My Village - Arangotukara/Ezhumangad
I was born in father's house Chakkali Puthan Madham in Arangotukara/Ezhumangad village, in Thrissur District of Kerala State in India, on 20.6.1939. Up to upper primary (7th Standard) studied in the school of the village. The school is in the center of the village center on the main road and my house is about half kilo meter away. There is a rough path from the main road running down towards South. The main houses are on this rough path. This path doubles as a storm water drain during rainy season. There is a hill on the back side of the school from which all the water comes and flows through this rough path. In my school days there were no umbrellas of the type found now. The umbrellas are made of bamboo sticks covered with palm leafs. When water is there in the rough path but no rain we keep the umbrella in the water in upside down position and keep the books in the same. the umbrellas will float in the water like a coracle. Of course we were also apprehensive of the possibilities of snakes being washed down in the water from the hill. Whenever a snake is spotted in the village the snake catcher will catch the snakes and put it in a mud pot, take the pot to the top of the hill and just throw it on the hill. The pot will break and the snakes will escape. Sometimes some of these may be found in the water.
High School study was done in a neighboring village by name Varavoor about 9 km from village.The only mode of conveyance at that time was by walk. There will be groups of students going to the school from my village and on the way may merge with other groups. We used to have our pranks. This walk of 4 years of 9 km each way along with the god's grace has helped me to have a fairly normal health. I was a timid and a cowardly at the same time happy go lucky boy during my school days. From 11 -12 years of age, I formed an organization named as 'Balasamajam' at my village. I was not knowing how the institution came into being except that I had discussed with my school mates about the necessity to form a volunteer group to keep the village thorough fare clean especially during the village festival which was the Dussera festival of the local temple around September - October. Before the festival we clean the thoroughfare and decorate the temple for the festival. later we also clean the temple pond of the weed which almost covered the pond. I had also established a sports club by the name Union Sports Club. I got one radio (those days radios were just introduced and only the rich houses used to have radios) from the block development funds. Since no electricity was there in the village the set was working on battery system. As mentioned after the studies I went to Bombay (now Mumbai) and forgot about these. But when occasionally I meet someone who was present around those days used to mention about these and I used to get real pleasure.
I was born in father's house Chakkali Puthan Madham in Arangotukara/Ezhumangad village, in Thrissur District of Kerala State in India, on 20.6.1939. Up to upper primary (7th Standard) studied in the school of the village. The school is in the center of the village center on the main road and my house is about half kilo meter away. There is a rough path from the main road running down towards South. The main houses are on this rough path. This path doubles as a storm water drain during rainy season. There is a hill on the back side of the school from which all the water comes and flows through this rough path. In my school days there were no umbrellas of the type found now. The umbrellas are made of bamboo sticks covered with palm leafs. When water is there in the rough path but no rain we keep the umbrella in the water in upside down position and keep the books in the same. the umbrellas will float in the water like a coracle. Of course we were also apprehensive of the possibilities of snakes being washed down in the water from the hill. Whenever a snake is spotted in the village the snake catcher will catch the snakes and put it in a mud pot, take the pot to the top of the hill and just throw it on the hill. The pot will break and the snakes will escape. Sometimes some of these may be found in the water.
High School study was done in a neighboring village by name Varavoor about 9 km from village.The only mode of conveyance at that time was by walk. There will be groups of students going to the school from my village and on the way may merge with other groups. We used to have our pranks. This walk of 4 years of 9 km each way along with the god's grace has helped me to have a fairly normal health. I was a timid and a cowardly at the same time happy go lucky boy during my school days. From 11 -12 years of age, I formed an organization named as 'Balasamajam' at my village. I was not knowing how the institution came into being except that I had discussed with my school mates about the necessity to form a volunteer group to keep the village thorough fare clean especially during the village festival which was the Dussera festival of the local temple around September - October. Before the festival we clean the thoroughfare and decorate the temple for the festival. later we also clean the temple pond of the weed which almost covered the pond. I had also established a sports club by the name Union Sports Club. I got one radio (those days radios were just introduced and only the rich houses used to have radios) from the block development funds. Since no electricity was there in the village the set was working on battery system. As mentioned after the studies I went to Bombay (now Mumbai) and forgot about these. But when occasionally I meet someone who was present around those days used to mention about these and I used to get real pleasure.
College studies at Bombay
Immediately after study, I went to Mumbai for college studies. My elder brothers with lot of persuasions and pleadings made the principal of a very good college, the Ramnarayan Ruia (RR) College in Matunga. The principal was skeptical of my studies there after seeing the marks card and me. However he agreed probably only because of the earnestness of my brothers. I was just an average student and I had not much concentration in academic studies. In the meantime there was an urgent call from father that one of us from Bombay should go to the village and help him in our business there. This was because of one of my brother who was attending to the business at the village went away from native place. Since I was not very keen on studies and my other brothers at Bombay were already employed, I agreed to go to native village to help father to run the business. I had done business for 2 years in the village. Business of provisions, textiles and stationary in the family building on the main road side. It was going on very well. But there was serious differences between me and my father. I formed a recreation club in the village with boys of my generation and were arranging tournaments with the neighborhood schools or sports clubs in foot ball, volley ball, ring tennis and physical games like running, high jump etc. Though I was mot spending money for this of my own except the general collections of small amounts occasionally as contributed by others, father felt that I was spending money from the business and my time. Generally he do not like playing. He is a very short tempered person with no tolerance. So I planned to go back to Bombay. In the meantime my elder brother who was looking after the business (shop - it was for his sake the shop was opened as he did not have much education).
