The School closed

The school in our village was closed (or recognition withdrawn)by the  Government. This was an unaided school, run by some well wishers. The teacher (I have a lot to say about the this Teacher, later) was not paid by the Government.

The building ( a small , tiled , single hall) was given by the owner free for schooling, on some lease type.

The Teacher, a bachelor (unmarried) was taken care by few well to do people, including my father. He also did some additional works with a land lord. he was satisfied with all that.

The few students who were coming to school, enjoyed it and went for free roaming. But the Teacher did not want to leave at that. He could manage to admit the children in another school,  about 3 km away.

We had to walk that distance across almost barren, dry land. This deterred the few and finally only I was left.

He used to carry my bags to school, take care during lunch time, wait till school is over and take me back. During this 'walking trips' he used to tell me stories, some useful informations which helped me at a later date.

This became critical when the rain started. But he never gave up. My father had also faith on the Teacher and allowed me to go with him whatever was the condition. If it rains, the Teacher will carry me (since I cannot walk fast enough), with my books and hold the umbrella, mostly for me.

During this period, our village people presented the case again to the educational authorities, and got the clearance to run the school.

So the one year ordeal came to an end. We were back to our own school

High School .1

Moving from a single hall school to one room for each section was a thrilling one. More rooms, more teachers and much more students, is a new thing for me at that time. More so was when we see different teachers for different subjects.

I had to walk ( no road or transport) 5 KM and it was a good exercise. At times I used to run most of the distance. Half the distance is through cultivable lands. So it will be a challenge during rainy and cultivation times. We have to walk on the varambu ( elevated boundaries of the individual plot). During cultivation times, this will be trimmed and covered with mud. It becomes additional task to clean the mud at the last possible location. But it was enjoyable to walk and do circus (balance).

It was a co-education school. Each standard (6th to 11th) had two sections, one only boys and the other mixed. I was put in that section. Out of 40 students (8 benches) only one bench had boys - 5 persons.

The teacher created competition between boys and girls so there was a good chance to score marks.

Here too I had a good class teacher Mr Sethuramalingam. He always comes in white shirt and dhoti, soft spoken but strict. My village background and sincerity in the studies might have  brought the class teacher closer to me.

During the school days one thing I could not understand was the influence / respect my father had with the teachers. While many parents used to be called by the school administration, my father was not called. But one day around 10 AM, I got a message from school office that my father has to come on that day itself.

I immediately started for home, asked my father to get ready and  to come to school with my father. Sensing something may be wrong he also got ready and we returned in the hot sun.

As we entered the school, my class teacher was waiting for us and he was very apologetic to my father for the disturbance. We all went to the office and the class teacher banged the clerk who gave the message to me, and complained to the Head Master also. He gave instructions that  anything required with me shall be informed to him first. He instructed me also that I should inform him any office requirements.

Any fee payment, certificate charges etc., only the teacher will tell (mostly he will pay first) me to bring.

My Teacher

His name is KARUPPIAH.

He was single and had determination in the living. He served as a dedicated teacher in the unaided school in our village. For his subsistence there were people supporting him

A land lord in the next village had some lands in our area. There was a big well and a high power pump installed in that. The operation of the pump was entrusted to the teacher. So the teacher stayed in the pump room as well as in the school. He got his lunch from the landlord as well as some money.

His breakfast was from my house. After some time dinner was also from my house. He insisted in some sort of  a tuition in lieu of this.

So this helped me in getting more attention and teaching from him. Not just the school book type but more of a general knowledge. States of India, Districts of Tamilnadu, Mathematical Table, many riddles and English alphabets. In those days the English came into teaching only from 6th standard. But when I went to the Higher Secondary School for 6th Standard, I can read, write English alphabets and few words also. All these things kept me a step above others, those have come from higher status family also.

He used to tell stories on honesty, straight forwardness. He took me to the movie 'Veera Pandiya Kattabomman', at Madurai. While returning he explained the sequences ( since I could not have understood fully) and appraised of the courageous ruling of the earlier Kings.

On my completion of 5th standard in that School, he took me to the Muthu Thevar Mukkulathor Higher Secondary School ( MMHS as it is called) in Thirunagar, Madurai and ensured I am admitted for the 6th Standard.

He has done more than a teacher. Without him there, probably, I would have been a 'nobody' today. What I am today is more from his caring.

After one or two years he left this school, and was absorbed in Government service and was working in a School at Villapuram. Though I could not see him , heard, he got married and had children.

On hearing about teachers' way functioning today, he was a person nobody can reach his status.

Bull and the Mosque

The Bull and the Mosque

As I mentioned earlier, the Teacher was taking care of watering of the paddy fields of a Land lord in another village. They paid him money and provided lunch. He used to sleep in that pump room in the nights.

It used be that some student will go to the village of the Land lord and bring lunch for the Teacher, from  their house.

Though I was not included in that list for bringing lunch, I volunteered one day and brought lunch. Many people criticised that telling how I can be sent (status reference) for that work. But my father simply said , he is a student, why he can't go.

After some time, one day, I started having some bizarre experience.

In the evenings, when the sun sets, I used to see a bull staring at me and ready to charge. The big bull with a big hump was fearsome. I used to get terrified and shout at my parents to close the doors, else the bull will kill me.

They don't see the bull so will not act to my demand. I used to shout and beat them. At that age the beating was not taken serious by them. But when it continued for some days, repeating exactly in the same time, they got little annoyed.

I was taken to General hospital, Madurai and was treated. Some medicines were given for intake, but solution was not getting closer.  Me and my father stayed at Madurai and every alternate day we used to see the doctors. After few days I have started walking in sleep also. So the situation was becoming more menacing to others. Around fifteen days have gone and issue remained.

At that time some friends of my father (or relatives) suggested to try with one famous mosque in Madurai. A black rope has to be obtained after pooja (what Muslims call it, I don't know) from the mosque and worn around my neck. Next day early morning my father went to the Mosque and brought the rope and it was tied after bath.

Great ! All those hallucinations or imaginary fear are gone! And I became a normal boy, then onwards.

Even today I have no answers to this happening. Somebody said that it was the bull of Karuppa Swamy (one God), whom I might have insulted or disrespected some time, so I am being threatened by his Vahana. But how come it is cured by a rope from a Mosque? Science, today, may start explain in many pages of report, but the cure is to be explained. This is one poser for those who say there is nothing beyond science and GOD is only imagination from illiteracy.

Primary schooling

Schooling  Starts

I was admitted to the local school at the age of little over 3. This was not as per the regulations. So whenever the school inspector visits the school, I will be sent outside and will have to wait for him to go. the place where I have to wait is full of plants with thorns, and it never was comfortable.

But once I got into the trouble, when I behaved smart.

The Inspector came before the school timing. The teacher had gone for breakfast (in my house). I was at the school.

I came forward and told 'the teacher has gone for breakfast and will be back soon, you may please wait'. He was talking to me and very innocently I told I am a student of that school.

But when the teacher came, as usual, I had to wait outside.

Inside the class (it was a single class room from 1st to 5th standard), the inspector was looking for me. Not seeing me he has asked the teacher and the teacher explained the issue. The inspector has told though the rules do not permit, I can be inside. And thus I got the freedom to be in the class when inspectors visit.

But that freedom was short-lived.