THE DYNAMO

 THE DYNAMO

Why is it that we need to talk about dynamo? Currently, I am through an effort of recalling items that were important in day to day life some 5 decades ago; they have slowly faded into insignificance. Let me hasten to add that the item has not turned irrelevant; but our attitude to such aspects has withered into insignificance, as the vigilant overseeing of those civic obligations are fearlessly ignored and the authority to uphold those stipulations have greater priorities to consider and so, what if someone rides a bicycle through the thick of the night hitting a buffalo or two and comparably lethargic humans too. The history behind the ‘Dynamo’ is both dynamic and explosive  like a ‘dynamite’

Times were, when riding a bicycle at night in any town across Tamil Nadu was the easiest to invite the wrath of the police man patrolling the streets and by lanes, keen to nab the boys and girls who used a bicycle without a lamp. The then economy of our parents and grandparents was a symbol of poverty; the question of mounting a lamp and feeding it with kerosene oil-the most popular fuel a [luxury for most]  for lighting up hurricane lamps, some municipal streetlights kept within glass enclosure protecting the lamp from thief and wind , throwing some light  under its foot assuring us of some Cardinal Newman’s “Lead kindly light” for an otherwise pitch dark night emboldening nefarious  acts. Of what value was an oil lamp mounted on a bicycle could be was never asked or answered for. Yet, the cop would adhere to the rule book and nab ‘violators’. The saying ‘must be brought to book and punished by law’   was observed in letter and spirit on urchins and girls-- making them pay a fine of Rs 2/- or 3 by a magistrate holding office exclusively for this purpose.  The law took a severe beating from a genuine civilian who was mercilessly booked by a cop, citing his violation of the rule of riding a bicycle without lamp at night. The man had a light that was lit and used as stipulated. As his ill-luck would have it, in a jerk , the right panel of the lamp was thrown open and gushing wind put off the light moment before the cop spotted him. The person pleaded sir, I had a burning lamp, seconds before it was blown to death. The cop unwilling to buy the narration insisted on dragging him to court for 2 offences 1–light 2] disobeying the cop. The irritated man abruptly pulled the cop’s right hand and firmly pressed it over the top roof the hitherto burning lamp. The hot roof caused char injuries to the cop’s right palm. Writhing in pain of burn, the cop booked him for unruly conduct. However, the civilian was undaunted and refused to pay any amount come what may.  The case came up before the magistrate and the man pleaded saying, ”Sir the case is fabricated and foisted on me , as I refused to pay him anything because I had done no wrong. The magistrate quipped “how to trust your statement?. The main said, Sir , in your authority please bring the man who registered this fabrication on me.. The court adjourned for three days. On day 4 the cop came on court’s summons and the magistrate asked him “Why did you foist the case on him. The cop said, no Sir he was riding a bicycle without light at night. So, I had to book him.  The man was called and he said, Sir, I did have a burning lamp; the cop forcibly blew it off and booked me; in anger I put his right palm on the hot roof of the lamp and roasted it a bit. Ask him to show his right palm. The cop showed his burnt palm to the magistrate and duly the man was exonerated and the cop was reprimanded and fined Rs 5/- for abuse of power. The rule book witnessed a change to read “riding a bicycle at night without a burning lamp [instead of lamp] is punishable by law.

The burning ;lamp became a burning issue and technology stepped in or brought in by cycle manufacturers in the form of a ‘self ‘  power-generating dynamo  that would work by a coil mounted in a magnetic field with in an enclosure. The central axis had a knob like projection to get leaned on to the rear wheel tyre and rotate as the wheel moves by pedaling. The generated power is fed to a lamp with a bulb mounted in place of the earlier oil lamp. No messing up with oil or getting blown off by wind. Necessarily, dynamo was a value addition and such cycles were items of prestige.  I remember a popular brand for dynamo was ‘MILLER” and the teen agers used to look with awe such cycles and their glossy dynamos as pieces of sophistication.