MY FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL

     I was sent to school at the age of 5 yrs ,  it was the  year 1965,  I remember,  the day. Obviously it is most haunting  in everyone’s life . It  was like any other day, but , I had a strange feeling  of fear in my mind, since the morning, as I was being dressed up by my mother with love and care .It is the day parents are very excited and optimistic . Many odd things rushing through my  little ‘grey matter’ ,and  my tiny heart was pulsating with a rapid pace , that,like a racing machine ,which had to over work to keep the brain working. But, a feeling of something strange likely to happen, overtook my cheerful face.  I felt the sensation of sinking .It was obvious because, I was a free bird all these years of my early childhood now the seeming danger of being tamed, overtook my innocent mind . Also, I had enjoyed the childhood in real terms, that way due to the old education system prevailing  then ,we the kids of yester years were bit lucky as compared to the kids in the present age  who are  being denied the right to childhood so early as below one year of age.

   { Now a days the trend is so dangerous, that even child of one and half year is not spared , he is sent to some creche or child care center, which are never- the- less turning into   exploiting dens and the childhood of the  kids are being ruined.  They are really very unsafe and dangerous. Mostly the working parents are compelled to send their kids to these care centers ,as they have no other alternative. They are almost under house arrest, more dangerous things which  is catching up  , it is also being reported that, many of  babysitters are culprits for using drugs to keep the child calm or asleep, obviously it is a relatively difficult thing to handle them if they are not sleeping , the best  way to handle the kids at that tender age is to keep them in the lap of asleep  . The child when is given regular dose of certain drug becomes addicted to and cause serious damage to the psyche of the child . It almost ruins the life of the child . }

      So tense I was, that, I tightly held the finger  of my mother as if I was drowning  in the  deep water, I was on the verge of crying.  The moment the sentence was  pronounced  by the Principal Madam , that, “  Congratulations Kid ! You have been admitted to the school”  , I almost sunk , I felt  like  a person who has been sentenced for life to jail .  

   {My only  fault was that  , I had born in a world which is stressing , dictating  and crazy   to obtain the   ‘Paper’  degrees from the  educational shops, created by the so called Education system of India , rather than   to be  human beings  or learn about other worldly  things .It is more interesting that now we have provision of securing the certificates or degrees without even attending the classes , it is so simple ,if you have money power to bribe the officials or contact any Private institution ,they have institutionalized the Unfair means . Thanks to deteriorating Indian Education system ,where Govt. has given unlimited liberty to the institutions without any accountability. }.  

      The earth beneath my feet seemed to be trembling like tremors of the earthquake .My parents just supported the statement of the Principal. They thanked the Principal  for the decision in favor of their child. They even congratulated  me by patting my back gently.  I saw a sign of relief on the face of my Father who looked a little bit tense ,just few moments earlier .  This fact I experienced  when I myself  as  a parent, took my sons for admission to the schools. Naturally , the parents are bit nervous and shaky  When there is  a issue of about the future of their kids  getting admission in a school of their preference, They were indeed worried about the question- “Will their child (myself) get admission in this Central School ?”  Probably ,because we belonged to North India and the best option for us  at that stage was  to join Central School  , which  are now better known as Kendryia Vidyalyas, which have almost standard  pattern and syllabus of Education all over India. In case I had to be admitted to some other local school  over there  , I could have faced some different problem all to gather - in medium of instruction  ,also I had to learn Kannada, the state  language in addition.  I want to mention that  the knowledge of  language apart from that of Mother tongue ‘Punjabi’ , National Language- Hindi  ,English,  the International Language   and then learning ‘Kannada’ as additional language of Instruction , beside other  regular subjects , would have turned me Jack of all languages and master of none.  I would have  turned to be a perfect “Khhichri “.   Speaking the languages and understanding   is okay for socializing , but learning these for Exams as a full subject , is bit difficult , It is irony that  in India we enforce so much restrictions  on citizens  that, we have divided the nation on the basis of language  , then  we have divided the streets and cities on the basis of religion .  . 

