I passed out my SSLC in the year 1955 from Hyderabad and joined the Sree Kerala Varma College Trichur. I studied I.Com for two years there. This was the first time in my life that I knew that we were poor. Till 1955, I used to dress up like any other fashionable boy in pants and Bush shirt. But before going to Trichur my father told me that he cannot afford such luxuries any more. The two years in Trichur was spent in gaining knowledge and introspection, I was so good in mathematics, that once I answered all the questions including choices correctly. I was given 150 marks of 100 for that exam. This made me very famous. I was also selected as the best student of Intermediate.
I was staying in the newly constructed hostel there. I made two very close friends during the year 1955-57. They were Pathan and Balaksrishnan. They were a study in contract.
Pathan alias K.K.Padmanabhan was a Nair boy hailing from Cheruthuruthi. His father was an assay officer in the OOrgaum mines of KOlar. Pathan and me were classmates, room mates and close friends. He introduced me to Malayalam literature. During these two years, I read almost all the best novels published in Malayalam. These were borrowed from a village library (Trikumarakudam). Pathan completed Intermediate with me and came to Bangalore for a job of a steno in Kirloskar. I again met him briefly during a study tour at Bangalore in the year 1961. He was at that time working in the district court as a steno. We spent a very happy time for a day. After this Pathan disappeared from my world. I came back to Bangalore in 1984 and tried my best to locate Pathan. But God was not kind.
K.P.Balakrishnan was the son of the Principal of the Ayurvedic college at Kottakal. In the final exams in inter , he scored extremely high marks. He was a very great scholar and very studious. His acumen for understanding anything was really great. We spent several hours in scholarly discussions. I still remember a walk by us to a hill near by, on the top of which Ramakrishna Ashram of Trichur was situated. I missed him a lot after 1957. He studied Physics M.A., in Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam and later appeared for IAS/IFS. He got a very high rank in both. He chose to join IFS.I searched him a lot but could locate him in Sweden as The ambassador to India. At that time, I did contact him once but then afterwards , I could not contact him.
My mind always thinks of these two friends,. If only I can meet them.
Thoughts of a 79 year old retired Indian scientist , who is an astrologer, a translator of prayers and poems and a story teller to children.
2 comments:
very nice of you to remember me. I am since retired and settled in Trichur. My telephone number is 0487-2424701. or mobile 09744111242
i give lectures on a variety of subjects, mostly though economic and business related. i am presently on the guest faculty of the John Mathai centre of the calicut university which is in aranattuakara, trichur, and i teach MBA students.
do call me one of these days so that we can revive the old memories
K.P. Balakrishnan
P.T. House
Thekke Madham Road
Thrissur 680001
Oh My God!! You might know my brother !! He is a year younger than you and was at Kerala Varma. He is still working and is the technical director. He is a chemist by profession and settled in Mumbai. I can relate to this blog since i have heard the same stuff from my mother who is also in Mumbai right now. She ws not happy at all to leave kerala.
Mrs nair
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