It happened
during the summer term break in 1971. These NITs (like in Kurukshetra) were
known as Regional Engineering Colleges (REC) then – one in each state. The
college for Kerala is located at Thenjippalam in Kozhikode (Then Calicut) district.
This college was in the news during the emergency, 1976, for a famous
(infamous) case where an alleged Naxalite, P. Rajan, a student of the college
went missing one fine day. To this day it is a public secret that the
government of the day in collusion with the police tortured him and disposed
off the body. Such was the reputation of that college in the early 70s, that
ordinary people were scared to enter its portals. Situated bordering Wynad
district, the cradle of Naxalism in Kerala, it was thought that the college
served as a centre for ‘Intellectual Naxalites’ – a suspected reason for
Rajan’s persecution.
My brother was
given admission in this REC in 1971. As I was home for the break, I accompanied
my brother to the college for the admission formalities. In those days I could
feel an aura of invincibility around me as a NDA cadet, I thought, was the most
powerful person outside NDA. After all, my name was published, as part of a
list of successful candidate from the state, in
the vernacular (Malayalam) papers in 1969! Some said the complete list was
published in the New Delhi editions of English language dailies. Alas one did
not get to see that.
The college was
about 40 miles from our house. The mode of transport was by bus where a one way
ticket, for a journey of less than two hours, cost 120 paise! Once in the
college and the admission formalities done, we headed for the college cafeteria
(canteen, it was called by the students) despite protests from my brother who
had apprehensions which we found were not out of place. Inside the cafeteria
before we could find a seat we were hauled up by some ‘seniors’. My first and
only taste of ‘ragging’ in an engineering college. By the summer of 1971, I
could hold myself amidst a gossip in Hindi. I could make out that these
‘seniors’ were from the North who had not gone home during the break for some
reasons. Even as the ‘ragging’ commenced, I surprised the group with some barbs
in Hindi. Taken aback instantly, on queries I had to reveal to them that I was
a 'senior' Cadet from NDA (there was only one NDA then as the political NDA had
not yet taken shape!). Immediately on the revelation the whole atmosphere
transformed into one of cordiality and I became the hero. One or two among the ‘seniors’
were from Sainik schools and enquired after their ‘school types’ in NDA. By the
time we left after lunch, my brother had many friends in the college.
That was the
power of National Defence Academy…in those days.
Nice post Col.That was positive NDA power.Had a taste of it myself in 63 when I returned home in Trichy after my first term at the Academy.Was rightly stopped by a policeman going the wrong way on my cycle on a one way street.For some strange reason, I thought that I was not subject to arrest by the civil police(I dont know how the idea got into my head).When the policeman asked me to deflate my tire as a punishment ,I refused saying that he had no business to ask me to do that,I was from the Army and only subject to Army rules etc.He must have been a rookie too for he fell for that and actually apologetically asked me to be on my way!
ReplyDeleteThe real reason is I guess because those were kinder times.Memories of 1962, still fresh in the public mind, but whatever ,I did feel proud to belong to the NDA and by extension being part of the Armed Forces.I did not knowingly ride the wrong way up a one way street either.