Autobiography of Adhyatma Ratna Kumbakonam C N Guruswami Sarma- Chapter 13 - The Melur School

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 

ADHYATMA RATNA KUMBAKONAM C N GURUSWAMI SARMA (1900-1968)

CHAPTER 13

THE MELUR SCHOOL

One day I was reading with ease a journal styled "Theosophist", a big blue volume loudly and my father was visibly proud after overhearing it. From that day on, another duty was cast on me and that was to read loudly  pages after pages of journals received by my father.He used to fill in the way while I halted over big words by syllables and I read a lot every day. I dare not say that I understood what all I read. In my own little way, I was thinking that I knew Dr. Beasant and others who wrote something in those pages. In a few days, my father thought that it was high time that I was admitted into a proper school as I was nearing six years of age. My uncle took me to the school and gave an age there and got me admitted in the third standard. Both were huge mistakes and they told on my future incidents in my life. Of course, I learnt of these things only very late in my life when nobody could help an initial error. (Ref 1)

The class rooms of the American school painted outside with the pitch black tar was not an inspiring temple of education. It was run by the American Mission and girls and boys sat on the floor or in a row of low benches. master strode then with a cane in his hand and a cigarette between his fingers. There was a whitened blackboard on which he used to write when it suited his fancy. Each of us had a slate where in we had to copy the same. The first day passed without any incident. I was one in the crowd except the uncivilized gazing at me by the other brats there was nothing uncomfortable. of course the sweat on that hot day was terribly uncomfortable.   The next day brought much to me. I was givne a dictation in English and I was given 100/100 and the head master , a buxom man applauded me. Next there was a test in mathematics,some simple addition. I fared second best and no complaints. The third was a test in Tamil. For the life of me , I could not write "RO" (றோ)   or "NO" (னோ) .(Ref 2) and my attempt at taking down the dictation was an utter failure.  I got "infinite"marks for that and that was a big Zero. The head master jumped and swayed back and forth and wanted to know how on earth I was admitted in the third standard.  The class master whispered something in his ears and I caught the words Mr Holten and Inspector of schools. The headmaster calmed and commanded the class teacher that he will be held responsible if I did not improve my calligraphy in Tamil. But Tamil was treating me as if she was a stepmother.  Very fortunately for me,  my uncle and my sister who were reported about my weakness in my mother tongue gave me no end of trouble and some good knockings on the head and impositions and in a short term, for fear of being slapped, I started writing all the curves in Tamil successfully and managed to even read the third reader fluently. The rest of the months up to December in the school was all smooth sailing and I headed the class in the annual examination. In fact, I had earned a double promotion to fifth class which I joined in January. (Ref 3)  

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Editor's notes:

1.The reason for giving a higher age at the time of admission is not clear. It could be that it was a fashion and considered normal for a child who was the son of an Inspector of  Schools to learn alphabets at home and come only for third standard, the lower classes not being very essential. On a personal note, It is somewhat interesting to read my grandfather's criticism about the ill effects of giving wrong age in school at the time of joining as I was admitted in third standard by my grandfather and he actually gave my age one and half years higher than my actual age !.     

2. My grandfather's dislike for the curves in Tamil continued well into his older years as he often used to remark that the Sanskrit script  was far too easy.  He used to say" Just draw a line and continue to write unlike Tamil where in you need to stop and change gear from straight to curve and vice versa". The letters which were mentioned (RO and NO) were written in a different style in the beginning of the century which made things more difficult for him. I  reproduce the older style here Old Tamil letter RO, Old Tamil Letter NO but the reformed RO and NO as shown by me in brackets would have made my grandfather's life easier had he studied in school later.

3. It appears that my grandfather was six when he joined III standard. After completing III standard he had been  promoted to V standard which means when he was 7, he was studying 5th standard. (In today's schools, kids must be studying II standard at that age). Academic  year in those days was probably January to December. Where it is stated  that the matter was reported to sister, we take it as Rajammal who might be 12 then. 

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