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| MY SCHOOL |
Mount
Carmel High School, Hazaribagh was the place where I spent four years
of my life. Those four years were the years which brought out my
potential, gave me life long friends, and memories which are as fresh
as if they happened only yesterday.
Do
you know how many years back this happened? It is now 50 years ago,
that I passed out from School! 50 years is a long- long time in
any human being's life!
Memories
come flooding back to me. It is a cliche to say that the best time of
one's life is the time spent in school, but I can say that actually
it WAS the best time of my life. School is the place where I learnt
many lessons, and where I was moulded very gently into the person
that I have become.
Our
school had a very big campus. There were gigantic trees all over the
place. Under the trees were beautiful platforms made for us to sit
down upon. Boarders used to go to the School side for evening
studies. While returning from the School side around 7pm, we would
all return in a group and some of us would run across that stretch.
We all believed that there were ghosts on the trees! Remembering the
way we ran across makes me burst out laughing now because, if there
were ghosts then would they not be able to catch us wherever we were?
There
are many incidents and anecdotes which come to my mind as I sit down
to write today. I am sure most of you will go down memory lane
with me and remember a lot of similar anecdotes of our dear
alma mater. A lot of incidents and happenings which
made us what we are...Carmelites!
MEMORY
NUMBER ONE
Girls
who were Christians learnt Catechism and others were given Moral
Science lessons. What we learnt then was very character forming.
There were readings from books and the Sister taking the Class would
gently enlighten our young eager minds with the correct behavior in
life. She would talk of love, marriage, naughty 40 year old uncles
from whom we had to be wary! We giggling girls would try very hard to
look serious, as these topics were quite bold for our times and we
would laugh because it was a nun who spoke about these things.
I
was a boarder and we used to have these classes in Shanti Niketan
style under the trees. We could sit wherever we wished to, only
taking care to be within hearing range of the teacher.These classes
surely left a deep imprint on me. I still recall those classes, that
environment, that freedom to enjoy studies with nature, and those
giggly girls wanting to hear more but looking shyly away!
MEMORY
NUMBER TWO
Before
the Board examination we used to get Preparatory Holidays. Most of
the girls of my Class taking the 11th class Board examination stayed
back in the Boarding House to study. Every afternoon we were given a
sample test. This was a timed examination. We used to write this test
in the Dining Hall which we called The Refectory. Sister Bernadette
used to write the Questions on the board and would leave us to take
the test. There was no one minding us, and we took our test very
seriously. There was no talking, no looking at each other, no
disturbance whatsoever . As the buzzer sounded we
would put our papers in a pile and walk out. It was the most
amazing experience of my life when I learnt this huge lesson of trust
and honesty.
After
the examination we left school and waited for the results. In those
days the result was published in the newspaper. When the result was
announced, I took the newspaper in hand and started looking for my
roll number in the 2nd Division List. Then my eyes rolled down to the
3rd Division list and not finding my name in that list too, I bawled
my eyes out. How could I have failed? What would I do now? What would
my parents say? I again courageously took the paper in my hand and
looked once again and, lo and behold, where did I find my name? In
the list of the students who got a FIRST Division! This was a big-
big surprise and my joy knew no bounds! We were four girls from our
School who had got a First Division. Perhaps I had the potential but
did not realize it then.
MEMORY
NUMBER THREE
Hazaribagh
used to be a very cold place.In winter water kept outside in the open
used to freeze into ice. We used to get hot water for bathing early
in the morning. The water was boiled in a large patila. One had to
wait for one's turn to get the water, which was handed out in a long
jug. One could barely bathe in the water that we had. Thankfully we
were small , slim girls who could manage with less water!!
In
those days Radio Ceylon was a very popular Radio Station and Binaca
Geetmala presented by Ameen Sayani on Wednesday from 8 pm to 9 pm was
the most popular programme. We were given special permission to hear
this programme. All of us would gather around the radio in the
room and listen to the programme.
Another
departure from very strict rules was when we were allowed to go to
the Cinema Hall to see the movie "Ganga Jamuna". We went in
cycle rickshaws, chaperoned by teachers. I don't know the reason why
we were allowed to see this particular movie. Maybe because of the
song, "Insaaf ki dagar pe bacchho dikhao chal ke, yeh desh
hai tumhara, neta tum hi ho kal ke"
After
this we were shown movies in the school building. The projector and
screen was set up in the corridor and then all of us would
watch the movie. I remember watching the movie, "Masoom".
This was the older movie with Daisy Irani as a child star. The amount
of tears that were shed that day was enough to bring about a
flood in the nearest river, I am sure.
Films
were chosen with care and shown on Sunday.
Being
young little girls we were quite fond of movies and after coming back
from vacations all of us would discuss the movies that we had seen
during the holidays. I remember the hot favorites then were
"Junglee", "Kashmir ki Kali", "Dil Deke
Dekho". My favourite hero was Dev Anand and favourite heroine
was Nutan.