My early employments
Accordingly I fixed up with my brothers at Bombay and went there by train. When my brothers letter came asking me to go over Bombay, father felt very bad as he did not anticipate my contacting Bombay and going back there. Within a week on coming to Bombay I had a walk interview which I attended and was selected on the spot. It was my first employment. The employer is a private company by name Rashtriya Metal Industries (also known as Binani Metal Industries) near to J B Nagar bust stop on the Andheri - Kurla Road near Chakkala, Andheri East a suburb of Bombay. My salary was Rs 100/-. As per the terms of appointment I was to be on probation and after completion of probation was to be given an increment of Rs 15. I was posted in their costing department. The department has to work the costing of the materials produced in the factory and work out the profit and calculate the incentive to workers on the basis of their contribution to the production and profit. My elder brother had bicycle which was lying idle and I was going to the work on the bicycle from Rajawadi to Andheri. Those days there were lot of dry and barren lands between Rajawadi and Kurla and there were kacha short cut path to Kurla - Saki Road. I used to take that rout e by cycle as it is not crowded and was also short cut. After about 4 - 5 months a batch of 5 - 6 freshers came to the office as apprentices. One of them a very nice boy of very good nature was attached to my work and I was giving the details about the work to him. He was a Marwadi boy. He gave me a photo of Lord Srinathjee. The company agreed to pay Rs 150 to that boy. I felt bad and represented t the GM that the boy is learning work from me and while I was paid Rs 100, he is being paid Rs 150 which is not correct and I should be paid at least that amount. The G M informed me that the boy was a relation of the MD one Mr Mundhra and I cannot compare his payment with mine. Then I decided to leave the job. I went for an interview for a job in a company by name M S Patel & Co near Saki Naka on the Andheri Powai Road and was selected with a salary of Rs 150/-. I abstained from my previous employer and joined here. As per the appointment letter I have to complete 1 year of service or I have to give 1` month's notice to the employer. On the basis of that clause the first employer sent a registered notice to me. I had a friend there and he informed about it and suggested to that the letter should not be accepted. I requested my sister-in-law (I was staying with one of my brothers) to inform, the postman that I had to go to native place urgently. After 2 attempts they kept quiet. After about 2 - 3 months I went there and collected the balance amount due to me with out any problem.
In the second employment I was promised that I will be designated as assistant manger and so many departments were t be attended by me under a Manager. I was working satisfactorily. It was a smaller factory cum office. I was also in charge of stores and stationary and hence I had contact with all the employees. we became close and I formed a welfare Association for cultural activities. In this company also one of the relations of MD was brought in and part of my work was given to him. Then slowly all papers pertaining to my work also was being marked to him and he used to pass on to me. I went and protested to my boss the Manager who said that he is helpless and I can approach the MD. I spoke to the MD who appeared to be very nice and after listening to me promised that it was an oversight and will not repeat. He started marking my papers to me. After few days I again he started playing the trick. By that time I got an interview call from LIC where I had written test for employment and had passed in the test. Immediately after my leaving the company, the welfare association had joined the Union of one Shanthi Mehta which was if I remember correctly named as Hind Masdur Sabha (of the then PSP) and the employees went on an indefinite strike for their demands.
In the LIC interview I was selected and I joined LIC on the day I was to join after informing my present employer. I do not consider myself as a bright person. For my passing the test I am indebted to my immediate brother A R Narayanan who had arranged for old test papers and answers solved that it was easy for me to pass the recruitment examination. In LIC I had a 3 month training (45 days theory and 45 days practice) and then 3 months probation. during training I was paid Rs 100 and on probation I was paid Rs 145 pm. Later the salary was raised several times and I got promotion to a higher cadre. In LIC there were two avenues through which one can expect promotions. One is the departmental tests and the other is the Insurance diploma examinations conducted by the Insurance Institute. I opted for the Insurance Institute route. Normally at that time in LIC to get one promotion on seniority used to take 15 to 20 years. The departmental examinations also just help to reduce the period of seniority. But Insurance Institute exams get immediate promotions and also increments in salary. The first examination of the institute is Licentiate examination. For this there is no promotion but one increment will be given. On passing the next examination, the Associate Examination one can get 2 increments and promotion to the pre officer grade known at that time as Higher Grade Assistant. Next promotion is to Class I grade or Officers grade. I passed the Associate examination in 4 years and got the promotion immediately to the HGA cadre. I did not write the examination for passing or for promotion. I found some of my senior colleagues who were very good in their academic careers but were not able to pass the Institute examinations even after 3 or 4 attempts. Because the examinations are considered as tough many people do not attempt for the same but go to the departmental test route. I had a feeling that I should find out what is so tough in it. I appeared for the first examination and passed 2 subjects out of 3. By that time LIC started General Insurance department in addition to the life insurance business it as doing. LIC selected a batch of 15 employees for the new department and I was one of the 15. So instead of the failed life insurance subject I took one of the General Insurance subject. With this subject I appeared for one part of two of the next examination, the Associate examination and passed the subject of first examination and 2 out of 3 subjects of the part I examination of the Associate. Next I took the remaining subject of first part and the second part. I passed in the first part subject and 2 subjects of second part. Then I went for the first part of 3 parts of the next examination, the fellowship examination. I took leave for study which I had not done for earlier examinations. But as I was active in the Union activities, I could not concentrate in studies and was about cancel my leave and skip the exam. At that time one of my friend Mr Sriraman suggested to me not to cancel the leave and go over to his room in Matunga (a suburb of Bombay) and can have joint studies. Accordingly I used to go to his room. He used to read aloud and I used to listen. We used to discuss the lessons. I wrote the examination and I passed the same thanks Mr Sriraman who hails from the Trichy Thanjavur belt of Tamilnad.
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