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(For private & limited circulation only)
My ‘hard disk’ does not appear to be very bad. I can retrieve
something from memory, although more than 50 years have elapsed since I
left UCC. Most of the memories have been ‘deleted’. Some are ‘saved’.
Botany group was called pullu (grass) group by other ‘higher’ science
groups like maths, physics and chemistry. We were lesser mortals. In
their sight we were slightly better than economics and philosophy
groups. .At that time degree courses were available for economics,
philosophy, maths, physics and chemistry. But they were a bit ‘envious’
of us, boys, as we had girls in our class double our number!! So some of
the other adventurous ‘higher groupers’ ventured to visit our class, on
some pretext or other, as if to meet us, boys. They would be speaking to
us, their eyes hovering around the girl’s side. Maths, physics and
chemistry groups had lesser number of girls in their classes and so the
boys of those classes generally ventured to visit us. Once one of the
‘visitors’ was compelled to jump out and escape through the window, as
Joseph sir came and started handling the session, which he (visitor)
realised late. Our class was permanently in the ground floor. Only one
side of the Biology Block was completed then.
Mathen sir was young, with hardly a couple of years or so of teaching
experience. Basically he is a man of few words. Coupled with teaching in
English and the incidence of an overdose of girls in the class rendered
his position unenviable. His voice was also only just audible for the
front-benchers like me. I think I was the youngest in the class. Our
class had 16 saree-clads and eight mundu-clads, of which one dropped out
in the first year. Wearing pants was unthinkable, at least in our class.
Mathen sir would always look at the table in front of him and speak,
except for occasional looking up to the boys’ side. Besides looking on
the table, he would also remove the duster from one place to another.
While writing on the blackboard he would be most comfortable. For most
of us all the botanical names and terms were really ‘Greek & Latin’,
though we had come across some of them in the Intermediate class. What
written on the blackboards would be taken down correctly. Whatever
simply spoken by him would be taken down according to each one’s
comprehension or imagination. So when we traced the origin and veracity
of “Orissa Thadhaiva” it was found to be Oryza sativa and “Anyonyam
Thamasam” was to be corrected as Anona squamosa or so. We have found out
later on that we had to make a lot of corrections in our books. Mathen
sir was like an elder brother and he had a brotherly affection. We could
go to him at any time.
Rarely would he ask some questions. Questions are asked, by and
large, to boys only. So girls escaped his questions. And he avoided
their faces, as far as possible. Once he asked some question and
mentioned my name. One of the best girl students who misheard as hers
stood up when I stood up to answer. The class fell in to peels of
laughter when both of us stood up and looked at each other, to the
bewilderment of both. In those days, more than half a century ago, we
boys and girls though classmates for two years never spoke to each
other, as it was a taboo and not a good character. In the two years we
were together the boys and girls might have spoken to each other hardly
a few times, may be only in the excursion, that too in unavoidable
situations.
Joseph sir was a father-figure for us, mainly because of the vast
difference in age. He had the flow of language and voice was quite
audible and language was good. We seldom spoke to him. He rarely smiled,
though soft at heart and loving and caring. He was an experienced
teacher. His arrangement for our excursion was meticulous and fool poof.
We were all taken care of and looked after well. I used to imitate them.
Both of them are my most unforgettable teachers. Their memories are
luxuriantly green.
In the first year, some of the boys from hostel decided to make a
maiden visit to Ernakulam. They were all from far away places like
Pathanamthitta, Konni and all those eastern areas without much exposure
to backwaters. They had never seen sheets of water. So, one Saturday in
the first year they decided to pay a visit to the nearest city, “Eranakolam”.
And they went. In the evening they all gleefully returned excessively
excited with the scenic sights they witnessed in the ‘big city’. A few
boys encircled them to hear their spirited narrations and asked
questions. Each one narrated according to his power of imagination. One
of the ‘Ernakulam-returned exclaimed “eda koovay, mothathil paranjaal
Ernakulam muzhuvan vellamaada” .( my friend, in short, Ernakulam is full
of water only).
The month of Karkkatakam was (and is) considered a very lean month of
deficiency, deprivation and disease thanks to heavy rains, loss of work
etc. But boys who stayed for the first time in hostels, “home away from
home” never experienced that. After the month passed by, one of the
hosteliers exclaimed, “eda koovay, ikkollam karkakkataka maasam
vannathum poyathum arinjeyilla” (my friend, we did not come to know how
karkkatakam came and passed by this year). We used to refer Skinner
Hostel as “Skinner Hotel” and Chacko Hostel as “Chacko Hotel”.
Kuttipuzha Krishan Pillai sir’s Malayalam classes were unforgettable.
