The daily survival for two and half years, in the 11th part.

 

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING.

I AM GOING ON WITH FULL FORCE EVEN NOW

 

 

 

 

THE CHURNING OF THE OF OCEAN OF LIFE - MY OWN STORY PART 11 - GAME OF https://library.iterable.com/3110/20487/e1906b9337a645468b9c46ba71f1ee5e-ipm2_india.jpgLADDERS AND SNAKES BEGINS IN RIGHT EARNEST- SNAKE II

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“A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”

 

ERNEST HEMINGWAY,

 

THE CHURNING OF THE OCEAN OF MY LIFE  PART 11

 

PROLOGUE to 11th part.

 

A BRIEF PEEP INTO THE FUTURE EVENTS BEFORE I GO INTO THE STORY AGAIN

 

I saw a news item in a local newspaper, when I was in the process of writing my memoirs that Senior officers of ten or more banks held a silent protest against non-repayment of about Rs.1000 crores, by M/S Progressive Constructions Private Limited, owned by ex-Congress Minister KS Rao. My tussle with top management of our Bank started with this account only. I refused to recommend renewal of credit limits of this account. I quoted at least ten defaults in the account and recommended, "If the higher authorities feel, they can renew the limits. Personally, I feel the limits must be suspended" Soon, I got a call from Chairman's Secretariat but I did not budge." My Manager suggested that I go on leave and he got it recommended by the next officer. That was the start of my end. My career ended but today, I am a happy man that officers of ten banks are on streets unable to recover the amounts. My premonition proved right. And from then on, I had a running feud with the Company Officials and a direct threat was issued by one Sri BK Rao, brain behind Sri KS Rao, that he would see how I would continue in the Bank. And I did not. More on this in the coming parts. I told him that I was already out of the Bank the day I entered it and I told him what more he could do, hang me? I am ready” Message reached the Regional Manager and through him to the highest authority. I was threatened I did not budge. More about my tussle with politician their deeds and misdeeds will come in the following chapters.

 

 

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This is part 11 of my own story. I already explained why I preferred to write my own story. I am not that great. But there is something that tells you a story in my life, the story of great success and great failure, all at a time. Those who see this first time may refer to the earlier parts.

Life is a mix of ups and downs for many. I am not an exception. But my psychology did not fit in   the world and its ways. Still, I continue in the same mindset.  Hence, my rosy life still has many thorns, unseen by many. Hopefully, I will live like this and leave the world like this, unsung.

 

Let me go back to life in Corporation Bank, where I started a stuttering new career. I just turned twenty-five. I had earned the experience of a lifetime by then. The sudden demise of my father, the shunning of responsibility of family by my three elder brothers, my sisters and mother depending on me, my wife who was carrying by then, forced change of job and the snakes ready to bite at every opportune moment in the new job, all made me tougher by the day. I heard about the Bank’s working style, the antipathy of executives and staff towards outsiders and many bad things after I resigned from LIC. All was lost by that time. The outsiders were treated as aliens and eased out on one pretext or the other." And I had another heavy burden on my head that I was a candidate selected out of the way on the recommendation of an outsider, that too from Andhra Pradesh. But "Buddhi Karmanusarena". My decision was made. And at that time, I was not fearing anybody. But fate had it otherwise. 

After the training in Mangalore I was posted to Bellary, considered as punishment posting, in the Bank. In the Bank this belt, Bellary, Anantapur, Chitradurga etc., were hot beds of Trade Unionism where Officers were sweating it out to get the routine work done, leave alone, development of branch deposits and advances that formed the core of a Branch profile. Managers in these Branches were always on their toes, fighting it out with the Union leaders. I reported for duty in Bellary under Mr. U. Vikramaditya Nayak, considered in the Bank as one of the most dynamic Managers. Reception was contemptuous, as expected. I was asked to learn basics sitting in clerical counters. It took me hardly a week. The Manager, initially, was very hostile. He was continuously complaining to the Regional Manager that he asked for a regular officer and not one who had to be trained in basics. His grouse was understandable. He was short of officers, who could look after the Branch work, in his absence. I understood the dynamics very quickly. Managers were unwilling to stay in the Branch and face the staff. They used to go out in the early hours, for the sake of deposit mobilization and come back only after the staff left. But as I was only a trainee, it was not possible to hand over the keys of the cash chest to me. The Manager had little confidence in the other officer, Mr.Raghupathi, a very senior officer stagnated in his scale for several years. 

 

 

 

 

After about a fortnight of my joining, the then Regional Manager, Mr.Aiyar paid a visit to the Branch. His first target was me. He called me inside and asked the same question that Mr. Subbarao asked me in the Training College in the Head Office. "With whose recommendation did you get the job?" I gave the same reply, "God's recommendation". He was furious and started dancing like a hurt tiger. My manager was trying to explain that I was very sharp and picked up work very fast. No! He said he would see me out of the bank soon. He resigned within a month from then as he was facing serious corruption charges. His place was filled by another hostile Regional Manager, Sri K.R. Mallya, with whom I had a running feud for almost four years. Finally, he, a General Manager, haunted me throughout and spied on every transaction I carried out and booked me for small indiscretions, branded me dishonest and punished me with capital punishment. Many in the Bank know the truth, though my own brothers, sisters and their spouses never agreed to accept it. Here, I should mention my elder brother-in-law, who enjoys the illegitimate earnings of his father and talks about honesty. Hypocrisy at its peak defines his personality.

The less I mention of my third brother the less it will be disgusting. He earned his job with the recommendation of his friend, never showed any brilliance as a clerk or officer and he was fighting pitched oral battles with all colleagues and customers (as told by his colleagues), worked as a rural bank Manager and failed in his duty, took his own time to get promoted to his next scale. He tries to talk about events that never happened and goes on parroting “I was dismissed as the most dishonest officer”, a hearsay that spread like wildfire, because I never discussed about my Bank career with anyone. Even my wife, who lived with me every second of my life since I joined the bank, might be surprised to know the facts from this memoir of mine.

                                                                                        

 

Three to four months on, my manager developed a special affection for me. He was awe- struck. He told anyone who visited the Branch that in his service, he never witnessed a sharper brain. I almost became the second man in the Branch within four months, having effective control on the whole staff including my Senior Officer, who never grudged my taking over the Branch. He was thanking me for helping him out of tricky issues. We were a team along with few youngsters who joined as clerks.   I started controlling the whole branch operations effectively by then. He started handing over the keys of Cash-Chest to me. But, one guy from North Canara District, Monja Ganiga, an attendant promoted as a clerk, was the most unhappy of all. Thitherto, he was the most trusted assistant of the Manager, carrying canards from here to there and back, thus keeping the gulf between the Manager and staff. He was so close to the Manager that he paid a visit to his house at least once a day, "carrying news". This was, is and will be a bad habit with many senior officers. As I slowly took over, I rubbished his claims. I was ensuring that the Manager spent more time with the staff. This, naturally, incensed Ganiga. But he was helpless. Though a trainee, I was the most loved one in the Branch. I was having a very good time climbing the ladder. But a snake bit me in the form of the Regional Manager.

 

Around October 1978, eight months after joining the Branch, our manager showed me a confidential letter from RM. Usually, these letters were addressed personally to the Manager and were not shared with anyone. But by that time, our Manager had developed so much affection for me (he could improve the business by 250% since he had a good officer to look after branch work), that he shared the contents with me. The gist was that one Mr. Prabhakar Sheth, (related to the RM closely, it was said) , working in Mandipet, Davangere was facing a lot of problems with the union leaders there and requested a transfer. The RM proposed to post him to Bellary and post me in his place. Naturally, our manager was furious. He showed me his reply, saying that he could not spare my services. There was continuous correspondence and phone conversations between the two. Finally, our manager had to consent to relieve me only after the year-end, 31st December. Orders came. Sheth, who was waiting in the wings, joined immediately. My relieving was set for the Second of January, 1979. Seeing my personality, the heavy-weight body builder Mr.Sheth commented, "There are lots of snakes in Davangere. I applied for two months' leave unable to bear the torture. I suffered from depression and loose motions. I was afraid to go to the Branch to get relieved also. I think you may not survive there for even fifteen days. He courteously advised me to search for another job and resign from the Bank. Being a relation of the Regional Manager, he confessed to me that the RM intentionally posted me there so that I resign on my own and he need not take blame of dismissing me for non-performance. There are two powerful forces in Davangere, by names Mr. Shivayogappa and Mr.Maheswarappa. The first was a Lingayat and the second one a Vokkaliga, the two most powerful and inimical communities in Karnataka. They will suck your blood no sooner you join there." I just smiled away. Even my Manager told me, while relieving me, that he was feeling like his son was being sent to the war front. He called my wife and me for lunch, the first in his service that he called any staff member to his house for iunch, his wife told us. Ganiga was happy, he could get back to his old ways.

 

So, on 2nd January 1979, I set out to Davangere with my wife, a six- month- old girl child, a mat, two pillows, bed sheets, a kerosene stove, a few utensils all packed and carried on top of the bus. I was not owning a chair or even a transistor radio at that time. I set foot in Mandipet, Davangere Branch. The same evening, I was relieved to report in the other branch in the town, PB Road, Davangere Branch, as there were no officers there, and the Manager of Mandipet Branch, anyhow, did not want a trainee officer. His name was M.S.Adiga, one of the most controversial officers in the Bank. He too was compulsorily retired from the Bank on serious charges of corruption. You can imagine the ways of management, one rule to locals and another for outsiders.

 

The next morning, I reported to the PB Road Branch. This Branch was a hotbed of Union Politics. In this Branch, the National Secretary of the Union, Mr. Joshi was a senior clerk. A soft-spoken but hard nut, this man read the rule book from the first letter to the last one and the last to the first. It was becoming difficult for Managers and officers to argue with him. He was not a bad man. I observed this within a week. He was branded bad by managers and officers who were ineffective in tackling him. As a matter of routine, I was introduced to the staff by the Manager. The Branch had a peculiar situation. Besides the manager, there was no other officer in the Branch. In such circumstances, the most senior clerk officiated as officer and performed daily routine work. He also holds the keys to the Cash Chest.  After I was deputed to the P.B. Road, Davangere Branch, a dispute arose between the clerical union led by Joshi and supported by strong unionists and the manager if I could replace him as a regular officer, since I was only a trainee, not considered a regular officer. The clerk officiating in the place of an officer received a special allowance called the “officiating allowance,” with no responsibilities attached to the officer's post. The manager, Mr. C.K. Kamath, a very Senior officer, worked in the Administration wing in the Head Office. I told both the manager and Mr. Joshi that I handled the Cash Chest in Bellary for nine months. Somehow, after some discussion, we decided there was no need for the clerk to handle the keys. That settled the issue.

Our manager was Mr. C.K. Kamath. His weakness was that his entire service was in the Head Office. His knowledge of the Branch operations was very poor. The second officer in line was on long leave, so effectively I was second in line. He was not happy. A trainee and a manager were all, that were available to run branch operations. I made friends with Joshi first and sought his guidance on the Branch operations there. He was helping me my work. This surprised the Manager. Other clerks followed Joshi. Within a fortnight, I started clearing the pending work in the branch. Mr. Joshi and other clerks completed their daily routine and sat after banking hours to help me to clear the pending work. The message spread fast and reached to Mandipet. Shivayogappa, who was on leave the day I joined, came particularly to see me. He wanted to see how I looked and what was so special in me that made Mr. Joshi, one of my best guides. He was poor in speaking English and my knowledge of Kannada was good. But it was not fluent. Soon after I was introduced to him, I folded both hands and said "Namaskara". His reaction was surprising. "Did nobody tell you who I am?" he asked. I said I heard a lot about him. But I heard lot about Mr. Joshi also. He made a funny comment. “Any officer who knows about him would have avoided him but instead I greeted him with folded hands. It seems I was exorcizing him. I replied that he might be a clerk and I might be an officer, but there was a wide gap in our ages.  “What is wrong in a young man greeting an elderly and respected clerk with folded hands?” I asked.  He said I was too clever. It would not help me in Mandipet branch. I knew I was in a tiger’s den.  Mr. Joshi diverted the subject. That was my first encounter with a man who was branded as a demon in the region, but who became my best friend in three years. I knew that minute that the act which I thought of worked well with Shivayogappa. He was not a highly educated man but was very fast in the performance of his duties. As it was with the local landlord boys, he was haughty. I made a plan for him that day itself. He was a paper tiger whom the officers made a man-eating tiger. I understood he suffers from the weakness that many of us suffer from, namely, personal ego. It it is satisfied, I could tackle him, I decided. But there were other related issues. I thought I would think about them when I am faced with them.

 

 

During my deputation period, I cleared the pending work in the Branch. The Manager was so impressed with my capacity at work and my management skills. He refused to relieve me after my deputation period.  There was a tussle between him, the other manager and the Regional Manager. The Regional Manager got wind of my capacity and thought that if I continued in that Branch, I would be a tough nut to crack. So, the RM forced the manager to relieve me forthwith. Of the two branches in Davangere, Mandipet Branch was tougher to manage. In the P.B. Road Branch, Joshi was the authority and Regional Manager himself was hesitant to oppose him. He understood that Joshi appreciated me. (Irony was that the Manager was later reverted and posted to the Branch and was taking instructions from me, as I was de facto number two there. He was almost fifty-five years old ). A week before, the manager called me into his cabin after office hours and requested me to teach the branch work. He wanted to know how I could manage one of the most unruly staff so effectively at such a young age. I gave him some tips about branch work and management tactics. Surprisingly, he requested me to guide him to tackle any issue in future. He said he would call me in case of any problem and that I should take some time off to go to his branch to settle the issue. In the next six months thereafter, I went at least half a dozen times to solve issues concerning his customers  and staff.

Back in my parent branch, I was greeted with enthusiasm this time around. The manager was skeptic, though. He already earned a very bad reputation as ineffective and corrupt to the core. Most of the time, he was sleeping in his quarters.  The Branch was being managed by one Mr. Ramnath Nayak, who was the blue-eyed boy of the Regional Manager.  He was very efficient, though cranky. My role was limited to playing second fiddle to this Senior Officer. He guided me in the Branch profile and, soon I learned the intricacies of the branch.  I studied each officer and clerk and listed their weaknesses and strengths in my own mind.  As Nayak’s promotion and transfer were in the offing soon, he slowly delegated the work to me. Soon, he left on a promotion. 

Trade Unionism in the Banking and Insurance sectors could not be called "militant", but the very nature of operations made it a pain in the neck for officers on the job. Both sectors were directly dealing with customers, who expected better service . In the Banking sector, it was more so, as the customer is to be served within a time frame, say from 10.30 AM to 2.30 PM and the day's account had to be tallied and closed by 5.30 PM. It was all manual. There was no permission to use even a pocket calculator. Only in the middle parts of the eighties we were permitted to use calculators. But these too were supplied to only the bigger branches. 

To add to the pain, there were two strong unions in these parts of Karnataka. One was the NOBW, affiliated to the BMS, the minority union and the majority union, Communist-leaning AIBEA. There was a constant tussle between these two unions, thus making the lives of officers miserable. Working hours used to stretch to midnight some days. In Mandipet, there were two AIBEA stalwarts Shivayogappa and Maheswarappa, each controlling his own group and at loggerheads all the time, sometimes, it used to deteriorate to a physical brawl. NOBW was represented by Ramesh Prabhu, who was equally vociferous like the other two. Whenever a new recruit joined, the tussle used to multiply in order to enrol him in the respective unions. I observed officers were indirectly promoting the interests of one group or the other in a "divide and rule" policy. This boomeranged usually. Unless the leader takes all with him, the going will be tough for all.

Thus, life at Davangere left an indelible mark on my life. My family life suffered. My prolonged working hours troubled my wife, who was struggling with two children and carrying again. It went to such an extent that she was picking quarrels with the manager's wife, in broken Kannada. Once, she told her that she needed family life and "leave my husband to me and to my children
“. It was amusing, though I took it lightly.  Even now, it looks funny to me. (Me and my Manager used to stay in the same building, attached to the Bank).


It is boring to read minute details of one's family and working life. But in each step, I faced challenges. If I look back, I feel that all my decisions were wrong, prima facie, but a deep introspection convinces me that I was right at every step, uncompromising and stubborn. Or, would I have been in a position to recollect each incident and write this? I kept my mind clean and my brain sharp.  That was and is my singular achievement. As I go further, you will understand.

 

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 THE CHURNING OF THE OCEAN OF MY LIFE – CHAPTER 10

 

THE HONEST – THE DISHONEST AND HOW THE SYSTEM WAS TAILOR-MADE TO PUNISH  

                                 THE HONEST AND HONOR THE DISHONEST .

 

MANY ARE THE FABLES WHERE THE INNOCENT SUFFERED AT THE HANDS OF THE

               CRUELTY OF CASTE, REGION, RELGION AND CROOKED POLITICS.

 

                                                                       

 

Institutions must be run like Rama ruled Ayodhya. They should not be run by the ten-headed Ravaana.

 

UNFORTUNATELY OUR BANK WAS RUN BY RAVANA AND HIS ILK.

 

 

THE CHURNING OF THE OF OCEAN OF LIFE - MY OWN STORY - GAME OF LADDERS AND SNAKES BEGINS IN RIGHT EARNEST

I wrote the Ninth Part in this series in July. That ended with my Goddess, Vani, entering my life. After a long gap, on the 39th Marriage Day, I again wanted to restart the story.

 

Even before our traditional marriage, my wife was again absorbed as a temporary stenographer in the DEO’s Office, Machilipatnam. It too was purely temporary. I once visited the office at 5 PM, hoping my wife would have come out of her office. It was 6 PM, 7 PM, 8 PM, 9 PM and 9.30 PM, there was no trace of her. I lost patience. I approached the Superintendent and asked him why a lady employee was being held up after office hours and whether the office was paying any overtime allowance. He claimed ignorance. I told him I wanted to meet her. He took me to the DEO’s Chamber. He did not have the courtesy to return my wishes, too. I asked him to permit me to see my wife. He refused. I took the attendant's help and went into a room, where the lighting was dim; there was no fan, and Machilipatnam, being a seaside town, was sweating profusely. I asked my wife to accompany me with a paper and pen. I asked her to sit in front of the DEO and submit her resignation letter. "I will not accept", he roared. "Throw it in the dust bin", I roared back. Employees started peeping into the room. He said he would call the police. I told him to do so and said I would see him behind bars for detaining a lady employee against her wishes beyond 5 PM. He was taken aback. He took the resignation letter. I told him, "This job is like a nose that falls when you sneeze. The payment you give is paltry, and we are cleverer than you think. And, mark my words, I will see she joins a permanent job before you take another breath" All this, I said in the loudest tone possible. His BP increased, and he started stuttering.

 

 

For the first time, my wife (we were already married in the Registrar’s Office) witnessed another facet of my courage or arrogance, whatever it was.    She was all appreciation on one side. She was shaking with fear. I cooled her down, saying that it was how it worked with the rotten system. There was no other way. We went to Vijayawada the same day. She got her balance payment by cheque. Her resignation was neither accepted nor rejected, as it was a temporary posting and there were no rules or regulations.

 

 

Temperamentally, my wife and I stood oceans apart.  She is too cool to the point of turning submissive. I was too aggressive, never compromising on what I believed, come what may. This “come what may” really came in the future. That did not alter my nature. I fought and had been fighting still. She was cool. She continues to be cool. That made our combination successful in the face of utmost adversity.

 

"The world needs anger and temperament. The world continues to be evil as it is not angry enough," I believed in this saying by Bede Jarrett.

 

"I have reached a point in life where I feel it is no longer necessary to try & impress anyone. If they like me the way I am, good, & if they don’t, it’s their loss," she believes in this unknown saying.

 

 

 

 

Thank you! Every person, who has ever told me, I can’t. You are just another reason I will. And I have done it. Of course, her help was immense.

 

One step forward – Two steps backward . The real churning starts.

 

In 1973, when I joined LIC of India, there was a total ban on promotions for a decade. So, clerks were remaining clerks. This led to frustration among at least five to ten guys who joined LIC with me and were confident in their abilities and felt they deserved more in life. The first to leave was one Mr.Jawahar, who joined IOB. Then my close friend, Mr.Emani Krishna Murthy, grandson of Sri Emani Sankara Sastry, the world-famous Veena player, left for Andhra Bank. Both went as P.O.s. This brought pressure on me from my peers. Even seniors started pestering me to leave as there was no future in LIC. So, the first advertisement I saw was from Corporation Bank Limited, which called for Officer Trainees with Rs.700/- p.m. stipend in the 1st year and Rs.800/- in the second year. There were no other benefits PF, attached. I was drawing a gross salary of more than Rs.900/-,  in LIC.  But the absence of growth prospects in LIC prompted me to make a good decision then, but one that proved fatal later. I was called for a test on the 11th of September, 1977, nine days after my traditional marriage and for an interview on November 15th, in Hyderabad. Candidates appearing for these objective-type, mental ability tests used to buy books and prepare strenuously. I was walking in without even thinking about the test. That was my confidence level and my IQ level, that my third brother envied a lot. Even now, if I write a poem, a blog or a parody and post in the group, his reaction stinks of envy. Other family members who sit like cats on the wall are afraid of his reaction, if they pass a remark applauding me, forcing me out of the group.

 

There were two panelists. One was a respected gentleman from AP, Sri. C. Narasimham (I learned about him in later days, a Chowdary by caste (I had to mention caste, as you will know later why I did so) and the other was one Mr. KPJ Prabhu, a Konkani speaking from South Canara District. They asked many questions for half hour and Sri C. Narasimham nodded his head. He asked me, "Can you extract work from your subordinates?". I said I was as capable as any officer working in the Bank. Arrogant? But I was right. The other gentleman immediately intervened, as if he were waiting for a chance, "He is looking just like a boy. How can he extract work from seniors, that too with strong unions in the banks?" At that Mr. Narasimham got very angry ( I do not understand even now why he supported me so much. He was very much impressed by my plain-speak and bold attitude. There is no other explanation as we were seeing each other first time in life) and said, "This is not Military Service. This young man seems far better than many of your executives." and he told me "You are on the panel. You will hear from us." This might have angered the other Director and I was not knowing what was the noting he made. I climbed the ladder again, and within a split second, a snake bit me. My growth and fall started the same day. I proved the Director, who selected me was right with the capable handling of my job  and the other Director who objected my selection proved right after eighteen years of service, when I was dismissed as recommended by him in his dissent note. It took very little time for my mercurial brain to know what transpired between the two.  It was a split verdict with no provision for appeal.

 

 

Plunder or blunder, the result is the same. Mr. B.G.Prabhu poured petrol on the brightly shining career of one of the most efficient officers and burned the light into ashes.

 

I was selected and received my orders on 3rd December, asking to report in Mangalore on the 19th for training. Incidentally my interview in LIC was on 15th November and I received orders on 3rd December, 1973 only. I received dismissal orders dated the same day 18 years later. Strange, but true! Did the Creator create me while he was half-asleep?

 

The struggle started. My wife wanted to explore the world as she never saw any place other than her native places like  Ponnuru, Tenali, Vijayawada and Hyderabad. My family was against my moving out for their selfish ends, as they would lose my patronage. But they unanimously extracted a promise from me that I shall send Rs.200/- PM, till my younger sister gets married. My younger brother was earning Rs.450/- by then as a Junior Engineer in Telecommunications. I made a promise. I did not fail. Even if I failed for lack of funds, they did not allow me to fail even for one month. So, I borrowed further to keep them happier than me, my wife and one child the first year.  He was in RBI as a Senior Officer. Pendulum swung in favor of my wife's wish and my own ambition and advice of Seniors in LIC to quit the rotten LIC of India.

 

Quirk of fate was that, exactly within a year of my leaving, ban on promotions was lifted in LIC and all my colleagues who passed departmental examinations retired as Senior Divisional Managers. But a Bank job was a Bank job, the most challenging job then. That too in Branch banking, it was more so. In LIC there were no challenges. It was routine clerical work, come at ten and leave at five. That way, I derived job satisfaction even for a limited period.

 

There was a problem getting relieved from LIC of India, as the Union guys with whom I fought for four years made an issue that I kept work pending and committed many errors. This was after I met my wife and was roaming. These were the same guys who advised me not to work. Till last minute, one Tamilian Divisional Manager, Sri Srinivasan did not relieve me. I said it was OK. "I will take back my resignation and complete the work and then get another job." With pressure from the other officers, who liked me he relieved me on 15th December, 1977 at 5'0 clock, after one of my sympathizers, a very senior employee, promised to complete the work. And he completed as he promised. It was the first and last time I kept any work pending.

 

The game of ladders and snakes started in right earnest on the 19th of December, 1977 in Mangalore. Fifteen days of training went on smoothly. Malayalees were my best friends, then. Our own people used to envy me and mock me. Tamilians were the worst of all.  A day before the training was about to end, Principal of the training college called each trainee for a kind of interaction, guidance and moralization. His name was Mr. Subbarao. Usually,  faculty and principals of training colleges were failures in Branch operations and, this posting as faculty was the last resort for the failed and incompetent in those days. The first question he asked me was, "Are you a relation of Mr. Narasimham ?" I was stunned. The officers who interacted with him told us that he asked a few questions about what we knew about banking and he gave a morality lecture.  I told "No". He asked, "Do you know him?" I stammered a little and said, "No". "Then who recommended you? " My temperament took over my good sense.  I replied, "God!". He got furious, asked many irrelevant questions, said I was fit for nothing and declared that he would see how many days I would serve the Bank. My left leg was out of the Bank on the 15th day of joining.  But I was already in a bone with man-eating tigers baying for my blood. I knew that day that time was running out for me and I should look for another job in another bank, even if it were a clerical post. But, -

+ge for entry into any bank, no other institution recruited in any cadre. Only once, UTI*Bank Limited, another private bank, advertised for Probationary Officer posts. I was in Davangere then. The test was in Bangalore. I did not get leave for Saturday. So, on Saturday evening I caught a bus , reached Bangalore at 8 AM, attended the test at 10 AM. I was drowsy and as I did not have breakfast, I started almost swooning. First ever and last ever time I failed in written test. Disgusted and disappointed I returned to Davangere. It was the first and last opportunity I ever got to get out of the cage  of wolves and tigers.

 

Do you see the cucumber below.  A peculiar color combination we rarely see. I was in the same piquant situation, half hope and half despair.

 

 

We, all the recruits, had to fight three forces. That was the first time the Bank made direct recruitment to the officer level. So, we angered the existing officers who saw a threat to their future growth. The clerical staff hated us as they lost out on promotions. The third and the most ominous force was the local South Canara Staff, officers, executives etc. who hated any outsider in the bank. I make this statement with full confidence and conviction, as we all suffered humiliation at their hands. This was not unique to this Bank. In Andhra Bank there was rampant casteism. In Vysya Bank, the same malaise prevailed. Karur Vysa Bank was treating non-Tamilians as aliens. This was a curse that was imposed on us by the Britishers and colonial political bootlickers.  Many of the recruits left within the first year, and few remained. A few grew in cadre, and a few rebels like me suffered huge blows. This was a fact. Now all has changed after the Nationalisation of Banks, hopefully.

 

I will close this part with what our Chairman, who was reportedly a political choice and was allegedly sharing funds illegally collected from borrowers with a national political party. One politician from AP used to call all names in front of us. He was addressing him singularly. This politician was much younger than our chairman. You could have seen the photos of the Chairman and the Politician in a photo I posted supra.

 

"Not only be honest, but appear to be honest." He knew only that sentence. He was appearing, though he was dishonest, and was expecting us to be really honest. That explains the philosophy of the Bank, back then.

                                          ###############################

 You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.

Winston Churchill

 

The Churning of the life of ocean 7^th Part

"జీవితమనేది పరిష్కరించ వలసిన సమస్య కాదు. అనుభవించాల్సిన నిజం."   ఈ నిజాన్ని నేను పూర్తిగా అనుభవించాను. అనుభవాలనుంచి గుణ పాఠాలు నేర్చుకున్నాను. నేర్పాను. అయ్యీ, కాని వాళ్ళని వదిలేశాను. ఏమీ కాని వాళ్ళకి సహాయం చేస్తున్నాను.

 

“Life is not a problem to be solved but a truth that we should experience” This truth, I experienced totally. From experiences, I learned a lot of lessons. I taught the lessons to others. I left all those that peripherally belonged to me and really did not. I am helping those who are outsiders totally, to pursue their lives within my means.

 

ఆ తరువాత ఒక్క సారే మా వూరు వెళ్ళాను. ఒక శని వారం రోజు బయలుదేరి వెళ్ళి మళ్ళీ సోమ వారం తిరిగి వచ్చాను. మా నాన్న గారిని ఉంచిన ప్రైవేటు ఆస్పత్రిలో వాళ్ళు "లాభం లేదు ఇంటికి తీసుకు వెళ్ళ మన్నారట". ఇంటికి తేవడానికి మా ఇంటి యజమాని ఒప్పుకోలేదు. రోగిని ఇంట్లో పెట్టుకుంటే అరిష్టమన్నాడట. ఎదిరించే ధైర్యం లేదు. డబ్బు ఖర్చు చెయ్యగలిగిన వాళ్ళు చెయ్యలేదు. చెయ్యలేని మా తమ్ముడు నిస్సహాయంగా . ఉన్నాడు  ఇవన్నీ కనీసం నాకు వ్రాయ లేదు. మా ఇంటి యజమాని ప్రభుత్వ ఆస్పత్రికి ఆహారం పమిణీ చేసే కాంట్రాక్టరు. ఆయనే చెప్పి ఒక బెడ్డు ఇప్పించాడు. నర్సింగు లేదు. అంతా మా తమ్ముడే చేశాడుట. నేను వెళ్ళేటప్పటికి కోమాలో ఉన్నారు. 20 ఏళ్ళ వయసు. ఏడిచాను, గుండెలవిసేలా. జనవరి 24 న ఆయన ప్రాణం పోయింది. ఈ వార్తా మోసుకొచ్చింది మా మేనమామ గారే. "పద పోదాం" అని సెలవు ఒక్క రోజు తీసుకున్నాడు మా ఆఫీసరు దగ్గర. రాత్రి బయలుదేరి ప్రొద్దున్నే  వెళ్ళాము.

 

Later, I visited my home town only once. I started one Saturday and returned on Sunday night, as there was neither leave nor funds enough to travel frequently.

The Private Hospital where my father was convalescing told our people that his days were numbered and any more treatment there was only a financial burden. (With my mental set up, I would have borrowed more money and made him spend his last days in comfort of a private hospital him and would have seen he died comfortably. That was how I loved him and that was my confidence level). Our house owner flatly rejected to bring him into the premises, as he said it would be bad omen, it seems. None dared oppose him. Those who could spend money conveniently avoided responsibility. My younger brother was left with no money, neither was he adept, nor willing to raise borrowings like me. Nobody informed me these developments. (What I would have done was a facet of my life). Our house owner, who was official contractor, to supply food in the Government Hospital arranged a bed, with no nursing or no doctor visits. He was in coma, when I went there with flies having a field day. My younger brother looked after all his needs including cleaning the bowels. I was 20 then. I wept my heart out. I returned the same day. On January, 24^th, exactly 45 days after I joined a job, he left the world leaving behind two unsettled sons and two school going daughters. My uncle, Sri Penumaka Ramachandra Rao, brought this sad news also, took one day LOP leave from the officer and took to me to home town, purchasing my ticket too. He was too loving and too sacrificing. He is still, at age 86. May God give him a long life.

 

ఎంత దుస్థితి? మా నాన్నగారి పార్ధివ శరీరాన్నిరోడ్డు మీద మురుగు గుంట కింద పడుకో బెట్టారు. ప్రధాన ద్వారం గుండా లోపలికి తేవెడానికి వాస్తు అడ్డమొచ్చిందని మా యజమాని పేచీ పెట్టాడు. ఎంత క్రూరత్వం? నీచమైన ఆచారాలు? శవ దహన మయ్యింది. చలి రోజులు. మేము తండ్రి పోయి ఏడుస్తుంటే మా వదిన వాళ్ళ ఆయన చన్నీళ్ళ స్నానం చెయ్యాల్సొచ్చిందని ఏడవడం మొదలెట్టింది. ఏమి సంస్కారమండీ? ఇవన్నీ  నా మనసును చాలా గాయ పరిచాయి. అసలే వ్యవస్థ మీద పొరాడాలనే కక్ష. తోడుగా ఇవన్నీ. ఇంకా నన్ను మూర్ఖుడిని చేశాయి. ఎదిరించడం ఎక్కువయ్యింది. చెప్ప దలుచుకుంది సూటిగా చెప్పడం మొదలెట్టాను. శత్రువులు పెరుగుతూనే ఉన్నారు. నా కక్ష ద్విగుణీకృతమవుతూనే  ఉంది. భవిష్యత్తులో నా జీవన గమనానికి  ఆ రోజున పడ్డ బీజం. కోపం అనే అంతః శతృవు  కాటేసింది. 50 ఏళ్ల వయసు వరకూ అదే కోపం. ఎదురుగా ఎవరున్నా దులిపేయడమే.

"జీవితమనేది నిన్ను నువ్వు తెలుసుకోవడం కాదు. నిన్ను నువ్వు పునః సృష్టించుకోవడం."

 

When I reached home in our town, I saw the most pathetic position of the life and death of my father. The man, who loved all, lived like a lion, was lying outside, just by the side of an open drain. Our house owner did not allow him inside as, according to him, Vaastu would not allow it. What kind of anarchy? What kind of superstitions? I was hurt badly that day. Cremation was complete. We were crying that our father was no more and my sister- in -law started crying that her husband had to bathe in cold water during winter! All these incidents left an indelible mark of hurt on my psyche. Already, my inclination was to fight till the end that which I considered was superstition. My resolve only increased that day. I became almost a fool in the mad world. I started opposing everyone with precision. What I wanted to tell, I was telling without mincing. The number of my enemies was growing by the day. That made me more and more stubborn. Seed was sown for my future growth and fall and growth and fall and growth. The internal enemy “uncontrollable anger” entered my sub conscious. It did not leave till 50, leaving me totally shattered in life.

 

“Life is not about knowing yourself, but re-creating yourself”

 

10 వ రోజున  ధర్మోదకాలు వదలడానికి బాపట్ల దగ్గర మా నాన్న గారి జన్మ స్థలానికి రావాలి అన్నారు. అన్నీ జీతం నష్టం సెలవులే. వెళ్ళాను. ఆ పల్లెటూరు చేరేటప్పటికి చాలా పొద్దు పోయింది. చీత్కారాలు. తండ్రి  మీద ప్రేమ ఉంటేగా? అని అన్న దమ్ముల హేళనలు. పురోహితుడు "బుద్ధుందిటయ్యా?" అని తిట్లు. ఒక రోజు ముందు సెలవు తీసుకోవచ్చు కదా, ఈసడిపంపులు. మళ్ళీ మంగలిని పిలవాలి, విసుగు. నాకు కోపం. సెలవు ఎవడిస్తాడు. రోజుకి 12 రూపాయలు పోతాయి. ఎవడు వింటాడు. బ్రాహ్మణ్యం మీద కోపం. ఆ కులంలో పుట్టినందుకు కోపం. ఈ ఆచారాలంటే కోపం. ఎదురు తిరగాలి. ఎంత అవకాశముంటే అంత మార్చాలి. నిర్ణయం అయ్యింది. అమలు పరిచాను. శతృవులు పెరిగారు, ఇంటా, బయటా. ఈ రోజూ అలాగే ఉన్నాను. నా వృత్తి కాక పోయినా మంత్రాలన్నీ విని నేర్చుకున్నాను. ఈ రోజు అభిషేకాలూ, పూజలూ  చేస్తాను. నా పద్ధతి లోనే. ఎవర్నీ బాధ పెట్టను. వాస్తుని నమ్మను. చాలా ఉన్నాయి,. తరువాత.

 

I returned back to Hyderabad the same day after cremation. It was heart breaking to leave my mother and sisters that day.  I was asked to come to the native village of my father, some kilometres away from Bapatla, AP. All the leave I tookjumpedwas on Loss Of Pay, as I was on probation. I reached the village very late in the day. Immediately all the people l on me like wild animals. Harsh words! “Does he have love on father?” mocked by brothers. “Do you have sense?” the priest. “Can’t he have taken one more day leave?”, other relations. Who gives leave? I have to lose Rs.12/- per day if I take leave and it is difficult to get that one day leave too. In addition, the probation period gets extended by the number of LOP leaves and I would remain junior to my batch mates, in case promotions were given. That day I hated Brahminism. I hated myself for being born in a Brahmin family. I hated the superstitions and diktats of the pseudo- learned. I decided. To the extent possible, I will change the system. I became suddenly unorthodox still remaining a devout Hindu and Brahmin. Enemies grew inside and outside. I was almost banished from the family circles. But I continued my higher learning. I got by heart all the Vedic chants just by hearing in temples. Today I perform all rituals in my house even though it is not the profession of our sect in Brahmins. I can perform a marriage too, if needed. I remained true Brahmin, but too unorthodox to be accepted by my pseudo- orthodox family members. In future chapters.

 

నాలుగు రోజులు మకాం. నాకు ఏమీ తెలియదు. సంతకాలు పెట్టమన్నారు. పెట్టాను. పొలం అమ్మేశారు. చవగ్గా. ఎవరు కర్చు పెట్టిన కర్మ కర్చులు వాళ్ళు తీసుకున్నారుట? మిగిలింది మా చెల్లెళ్ళ పెళ్ళిళ్ళకి డిపాజిట్టు చేశారుట. అప్పులు తీర్చారో లేదో గుర్తు లేదు. మా స్నేహితుడి వాళ్ళ ఇంట్లో చేసిన అప్పు మాత్రం తీర్చ లేదు. మా ప్రధానోపాధ్యాయుల  దగ్గర తీర్చలేదు. మా ఎం ఎల్ ఏ గారి కోడలుకి తీర్చలేదు. ఎందుకంటే ఇవన్నీ నేను 1976 లో తీర్చాను. ఆ కధ తరువాత.

 

I stayed there four days. I did not know anything what transpired. They asked me to sign some papers. I signed. They sold the remaining farm land at the cheapest rate, desperate sale. People who spent on funeral rituals collected back their money. The rest, I was told, was deposited for my sisters’ marriages. I do not remember whether they repaid any loans which I jointly raised with my father. But the loan with my friend’s family, my Head Master of school and the daughter-in-law of the local MLA remained unpaid. I repaid them in 1976. There is a story there too. At the appropriate juncture. I could not bear the scene nor could I forget.

 

నేను బయలుదేరే ముందు చివరి ఘట్టం. అమ్మని ఒక చోట కూర్చోబెట్టి బిందెలతో చల్ల నీళ్ళు  పోయడం, తెల్ల చీర ఇవ్వడం, గాజులు పగల కొట్టడం. చూడ లేక పోయాను. ఛీ! పాడు ఆచారాలు. ఆమెకు 46 ఏళ్ళు. జీవితంలో అన్ని రోజులూ గుర్తుకు ఉండవు. కొన్ని క్షణాలు మాత్రమే గుర్తుంటాయి. మా అమ్మ మళ్ళీ అందరి మాదిరిగానే బ్రతికింది. పూర్వపు పద్ధతులకు ఇంట్లో ఎవరూ ఒప్పుకోలేదు.

 

Before I departed from there the last scene made an indelible negativism on  my mind. Mother was made to sit at one place. Pots of cold water was poured on her. It was winter just as it was winter to my brother. But my sister- in- law did not cry. She was given a white saree by Sree Penumaka Ramachandra Rao, my uncle who was crying copiously. (He loved us all, unadulterated love!)/ What kind of culture? She was 46 then. Too young. “We do not remember all days in life. But few moments can never be erased from the sub-conscious” My mother lived like all normal women afterwards. We all opposed the ancient superstitions.

 

“Life is really simple. But we make it complicated by our foolish beliefs.”

 

ఇది అయ్యాక ఇక మిగిలింది, సంసారం మళ్ళీ ఎలా నిలదొక్కుకోవాలి. ఎక్కడుండాలి. మా తమ్ముడి డిగ్రీ చివరి సంవత్సరం  పరీక్షలూ, ఆడ పిల్లల స్కూళ్ళూ అయ్యాక ఏం చెయ్యాలి. పెద్దాయన హైదరాబాదులో, రెండు మద్రాసులో, మూడు ఇంకా ఉద్యోగం లేదు. నేను హైదరాబాదులో. కొత్త ఉద్యోగం. అన్నయ్య దగ్గరే ఉంటున్నాను. ఇంత పెద్ద సంసారం హైదరాబాదులో బ్రతకడం కష్టం. అందరం తలకొక 50 రూపాయలిచ్చి అక్కడే వుంచుదామని ఆయన, కాదని నేను కొన్నాళ్ళు తర్జన, భర్జనలు పడ్డాము. ఈ లోగా మా మూడో అన్నయ్యకి సిండికేటు బ్యాంకులో ఉద్యోగం వచ్చింది. మా తమ్ముడి డిగ్రీ పూర్తయ్యింది. ఆయనకి నెల్లూరు జిల్లా, ఆత్మకూరులో పోస్టింగు. అది ఒక పెద్ద పల్లెటూరు లాంటి పట్టణం. ఒక్కడే ఉంటాడు కాబట్టి అక్కడ అందరూ ఉండాలని నిర్ణయం అయ్యింది. వెళ్ళారు. వెళ్ళిన నాలుగు నెలలకి ఉత్తరాల మీద ఉత్తరాలు. "ఈ వూరులో ఉండటం కష్టం. ఆడ పిల్లలకి ఏమన్న జరిగితే నా బాధ్యత లేదు. నువ్వే ఏమన్నా చేసి వీళ్ళని ఇక్కడ నుంచి తీసుకెళ్ళాలి" అని మా పిరికి భీముడు వ్రాయడం, వెంట, వెంటనే మా అమ్మ వీడు మమ్మల్ని బ్రతకనివ్వడం లేదు, వెంటనే వచ్చి తీసుకెళ్ళు అని మా అమ్మా, తమ్ముడూ వెనకాలే సందేశాలు. అప్పటికే మా పెద్ద చెల్లెలు అక్కడ జూనియర్  కాలేజీలో చేరింది. ఇక్కడ అడ్మిషన్లు అయి పొయ్యాయి. ఏం చెయ్యాలో తోచని పరిస్థితి. పెద్దాయన ససేమిరా అలా కుదరదు. నేను ఒక్క రూపాయి సహాయం చెయ్యను అని బల్ల గుద్ది చెప్పాడు.  జీవితంలో వెరే వాళ్ళకి సహాయ పడడం ముఖ్యం. అలా చెయ్యలేకపోతే కనీసం వారిని బాధించకుండా ఉండగలగాలి.

 

After all this, the issue was how to re- settle the family and a decision is to be made where to keep them. Who will look after all? What should we do after my brother’s final year graduation is complete and schools of my sisters were closed. My eldest brother was in Hyderabad, second one in Madras, third one still job less, me in Hyderabad with my eldest one, living on tenterhooks.  “We cannot live comfortably in Hyderabad with such big family” was my brother’s argument. I was seriously opposing it, though he proposed all of us could contribute Rs.50/- each to make them comfortable there! We were continuously squabbling. In the mean-time my third brother got a job in Syndicate Bank, not without recommendation, from his friend with whom he had a fist fight in scol. (See how God links people and issues). My youngest brother completed his degree with flying colors. Despite all the family troubles. He was awarded the National Merit Scholarship, the second in family.. The service he did to my father and family paid rich dividends to him. He was such a nice boy those days. (We used to look similar if seen from the backside. Once, later years, one of his friends hugged me from behind and exclaimed “You Son of a B…., it was usual in AP to call friends like that. Where were you? I turned back and seeing his face told him “I am the elder son of the b…” and laughed. Till he got down, he was apologizing. Funny incidents. ) My third brother was posted in b aig village-cum town, Atmakuru near Nellore town. As he had to stay alone my family decided to shift there much to the relief of my eldest brother. (My mother, sisters, younger brother travelled in the back of the lorry behind the goods for 14-15 hours during night) What a fall for our family! After four months, I started receiving letter after letter from the timid third brother. He was writing that the village was full of demons, they might do anything to my sisters, already a few were after her (she was very pretty before she turned fatty, even now she is fatty but still very pretty. In fact, her husband can reimburse the dowry he extracted from us with 24% interest for her pretty face and her attachment to her family. But! Alas! He demanded more from my mother just a week before she went into coma!). Behind his letters followed letters from my mother and brother that he was constantly pestering them to leave and he was not sleeping nor was he allowing anyone to sleep. He was so courageous, even now he is. I told my elder brother that we could bring them to Hyderabad and live together until all settle in life. He said “NO” very firmly and threatened that I brought them, he would not give that Rs.50/-, he promised earlier.

 

“To help others in life is important. If not possible, we should desist from hurting others!

 

 

ఈ లోగా, నేను వేరే ఇల్లు వెదకడం మొదలు పెట్టాను. అదే ప్రాంతంలో. ఇక్కడ ఉండొద్దు. నా పరువు పోతుంది, అని ఆయన. నీకు ఉంటే కదా పోవడానికి అని నేనూ రోజూ యుద్ధం. చెప్పాను కదా. ఎంతటి వాడితో అయినా అలానే మాట్లాడే వాడిని. ఈ లోగా ఒక ఒక గొప్ప వింత జరిగింది. మా అన్నయ్య ఇంటి పక్క పోర్షను ఖాళీ అయ్యింది. అద్దె 170 రూపాయలు. ధైర్యం చేసి మా ఇంటి ఓనరుని అడిగాను. ఆయన సలహా చెప్పాడు, ఒకే ఇంట్లో పక్క, పక్కన ఉండటం మంచిది కాదేమో ఆలోచించుకో అని. మీ అన్నయ్య బాధ పడతాడేమో  అని కొంచెం తటపటాయించాడు. ఇంట్లో ఏమనుకున్నరో ఏమో మర్నాడు పిలిచి సరే అన్నాడు. మరి అంత అద్దె కడతావా అని అడిగాడు. కడతాను, మా తమ్ముడికి టెలిఫోను డిపార్ట్ మెంటులో  135 రూపాయల స్టైపెండుతో జూనియర్ ఇంజినీరుగా వచ్చింది. నా జీతం పెరిగి 430 రూపాయలయ్యింది. (మేము చేరంగానే జీతాల సవరణ జరిగింది, డీ ఏ పెరిగింది) మా అన్నయ్య 50 రూపాయలు పపుతాడు. పెద్దాయన ఇచ్చినా తీసుకోను అని చెప్పాను. సరే ఇల్లు తీసుకుని అడ్వాన్సు ఇచ్చాను. అప్పుడు మా అన్నయ్యకి చెప్పాను. ఇక ఒక కిటికీ దగ్గర నిలబడి, శ్రీ కృష్ణుడు అర్జునుడికి చేసినట్లు ధర్మోపదేశం చెశాడు. నువ్వు ఎంత చేసినా వాళ్ళు నిన్ను పొగిడి నెత్తికెక్కించుకుంటారనుకోబోకు. నీ డబ్బంతా ఇప్పుడే వాళ్ళ మీద పెడితే రేపు నీ భార్యా, పిల్లల విషయ మేమిటి. నీకేమన్నా కష్టమొస్తే, "ఒక్కండును, ఒక్కండును, ఒక్కండును నీ దరికి రాడు" ఇంకా చాలా చెప్పాడు. నిర్ణయం అయిపోయింది . అమ్మా వాళ్ళు వస్తున్నారు, ఖండితంగా అని చెప్పాను. జీవితంలో మనం సమాధానం చెప్ప వలసిన మొదటి, అత్యవసరమైన ప్రశ్న మనం వేరే వాళ్ళకి ఏం చేస్తున్నామనేది. మా ఇంటి ఓనరుతో మాట్లాడాడు . మీ ఇంటి విషయాలు అనవసరం కూడా అని "తాబులాలిచ్చేశాను. తన్నుకు చావండి" అన్నట్లు మొహం మీద కొట్టినట్లు చెప్పాట్ట. వచ్చేశాడు.  నాకు తెలియదు. నేను ఇల్లు తీసుకుని, అడ్వాన్సు ఇచ్చి  మా అమ్మ వాళ్ళని తీసుకు రావడానికి టిక్కట్లు   రిజెర్వు చేయించాను.అందర్నీ తీసుకుని, 12 పెట్టెలతో ఆత్మకూరు నుంచి నెల్లూరు, అక్కడ నుంచి హైదరాబాదు. సామాను ట్రక్కులో వచ్చింది.

 

So, I decided to bring them to Hyderabad on my own risk. I started searching a portion in the vicinity as the area was already familiar to me and my uncles both paternal and maternal lived nearby. “Do not stay here. I will lose my respect my eldest brother told me. “If you have any respect, there is fear of losing. So do not fear on that count” I firmly told him. I was talking like that then and still I talk like that now, only I changed it to pun and say what I want to say now, so that the others do not have scope to argue. A lesson in life. A funny opportunity came my way then. The portion adjacent to my brother’s portion fell vacant. The rent was Rs.170/-. Without losing time I approached the house owner without the knowledge of my brother. He advised me as an elderly person, just to think if it would be appropriate for brothers to stay in the same house in adjacent portions. He also expressed a doubt whether my brother would feel bad. (He was a nice gentleman. Until my sister got job in 1981, viz. for seven years he did not increase the rent. Then he made it Rs.250/- He allowed us to stay there for 11 years). I do not know what transpired in their home, he called me next day and nodded assent. But he asked me, “Can you bear Rs.170/- as rent?” I told him my younger brother got posting as Junior Engineer in Telephone Department with a stipend of Rs.135/- p.m. and my salary increased to Rs.430/- (salary revision took place soon after we joined and DA increased). And my third brother promised Rs.50/- per month and that I would not take help from the eldest even if offered. So I paid advance and took the portion on rent. Then only I informed my brother. Shell-shocked, he stood near a window (I remember the scene as it happened just now) and like Lord Sree Krishna preached Gita to Arjuna, he preached me life Geeta, He told, “Whatever you do, never be under the misguided impression that they would flatter you and hail you, ”Thou” Our Saviour!, If you spend your total earnings on the family (and it is not sufficient, you have to borrow) what will happen to your own wife and children in future? And if you are in trouble, you will be left like Karna in the midst of the battle and none will rescue you” He told me many more realities about life. (The part that none would come to my rescue came true later). I told him firmly, “Mother and family are coming” and closed the discussion.

 

“The one question we should answer in life fast and firm is what we can do to the others” I answered that question. My life remained an unanswered question.  

 

He talked to our house owner. It seems he told him he was not concerned with our family matters and as an owner he gave the portion to another tenant. I booked tickets to and from Nellore and brought my mother, two sisters from Nellore to Hyderabad, with twelve boxes/suitcases etc., It was tedious journey, from Atmakur to Nellore to Hyderabad. We reached home.

 

 

20 ఏళ్ళ వయసుల అది సాహసమే. అందరూ నాకు ఎదురే. ఒంటరిగానే పోరాడాను. ఇంటికి వచ్చాము. మా పోర్షను  ముందు ఒక పెద్ద వరండా  ఉండేది. ఒక పెద్ద హాలు, ఒక కిచెనూ. హాల్లో ఒక చెక్క పార్టిషనూ, కిచెన్లో ఒకటి. పక్క పోర్షన్లో మ్ముడు రూముల్లో మా అన్నయ్య. వచ్చి వరండాలో సామాను పెట్టి బెల్లు కొట్టాము. తలుపు తియ్య లేదు. మా తాళం  చెవి ఆయన దగ్గరే ఉంది. 20 నిమిషాలు బెల్లు కొడుతూనే ఉన్నాము. తియ్యలేదు. చివరికి మా వదిన తలుపు తీసి లోపలికెళ్ళి పోయింది. ఆ రోజు ఎలాగో అక్కడే గడిపి, మర్నాడు మా ఇంట్లో కెళ్ళాము. కొత్త జీవితం ప్రారంభం. గ్యాస్ స్టవ్  లేదు. మామూలు జీవితం. మా పెద్ద చెల్లెలుని ఇంటర్లో చేర్చాలి. అదంటే నాకు ఆరో ప్రాణం. ఒక్క క్షణం వదిలే వాణ్ణి కాదు. ఏమడిగినా సిద్ధం. అప్పు చేసైనా  సరే కొనే వాణ్ణి.  ఈ విషయంలో మా పిరికి భీమసేనుడి అభిప్రాయం.  ముఖ పుస్తకంలో.

 

It was adventurous at age 20. Everybody was against my bold step. I was standing alone with the family burden. Our portion used to have a big open balcony in the front, a big hall and a kitchen. The hall and kitchen were separated by wooden partitions. Adjacent, three-room portion was occupied by my brother. We came home, sat in the balcony and rang the bell. For twenty minutes the door was not opened. We sat there. After 20 minutes, my sister- in -law opened the door, left in a huff without talking. