CFTRI School –Part (Building) #1
Year 1967 – Kindergarten - School term had already begun. I remember my mother taking me to school on the first day. The CFTRI School was running in the building beside the Director’s Quarters. There still is an open area between the two buildings that was being used as the Play ground.
The kindergarten class was in the right side shed behind the main building. Toys we had were drums, trumpet (one of my favourites), blocks, etc. There were a total of 34 others in the class. (Can you imagine it now – 35 is just half the class!). We used to get pasteurized milk (a luxury then for the general public), mango pulp bars, etc., from the pilot plant of CFTRI. We even used to get about 2 hours sleep in the afternoon.
The First Standard classes were in the left side shed. The desks were about 2 feet high and we had small wooden chairs. The uniform was a red and white checked shirt with olive green shorts/pinafore skirts, Mrs. Parpia (wife of the then Director of CFTRI, Dr. HAB Parpia) was the headmistress then. I remember an incident that indicates the kind of discipline and nationalism we were exposed to then.
January 30, 1969 it was. As is the norm, at the stroke of 11.00AM, we were all intimated that we would hear a siren when we were all required to stand up in silence for 2 minutes as a mark of respect for the Martyrs’ Day. At the stroke of 11 the siren sounded and we all stood up. It was then that I noticed ‘Aunty’ Parpia just coming round the corner of the main building and there she stood. She had frozen in the postion she was in – one step ahead of the other and head bowed. The importance and the value of that posture comes to my mind every time I have to stand in silence for paying respects to any departed soul.
We had the facility of the School Bus that would pick us up and drop us at our doorstep daily. I would be one of the last to be picked up and one of the last to be dropped off. The route that we took was covering almost the entire city of Mysore. Yadavagiri, Vontikoppal, Bannimantap, Tilak Nagar, Mandi Mohalla, Nazarbad, Ittigegud, Chamundipuram, Vidyaranyapuram, Chamarajapuram, Krishnamurthypuram, Jayanagar, Saraswatipuram – That was almost the entire city in those days (See Map).
The entire route could be covered in about 90 mins. Imagine that now! This facility was available until 1971. Then we had to travel by city bus. What fun we used to have in the school bus. But all that later.
Year 1967 – Kindergarten - School term had already begun. I remember my mother taking me to school on the first day. The CFTRI School was running in the building beside the Director’s Quarters. There still is an open area between the two buildings that was being used as the Play ground.
The kindergarten class was in the right side shed behind the main building. Toys we had were drums, trumpet (one of my favourites), blocks, etc. There were a total of 34 others in the class. (Can you imagine it now – 35 is just half the class!). We used to get pasteurized milk (a luxury then for the general public), mango pulp bars, etc., from the pilot plant of CFTRI. We even used to get about 2 hours sleep in the afternoon.
The First Standard classes were in the left side shed. The desks were about 2 feet high and we had small wooden chairs. The uniform was a red and white checked shirt with olive green shorts/pinafore skirts, Mrs. Parpia (wife of the then Director of CFTRI, Dr. HAB Parpia) was the headmistress then. I remember an incident that indicates the kind of discipline and nationalism we were exposed to then.
January 30, 1969 it was. As is the norm, at the stroke of 11.00AM, we were all intimated that we would hear a siren when we were all required to stand up in silence for 2 minutes as a mark of respect for the Martyrs’ Day. At the stroke of 11 the siren sounded and we all stood up. It was then that I noticed ‘Aunty’ Parpia just coming round the corner of the main building and there she stood. She had frozen in the postion she was in – one step ahead of the other and head bowed. The importance and the value of that posture comes to my mind every time I have to stand in silence for paying respects to any departed soul.
We had the facility of the School Bus that would pick us up and drop us at our doorstep daily. I would be one of the last to be picked up and one of the last to be dropped off. The route that we took was covering almost the entire city of Mysore. Yadavagiri, Vontikoppal, Bannimantap, Tilak Nagar, Mandi Mohalla, Nazarbad, Ittigegud, Chamundipuram, Vidyaranyapuram, Chamarajapuram, Krishnamurthypuram, Jayanagar, Saraswatipuram – That was almost the entire city in those days (See Map).
The entire route could be covered in about 90 mins. Imagine that now! This facility was available until 1971. Then we had to travel by city bus. What fun we used to have in the school bus. But all that later.
13 comments:
Mister Madhukar,
This blog is one of my favorites. Really, I love the things you write here, I wish you to continue it forever, and write more frequently. Very nice writings, I really savour it. There are certain things I enjoy reading about--like school days, freinds, family etc...and your blog really makes me think of all that.
Well Lakshmi even I intend to write more often. But with the limited time I get inbetween my work puts off the posting.
I actually write the post in bits and pieces and put up the post one it reaches a certain point.
Childhood memories which more often forms you into the person you are today are cherished. I am trying to put them down now.
Thanks for your patronage
Well Lakshmi even I intend to write more often. But with the limited time I get inbetween my work puts off the posting.
