I have had more female colleagues than males in my entire teaching career. Probably why I survived so long in the job. Let me celebrate this Women's Day with them. I haven't been able to get hold of the pics all of them and I express my immense grief on leaving out quite many.
That's my first school where I was a math teacher. You may not recognise me. I'm the second one from left in the last row. This was St Joseph's School, Shillong. I learnt the art of teaching in that school. It was a convent school with only girl students. I still remember a lot of them, my first students. I know I wasn't very kind to them. Math teachers can't be kind - that was what I thought in those days. My own teachers had created that impression in my consciousness and the subconscious as well. All those girls are now mothers and some of them may be grandmothers. Let me tell them that I never meant any harm. I was happy in those days to see them learning math well. Hi, dear ladies. Happy Women's Day to each one of you.
To each of those colleagues in the pic too. I would love to meet them if possible in person and wish them a lot of happiness. They were all so good. I know that a few of them are no more. I know that many others are too old to read this. But they are all young in my heart. They were the most wonderful colleagues I ever had. The simplicity of heart that they possessed is unforgettable.
St Edmund's College of Shillong where I worked after I left St Joseph's had no female friends. There were female lecturers. But they were more male than the males there. So let me move on to Delhi.
Sawan Public School, Delhi...
Sawan was magic and the ladies there were wizards. Until some ladies belonging to an organisation called Radha Soami Satsang Beas [RSSB] entered that campus. How wizards become witches - RSSB taught me. I learnt to be wary of women at Sawan. Sawan taught me a lot of lessons, in fact, not only about women but also about men. Sawan was my Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Happy Women's Day, dear ladies of Sawan.
I can tell you infinite stories about Sawan. Delhi is a magical place of witches and wizards. I couldn't survive there from the moment RSSB entered the campus. Two women worked the magic. There was a godman behind them. Sawan's last days proved that behind some successful women there is a godman.
Nobody survived in Sawan eventually. It was woman-power. Pranita-power, I should say. One woman and one godman. Happy Woman's Day, Dr Pranita though I'm not sure whether you're a woman. Not even Hitler had the brutality that you posssessed. Happy Woman's Day to you too.
Dr Pranita killed Sawan. For a godman who was an utter fake. That was in 2015. Modi had completed one year in Delhi as PM. Pranita is the most fascinating woman I have ever come across. Even the bulldozers she brought into the campus for demolishing it didn't have her prowess. Happy Women's Day, dear Dr Pranita.
I wouldn't have left Delhi hadn't it been Dr Pranita's monstrous entry into my life.
I found myself in my hometown in Kerala where again 99% of my colleagues were women. Intelligent and caring women. My past made it difficult for me to find a place among about hundred female colleagues of Carmel Public School where I found a job when I reached Kerala as a man broken by a woman and her godman-club.
My colleagues at Carmel, most of whom were ladies, resurrected my faith in women. They have a uniquely sensitive way of accepting male colleagues as part of the entourage.
They have given me the spirit to say
HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY
to all the women in the world.
Sir...We feel honoured and privileged and will cherish those memories with you at Carmel.
ReplyDeleteYou made it easy for me to be what I was. Thank you.
DeleteHey, how are you doing? It was such a pleasure to know and to work with both you and Maggie . You were the gems of Sawan.
ReplyDeleteWow! After so many years. Love you.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteBless you for honouring the other half (almost) of the human race. I know it can be hard. I also know that some women feel that the way to hold their own in what is essentially a man's world, is to be as a man. Harshness never works, from whichever gender it arises! YAM xx
Yam, you deserve a loving hug for being a woman. Not as a gender. I could as well say 'for being a human'. Maybe one day we'll meet and Maggie and I will have sweeter Women's Days ahead. 👍
Delete🙏🤗
DeleteAlthough I didn't have the privilege to study from you, but I have a few fond memories of Maggie ma'am. I still remember her mellifluous voice with the tadka of malayali accent and not to forget that colgate smile( Kyunki unke toothpaste mein namak tha😛). Despite knowing the fact that I was a miserable student and not willing to improve my self, yet she never gave up on me. The epitome of simplicity with a mother's touch, I owe my childhood happiness to her🙏. Long live, Maggie ma'am.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Raghvendra Rathore
(Ex Sawanite)
So sweet of you, Raghavendra. Maggie was surprised reading this. Pleasant surprises add salt and more sugar to life 😊 Thank you.
DeleteYes. Destiny can be ruthless. It's unavoidable anyway.
ReplyDeleteWhether men or women, they all bring their own attributes, qualities and contributions to this world. Some pleasant, some not so pleasant. That's what makes up this world.
ReplyDeleteTrue
DeleteBeautiful post.
ReplyDeleteThank you
Delete