How we made our tryst with destiny

It’s 75 years since we got our Independence. I can distinctly recall the events of August 15, 1947, even today and my preparations leading to it. I was all of five years and eight months and in class 3 -- yes, those days you could be enrolled in Class 1 at 3 or 4 years of age). Our headmaster had issued a circular that tall boys from classes 3 to 6 will be selected to take part in a March Past through the town for a mile from our Teppakkulam Campus to Chintamani Campus in Tiruchirappalli.

I was lucky to be tall for my age, earning the Tamil sobriquet Nettai Suri (tall Suri). At the end of the March Past, we had to sing a chorus of Jhanda Ooncha Rahe Hamara -- in Hindi, somewhat alien to us in Madras State then, when the Headmaster hoisted the tricolour. So rehearsals began for the chorus 10 days in advance and for the march past, just one Sunday in advance. Our Sanskrit teacher from the high school section, who had passed Prathamic, the first level of Hindi exams, coached us on the right diction and pronunciation!

Hindi was not even the optional third language until we reached class 8. The dress to be worn for the occasion was a Khadi kurta and pyjama with cloth buttons. The problem arose then in our joint family of over 20 children of various ages: how can just one child alone get a new set of clothes irrespective of who was selected for the honour of March Past. My father exercised his right as the head and the only earning member of the family. He quelled revolt and I got my new clothes. On the eve of August 15, 1947 I could not sleep well, eager for the dawn of freedom and the march past in new clothes. Everything went off well. When we broke off the rank after the headmaster’s address, a welcome surprise event was distribution of laddus for all the students, who were made to sit in line as per their respective sections. And the loudspeaker started blaring away the latest Tamil song on Independence, Aaduvomay, pallu paaduvomay, ananda sudandhiram adaindhuvittum endru...(Let us sing and dance that we have got our sweet independence) by D K Pattammal, one of the famed Carnatic Music Trinity.

The spirit of independence grew in us so much that we started a Netaji Ilaignar Sangam (youth association) by the second Independence Day. I was elected the Secretary. We invited the local Congress heavyweight, N Halasyam Iyer, an advocate and a freedom fighter. The association thrived for eight years, till my 11th class, with a speaker on every Independence (and later, also on Republic) Day! Jai Hind!