JOIN USHard days and some light memories
It was in September 15, 1962, that I joined Bharath Electronics Limited (BEL). After the training at the Technical Training Centre, BEL, I was selected for the NPC special training programme. I remember Alexander Bullock Junior, US aid specialist, and MSS Varadhan, assistant director, NPC, providing us training for three month on various machines like turning, milling, grinding machines etc.
Many engineers, diploma holders and apprenticeship trainees participated in the programme, not only from BEL but also from other public sector companies.
At the end of it, a farewell party was given to Alexander Bullock and MSS Varadhan at Hotel Woodlands. This was on August 11,1963. It was at then that the accompanying photograph was taken.
After the training, I was selected to machine shop Low Power Equipment division of BEL. Here, I worked on Capstain Lathe which was imported from France. I will always remain grateful to PB Caeser and Govindraj (not in the picture) who taught me lot at machine shop.
During my service of about 34 years, nine months and 15 days, many unforgettable events had happened. One day, there was an argument with an employee whose nickname I remember was ‘Gandhi’.
He was a union leader and had complained to the section head that I had abused him. I hadn’t.
The section head, Bannappa, called me to his office and advised me to be careful. I remember his golden words even today, “If we throw a stone on a glass, it will break and cannot be assembled back to its original shape’’.
He had said this because the annual rating sheet of every employee based on their character, behaviour and production is sent to the personnel department.
On another occasion, Caeser was demonstrating the job setting on Ernult machine when the tool post touched the jaws of the check which was rotating. The check broke and flew over his head. Fortunately, he was not injured. After working for few years in BEL, he went to the United States.
KP Hegde was my best friend in BEL. One day, he brought a piece of stainless steel and kept on my hand, it was very hot. In an instant, I held his hand and kept it on the piece. He suddenly pulled his hand and I saw a mark on his hand, which lasted for a long time. All these were our fun moments.
On every production machine, there were two or three operators working in different shifts. Once my partner in second shift took leave for eight days. Generally, production machines should not be idle so the section head told another employee Lingaiah to work on the machine in second shift for eight days.
He changed the settings of the production machine as per his convenience. I strongly objected to this changes as the production will not be completed as per the time given in the work order.
He went to the union office and complained to one of the union leaders, Singh, who knew me very well. But to my relief, Singh said ‘Zakria Khan is not that type of person’.
In 1980, I constructed my own house in Someshwaranagar and shifted from the rented house.
Due to financial crisis, I could not do the painting of the house. At the same time, there was a strike declared by employees’ unions of public sector companies like BEL, HAL, HMT, ITI, etc throughout the country which lasted for four months.
I had no money in my pocket and no water in the well. There was a 25-feet-deep well in my house, where water had dried up, thanks to a huge stone inside. I asked the labourers to remove the stone. They quoted Rs 300 at that time.
I could not pay the amount as I had no money. I purchased a crowbar, a hammer and two chisels, got down into the well and started digging. My tenant, Mohammed Jan, who was working at the Industrial Training Institute, near Bangalore Dairy, helped me a lot.
He along with my children used to pull the pieces of stone from the well. I dug upto eight feet and I found water, as good as it can get. I have not taken Cauvery water connection since 35 years. We continue to have the well water.
After a few years, I was given the work of training the probationary engineers on production machines.
I have forgotten the names but I remember some of them like Padmanabhan, Deendayal Naidu and Henry Martin who had become DGM, AGM and so on.
After completing 25 years, when we celebrating the silver jubilee at Hotel Ashok, I received a wall clock from the Director of BEL. Padmanabhan was sitting next to the Director at that time.
He pointed towards me and said ‘He was my first teacher in BEL’. I was
delighted.
In 1999, I took voluntary retirement and on June 30,on my last working day at BEL, before passing through security bay, I remembered my days there with gratitude and content.
Years later, I still do.
Zakria Khan
(The author can be reached at 9980878030.)