My father's name is late A R Ramaswamy Iyer and mother late C S Seetha Ammal
I studied in the village school founded by my uncle late A R Krishnan, up to 7th standard. In one year either from third to 4th or 4th to 5th standard, on the day of promotion the class teacher came to the class and announced that those who passed can go to the next class and others can remain in the class itself. All along the teachers used to announce the names of the passed students. Any how as I am not smart or slow in understanding I lost one year. My mother will be upset and angry on failure of any of her children. But I do not remember as to how she took the news of my failure. While studying in 5th standard I formed one Balasamajam of children and students of our village. I was not knowing the meaning of the word Balasamajam. However, there were also children more aged than me and who were studying in the nearby High Schools. The Samajam's main work was cleaning the sub road from the main road to the temple, decorate the temple compound with buntings and frills of coconut palm's tender leaves which will be golden cream in colour and palm leaves of the dates palm trees during the Dassera festival of the temple. Another work is cleaning the village cum temple pond of the weed.
From the school we wanted publish a magazine on monthly or quarterly basis. Only one issue was brought out. It was hand written one written by one of my class mate, late M Ramanunny, whose handwriting was excellent. He was a brilliant student with lot of extra curricular activities like elocution proficiency, extempore speech and some sports though he was frail. After his study he went to Delhi and I had met him at Delhi long back.He died at a very young age. During the school vacations my eldest sister and children will come home with brother in law. Brother in law and sister may stay for a day or so and go to Guruvayur which is the place of brother in law. The children will be with us and those days were our good days as my mother and father who used to be strict with us will relax many conditions for their grand children and we also get the extra freedom with them. During one year's vacation, mother decided to send me to Ooty where my eldest sister Lakshmi Srinivasan's family is shifted as brother in law got a transfer from Trichy. Mother arranged to send me by bus to Ooty from a nearby town (Pattambi) to our village. She arranged to board me on bus and buy the bus ticket for me through one of our servants. He did his duty very well though he was an illiterate laborer. I had no idea what is to be done at Ooty. However, 2 policemen came and took me to sister's house. Now what I presume is that after boarding me in the bus the servant would have sent a telegram to brother in law and accordingly brother in law would have sent the police men to bring me home. I spent the entire vacation at Ooty. I think at the end of the vacation brother in law arranged to send me back to my place and I reached home. I do not remember the return journey clearly.
I am A R Ramanathan born on 24-5-1939 in Chakkali Puthan Madham in a village by name Ezhumangad in Thirumittakode Panchayath, Ottappalam Thaluk, Thrithala Constituency, Palakkad District of Kerala. But that portion of the village where our house is situated is more popularly known as the neighboring village Arangotukara or in short for Arangode which is in Thalapilli thaluk, Chelakara Assembly Constituency of Thrissur District of Kerala. This position is because these 2 villages are acquiescent to each other with common infrastructure. I am from the family of Chakkali Puthan Madham. Originally there was only Chakkali Madham the ancestral house of my grand father. Grand father died when father was very young leaving the family in poverty. My father late Ramaswamy Iyer (alias Rama Iyer) is the youngest of 2 brothers and one sister.
I studied in the village school founded by my uncle late A R Krishnan, up to 7th standard. In one year either from third to 4th or 4th to 5th standard, on the day of promotion the class teacher came to the class and announced that those who passed can go to the next class and others can remain in the class itself. All along the teachers used to announce the names of the passed students. Any how as I am not smart or slow in understanding I lost one year. My mother will be upset and angry on failure of any of her children. But I do not remember as to how she took the news of my failure. While studying in 5th standard I formed one Balasamajam of children and students of our village. I was not knowing the meaning of the word Balasamajam. However, there were also children more aged than me and who were studying in the nearby High Schools. The Samajam's main work was cleaning the sub road from the main road to the temple, decorate the temple compound with buntings and frills of coconut palm's tender leaves which will be golden cream in colour and palm leaves of the dates palm trees during the Dassera festival of the temple. Another work is cleaning the village cum temple pond of the weed.