MEMORY
NUMBER FOUR.
In
1961 the Indo China war broke out. The whole country became one and
was quite agitated. There were a lot of Desh bhakti songs composed
and heard all over the place. All the radio stations broadcast
these songs. Troops were moving towards the border from all over the
country. Some Contingents were going by the road near our
school. To cheer the troops and wave to them, all of us climbed on to
the window sills and screamed, cheered and applauded the soldiers.
People of Hazaribagh lined the roads and waved at them.
After
so many years I can still see myself and others on those window
sills. I recall the kind of fervour that we felt then, and the kind
of feelings that we had for the enemy country then. The war
generated a lot of energy, togetherness and love for the country. Our
country was not prepared for the war. We were a new Republic and were
busy developing and building up our resources. Dam projects, steel
plants, water resources, and agriculture was receiving more
impetus. War and its preparation was not high up on the agenda. The
country needed gold and Indian women who have a lot of gold ornaments
donated very generously. They would just take off whatever they were
wearing and without a second thought just put it in the sheets that
were being used to collect donations at every meeting and gathering.
The kind of feeling that was generated can only be imagined by the
youth of today. Besides gold needed for buying armaments, troops
needed woolens, as it was cold on the Himalayas, so there was a lot
of knitting done all over the country and women very generously
donated socks, mittens, gloves and jerseys for the armed forces.
Every person who could, helped in this War by their contributions.
Today when I look back upon the way the whole nation had become one
against the enemy, I am simply amazed. This huge country with
different regions, languages, cuisines, castes, religions, sunk all
their differences and united to donate and do what they could to help
the armed forces.
We
children of Carmel would pray for the war to end and also for the
safety and victory of our troops. These prayers were inbuilt in our
daily prayers of morning and evening.
MEMORY
NUMBER FIVE
Hazaribagh
was quite a small town. It was well known for its excellent climate.
Because of this it also became a center of good education. Besides
Mount Carmel there was St. Xavier's School for boys and St. Columba's
College. Mr. Markham was the Principal of St. Columba's College. He
was a tall lanky person of Australian origin. He would always cycle
to the College. I still remember seeing him cycle laboriously on the
road to his college.
Most
of the boarders had brothers who were studying in St. Xavier's
School. The brothers would come on every Sunday morning to meet
the sisters. We were allowed to talk with our brother, and were
advised to keep a distance of three feet from those boys who were not
our brothers. We were very particular with these given instructions.
On
Rakhi all the brothers would come prepared with their Rakhi gift. We
girls would get Rakhi and mithai for the occasion. This had to
be ordered in advance.
On
the day of Rakhi we were allowed to talk with the other boys also who
had come to the School to meet their own sister.
MEMORY
NUMBER SIX
Almost
everyday we had a period which was not devoted to studies. It would
be Western Music, Indian Music, Gardening, Games and Needle Work. All
of us enjoyed these classes.
For
Western Music we would gather in the Audience Hall near the piano.
While Sister Freida played on the piano, we sang from the song book.
Old Black Joe, Clementine, Abide with me, and so many other songs. We
would sing enthusiastically with open throats. The songs were
beautiful, the music was good and the Sister was kind.
In
Indian Music Sir used to sit with his Harmonium. He used to make us
note down all about the Raags. It used to be a difficult class.
Singing those raags in tune was very difficult.
Gardening
was the class I liked best. It was not easy as we were all allotted
patches class wise and we were responsible for growing vegetables,
turning the soil, removing weeds, and adding the manure. I
enjoyed gardening and to this day I love gardening and do not
hesitate to soil my hands with mud and plants.
All
these extra curricular activities helped in building up extra
abilities in us. I am sure we all benefitted from these classes as
much as we benefitted from the studies that we did.
MEMORY
NUMBER SEVEN
My
waterloo was Maths. I had a terrible mental block and however easy
the sum would be, it was like climbing Mount Everest for me. Rathaur
Sir was our Maths teacher. I used to take tuition from him. There
were about five of us who used to take the tuition. There was a large
table with two benches where we sat for the tuition. Rathaur Sir was
quite generous with his ruler when we made silly mistakes. If I
remember correctly he used to have a bushy mustache. He would
never pronounce my name correctly. It was always,"Barsa"
spoken quite harshly.
Sister
Antoinette used to teach us English. Her Grammar classes were those
that I will never forget. She was very particular with "Analysis".
She made all of us work extremely hard on this topic. She would make
us do the exercises mentally. She would read out the sentence and ask
us to identify the Subject, Predicate, the Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives,
and Adverbs. Whenever any girl made a mistake Sister would pinch the
arm of that girl. The pinch was very hard and we were mortally scared
of this particular class. Besides making us perfect in Grammar, she
also left a permanent fear of pinches, at least in my mind. I used to
dread even the New Pinch that friends usually indulge in.
