KALLIDAIKURICHI ….TILAK VIDYALAYA SCHOOL

KALLIDAIKURICHI ….TILAK VIDYALAYA SCHOOL

We moved to Kallidaikurichi in 1972 middle of the academic year when quarterly exams were over and we landed there around October or so. I had all along studied in small schools in The Nilgiris where the total strength of each class was around 35 to 40 students. Each and every one was known to the teachers personally.  From such a set up, when I moved to Sri Shanthi Vijaya High School in Masinagudi though students used to come from three camps- Moyar, Masinagudi and Singhara the strength in each class was very less 30 students per class. In high Sri Shanthi Vijaya school we had just three classes and total strength was less than 100 students.

Tilak Vidyalaya was a massive school and had more than 1500 students. It had a glorious past as it was called as George IV English Medium Middle school during colonial times. Thus a century plus old  buildings were colonial in nature. Each class had six to eight sections. The school building, set up and academic environment etc. were very imposing. My father, for the first time took to me to school for my admission when I got into class 10 in the middle of the year. He met the Headmaster and my class teacher. He requested them to take extra care of me as I used to stammer very badly then.

The Headmaster was a thorough gentleman by name Sri N Venkata Subramanian. Everyone called him NVS. He used to live in our street and in the street he was known by the name Pitchandi. As his parents had lost many children during child birth he was named thus and he was the only sole surviving child for their family. It is another matter NVS had nearly a dozen issues and all of them were Engineers and scientists! 

My class teacher in 10^th Class was one Mr. S Ramalingam and fondly called as SR. He used to life in Melamada Street. His daughter was also in my class and her name was R Lalitha. She was a topper all through her schooling days!

Our science teacher was known by the name Gangai teacher. She was a child widow and used to commute from Ambasamudram to our school daily. Her father was a lawyer and they lived near Krishnan Kovil in Ambasamudram. They had a basement in their house which was spoken very admiringly by everyone. Gangai teacher was issueless and she conducted herself in a very dignified manner. There were days when after heavy lunch with curd rice etc. I used to feel sleepy in her class. She used to think that I had taken ill and would ask me after the class whether I had any health issues! 

Sri A V Krishnamurthy was another interesting teacher. He used to sport a pick tail and had good volume of hair on his head. The rumor going around the school was that AVK was selected as head of the department of mathematics in Saint Xavier’s college, Palayamkottai. As he had refused to wear a trouser and declined to cut his pick tail he continued working in our school. Any mathematical sum from any corner of the book would be cracked by him without noticing any reference. If any sum was troubling him he would unfold the pick tail, scratch his back side of the head  for a few minutes and then crack the steps all over again with great ease.

We had a Tamil Teacher by name Narayanan. He was fondly called as “ NANA Sir” of Sannadhi Street !He used to come from Sannadhi street. He was more known for his easy wit and cool attitude in the class. The class would never listen to him and he was also not very popular amongst students.

Tamil department was headed by one Sri Neelakantan another Jambawan with thick luxurious growth of pick tail from Ekambaram Street. Judgments that he used to give in the Oration contests (Pattimandrams) used to be look forward to by everyone as they used to be laced with chaste Tamil.

There was one Sri Somayajulu who used to live near our house in Mudaliappapuram Street.  He was a Telugu gentle man who used to teach History and Geography. He was issueless and he was to have cleared Grade one service officer’s exam. He missed the same by a whisker and became a school teacher.

I was in the school badminton team. I was also a member of the Rotract club. We had chances to attend local Rotary meetings in Ambasamudram twice or thrice.

The school was also called by all and sundry sometime in a derogatory manner as Mutt because it was the bastion of mostly Bhrahmins. But the grouting and training we had all those years had stood by our side and looking back we did have great fun and enjoyment in our classes. The teacher’s had genuine concern and personal care for each one of us!!