Monday, February 15, 2016

The Early Years - Full text all chapters

Introduction


My Writing  started with short stories and then I switched to  blogging my travel experience which is going quite well,and now, I am picking my brain to do something more.A new year, a new initiative... 

As I  look up my bank of photos, a collection dating back to 1948,I hit upon a Genre..
"Life Story". Call it Autobiography or a Memoir if you wish.

"I will write my life story and blog it" I said

"But you are not a famous person.Who will read your life story? How will it inspire others?" said my reflection.

"Hmmm...you may be right but what if I want to leave something for those who will blossom in my own family tree,and who I'll never meet?" I countered

"Like some useless history,mundane and unimportant?...come,come,you can think of better ways of time occupation" this my image

"I had always wished to read about the time and lives of my parents and grand P's.I wanted to relate to their "Good old days". But,I'll never know.
They are all gone leaving no account behind. It needn't be the same for others after me"

"Hey..Have it your way! Don't say I did not warn you!!"



I do not know how it will turn out,but I am eager to make a beginning,bent upon chronicling My Life with its Highs and Lows,some from moments captured on camera and others from my fickle memory. I'll be happy to receive your contribution.


Here goes....

____________________________________________________________________

1.My Early Years

I was born in Calcutta.Our residence was at 106 B,Raja Basantha Roy Road,Calcutta 29
I was born on 31 December 1947, a double whammy as I get to celebrate my birthday and usher in the New Year too!


I was delivered at home, a Bonny 8.5 Pound baby with a large head.My mother was challenged, but being a past master at facing them she  brought me out into this world safe and sound

Interestingly, not very long after I came ...


"The light has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere'  

rued Nehruji.We had lost Gandhiji to Godse's bullet.

Mother

I was given the name JAYARAMAN by my mother who had at that time finished listening to a discourse on RAMAYANAM and wanted me to rise  to great heights emulating the famous personality.
My father was very happy to have been blessed with another son,after a gap of seven long years.He had two sons and two daughters before me,I am omitting the two who were lost at birth,and with my coming in he had obtained a favorable (sic) balance.Little wonder that I was his favourite to be petted and spoilt. 



Father


Subbier Ganesh,my father, came from a modest background and was born in 1902. He completed his  “Intermediate” in Pachaiappa College, Chennai where his parents were living then. 
A while later he got married to my mother,Visalakshi,a very fine girl, not even in her teens, a girl of short stature but of very broad mind who hailed from Bangalore.  

His ambition to get away from South,where there were limited  opportunities, brought them to Bombay to serve in a private structural engineering company under British ownership.
He was  then moved  to Calcutta when the company shifted its entire operation to that city upon landing the contract to build the Howrah Bridge. With his initiative & drive he rose from the ranks to become the Superintendent of Purchase.
As a youth he was keen on Fine arts, and acted in plays and participated in singing competitions, being gifted with a good voice.   In Calcutta he was among the Southy pioneers to establish the South Indian clubs, school and associations for the promotion of our arts and culture. He was always contributing towards the betterment of the Society and was charitable by nature.
From the family point of view,I remember him as a strict disciplinarian with a quick temper.On occasions glasses of water  have come flying out of his hand towards the family member exhibiting disapproval of the food served at dinner or lunch. 
Sample his hand writing in a 1955 letter to his son-in-law in Madras 
West Bengal with Calcutta as its Capital was being ruled by Congress then as was the whole country.But,WB suffered the after effects of "Partition" and the formation of East Pakistan.Communal violence was wide spread,food shortage endemic,unemployment and large influx of refugees was the order of the day.B.C.Roy,the then CM, instilled a a great amount of discipline and sense of duty among the rank and file of his Govt.and brought the situation under control.With this Calcutta chugged along quite well in the 50's

 My life was getting on splendidly too! I was up to  to my mischievous ways during the day and was left to the able care of HARI the manservant who would take me out to the lake or for a stroll along Southern Ave. in the afternoons.Those were stellar days for me.I was the cynosure of all in the family.The whole house was my playing ground and I would indulge in whatever mischief I wished. 

With HARI near a Steam Engine
                                              

That's ME
Feed Time with Mother























I would go about my work quietly,mixing up provisions in the store room, mess up the floor after playing with water or cause serious injury to neighbors by dropping heavy objects two floors below to strike bald heads.Of particular interest is the day I created a ruckus with ANDU BALLAL a word or expression that no one could decipher and so  my moan became a wail as the day wore on: I cried for ANDU BALLAL! They tried in vain pacifying me with articles of interest to a child ...toys,sweets and the like but I would not relent.Father pitched in and looking at the state of affairs decided to send me out into the cool air of the evening to put me to sleep and the strategy worked.The household slept over the unresolved problem that night.Next morning as folks were readying to face the chores of the day,I cried out gleefully...ANDU BALLAL!! pointing to something on the floor.It was a TOP!
                         Muthu Athimbere,Chellakka
With Balu Anna












In this period my eldest sis Chellam all of 18 was married off to Muthuswamy from Chennai and they set up home in the Gopalapuram house that my father had built in that city.



