Second year 1

Eventful Second year

The second year had some diversions for me. I started writing for the college magazine. I was participating in the writing competitions (story / poem / essay) of other colleges, and also representing the College in elocution competitions.

I have won some prizes too from  Alagappa College, Karaikudi, Madura College (competition co-convened by Tamilnadu Government on 'Rehabilation of beggars') in addition to my own college. In the third year I was made College Magazine Editorial member, by which I became ineligible to enter into competitions in our college.

I started inclining towards politics and had been spending more time on that. I was being monitored and suggested to avoid to get more time for studies. But that did not get into my mind.

Coming to incidences..

Our batch students staged an one day dharna (keep off classes) in support of a strike being carried out by Junior Engineers of Tamilnadu Government demanding higher salaries. But three of us have attended the class (which started at 8 AM). Around 9 AM some students came to our class and told there is a strike and class has to be stopped. He expressed his difficulty as students (we) are in the class. They wanted to talk to us. The lecturer strictly told it must be only talking , nothing beyond that. So they talked to us, and I was clear I will not come out. The other two have gone out. the lecturer continued the class till the period end.

At the end of the period, I was informed by the office that the classes are suspended for the day due to poor attendance. When I was returning to my friend's room in hostel, on the way I was asked to be careful as some angry students are waiting for me. But nothing could be seen because they were playing cards in their rooms. I noticed some factions developing in the form of posters. two groups have put up posters in the room doors - one 'Phantom' and the other 'Tiger'. My friend told it belongs to two political parties.

By the time somebody smelt my arrival and some group of students came to us. They started telling what I have done is not correct, I should have joined the strike. I in my style told 'those engineers on strike have a job. we are still in the beginning of the course. we don't know whether we will get jobs. unless you study  well you cannot think of pass leave alone job. I get up at 5 am prepare and come some kilometres cycling for the class. you people get up after eight and declare we are on strike. I cannot accept it, now and in future also.'. This I believe changed some of the students in the other side also and the remaining went out murmuring.

Dress code

Somehow I stuck to the habit of coming to the classes in dhoti. Though it was looking odd, I continued. First year was fine, because no practical classes.

In second year workshop classes were there where the dress has to be pants. I was regularly in dhoti in other classes. In drawing class, the lecturer was unhappy about my dress and asked me come in pants next time. that next time never happened. He told another lecturer , who was my cousin, and got a reply 'leave him'.

So the drawing class lecturer wanted to catch me in the wrong foot. One day forenoon we had drawing class and workshop in the afternoon. I was in dhoti in the drawing class. In the afternoon, after the workshop period has started, the drawing class lecturer came around. he was searching for me and was confused to see me in kaki pant and shirt and in shoes. ( I used to leave these in my friend's room in hostel and change as required). He could not say anything on my dress so he was asking about what I am going to do in the lathe. I told him the work assigned to me. He said start. I requested him to be in the other side, as oil is added to the job and it might spray on him. The workshop supervisor also told him the same thing. But he just looked at the job and said no problem, start. I started the lathe and a line of oil sprayed on him. From then on he did not criticise me in my works. Later he joined ISRO, Trivandrum and after my course completion I too joined there.