From the school we wanted publish a magazine on monthly or quarterly basis. Only one issue was brought out. It was hand written one written by one of my class mate, late M Ramanunny, whose handwriting was excellent. He was a brilliant student with lot of extra curricular activities like elocution proficiency, extempore speech and some sports though he was frail. After his study he went to Delhi and I had met him at Delhi long back.He died at a very young age. During the school vacations my eldest sister and children will come home with brother in law. Brother in law and sister may stay for a day or so and go to Guruvayur which is the place of brother in law. The children will be with us and those days were our good days as my mother and father who used to be strict with us will relax many conditions for their grand children and we also get the extra freedom with them. During one year's vacation, mother decided to send me to Ooty where my eldest sister Lakshmi Srinivasan's family is shifted as brother in law got a transfer from Trichy. Mother arranged to send me by bus to Ooty from a nearby town (Pattambi) to our village. She arranged to board me on bus and buy the bus ticket for me through one of our servants. He did his duty very well though he was an illiterate laborer. I had no idea what is to be done at Ooty. However, 2 policemen came and took me to sister's house. Now what I presume is that after boarding me in the bus the servant would have sent a telegram to brother in law and accordingly brother in law would have sent the police men to bring me home. I spent the entire vacation at Ooty. I think at the end of the vacation brother in law arranged to send me back to my place and I reached home. I do not remember the return journey clearly.
High school study at Varavoor High School
After 7th standard I had to go to High School. Before the school started my eldest brother late A R Raman had come from Madras. From Madras he was to go to Bombay for job and on the way he came to the village. I asked him to take me with him for higher studies. He explained the position and was not knowing anything about Bombay and persuaded me to join the Varavoor High School and bought one stainless steel (stainless steel has just started and was not available freely) lunch box, a duck back rain coat (rain coat will not be seen in the villages where umbrella made of bamboo sticks and palm leaves are the norms) and an instrument box of ultra modern make. I got satisfied with these items as I thought that I can flaunt these items in my village and the villages on the way to school. The school was about 9 - 10 km and walk is the only mode of conveyance at that time as bus was the only conveyance and there were no services to suit the school timings. I failed in the first attempt in SSLC. Next year I passed with 1st class. After the school studies I went Bombay for college education. We used to go in groups to school. There will be several distinctive groups going in the same route. We will play mischief on the route. During mango season we will pluck bunches of tender mangoes which cab be carried in the lunch box and bag without staining the books.
After school education I went to Bombay (now Mumbai) for college education. My three elder brothers at Bombay tried to get admission in a good college, Ruia College in Matunga, after virtually begging. Since my 2 elder brothers were good students in their days with high marks, the principal of the college reluctantly agreed to take me, He warned my brothers that I may not be able to cope up with the standard unless some coaching is arranged for me. Some how since I was not basically very much interested in academic studies, I did not discuss anything with brothers as to whether I find it difficult to catch up with the study or not. I failed in the First Year Science exam and the college did not want me to continue there. They issued TC and I joined a newly opened college in Central Bombay by name Ruparel college. But before the classes started, I had to go to native village to look after our shops as father alone could not manage the same with agriculture.
My return Home from Bombay
Father wanted help to run the family shop in the market area. He used to be busy during agricultural season which will be about 6 months in a year spread over and will not be able to attend the shop. I was staying with the 3 elder brothers at Bombay for college studies. Since I was not very much interested in academic studies I took the opportunity and offered to go over to native place to look after shop. Till that time the shop was managed by one of my elder brothers late A R Subramanian. Due to the strict and dictatorial way of father, brother could not withstand and left native place without informing anybody about the plan and place. I took charge of the shop and was bringing it to good shape. In my spare time I organized a sports and recreation club by name Union sports club to promote sports among the youth of the village. My father do not like sports activities as he considers it as play against life and also under the suspicion that I was spending some money for the activities. So the disharmony started and he was becoming unbearable to me. In the meantime the brother who was looking after the shop earlier came back. I wrote to my brothers at Bombay stating that I wanted to come to Bombay not for study but for job. They replied that I can go over to them. It was a shock to father. He was under the impression that I will not go away. He tried to persuade me with pleadings and inducements for my continuing at native place. I did not agree and went to Bombay.