 
Mohan

The next incident in this history happened as if Providence decreed it.My younger brother was born on 31 December 1949! Exactly 2 years later on the same day!!


Charu, Mohan and me
With Mohan inducted,we became a family of four brothers and two sisters. 
Mohan joined me in the Perambulator in the evenings and was my side kick for unjust activities at home. 
Chellam gave birth to Charu shortly thereafter.
Perima

But before I go further I have to introduce another person who played a vital role  in the affairs of our family. My Aunt, Alamelu or Perima. Widowed early,she became a part of our family before my brother Mohan was born and continued to stay with us in Calcutta till she passed away at a ripe old age.She supported my mother admirably and delighted all of us with her culinary delights. 
Ramani
Mother gave birth to my youngest brother Ramani in October 1952.We are now five brothers and two sisters in the family. 
My eldest brother Balan enrolled for Mechanical Eng at Birla College of Eng at Pilani as it was then called and went away.My other elder sis Vasantha was the one studying in a Missionary school and my brother immediately before me was Gopal,at school. 
 
Vasantha akka
With Gopal anna

 While Vasantha Akka was diligent and hard working in her pursuit of learning Gopal Anna would evade his obligation towards books and spend much time outside the house at Play.
                                                 
Father worked his way to a comfortable life. He acquired a Das a pet.He would dress well for the office and occasions and kept a tidy house with a full-time cook and servant.He taught mother to write letters in English.Next came the motor car.It was the "Hindustan" model based on the 1947 Morris Oxford.Now,life became pleasanter with rides to parks and the Zoo and Victoria Memorial in the company of my sister and brother/s.

National High School
As time sped, it was thought necessary to employ a tuition master to groom me for a position in Std.1 in the absence of Nursery and KG at schools those days.Father procured admission for me in Miss.B.Hartley's school which I attended in the prescribed Uniform for a day and was then transferred to National High School (NHS) where all the siblings had studied with the exception of Vasantha. This change of school was occasioned by the fact that father was chosen to be in the managing committee of the School and perform the functions of a Secretary. How could he then allow his children to study elsewhere? fair enough..
At NHS they found my competence good enough to qualify for Std.2, at the age of 5. Little did I know then that this promotion,commendable though it was then, would haunt me later on!
Ramani flanked by Mohan and me
At Lily Pool,a famous landmark of Cal
















At this time I took part in the Annual day celebration,appearing on stage doing 'Sing a song of Six Pence" with eight others.
I befriended this neighbor downstairs,Radha,who was my constant companion those days.


Radha my friend
Such were the days in Calcutta in early to mid 1950 until father,suffering from Hypertension,collapsed at a certain company meeting.Post this incident,we shifted residence to a large ground floor accommodation in Gariahat,south Calcutta
Though he recovered,he continued to ail.He was happy making preparations for sending his son,Balu Anna,now an Engineer,to England on an Apprenticeship at the Head Quarters of his firm.However,just before the date of sail, on a fateful day in June '56,he passed away succumbing to a heart attack.He was all of 54 !

I was Eight years old.

I was shaken and woken up that early morning by Balu anna who announced that my father was no more and I could see his supine form on the bed, and all around me,my elders were wailing and weeping at the loss.
________________________________________________________
Buildings within the compound
2.Growing up and finishing school

The untimely death of Father changed the complexion of the household with its three small children and a sick and forlorn mother. Balan cancelled his sea voyage to UK and we were now looking at frugal living by moving to a smaller residence closer to school,giving away the motor car and engage in thrift.
With much cajoling Balan proceeded to UK for training and we moved to 73,Jatindas Road which came to be fondly known as 73. It served as our abode for many years through school and college and turned us from boys to young men.
The Ground floor flat


A view of Jatindas Road










There was the matter of Father's estate to be sorted out since he died intestate. Vasantha akka recalls how she dealt with the situation to obtain succession of the estate in the absence of a Will. 
 " I felt a bit heavy to remember what we went thru.Running to the lawyer with a flask of coffee to fill up estate duty forms with Mani mama as escort because a male escort was necessary..We traveled by bus then walked to his house.He was a fat man sitting amidst his files with a grand smile.He was my God at that time .What gave me the courage to manage the legal matters I cannot imagine.Tough time "

We three with our cousin 
Vasantha akka ran the household taking  Mohan,Ramani and me under her wings and placing us on a strict regimen.We were under her constant supervision for our school work,home-work, dress,eating et al. And yet we played a lot of cricket and later joined a local club to play Table Tennis after school.With Gopal in college,busy as he was with his exertions in Rowing,Cricket and other outdoor activities than spending quality time with his younger siblings,it fell upon V'Akka to care for our ailing mother,run the household and groom the three of us. Providentially,Periamma managed the kitchen and Manna,our servant,attended to the menial chores  


  
Chellam,Vasantha,Mohan,Ramani,Chandra,Radha


 My eldest Sis Chellam and my nieces Charu,Chandra and Radha would visit every summer for a grand reunion and then the small flat would be swarming with a dozen heads notwithstanding the Bachelor/s who had been installed in the front room,as means of additional income to tide over the financial burden.
Vasantha,Me,Mohan,Ramani,VMHall





Visits to Dhakuria Lake,Lily Pool,Victoria memorial and the Zoo as also our constant interaction with our cousins staying close by are etched in memory.