Perhaps it must have been the largest class in those days. Malayalam
students from the entire degree classes would be there. Usually, it is
considered that Malayalam classes generally lacked discipline. But
Krishna Pillai sir’s classes were exception. His classes were the most
disciplined; nobody knew why. There used to be the proverbial ‘pin drop’
silence. His classes were so interesting that we did not know how time
flew. A unique feature was that he used to teach Malayalam through
English. One of his statements I distinctly remember “Paanchaali had no
official husband”. There are many like that which we used to refer as
“Kouttipuzhiam style”. He used to crack jokes, but he was utterly
miserly in laughing. When the whole class laughed a faint smile would
appear on his face. Instantly he would take some snuff and inhale. The
class would again soon back in the ‘pin drop silence’ mode. The entire
teaching community also respected him as he was an outstanding star in
the arena of Malayalam literature.
Paul Varghese sir used to handle our scripture classes. He was a
scholar. I learn, subsequently he was in Ethiopia with the Emperor, as
his advisor, became priest, then a bishop and passed away in Delhi,
while he was in-charge of Delhi Diocese, (Poulose Mar Gregorios),after
leaving an indelible impression in the religious, intellectual and
social circles. His voice carried much weight even in the political
circles.
C.T. Benjamin sir who taught us prose is still green in my memory.
His classes were great. I distinctly remember a lesson on the Second
World War, Gen. Rommel and Gen. Montgommery, the desert warfare etc. I
came to know recently from some IAS friends that his then two little
children now are in the IAS, one in Tamil Nadu and the other in
Maharashtra cadre.
Mr. G. Ravi, son of Mahakavi G. Shankara Kurup was lecturer in
Chemistry dept. He along with Mr. Thomas Thomas taught us Chemistry.
Both of them were fresh from the college and so very friendly with and
helpful to students. Prof. T.R.Anantharaman also handled a few sessions
in Chemistry.
Rev. Fr. Dr. K. C. Joseph was another loving figure, always with a
smile. He was the main warden of our Skinner Hostel, staying in close
proximity to the hostel. Prof. P. P. Scariah was the in-house warden.
Joseph Achen was awarded his doctorate in Theology from Toronto, Canada.
He taught us English literature. During the class, once in a way he
would say: “When I was in Toronto………”. The moment this is heard students
used to make a big “ah ah ah” and some used to howl, when he would also
join the laughter. I have never seen him losing temper. One of his
daughters, Ammu, a very small girl then, is a renowned journalist now (Ammu
Joseph). I was happy to meet Achen in the late ‘70s in Bangalore when he
came and settled down. He was a college-mate of my father at the C M S
College, Kottayam.
Prof. T. B. Ninan was the principal during my studies in 1954-56. He
was another father-figure, like Bheeshmar. He was gracious, though
looked grave, and spoke with a loving smile, whenever approached.
Evening and Morning prayers were religiously conducted daily, in
which almost all inmates participated. The warden or prefect or some
other senior student used to lead the worship using the prayer book. I
distinctly remember the verse we daily used to read from the prayer
book: “Brethren! be sober, be vigilant, your adversary the devil walketh
about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour who resist steadfast
in their faith” Based on this one of the inmates created a parody
“Brethren, be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the warden
walketh about as a roaring lion……………”
Many interesting stories were afloat in the air in those days about
Prof. K. Jacob, HOD, Philosophy. I can’t vouchsafe the veracity of
these. Some of them may be the figments of imagination of some fertile
brain. One of the stories: One student who knew him found him walking to
and fro in the evening in Paravur (then N.Parur) town. He asked the
professor why was he in Paravur, as he knew that he must have landed
there by mistake. Then only the professor realised that he wanted to go
to Aluva town. The “absent minded professor” got in to the next
available bus bound for Paravur instead of Aluva. Another story was he
got in to the bus bound for Paravur and asked for a ticket to Aluva. As
the conductor knew him, he stopped the bus allowed the professor to get
down and assisted him to get a bus from there to Aluva !
None among the teaching staff wore pants and normal shirt. The moment
a new staff member joins he would take to the ‘dress code’ of the UCC
and start wearing pure white mundu and jibba. I learn that this dress
was compulsory only for the members of UCC Fellowship. If some student
happens to wear a jibba others would comment “This fellow is stitching a
jibba to join the UCC staff and Fellowship!”.
Some were good song-writers apart from giving nick-names. In some
large classes girls would sit in the front rows and boys behind. Once a
student nick-named “Thoma Aliyan” happened to accidentally touch a girl
student in the front row. Instant came the song from a talented
song-writer, which gained wide popularity:
“Thoma Aliyan Susammay thottu nokki,
Thottappol Susamma njettippoyi”
The ‘hero’ of this song, ‘Thoma Aliyan’ subsequently became a much
respected Rev. Thomas and I had the occasion to meet him a few years
ago. (His initials I conceal for obvious reasons)
Here is another one.
Thalla Oommen Koshy comes from Tiruvalla,
He can speak now, he can sing now,
Thalla Oomen Koshy comes from Tiruvalla
No doubt the ‘hero’ of this song had a look of a mother, being obese,
soft spoken, wearing spectacles etc. He used to smile when this was sung
aloud by the author. The author of this later became a professor and
principal of a training college.
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