Return to Bombay
After reaching Bombay, I informed my brothers that I wanted to go for job. On the next day itself there was a walk in interview for a clerical job. I was selected and joined the job in M/s Rashtriya Metal Industries, Andheri, Bombay. I had some problem with the management. Persons who joined later and was learning work from me was given higher salary and I protested. Since no relief was given left the job and joined another private company by name M/s M S Patel & Co, Saki Naka. There also I had similar problem like that of previous company. I discussed with the G M and MD but only temporary remedy. By the time it was 4 months I got a call from LIC where I had applied, wrote examination and interview. Though the salary was less by Rs 10/- I joined LIC after resigning from the previous company. First 4 years I was a model employee in quantity, sincerity and punctuality in work and attendance and was selected as one of the very few for a new department, the General Insurance Department of LIC. If there was any overtime given to any section in the department I was sure to be called. Later some employees of other sections hinted that because of me some of them are deprived of over time. I promptly stopped over time work not only of other sections but of my section too. Later I was forced to be active in representing the grievances of some colleagues about the discrimination by the officer concerned. This antagonized the officer and he started ignore me as far my work is concerned and tried to put the clients against me. Slowly I was pushed to being active in the Union activity. During this time I wrote some insurance diploma examinations of Federation of Insurance Institute (FII). This Institute was affiliated to the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) of London. After passing the FII courses, if a fixed amount, at that time I think it was around Rs 250, was paid a certificate from the CII also will be given and can use both the certificates. But I did not apply for the same as I did not feel it as important at that time. I do not know whether it was good or bad. Anyway it did not affect me. I got one promotion on the basis of the examinations and also some increments in salary.
Being continued....
After School education
After school education I went to Bombay (now Mumbai) for college education. My three elder brothers at Bombay tried to get admission in a good college, Ruia College in Matunga, after virtually begging. Since my 2 elder brothers were good students in their days with high marks, the principal of the college reluctantly agreed to take me, He warned my brothers that I may not be able to cope up with the standard unless some coaching is arranged for me. Some how since I was not basically very much interested in academic studies, I did not discuss anything with brothers as to whether I find it difficult to catch up with the study or not. I failed in the First Year Science exam and the college did not want me to continue there. They issued TC and I joined a newly opened college in Central Bombay by name Ruparel college. But before the classes started, I had to go to native village to look after our shops as father alone could not manage the same with agriculture.
My return Home from Bombay
Father wanted help to run the family shop in the market area. He used to be busy during agricultural season which will be about 6 months in a year spread over and will not be able to attend the shop. I was staying with the 3 elder brothers at Bombay for college studies. Since I was not very much interested in academic studies I took the opportunity and offered to go over to native place to look after shop. Till that time the shop was managed by one of my elder brothers late A R Subramanian. Due to the strict and dictatorial way of father, brother could not withstand and left native place without informing anybody about the plan and place. I took charge of the shop and was bringing it to good shape. In my spare time I organized a sports and recreation club by name Union sports club to promote sports among the youth of the village. My father do not like sports activities as he considers it as play against life and also under the suspicion that I was spending some money for the activities. So the disharmony started and he was becoming unbearable to me. In the meantime the brother who was looking after the shop earlier came back. I wrote to my brothers at Bombay stating that I wanted to come to Bombay not for study but for job. They replied that I can go over to them. It was a shock to father. He was under the impression that I will not go away. He tried to persuade me with pleadings and inducements for my continuing at native place. I did not agree and went to Bombay.
Return to Bombay
After reaching Bombay, I informed my brothers that I wanted to go for job. On the next day itself there was a walk in interview for a clerical job. I was selected and joined the job in M/s Rashtriya Metal Industries, Andheri, Bombay. I had some problem with the management. Persons who joined later and was learning work from me was given higher salary and I protested. Since no relief was given left the job and joined another private company by name M/s M S Patel & Co, Saki Naka. There also I had similar problem like that of previous company. I discussed with the G M and MD but only temporary remedy. By the time it was 4 months I got a call from LIC where I had applied, wrote examination and interview. Though the salary was less by Rs 10/- I joined LIC after resigning from the previous company. First 4 years I was a model employee in quantity, sincerity and punctuality in work and attendance and was selected as one of the very few for a new department, the General Insurance Department of LIC. If there was any overtime given to any section in the department I was sure to be called. Later some employees of other sections hinted that because of me some of them are deprived of over time. I promptly stopped over time work not only of other sections but of my section too. Later I was forced to be active in representing the grievances of some colleagues about the discrimination by the officer concerned. This antagonized the officer and he started ignore me as far my work is concerned and tried to put the clients against me. Slowly I was pushed to being active in the Union activity. During this time I wrote some insurance diploma examinations of Federation of Insurance Institute (FII). This Institute was affiliated to the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) of London. After passing the FII courses, if a fixed amount, at that time I think it was around Rs 250, was paid a certificate from the CII also will be given and can use both the certificates. But I did not apply for the same as I did not feel it as important at that time. I do not know whether it was good or bad. Anyway it did not affect me. I got one promotion on the basis of the examinations and also some increments in salary.
Being continued....
Homeopathy Scientific System of Medicine
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