Balan in Switzerland

Balan wrote long letters to Vasantha frequently,empathizing and encouraging her while delighting us all with his experience and observation in the various locales he visited abroad.Those were the days of picture postcards of which he sent many.We boys received Jig saw puzzles, comics,stamp album and Meccano set to indulge in and forget the monotony of life.




Me 11 Yrs


 A high point was the opportunity to watch the first day's proceedings of the IND-WI Test match at Eden Gardens,on my birthday in Dec '58 when WI pulverized our bowling with R.Kanhai on a masterly 203 N.O.when stumps were drawn! Pity I could not watch Sir Garfield Sobers score a stylish century the next day as the shared season ticket went to someone else 

Time passed and Balan returned,a confident young man ready to take up the running of the family as well as the higher  responsibilities at Work which was located 25 miles away from the  city at Angus works.We would visit Angus over weekends and holidays for a few days of bliss amidst its lovely setting,,,the river,the club house,well manicured lawns and swimming pool not to mention the mouth watering delicacies that came from the kitchen.

I can also remember the influence that Dr.Raman,Balan's old friend,had on us.We were introduced to French Nursery Rhymes viz.,
Allouette gentile Allouette,Allouette Je Te Plumerai,

Frere Jacques & Et ron,ron,petit patapon


Ramani,Landmaster
With our improved financial condition,Balan got hold of a second hand Landmaster car,as new cars had a waiting time of God knows how many years then,which was busy plying him to and from the city during his weekends and took us on our outings too!







Vasantha akka.Perfect model for the Radiogram

We got rid of the Bachelor/s from the front room and redecorated it with a brand new Radio/Gram  as also added some furniture there to serve as a place for entertaining our guests.Shortly a telephone was also installed.






Vasantha,Gopal
Gopal loved being outdoors.He was popular and gregarious.Thanks to him I developed an interest in western POP and was listening to Pat Boone,Dean Martin,Nat King Cole,Elvis,Eartha Kitt,Cliff Richard and others.He had a University Blue in Rowing and enjoyed his Cricket too.He was adept at preparing razor sharp thread for engaging in Kite flying duels.
Diwali celebration was made all the more enjoyable because of him.Weeks before Diwali he would start preparing the raw material required to make flower pots.He was painstaking  in his approach and would make both the floor and the flying types.There would be a dazzling display of fire-works at 73 and we would be overawed watching the eruption of brilliant colours when fired.Wish I had pictures to show you.

#10,Gopalapuram

Chellam gave birth to Jayanthi,the youngest of my four nieces.My brother in law Muthuswamy, Chellam and the girls were residents of No.10 Gopalapuram, Chennai. Incidentally,this was a house that Dad constructed and hoped to live in it for sometime after his retirement.But that was not to be! (K.Balachander,the legendary Tamil film Director was a Tenant at this house while he was a budding Drama story writer)

Am I getting ahead in my story?

My mother's joy exceeded all bounds when V Akka's marriage was fixed to Dorairaj and it was conducted with great pomp and glitter in front of a large gathering,in Cal.

All that was fine,but I was not prepared to part company with her as she was going away to the other side of the country! Bombay...Our close association and rapport meant tears of sadness,of losing someone close to your heart as opposed to the tears of Joy that my elders shed for her prosperous married life.She left me in a daze.I would write to her regularly reporting progress on everything that we had shared before and coined the word "Eekes" my special name for her.I would sign off as "Joy" and that name has stuck to me since.

Uncles Mani,Sundar eagerly awaiting Puchkas
It was at this juncture that Sundar mama,the youngest of my four maternal Uncles joined our household.He was a bachelor working in Bangalore and sought better prospects in Cal.Fun loving and affable,he would describe his experiences in the new city in his inimitable style and we would be roaring with laughter.He brought a breath of fresh air into 73.He was very fond of Talat Mehmood songs and his voice would take on the same modulation as the original.