         #@$@%@%3 !!!  - { I wonder why there is stress on so many languages in India  , where as only one is sufficient   for a man to communicate with the other components of society . It is probably  the characteristic of man to eulogize himself or his clan and enforce it on those who are subdued

 Have we ever benefited out of these foolish dictates of the Crazy lot ?  Is it any way the sign of development  of human race? Is it maturity or act of civilized society ,to fight ,hurt or slaughter others  for  the sake of forcing the barriers of language?  

      As in various schools ‘Sanskrit’ is also taught. This Sanskrit is told to be the original language  the man had developed., and all the other languages have been born out of it. This  is also taught as a additional subject or optional subject. Probably my brain would have been a confused stuff , like a half baked cake  under that conditions.

    Actually, It is very interesting to communicate  with the  person , in his mother tongue,who have different Mother tongue . It almost changes the attitude of the person with whom you are communicating. It is like presenting him with a bouquet.it is touching gesture.   }

        !!!! ….   { Question is , that  I never hate to speak  or socialize with people of any race,  languages or religion , but certainly people in this country do make it a big issue. May be I could be wrong , rather I  pray my observation may prove wrong.  The intensity of hatred is so much , that  ‘some’  semi literate people in the south  generally do not prefer to talk to person speaking Hindi , as if the Hindi speaking people are ‘alien’ , you should either speak their  Mother tongue or English.  This, I have failed to understand the logic. You Love to speak Foreign Language but disrespect the National Language  , this has been rather ,reported by many of my friends who happened to visit there. Which I had earlier  rejected it as incorrect.  It could be  due to language politics and their own perception  to show that, they are dedicated to their language, or they are resisting the dominance of Aryans   race  in the North ,some centuries ago  ( A historical fact}.  They might be preferring to keep distance as being Dravidians . Often  it leads to  crisis of ego , we have witnessed the frenzy  culminating into a full blown riots  many of times . Occasionally we even have a dip in the blood soaked pools of hatred or false ego. The violent acts being enacted under the directions of mischief mongers or pleaders. Learning other language in not a wrong thing but  the tag of hatred towards other language is the main deterrent . To it has become a  agenda  in  Power politics  too.}

      Thank God !  , I got admission in Central school and  that reduced the problem in hand.But the problem still churning in my mind ,was ,- “ what is the hell  thing called school?”    I had only some vague ideas about the school, because my brother had been going to school. What ever he used  to tell to  Mom, I used to hear with caution. But at times he would narrate the tale of sorrows ,that he got punishment for   this , that  and some times for nothing. I had strange ideas gushing in my mind  .  I looked around I saw no known person in the school except my parents. They too were behaving strangely with me. They were eager to dump me there at the mercy of  the School teachers. I was shaken by this scene and wondered why the parents are so cruel?

         The Principal  , though was  very good looking  lady speaking with confidence , stylishly and fluently in English. I could not get the idea what was she saying  to the other lady she had called up in her office. I was apprehending that certainly something tangy is being cooked  .Then she introduced her to my parents. I still do not remember what transpired  between them. My brain had stopped functioning  as if it was now switched off.

    Moments after my mother handed a piece of candy  and promised  she will bring more in the afternoon. In fact that was a booby trap for my. I was lured to go with the Lady  in the office. I was so tense and disturbed that I did not even dared to look at the face of the lady.

       Tears rolled down my cheeks. In fact, I was habitual of being a free bird , I never had any restrictions. I was handed over like a sold  out property now.   I felt the pinch of separations though it was a tradition for  all the kids to pass through this trauma in their life, and this tradition is centuries old. I was on one side cursing  every one. However  I did not realise at that time,  that ,it is   a great lesson for all of us .  Which everyone has to face the realities  of separation  from parents, loved ones, friends, beloved and of course by the parents too  in the melting evenings of their life,  when they need them the most  .  Even ‘That ‘ was  my first  lesson   in the school that day .  Certainly this lesson of separation has given me strength to bear the separation of my Parents  ,when they are gone for ever to the Eternal abode.  Also, I have bore the pang of Separation during sending my own children out of home for studies.