I actually write the post in bits and pieces and put up the post one it reaches a certain point.
Childhood memories which more often forms you into the person you are today are cherished. I am trying to put them down now.
Thanks for your patronage
At least the CFTRI school was useful to the public I gather. The CFTRI School was meant to be in a package of perks for the employees of this institute who were generously paid as compared to other scientists in state institutions. A few decades ago my friends who were working at CFTRI were twiddling their collective thumbs and were on the the generous central government pay scales. and The institute was I understood a white elephant in a stable of other white elephants like NAL, NCL and thanks to the then government policy not monitoring what they were getting for the crores of rupees dished out to them. Nehru with his dream of building modern India sought the advice of Patrick Blackett, the left-leaning Nobel Prize winner and Prof Blackett suggested these central research institutes with plenty of words of caution. As expected, Blackett's words of caution were ignored. Seeing the weak status of applied research in science and technology today in these institutes, one can gather that the white elephants continue to survive.
The School it appears was doing what was expected of it.
Mysore Madhu!
That was wonderful! Keep it coming!
Ganeshbrhillsu
A close friend of mine shares his experience and memories of school by email which is reporduced below:
Hi Madhu,
Nice write up. I do have lots of memories of school
days at the Rotary School. I was the second batch that
started and I don't think we even had 30 students. I
used to get into trouble by questioning teachers,
apparently I tried correcting an english teacher with
respect to language! Otherwise I was supposedly a meek
and quiet kid. I used to read a lot of books, although
none of them related to the curriculum! That habit
still persists and here despite the heavy schedule, I
manage two a month on average. These days I am into
serious books with prose sharing equal importance to
the story itself. Rotary was just fun, no real
headaches. I remember the time I was down with chicken
pox and the time that i got hit by a wayward stone
when some one threw rocks at the school during a
strike. The scar still remains on my right eyebrow! I
remember breaking my arm falling from the concrete
slide and how I did not have to write for a while in
class. I remember the school vacations that they
organized especially the ones to Bandipur and Ooty. It
was fun those days, not a care for the World, did we
have.
Your story is fun and brought back my own memories, I
can't say I had any real unpleasant experiences then.
Keep writing mate!
Cheers
Well Mr. Guru,
As me father was not a scientist, I am unable to argue or concur on the aspect of the 'white elephant'. The school was indeed run on high principles. The stress that was given to understanding - not just mere learning - the basics has given me a very sound foundation and I continue to draw from that to this day.
Yes the CFTRI School has and is doing what was required of it - to give EDUCATION
Dear all
Very glad to find a link to my childhood. Here I am keying away from Delhi, but shall never forget the place I was born and educated in. Yup, I too studied at CFTRI School, but sadly I have only one school friend with whom I an in touch with. I miss Mysore and my parents who are lucky to be in Mysore. I am yearning to eat the Vade at the gaadi near my house,. the masala dosa which is called 'Mysore Masala' in all places except our Mysore, the Masala poori which I have never found in North India, and all the foods that my ma makes.
Sigh! Till my next visit home!
Hello, I am Nanda Kumar. I studied in the CFTRI School, Mysore from around 1964 to 1972. I remember Ms.Parpia and the other "Aunties" (as the teachers were called)- Aunty Bharati, Uncle Kadri, Aunty Mathew and so on.
I owe a lot to these teachers.
Dear Madhu
Glad to read our good old days at school. I was in the same class and bus as you. Remember?? Some more of the old memories are of our ventures into the "Forest" area and taking careful aim at chameleons to be killed with one stone's throw. And to be caught by Uncle Ranga who would turn our ears red for this mischief. And to be caught by him again during PE period for not wearing white canvas shoes!! That was really fun and is nostalgic now. I have some more of my fond memories at school, which I shall blog later.
Keep this good work going.
Srinivas. A
(aka... Vasu)
How can I forget you, Vasu? :)
After all the fun we have had together. Infact I was trying to get your contact details. Would certainly like to refresh those fond memories.
I think our batch was the luckiest one - shifting into 3 buildings before the School itself settled into its present building.
Do let me know if you are in touch with any of the other batchmates. After 35 years it is time to refresh acquaintances.
Madhu - 9243416988
Dear Madhu
Glad to see your response. Not many guys are in touch..... Don't know where they are. I am in touch with Santosh Gopal Dani (Gopi) who is at Bangalore at present. He is on his own doing business in finance ("EUS in finance", he says). Padma is working as a lecturer at SJCE in the Electronics dept. Used to see her at CFTRI school when we used to meet to pick up our kids. Now my kids (2 sons) have been shifted to another school and so dont see her also. Dheeraja is also at Mysore, I hear. No contact with her.
I feel Gopi has more contacts with our batch mates. He can be reached on 9980064113.
Will let you know if I get in touch with some of our guys and gals from the "lucky batch".
Vasu
Dear Madhu
Forgot to tell you about my email address:
16sri@in.com
Keep mailing
Vasu
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