When talking of Sundar mama I must narrate an incident that happened in  Bangalore when i was 6+.He had taken me on his cycle for a ride.I was in the back carrier and every now and then he would make sure that I was sitting comfortably.We were now cycling on a longish stretch adjoining one of the many parks/gardens that Bangalore is famous for.The cool breeze lulled me to sleep while Sundar got into the mood for humming a song.A while later he stopped the cycle and lo and behold I was missing!I had fallen off the cycle onto a grassy verge and the soft landing did not disturb my sleep or Sundar. He was now bewildered having lost me and slowly retraced his path,thinking of the worst when he saw my supine form sometime later,all in one piece without any damage.
As a NCC cadet,I attended a camp,took interest in aero modelling and was one among the two selected to represent our school at the Republic day parade in Delhi.I could not afford to spend time on rigorous practice sessions both in Cal and later in the Capital just before my Pre-qualifier for the Board exam.The opportunity slipped away.
Before the  exams a farewell program/party was held at school where I sang Tom Dooley and the prettiest girl/a good dancer,also appearing for the exams,came over and congratulated me.That was a WOW!! moment which I will cherish.

I was now 14+ and the dawn of 1962 brought my dear sister Vasantha back to the city as she was expecting a baby.In Feb she gave birth to Srinath aka Babudhon at that time.
My preparation for the exam was going well except for Sanskrit which had tormented me right through my school years.While I would score very high marks in Bengali my knowledge in Sanskrit was abysmally poor.I just couldn't get the hang of it and failed all my tests in school.I was petrified and sat staring at the lessons,hoping for a miracle on the exam day. Vasantha kept vigil the entire night and goaded me to keep reading so as to do my best.
The hot summer and the rigors of examination had its toll on my body and I was afflicted with chicken pox.I lost 3 weeks of my holidays but was relieved to hear that I was to accompany my sister and baby nephew to Bombay and spend a couple of weeks there sight seeing.

The State of Bombay as it was prior to its division in 1960,was significantly 
large,expanding eastward to incorporate the Marathi speaking Marathwada region of Hyderabad state,the Marathi speaking Vidharba region of MP and Gujarati speaking Saurashtra and Kutch states. In May 1960 Bombay State was partitioned
on linguistic lines into Gujarat and Maharashtra with Bombay as its capital

Bombay in early 1962,was grand and clean with Irani hotels in every corner offering Pani Kum chai and Bun Maska and music out of the jukebox.Gateway,Taj hotel,Marine Drive,Chowpatty,Bhel Puri,Malabar hill and Queens necklace apart there were plenty of movies to see and Perry Masons to read.Travel on the plush red BEST buses and local trains and long walks on Vincent Road was truly enjoyable in the company of a new friend from Don Bosco who was to return with me to Cal to continue his education there.
Unlike Calcutta,where clocks were just fixtures on the wall or wrist to show the time,life in Bombay followed every minute of the clock,be it time to catch a local train, or clear the kitchen for the Rama (servant) and I found it difficult to adapt myself to this strange ethos.But I loved every moment of this vacation. 

I was well and truly converted to a man when I inculcated the smoking habit from my Bombay friend who hero worshiped Dev Anand and imitated his mannerism.
Little would I know then that Bombay would play a major role in shaping my career and Calcutta would become a distant memory

I completed school and was ready for College in the summer of 1962

Durga Puja in Calcutta
___________________________________________________________________________

3.My College Years
Xavier Logo


 It is June 1962...Equipped with my school final mark-sheet I entered the portals of the famous St.Xavier's college in Park St.and obtained admission for Pre-University Science from Fr.de Bonhome,Vice Principal,a Belgian and a man of very few words.
I was filled with a sense of euphoria,having entered a famous college,a large spacious building with its different facilities and located in the proximity of the most happening place in Calcutta ---Park Street.For a National High School lad this was awesome,to say the least.
A few words about Park St.
Located in Chowringhee it epitomised the charm of Calcutta in so far as fine dining and high living was concerned.The street had large mansions that housed restaurants and upscale shops on their ground floors and big  apartments on their upper floors. Park Street was a very famous street where the rich used to reside and where the elite and the celebrity would frequent to shop and dine;
Mocambo, Moulin Rouge,Trinca's, Blue Fox and Sky Room were famous restaurants with names like Pam Crain,Anton Menezes.Louis Banks, Skinny Alley, Marie Samson,Braz Gonsalves and Usha Uthup,as  regular performers over the years.
But restaurants alone didn’t make Park Street. This boulevard was also about the grand cemetery—an open-air museum of funerary sculptures with pyramids,mausoleums and tomb statues—and other establishments like the Asiatic Society, Bishop’s House, St Xavier’s College (SXC) the once-grand-now-derelict Murshidabad House to name some. It was an eclectic mix.
Riding Ramani to School 

My college was 5 Kms from home...the seniors decided to buy me a cycle and the ride would take 30 min max.Initially,I teamed up with a friend and we would both ride together to college.I would give a ride to Ramani to St.Lawrence school in Ballygunge circular road,sometimes.
The subjects were just Physics,Chemistry,Maths and English which was in itself a  big relief after all those(10) subjects in school.And then there was Lab work of course which was not very tedious.There were free periods to spend time with newly acquired friends in the Canteen.The well equipped Library was visited occasionally. SXC was not co-ed those days and so there was no diversion vis-a-vis Girls.I concentrated hard on studies. 
 Those teenage years in college were also joyous with a sense of freedom as never experienced before.New friends were made,movies were a regular feature on holidays...yearning to see new releases featuring beautiful heroines and reliving the romantic situation later.I would try and sing all those Rafi songs while engaged in studies at home.I continued to take part in Cricket and TT at Vijaya Sports club.
                             
