Independence Day and my family's connection with the movement.

India's Independence was achieved after hundreds of years of great struggle by our forefathers from all corners of the country. It has cost many lives, much violence, crimes by the then rulers and their army forces. Millions of people have took part in non-cooperation movements and other protests lodged by our leaders headed by Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Maulana Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, and many other great personalities. They received much support from great musicians and poets and writers also in spreading the awareness among people. Many people got inspired by these leaders and left all their work to join the movement and contributed their efforts selflessly.

My grandfather was one among those great patriots who sacrificed his family and life for this cause during the early twentieth century. He was a teacher in a village named Taallarevu near Kakinada city in Andhra Pradesh. He left his work and joined the Non-Cooperation movement started by Mahatma Gandhi during the year 1920. He actively participated and spread the movement among nearby villages. He was jailed for participating in it and one of his sons was born during that period. That child was named as Satyaagrahacharya (one who was born during the period of Satyagraha or non-cooperation). Another child born later was named as Bharat Pataakaacharya meaning one who is born during the time of Indian Flag celebration time. The Indian Flag was first designed in 1906 and hoisted in Kolkata to declare the independence of India. The designs got changed many times later on with subsequent hoisting made time and again before the tricolor flag with Dharma Chakra was adopted as the Indian National Flag in 1947.

My grandfather used to be referred to as Kakinada Gandhi by people all around those villages. But, he received no government recognition for his sacrifices rendered. He expired even before India got freedom during his 80's.

I didn't ever met my grandfather nor heard about him through my parents as I was not born then. My father never mentioned anything about his life to me or my younger siblings. My mother expired in my early childhood and my father expired when I was in College. It is only after my marriage that I learnt about my grandfather through my father's older relatives who used to come into contact with me through my mother-in-law's house. They used to tell me that he has been a great personality and donated or sacrificed everything for our country's independence thereby leaving nothing for his next generations.

There are many other unsung heroes of our country's freedom struggle like him. We are enjoying the freedom at the cost of millions of such unselfish heroes of our country. We must salute them with awe and respect.

Horrific Memories of childhood incidents

It was the period when I was studying in higher secondary school at Chennai. It was Summer holidays after yearly examinations were over. Those were the days when you have no responsibilities and only enjoyment You find plenty of time and no work to do.

Most of the day time was spent playing and wandering with friends. It was the season of mangoes and sapota or chiku. These fruits used to be largely grown in almost every house or garden. They were very sweet, tasteful and alluring to your eyes. Our school also had a large garden behind it along the railway line. Fruits used to hang over from trees nearer to the boundary wall from the railway line side. Children used to prick the fruits by climbing over the walls and holding the branches of trees during hot summer day times with out the knowledge of the gardener. Some times, when he noticed them he used to shout and frighten them with sticks and they used to run away.

Some days were spent wandering along the railway track from one station to another station which used to be 1.5 km apart from one another. The locality where we lived was Mambalam station. And we used to go towards Saidapet and Guindy stations which were not densely populated in those times. Mambalam was a center of the city of Madras ( now known as Chennai ). T.Nagar was located nearer to Mambalam. Guindy was nearer to Adyar where world famous Banyan Tree of enlightenment was an attractive tourist spot.


One day it happened so.
We, 4-5 children, were walking on the railway tracks engaged in gossiping. On the way there was a bridge on a stream flowing across below it. Local people used to bathe in it and washer men used to wash clothes there.We were walking over it and most of us reached the other end. But one was lagging behind and suddenly a train came from behind before he could cross the bridge. As it approached very silently, all of us were very much shocked and frightened to see it. We immediately shouted with terror at our friend who was lagging behind. He also got nervous and immediately he got hold of the side edge of the bridge and hanged down ward the bridge till the train crossed over the track to the other end. Then any how he was managed to get over the bridge by dragging him up with the help of some passers by who scolded all of us very terrifically.

 It was a very horrific moment of our lives and we never let the event known to our parents. All of us firmly  decided never again to wander along the railway tracks from that day onward. It was a great lesson for us.

The memory of it makes tremble for a moment even now.

Competition Spirit among Children

Those were the days when I was studying in class 5 and 6. It was Mambalam locality of Madras City (now Chennai). Our School's name was Sharada Devi Higher Elementary School situated by the level crossing at Mambalam Railway Station on the road linking with T.Nagar Bus Stand. It consisted classes from 1st to 7th Standard.

Four students including me used to be toppers of our class in studies. All of us four used to get Distinction in our class. All of us were better known by our nick names than actual names among our class mates. So actual names were not remembered. The nick for me was Bhatta and the other topper boy was Mantravadi. The other two toppers were girls known as Vimla and Jyothi. The teachers liked us four and used to be proud of us.

All four of us have been class mates since beginning upto class VII. From which class we were together I am unable to recollect. But due to the group photo of our class mates as evident from this combined photo of class II and III, I am able to recollect that they were with me since class II or III or may be earlier also. But regarding the competition spirit among us, I remember that it was much during the years of our studying in class V, VI and VII.



The competition spirit was very much keen between us and each one tried his best to supersede the other three in obtaining the highest marks in each subject. And each one of us used to be very unhappy even if he got one mark lesser than the others. Mantravadi used to be more sensitive than us. The markings were some times done in fractions like 98 ⁱ/_{2 ,} 99¹/_2, 100 like this. Particularly in Maths and Science. So when he got half mark less than me or Vimla, he used to be weeping. We had to console him and tell him that he was as equally brilliant as us and we all belonged to the same rank and not to worry of a half mark or one mark But there was no jealously between us at all. All of us four used to be very friendly and go to each others' house and talk freely even with their parents also who loved us very much.

