My Teachers - Part II

Part II - Great Time at Srirangam - more than a tribute to my teachers

Originally I posted a LONG essay...on seeing the reaction of Maya and Sheila to the post, I decided to ruthlessly edit the post and the result is the following.

I completed three years at the Pettavaithalai Higher Elementary School and it was time to go for HIGHER education - i.e. sixth standard, elsewhere....by this time Cheena also finished his III Form (eighth standard) at Kulithalai. Appa found it convenient to transfer us to the High School at Srirangam; Srirangam could be reached in about one hour by car from Pettavaithalai so that Appa and Amma could visit us during weekends.

I don't remember the first few days at the Srirangam School...I know that Appa and Amma left us in the hostel with a promise to meet us the next weekend...Cheena and I were given the same room...Cheena was my protector and guardian.

I remember with reverence many teachers of the High School for Boys, Srirangam. It was Shri Rajagopalan who taught me English (Wren and Martin !!!!)...Shri Ramanujam and Shri S.K. Ranganathan, to appreciate tamil literature, especially literature pertaining to Vaishnava saints. I still enjoy the memories of eating Akkaravadasal, Thirukanamudhu, Venpongal Bagalabath etc., which Sri Ranganathan used to bring from Ranganatha temple, especially for us on the days he took turn as Bhattar...Shri Denu taught us Science and Mathematics. There are countless teachers whose faces I could recollect, not their names...my apologies...but I believe that they had given me a strong foundation on values and knowledge...to sail me through in my life...a great contribution for which I salute them all. It is rare to see such dedicated teachers ..each one a genius...now.

It is at the Srirangam school that I learnt to live with people of different backgrounds and faiths; it is there that I learnt to play badminton, football, basketball and was introduced to atheletics; it is there I was made to live on my own steam, without getting bullied by others; it is there where I learnt to take material loss (murukku, thattai, money etc., kept in locked boxes used to be stolen by our beloved friends in the hostel; they knew when to strike..immediately after the visit of Appa and Amma during the weekend) in my stride; it is where I learnt the rudiments of student politics; it is there I learnt many more things than just Science, Maths, English, Tamil, Social Studies......in short the Srirangam School prepared me to face the world in the future. I had seen "the good, bad and ugly" side of kids as well as elders...and learnt that the life is not a bed of roses....