It was in late 1962 that there was Indo-Chinese aggression at our border with the Chinese launching simultaneous offensives in Ladakh and across the McMohan line and we lost the war and quite a bit of territory. Nehruji's Hindi-Cheeni bhai bhai philosophy did not work.There was also much tension in the western hemisphere where USSR stockpiled nuclear missiles in Cuba to deter any further attempts by USA to overthrow the Castro regime.President Kennedy and PM Khrushchev came to a last minute understanding to avoid a nuclear war.
Upon completion of Pre-University Science in '63,I was eager to go into Engineering and tried my hand at IIT-JEE,but failed.Applied to whole lot of other Universities,but was rejected because I was under-aged.I was not yet 16.So many of my good friends left to join BIT,Ranchi,while I was left to simmer and endure the suspense in Calcutta for a year more.
I joined my cousin and his friend to attend a marriage in Thuthukudi,TN....the plan was to tour the south.After the wedding we went to Kanyakumari and it was overwhelming for a teenager to see the southern tip of the country.From here we traveled the western coast to Trivandrum and  to Courtallam for a bath or two in the waterfalls.Then to Neyveli to see another cousin who was stationed there.All this travelling in the Heat got to me and soon I was the butt of jokes for being such a softy.I suppose my mother had a secret pact with these guys to expose me to the rough and tumble of life.And then we hit the cooler regions viz., Mysore and Bangalore before returning to Chennai,to look up my sister and nieces before returning to Calcutta.
I continued at St.Xavier's doing B.Sc,a total waste of time as I had no interest to follow lectures seriously.It was canteen and movies along with some newly acquired Bengali friends.I would eagerly await letters from  BIT,as it was a foregone conclusion in my mind that I would go there next year
An attempt at learning German was also a disaster.So passed the wasted year.So.the year that I gained earlier on in School was lost at the beginning of my professional education.

Among world events that were significant in 1963;John F Kennedy was assassinated,Martin Luther King Jr gave his famous " I have a dream speech " accelerating the civil Rights movement in USA.The pop group "Beatles" came to be known worldwide and the Russians put Valentina Tereshkova in Orbit.
Alfred Hitchcock was making great waves in the world of movies,with his Psycho-thriller genre...PSYCHO followed by BIRDS were super hits!
Witnessed the India-Eng match at Eden Gardens,where Cowdrey and our own Jaisimha,the lion hearted,scored centuries and Price and Ramakant Desai bowled well.Match petered into a draw,helped by some rain.
1964 dawned with a Hindu-Muslim riot in Calcutta where many a life was lost.
On the home front,there is serious search for a suitable girl for Balan who is eager to get married.I am enjoying my furlough,so to say, and looking forward to the Eng college admission season.Meantime I am alternating between movies and Novels.
I applied for admission to various colleges all over India.I had to give a medical certificate while sending my BHU application. Hari and I went together to a Physician who looked at hari and said "how can you improve your health with tamarind water (read sambar/rasam) and Rice? You must eat Meat and fish like your friend..looking at me😄😁.Later we had a good laugh over this observation.

Eventually,I got admission letters from BIT,Ranchi,BHU and Jadavpur Univ, Calcutta among some others.My mind is on BIT but Jadavpur comes at a much lower price tag.My mother insists that I should go away to BIT,notwithstanding the higher costs,believing that the Hostel grind will make a man out of me.At this juncture mother is in the hospital undergoing a minor surgery. Vasantha Akka and Srinath baby are visiting us to help the household and be of moral support to mother.Our house is full with the nieces visiting, 

Our Prime Minister,Jawaharlal Nehru passes away and Lal Bahadur Shastri takes the honorable position.