Such was the competition spirit and friendship between school children those days.

The Story of Dog and Meat

All of us know that Dogs are fond of meat of dead animals. They do not leave even the bones of them. They want to taste to the last bit of it.

A very hungry Dog was once wandering in search of food all through the day and found a piece of dry

meat at some corner of a lane. It picked it up and began to lick it very satisfactorily. Other dogs were watching everything from another corner of the lane and they began running towards our Dog barking loudly. 

Sensing danger, this Dog began running quickly to escape from them. But they did not leave. They wanted to grab the piece from his mouth and so chased for a long time. Our Dog was very fast and reached a far away canal and started running on its bridge to reach the other side. He stopped for a while and looked back. He found no chasers behind and their barks were fading away. He got much relieved.

Now, he was walking slowly looking hither thither. He looked down to the river. The water was very pure and standstill. Suddenly he got a glimpse of a dog in it. He looked again into the water to confirm. There he found a dog with a piece of meat in its mouth just like him. Seeing it, he got greedy and jealous. He wanted to grab that piece of meat also from that dog. He once again looked at it and found that dog also looking at him. He lost his senses and became very angry and shouted at the dog. Immediately, the piece of meat in his mouth lost the hold and fell into the waters of the canal and disappeared into the deep waters.

Our Dog was shocked at this happening. He lost even the one that he was having till now due to his greed.

So, one should not be greedy and behave senseless. This is the moral that we learn from this story.  

The story of Arrogant Lion and clever Rabbit

Once upon a time, there lived a very proud and arrogant Lion in a forest (even now there are lions in forests). He used to hunt and kill animals irrespective of his hunger to spread fear among them and establish his supremacy and authority over them. All the animals were so much afraid of his tyranny and cruelty. They used to shiver on seeing him and escape from his sight. But often, they were unable to escape and fell prey to his clutches. They tried to request him many times not to kill them like that astray but in vain. They kept worrying how to get rid of him.

There was one clever Rabbit among them who used to give them good tips in all their bad times to solve their problems. All of the animals approached her and asked her help in getting rid of the Lion. The Rabbit told them not to worry as she would do something very soon to get rid of the Lion.

The next day, the Rabbit approached the Lion along with some other animals and put before him the reality that if he continued to kill all animals like this, one day he will be left with no animals to satisfy his hunger. The Lion realised this fact and began to think over it. Slowly, the Rabbit advised him that daily one animal will reach to him to be consumed as his food and requested him to keep satisfied with that one animal for the entire day and not to go to others' lives. She also made it clear that there will be no need for him to hunt and kill his prey. This appeared to be a very good suggestion and the Lion immediately agreed to it.

So, from that day onwards, one animal used to go to the Lion daily to satisfy his hunger and thereby save other animals from being killed unnecessarily. The Lion was very happy as he was not required to hunt for his prey and enjoyed the life joyfully for some days.

After a couple of days, the Rabbit's turn came to become his prey. The Rabbit was very happy to have his turn. She planned everything in advance and was in a very restful mood. She passed the time intentionally for sometime, so that the Lion may become restless and angry. Then slowly, she reached the Lion's den and pretended to be very weary and tense. The Lion was much impatient and angry.

"Where have you been all this time? Don't you know that I am getting hungry?" roared the Lion fiercely.

Rabbit replied pretending to be shivering " I started from house very early than others. But, midway, I was stopped by another Lion near an old well. He wanted to catch me and eat up. I requested him to leave me as I am going to satisfy the hunger of my king Lion who will be waiting for me with empty stomach. But he did not want to listen to me and tried to catch me. I managed to escape from him anyhow and all this late coming is the result of that incident. So, forgive me as it is not my fault."

The Lion got too much angry and shouted with terrible roaring "What? Do you say there is another Lion in this forest and he stopped you from coming to me? How could it be possible without my knowledge and how dare he stop you knowing that you are my food?"

Rabbit answered "Yes, my king. It is true. A Lion stopped me and he even tried to belittle you. But I told him that you are very powerful and will definitely kill him. But he only laughed and ridiculed."

"Show me that traitor immediately. I can't control my anger any more. I want to teach him a lesson just now. Lead me to him immediately" the Lion ordered the Rabbit.

So the Rabbit took the Lion with her to an old well which was very deep and had enough water in it and told him that the other Lion is presently inside that well.

The Lion immediately peeped into the well and found a lion just like him in that well. He was unable to know that it was only his image in the water.

Immediately he got fired up at the existence of a rival to him and jumped into the well without thinking any more to pounce upon his rival and kill him.

But LOL!!! It was only an image of himself in waters and as he jumped, it appeared as if that lion also was pouncing toward him. But, alas, finally he got no lion there and found himself drowned in the waters and unable to climb up. He roared for some time and then lost his life and died.

Hearing the news of their Lion's death, all the animals rejoiced and thanked the Rabbit for saving their lives. And the Rabbit was also happy to have saved their lives. Since then, they lived happily ever after.

Now, can you tell the moral of this story?

"It is not the size or strength of the body which matters. The strength of the mind matters".

Cleverness is greater than physical body strength.