JOIN USThis photograph was taken in 1966 at ITI Vidya Mandir Kannada Tamil Primary School. I was a Tamil teacher in the school located in ITI Colony, Dooravani Nagar. Only ITI employees were permitted to enter the colony. From 1966 to 1998, it was a very calm place and vehicles inside the colony were not allowed.
When the construction of the cable stud bridge started in 1998, the vehicles had no choice but to enter the colony. Vehicular pollution started in the colony then. This school was started by the ITI education committee for the children of its factory employees in 1958. It had both primary and high school.
The primary school had two separate units — English Primary School (EPS) and Kannada Tamil Primary School (KTPS). I was newly married and had shifted to the city from Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. My husband didn’t want me to work but to relieve my boredom, I visited the school with the children in the neighbourhood who studied there.
I met teachers Sampath Kumari Bhaghyalakshmi, Selma and Mary who helped me apply for a job there. I met the headmaster Padmanabha Rao and was appointed as a temporary Tamil teacher in KTPS in November 1965. Padmavathi and I were appointed at the same time. I was selected as a permanent teacher.
In 1966, there were four Kannada medium classes and three Tamil medium classes. The teachers of both mediums were united and cooperated with each other. Having been brought up in Tamil Nadu, I didn’t know a single word of Kannada, but our headmaster encouraged the Tamil teachers to learn Kannada.
All the Tamil teachers attended the department exams and received certificates. It was a great gift given by the Kannada teacher Andalamma, who taught us to read and write Kannada.
I served at Vidya Mandir for 37 years. The years from 1966 to 2003 was truly the golden period of my life. I remember an incident when teachers Jessy and Mary met with an accident on their way to school in the ITI bus and were admitted in NIMHANS. Jessy battled between life and death and passed away the next day; we miss her a lot. Mary recovered and I am happy that she safely completed her service. When I was in service, teachers Kamakshi and Sarojini passed away.
I am 71 years old now and cannot forget my students. My husband C Basheer Ahmed is a retired NGEF employee. I have daughters, Dilshad and Irshad, who studied from LKG till 10th standard at ITI Vidya Mandir and they are both postgraduate teachers. I have two granddaughters — Asma is an engineer and Hajira is in second PUC.
In 2002-03, I was the head mistress of KTPS, Irshad was a high school teacher and Hajira was in LKG — all three generations were in the same school! ITI Vidya Mandir has given me memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.
(The author can be contacted on 9480019701)