My School Years

My first 4 years in primary school were in Akola municipal school No 5. We had no desks and benches but long jute strips from one end of the class to the other. We used to keep our slate by our side. I was the first kid in school to have an unbreakable slate made of black painted metal sheet instead of slate stone. I was one of the rare students who had footware. Most others came barefoot to school. Only some wore our school uniform as the others couldn't afford the cost of a white shirt and khaki half pants. Then I went to another school for 5th where my grandfather was the managing trustee. But this has made a deep impact on me. Not only do I realise that I am one of the God's favourites but even today I am able to connect to and relate to economically weaker persons when I meet them. At that time my father was a lawyer. When he took up a position as a judge, he was getting transferred very frequently. So every year I was going to a new Marathi medium school in different parts of Maharashtra. I have studied in Nashik, Dhule, Ahmednagar, again Akola (with my grandparents) and finished off with SSC in Aryan Education Society's high school in Girgaon, Mumbai. Each of these schools had different school board with different curriculum. English as a subject was from 5th standard in Akola but 8th standard in Nashik. Sanskrit was not a subject in the school where I was studying but it was from from 5th in Nashik and I joined the school in 8th. The problem was that I could never have school friends, as by the time I could form a friendship, I was out of the school. The advantage is that, today when someone says he is from a particular town in Maharashtra, I can instantly connect with him/ her by mentioning my school near his place. After I finished my SSC, I had a choice of joining Xavier's, Jai Hind and Elphinston. I called up my Dad in his office to ask him where I should go and he said Elphinston, as it was walking distance from our flat in Colaba. BTW did I mention we changed houses 3-4 times during my SSC year as there was a long queue to get Govt quarters in Mumbai where my Dad was posted that year. We were in Malabar hills in his colleague's huge quarters, then with a distant relative in Merryweather road in Colaba and the in our own quarters in Majestic (erstwhile) Hotel in Colaba. 

After I was admitted to Elphinston, the first thing the principal did was to hold an English proficiency test for us "vernies". I was soo good in it that I was promptly placed in division H or J or some such alphabet far from A or B which were for Sr Cambridge and English medium schools. The lecturers were instructed to handle us with kid gloves while talking to us in English. We were made to attend special tuitions arranged by the college for learning English (FOC of course). 

Our side of corridor was for vernies and the opposite side was for the SOBO crowd with their Girlfriends. And here were, scared to be in a coed class for the first time in our lives. Our mortal fear was talking to girl. 

Anyway, I enjoyed both Bio & Maths and I don't remember getting stuck because of language of instruction. I did well in first year science. I don't remember how I got inspired to appear for IIT JEE but I did. My parents came to know of it when we received a letter of admission from IIT. 

In IIT I was a loner keeping to myself. How did I pass time? Not studying, as I hated studies but by
reading English novels whenever I could lay my hands on any book. I finished complete Ian Fleming, Sherlock Holmes, Neville Shute (I think that was the spelling) and best of all The entire set of HAROLD ROBBINS!  I found that all my adolescent fantasies were in those books and some more. The advantage was that through all my trash reading I picked up spoken English. So when I went to Yankeeland for studies I had little problem in communicating. 

So all in all I don't think I had any disadvantages by schooling in Marathi except no girlfriends in school and college!