Monday, November 12, 2018

I HAVE A NAME

I was studying in 6th form in Board High School, Andipatti. in 1956 when I was 11.​ I was residing in Vaigai Dam. I was travelling to the school in a blue colour GMC van both in the morning and evening. One by name, Bose was also coming in the same van. His father was working as constable in the police dept. 

He was a senior, tall, stout and well built. He was arrogant because his father was a policemen. He never called me by my name but only by my caste name [ Iyer,ஐயரே ] and he belonged to a different community. This annoyed me very much. In spite of many requests, he never listened nor bothered. I was apprehensive whether other students would also start calling me like that.


One day, I complained to my father about him. Without understanding my feeling, he advised me not to move with him and to keep away from him. I told him that he was not my classmate nor my friend nor I moved with him. I also told him that in spite of my requests, he continued to call me by my caste and also about my apprehension that other students would follow suit. 


My father ignored my complaint. However, Bose never stopped calling me by caste. We again had an argument and he asserted that he would call me only like that and I could do whatever I might like to do. On that evening, after returning from school, I complained to my mother how much I was mentally disturbed and also wondered why father could not warn him. 


When my father returned home from office at 7 PM, on my behalf, my mother took up the matter with him during dinner. Then my father asked me where Bose's residence was and I told him the location. After dinner, my father washed his hands, put on his shirt, went out and returned after half an hour. I did not know what happened. On the next day, Bose cajoled me and started calling me by my name and not by my caste name.[ஐயரே]

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