Along with my friend Hari,take the train,83 Up Ranchi Express. Ranchi was cool compared to Calcutta,being at an elevation of about 2000 Ft above MSL.No wonder the Bengali Bhodralok invaded  Ranchi in summer.It was also the summer capital of Bihar.
Birla Inst of Technology, Mesra is located 15 Km away and we were able to catch the bus that plies regularly from the city.Our objective today was to complete the formalities and return home and await summons.Meantime we found we were the only ones without our parents or relatives and before we could say...WHEN, we were waylaid by Seniors,who were informed by our friends,that two "freshers"are on the loose end and all by themselves.Initially they were courteous,taking us to the "Mess" for some much needed refreshments... read "typical tasteless meal".
BIT Main Building
And then the "Ragging" started.For the next 3-4 hours we were forced to do their bidding...sing,dance,enact love scenes,climb trees,questioned and treated to insults when our answers did not satisfy them..We were stretched to the utmost,to the point of despair not knowing what will come next,never felt such humiliation in our lives.They said they were being mild as we were known to their classmates,otherwise.......????? In the end there were smiles and they said they will look forward to our return.
( More Ragging?)
As we were returning to Calcutta,we were both shaken up by the events of the day and were contemplating giving up on the admission....such was the state of mind. 
I returned after a fortnight consoled by contacts at BIT that ragging was temporary and will utmost carry on for a few weeks. Hari got admission at REC Warrangal (AP) and I lost the company of a good friend.
I was pursuing a 5 year program in Mechanical Eng which meant 5 long years of staying away from home at a hostel.But BIT was a sprawling complex of spacious buildings with large class rooms,roomy student hostels,residences for teaching staff and Workshops, all located in the Mesra Woodlands with a river flowing behind,giving it a great setting.The campus is beautiful to say the least with well manicured lawns and abundant tree cover.
And I would never get to meet and rub shoulders with such a cosmopolitan student crowd back in Calcutta at Jadhavpur. Ragging had disturbed me,but only a for a while.

Soon,I made friends,both among the freshers and  seniors who I had met over the period of ragging.They were helpful giving me tips about Do's and Don'ts and making me feel at home.I shared my room with Arvind,a very studious guy,also from Calcutta.
The curriculum in the first year,more or less followed what I had already learnt in the previous two years and it was easy going.Mess food was terrible but I had to endure it,supplementing it with snacks and tea from canteens located in the Campus.
A view  of our Hostels and the greenery
Balan's wedding was fixed for October'64 in Chennai,which I could not attend due to exigent circumstances at College.
Here is a picture from the wedding.Also a pic of my mother chatting with the new bride.


Meantime,USA escalated its involvement in the war in Vietnam.In the Olympic games at Tokyo India picked up a Gold medal in Hockey.India drew the test series against Australia 1-1.In South Africa Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life imprisonment.
Muhammad Ali wins the world heavyweight boxing championship.
Once I sailed past freshman year,we began to enjoy our hostel life.My group's dictum was to maintain minimum attendance with poor teachers/boring lectures and attend those that were taught well.I remember an instance when we would walk out one by one after giving our "present sir" status to the Prof who would conveniently look at his register on the table.All he did by way of teaching was to read from the book.It was in a way a win-win situation as he preferred less pupils in class and we wanted a cup of tea and Sutta outside. 

Ranchi's cold winters compelled us to use heaters at night.We slept on mattresses over steel cots and on an occasion the mattress shifted leaving my bottom exposed to the heated steel and the next morning I found myself with a "burnt bum".I was writhing in pain due to the burn,unable to attend the NCC parade next day the 26th Jan.None of the boys understood the reason why until they saw the red patch at the back.And then the ragging started and I forgot all about the pain.

Academics,consisted of 2 Periodicals (college exams) and a Final exam conducted by the University.At that time Ranchi University Engg comprised of BIT Mesra,BIT Sindhri and RIT Jamshedpur. More often than not,students of the latter colleges would ask for GP,general promotion to the next year and we would march en masse to the Univ bldg in Ranchi to lodge our protest and request that examinations be held on time.This was a regular feature almost every year and so we pioneered a movement to make BIT Mesra an autonomous body,a University by itself,which it achieved in 1972,I am proud to say.
BIT also holds the honour of starting a course in Rocketry and Space technology way back in 1964.
Pakistan started a brief but furious war in 1965 with India with a covert thrust across the Kashmir cease-fire line.It ended with the city of Lahore threatened with encirclement by Indian Army. Another UN-sponsored cease-fire left borders unchanged, but Pakistan's vulnerability had again been exposed. 
Shastri as Prime Minister  led the country during the War.His slogan of "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan"  became very popular.The war formally ended with the Tashkent Agreement of January 1966 where he  died of a heart attack(?) the following day.
"Sound of Music" was released in 1965.So was Dev Anand's "Guide".
Holding Baby Vinod 

I was in 3rd year in 1966 when my brother Gopal got married to Shyamasree.
Vinod was born to Balan and Mohana, their first son.


Sobers
India played West Indies at Eden gardens starting Dec 31,1966.This match will find a place in history of Test cricket not because of the cricket it produced, but because of the horrible riot that broke out on the second day. The authorities had sold more tickets than there were seats and inevitably the surplus spectators tried to find accommodation on the grass round the boundaries.The constabulary mounted a lathi charge, the crowd launched a counter-attack and when the outnumbered police force fled, the crowd burnt down the stands and the furniture. It was indeed a frightening scene and the players, worried about their own safety, were reluctant to continue the match, which came pretty close to being abandoned till assurances were received from high and mighty in the government that there would be no further incidents.
Inspite of losing a day WI won the match by an Innings and a few runs.
Also,117 passengers were killed after an Air India Boeing-707 plane crashed in Mont Blanc,France.1st soft landing on Moon (Soviet Luna 9).Haryana state was created from Punjab;
Dev in Nau Do Gyarah
Every week end we got to see a Hindi movie arranged by our Audio Visual club and we had many enjoyable evenings with replays of popular songs in the movie which we would also sing along.Somebody would make a loud comment when a serious scene was being enacted and make us all roar with laughter.As teenagers we would heartily enjoy love scenes being enacted and come up with our own dialogues before the Hero or Heroine got a chance to speak.
In 1967,Beginning with a peasant uprising in the town of Naxalbari, Marxist/Maoist rebellion gathered momentum in the Indian countryside.Called the Naxalites,the guerrillas operated among the impoverished peasants, fighting both the government security forces and private paramilitary groups funded by wealthy landowners.Most fighting took place in the states of AP,MP,WB,Maharashtra and Orissa.
Superstar Rajesh Khanna arrives on the scene and makes super hits of his movies.There is a Rajesh mania all over the country.