I
do not remember my other teachers. I loved my Geography classes. It
took me all around the World sitting at my desk. Even today I
remember almost everything that I learnt then. I am now an avid
traveller, as I love seeing new countries and places. I usually
remember the kind of climate that I am likely to get. I know about
the flora and fauna that I can expect to see. I could even draw the
map of India free hand. I loved the class on Maps.
I
was quite bad at Sanskrit. Learning all that Grammar was very
difficult for me. I could never learn anything by heart. It was a
great relief when after Class Nine we did not have to study
Sanskrit.
EPH
or Elementary Physics and Hygeine was a subject that was taught to us
in Hindi. I do not remember the reason for it being taught in Hindi.
Social
Studies was another subject that I liked. One sentence that has stuck
with me from this subject is, "Man is a social animal"
What is the reason for my recalling this sentence is not known to me.
Yet perhaps for a young impressionable mind collating human beings
with animals must have been quite fascinating.
MEMORY
NUMBER EIGHT
I
dont remember the food that we got in the Boarding House, but I
remember that we could pay extra for milk and egg at breakfast. My
parents had arranged for extra milk and egg for me. I simply did not
like milk and therefore everyday would offer the milk to a friend who
sat next to me and liked the milk. Childhood and not knowing the
value of money was the culprit for this act! Someone else benefitted
by this benevolence.
While
we were at School 5th September was declared as "Teacher's Day".
That was the birthday of our Second President Dr. Sarvapalli
Radhakrishnan, who was an eminent educationist. On that day we senior
girls would wear a saree. We would take the class of the younger
students. Teachers were treated with a lot of respect, at least
on this day. We used to make Alpana with flowers and draw flowers on
the black board and wish our teachers.
Every
class was allotted the name of a girl who was appearing in the Board
examination. That Class had to pray for their Class 11 student to
pass the Examination with flying colours. That was the kind of
affinity and ownership that was inculcated amongst the younger
students. In fact all senior girls were called by their name affixed
with Di to their names. Even now when a girl junior to me addresses
me she calls me Varshadi. Facebook and Tom Mundakal who has
created this group has brought us all together.
MEMORY
NUMBER NINE
There
used to be a small bus parked in our campus, on the left side as you
entered the School from the gate. The driver was Henry.
Opposite
this place was Hostel Number 2. This was the Hostel where Rosie a
classmate used to stay.
In
the beginning the gate of the school was not fully covered. It had a
pattern and we could look outside, but then perhaps there must have
been peeping Tom's around, so the gates were covered with tin sheets
making it impossible for us to look outside, except when the gate was
opened.
Sisters(
The nuns) used to take a walk inside the campus every evening after
dinner. They would walk together and turn around together. We used to
call them Penguins because of their black and white Habit.
The
Dhobi used to come once a week to collect the clothes for washing. He
was actually called, "Dhobiwallah." He used to spread all
the clothes in the verandah between the Hostel No. 1 and Refectory.
We would pick up our bundle and stack our clothes neatly in our
cupboards. We used to be three girls in a room. We kept our rooms
very neat and tidy. In the night time before going to bed most of us
would tie our hair in tight plaits because we believed that the hair
would grow long and strong if they were tied tightly. Midnight
feasting was quite unknown, but some girls did read story books in
bed after lights were turned off, with the help of a torch hiding
under a blanket.
Sister
Bernadette would go around peeping in every cubicle after lights were
turned off. Any girl caught trying to hoodwink the rules was
punished severely.
There
was a guava tree just outside the Hostel. Once we could not resist
the temptation of eating those lovely guavas. Two girls climbed the
tree and two of us stood underneath gathering the fruit that was
being plucked. Sister arrived and was furious on seeing us indulging
in this CRIME! If i remember correctly we were punished for this
crime. Caning was the punishment that we were given!
MEMORY
NUMBER TEN
Whenever
any girl in the Boarding fell sick, she was removed to the
Infirmary for treatment and isolation. I remember once when I was
sick and was moved there, I was given Horlicks to drink. Horlicks
actually tasted better in the powder form. Most of us would eat the
powder straight out of the bottle, when no one was looking.
As
is usual there were quite a lot of falls and hurting the knee or
elbow in School. The remedy for all falls was application of the "red
medicine". How we loathed it and grumbled about it. We used to
think that the Sister who was in charge of the Medical Chest did not
care enough for us. She used to some times dilute that red medicine
and apply it. We never trusted that medicine! It is altogether a
different matter now that, I myself am quite adept at doling out
"Mercuro Chrome" when a child gets hurt. Mercuro chrome was
the most magical medicine which set all hurts right. That was the
infamous Red Medicine of my childhood.
