important because you either win or lose in your mind

          SPORTSMANSHIP    is  knowing that it is a game. 
 That we are only as good as our opponents, whether we win or lose.

 

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