On the home front Gopal and Shyamasree were blessed with a bonny daughter,Sangita in '67
Annual Day celebration at BIT was a great event to look forward to,for it brought visitors... read girls...invited by students from colleges in Ranchi,relatives,Russian technicians from HEC Ranchi,teaching staff and their families.The entertainment provided was top class,be it singing,performance on Flute,Guitar etc,college orchestra,group dance,jokes,mimicry and finally the hilarious BIT NEWS read out with such style and fashion that even the most serious would die of laughter.On the right,we are all dressed up for the final Annual day.
I had invited Asha,a Doctor-to-be from Ranchi medical college and when I was patiently awaiting her delayed arrival,my class mates teased me to no end!
Above average in academics I bettered 60% mostly. Continued playing TT and cricket;I was noticed on the field and was invited by the college captain for trials as an off-spinner,I contributed with the bat in the finals of Intra hostel tournament and won the match for our team.Took active interest in cultural shows that were staged during Annual day celebrations.
On All-India tour
Underwent practical training with firms in Calcutta and then we had this All-India tour,visiting major factories in the major cities.That was a fun trip traveling along with classmates,sight-seeing different cities,watching a Mujra performance in Hyderabad,movie shoot in Bombay and so on.Prof Ramamurthy,ex BITS,Pilani joined Mesra and taught us Industrial Eng in the final year.He created a great impression with his teaching and I made up my mind to pursue Ind.Eng as my career.
Into my final year in 68, I contributed and co-edited  a college tabloid  called "The Hatchet".
In the Mexico Olympics of 1968,Bob Beamon of USA created a fantastic world record for the long jump with a jump of 8.90 m (29 ft. 2½ in.), bettering the existing record by 55 cm (21¾ in.)
Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were assassinated.
Dr.Christian Barnard carries out a successful heart transplant for the first time.

On the home front,in '69,Vasantha & Dorairaj are blessed with a daughter, Meera. Balan and Mohana with their second son, Prakash
We were glued to the Radio as we heard Voice of America describing the Apollo 11 moon landing on 24th July 69.   Microprocessor is invented paving the way for the computer revolution.
It was not an ending that I would have liked,but along with many other boys in my class, had to re-appear for the Machine Design supplementary paper in Feb'70 and eventually awarded the Degree.
I am 22..I am a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering..
____________________________________________________
4. On the path to a Career...
At 22 Yrs.With brothers,cousin and nephew
Breathing a sigh of relief after many years of academics is one thing but trying to find a position in the Industry is an entirely different proposition.
Meantime I was advised by my elders to emigrate to USA under sponsorship. Though I was never keen to pursue higher education in the US,I was keen on emigration as that would open up a whole new world.Also my beloved Calcutta was in much trouble then.

Though the Naxalbari movement was violently repressed by the West Bengal government, the 1970s Calcutta witnessed severe power shortages and strikes.The violent Marxist-Leninist movement damaged much of the state's infrastructure, leading to economic stagnation.President's rule was established in West Bengal in 1970-71

In July 1970  I was recruited as a Management Trainee in Usha Telehoist,Calcutta and much to my delight was attached to the Industrial Engg Dept,my fav subject.It was good going until I was transferred to their Faridabad works (near Delhi) 3 months later.My Aunt in Delhi was generous to offer me B & L and I  some commuted from Delhi everyday and life was good in the company of classmates from my Engg college.Then again I was compelled to shift to Faridabad as my working hours put a constraint on my daily commute.The shift was not at all to my liking and on top of that I got a negative reply from my USA sponsor.I decided to leave Usha Telehoist and look for prospects in Bombay.

The fag end of Monsoon found me in Bombay staying with my sister and looking for a suitable opening.The epithet 'city of dreams' is well suited to Bombay. It was not only expanding as a financial centre but also taking  rapid strides in Industrialization with the establishment of Pharma, Chemicals, Petrochemicals,Plastics, Engineering and Automotive to replace the defunct Cotton and Textile.I was one among the many who had migrated to this city to fulfill their dreams.

Residing in Matunga felt like being in Chennai.It had all the trappings of a South Indian Brahmin culture.Temples,eateries,flower shops and provision stores et al making it convenient for the diaspora.All the Festivals were celebrated and religious discourses held
frequently.I made some new friends and spent time in the evening listening to the Juke box at the corner Irani restaurant or taking long walks along Vincent road to Dadar one day and Sion the next.Three months sped away quickly and I hadn't found a job!

Meantime Balan was going through harrowing times at Angus works,Braithwaite & Co.
The Works suffered as a result of Trade union activity;there were Gheraos,Bandhs and what not.There were threats of assault of officers and as a result the production declined or stopped all together.Order book presented an abysmal picture and it was time to leave and look for prospects elsewhere. Gopal in Brook Bond was enjoying his career in Marketing.His job transferred him to the various sales offices all over the country. Mohan was pursuing an MBA at IIM,Calcutta and Ramani was at IIT, Kharagpur studying for a Chemical Engg degree.
In the winter of 1971,I managed a position in Sales at Arco Whitney Pune,a subsidiary of American Refrigerator Co.Under license from  W.A.Whitney USA,we were to manufacture metal fabrication equipment which would include hydraulic Presses,shears and allied machines.
I found lodgings in Model Colony,Shivaji Nagar and commuted by a passenger train to Chinchwad a growing Industrial complex,in 30 minutes.Our factory/office,though in the  Boondocks then was at a walking distance.A very healthy and imposing Sikh was our Boss who was not only hard working but prevailed over us to understand the products,design and their applications.We were trained to promote the product among the various prospects in the vicinity other than attending to inquiries and learning to make proposals.
MIDC Chinchwad-Pimpri was a burgeoning Ind area that set the tone for many MIDC's in the suburbs of Pune thereafter.
MIDC provided the necessary infrastructure for new businesses to set up operations.    TELCO (now Tata Motors) started operations in 1961,which gave a huge boost to the automobile sector here.At this time, Pune was emerging as the leading engineering city of the country with Tata,Bajaj,Kinetic,Bharat Forge,Kirloskar, Thermax and the Swedish
trio of Sandvik,Atlas Copco and Alfa Laval expanding their infrastructure. This allowed the city to compete with Chennai for the title of "Detroit of India" at that time.
My lodge was an extension of Hostel accommodation at BIT in that it served only bachelors,two to a room and there were no girls or families living here.Also no food was served.
Ferguson College
We were centrally located and at a walking distance both from the Station and Deccan Gymkhana area (DJ) a very popular hang out for us.It had lots of cafes, entertainment and shops. Important roads like Jangali Maharaj and Ferguson college road would lead to it. Vaishali and Rupali restaurant as well as the famous Irani cafe, Good Luck (1935) were located here on the FC road.These were regular spots to touch base,have a smoke and enjoy numerous cups of tea.   Our regular haunt was the Irani restaurant for its bun maska/bun omelette and Irani tea.These were in the 'city' .We would also go to the ' Pune cantonment'aka 'Pune Camp' 
with its neat and clean environment reminiscent of the colonial days.
The heart of the Camp is MG Road,a Shopper's hub.Here you will find shops over 100 years old .We would go to West end to watch English movies.Parallel to M.G.Road ran the East street.Used to have classy restaurants which we would visit on occasions when we were loaded with cash or someone felt like celebrating his birthday in style.More importantly the Kayani Bakery was located here. Their cakes and shrewsbury biscuits were always fresh and something to die for!
I would travel to Bombay on weekend (Thursday) and spend time with my Sis and family.It was good to be with my young nephew and baby sitting my  niece.
In 3 months I was ready to venture outside Pune for Sales and was travelling to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for 15 days at a time every 2 months.Later I shifted to a shared office space in Mount Road,Chennai,saying goodbye to my stay in Pune..Apart from work.I was delighted to stay at Gopalapuram along with my eldest Sis and nieces.In Bangalore I would stay with my Cousins.I remember the times when I have ridden Pillion on Pappan's two wheeler,at great speed.He would wait patiently for me till I returned from customers.Not a day passed without his mother chastising him for speed driving

 A year went away and I distinctly felt that I was not progressing; a power  Hydraulic project that we were supposed to start did not materialize. Also we were not selling enough to keep the license agreement going with our principals and they discontinued.I started looking for other opportunities and landed an interview with a company in Bombay in the winter of 1972.
The early Seventies saw massive inflation world wide much of it caused by the Oil Crisis from embargo by OPEC in the Middle East. Digital Technology was seen for the first time in consumer products including the first calculator and as technology advanced the range and function of home appliances improved.
India won the war against Pakistan that resulted in the birth of Bangladesh.

Acknowledgement

I must thank Balu Anna for sending me the old pictures of the family without which I could not have started on this project.
Large swathes of information contained above was provided by no other than Vasantha Akka who is gifted with a phenomenal memory for all that reads "family"..I thank her for the inputs. 

Note:
 Factual errors if any may be brought to my notice for correction.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)