       Any how, at that time , I felt like a  lamb being dragged by the butcher to the slaughter house, as the lady who had been instructed by the Principal to take 'me' along with her, was taking me with her . I looked back towards my parents   with a saggy face and sobbing silently.  To my surprise  , my parents were happy and waving hands  at  me,  congratulating  me on my entry to school. In fact they were trying to cheer me up, like crowd waving , when Sachin Tendulkar comes in to bat in the ground in a match.  There was a difference of opinion  between me and my parents. We had different perspectives and objectives. It was sure the parents had won the war and I had become a defeated person for a moment. I was thinking why parents are not able to understand my problems , at the same time  the parents were feeling elated as they had succeeded in securing admission for me in a good school of their choice.

   In fact the lady who was taking me through the corridor  of the  school on the very first day at school ,  was very polite and  very friendly,  she was in fact the Class Teacher of the class to which I was admitted ,she rather tried to console me and cheer me up. She tried to instill the confidence in me and asked few questions regarding me and my parents, to which I replied  in a non confident manner by  just nodding my head,like a stupid kid . I was rather feeling very insecure at that moment. I was all of sudden pushed in the company of totally unknown people.  I failed to  know what to do.  I simply had no option left ,but to follow the teacher in a reluctant manner . Keeping my head down and  half sobbing and half crying  ,thinking of the next situation  to come.

    Just walking few steps  in the corridor I was taken into a  a Tent., I was surprised about the situation. I thought it is sort of Army tent. But I had never been inside of this tent. It was first such strange situation I saw, there about thirty odd students  were sitting there  on the benches and tables. Obviously it was a makeshift classroom .

     The teacher introduced me to the Class, and announced  the Kids  to welcome their  new class mate mr.---------- . Every body clapped their hands . I was made to sit with a kid, who was good looking. As I was bit nervous and shaky, he made the first move  to make me  feel  comfortable with a  broad smile.  This first  smile infatuated me  I was now feeling in a friendly atmosphere  much to my satisfaction and against the apprehensions’  I was brooding in my mind.  My confidence showed its signs  of building up , I dared to meet my eyes with his  ,with a bit of changed mood, He again smiled, then he offered his hand for a friendly contact. I reciprocated.  The whole world changed I and he were now friends. In the recess  break  ,he took me to the place where children were playing ,then we moved on to the water tap to have some water. He took out his Tiffin and offered me his Tiffin. I said  I have mine. He said let us share our Tiffin’s. I agreed and we then shared the Tiffin. He had brought some snacks and I had ‘prathas’.  I liked the bread toast he was having. As we sat under the tree we talked about ourselves.

      Just  then my elder brother who was studying in the same school was three classes senior to me, came searching in our class room, but not finding me there he inquired from other children ,when some of them guided him where I and my new friend were sitting and having lunch.  My brother asked about my well being. The new friend asked him are you his brother?

 “Yes “   my brother replied.

 My brother asked him his name, He said ,”My name is Rajan”.

 My Brother said ,” Well , it seems you have made my brother your friend  , thanks.”

 “ Do you have any problem ?”  my brother  asked me,    I said , “ No”.

  “Ok then enjoy your First day at school with your new friends.”

  Then the bell rang and we all rushed to the class rooms. As the ringing of the bell signaling for the change of period, we,I and Rajan, just talked about the next thing to happen in a hushed tone , He would tell me about the next teacher to come and the subject we will be taught by that teacher, who comes at the ringing of the period bell.

    I best enjoyed in the period of poetry and drawing . As I was best at the both. My friend Rajan was very helpful in building of my confidence.  As the time passed and the day activity came to the end, Rajan informed that this is the last period and we will be going home after the period of GK. I was happy that the day was a nice one as compared to the anticipations I had made in my mind.

   I was pleased to find at least two persons who had motivated me and made my day. I,  in my heart thanked my Class teacher and Rajan. I still remember that day, and will remain fresh in my memory till my memory fails me..

  The process of my education proceeded and I  acclimatized  my self to the daily school going activity. This had really changed my attitude.