THE PATH - III

 The Path -III

At IV form our class teacher was Mr. T.S.T.

 Mr. T.S. Thirumalai was a teacher of English with all the skills of a seasoned Professor but for his rustic manhandling of boys for any error in English. He would yell at us saying “The dead Macaulay would come back and plunge you fellows in to the Atlantic ocean”. There was no other way of my knowing Macaulay. Some bad ones too we had.

Sri..Sowriraja Iyengar was a brilliant teacher of Mathematics but never had the refinement. He used an absolutely aversive language replete with 4^th rate vulgarity. Students in their adolescence did not realize the damage being inflicted. Among those who were absolutely valuable are Mr. T.Raghu [Science] and Mr.Swaminatha Desigar [Tamil].Mr. V.S Venkatarama Iyer was a very good teacher of Mathematics. I took some special coaching from him for Mathematics in my X std. By then my father was under orders of transfer to Manamadurai and then to Mysore. Once again for College level study I had to move in a different direction. It was to Mysore. Here too shifting did not stop. When I wanted to join some college, we had no clues to the type of facilities there. Considering my difficulties of travel from Srirangapatna to Mysore and back, besides the non-familiarity with the local language, we chose proximity to Railway station. I joined Shri Banumiah’s College of Arts and Commerce. I was clearly advised by the Principal to personally prepare for Second language Tamil since the college had no faculty for Tamil. After some 3 weeks I felt it odd since classes were half vacant [the college was in the heart of the city for easy access to every thing else]. By now one of the colleagues of my father advised him to shift me to St.Philomena’s college, where Science subjects and Tamil are taught. On the suggestion I said yes though the college was at least 4 Km from the station. When we met the Principal Rev.Fr N.T.Thomas, he patiently listened to us and said because you need Tamil, I can take you but the PU class is already full [Physics, Chemistry, Biology].

 The next day I got admitted. The very I hour was Botany in Room No.84. It was a gallery hall packed with over 80 plus students. I managed a corner seat in the 3^rd gallery row blinking at every thing – the crowd, the mixed gender, free flowing conversations in English among boys and imposing lecture halls and a highly punctual schedule. At the stroke of the bell one man came, wiped the board clean and left a cluster of colour chalks and a duster on the teacher’s table. Moments later, Prof. Varghese Chandy, HOD –Botany moved in to teach the subject. All transaction was in English and enjoyable for its seriousness. When the hour ended, I had no clues to the day’s time table. I decided to go in the stream of my ‘as yet unfamiliar’ class mates. In the crowd, 2 fellows were conversing in Tamil and planning to go to town for buying something. With no hesitation, I asked their names. It was Mr. Krishnan [Coonoor] and Mr. Francis Xavier [Anthiyur] and they asked about me. Thus ran the day one. It was quite a serious environment but for the chat among friends. Students can not loiter. Only library and canteen were the places that one can visit in any hour of the day. Strict vigil was kept on students. For students, any Lecturer who would not come for work would be informed through a prominent display in the administrative block just to avoid loitering. Another important person was our Chemistry teacher Mr A.L .Pias. It was just then that he had begun his career. He showed enormous potential and I was telling my classmates that in future we would hear more of him. But many used to throw a  scornful look at me. They failed to read my line because Mr. Pias had a Malayalam accent. In fact,, I too have suffered., At many places in my Chemistry note book I have scribed Singh instead of Zinc. “When Singh reacts with HCl, Singh chloride is formed.” But he [Mr. Pias] was brisk and to the point always.                        To go on                         Prof .K. Raman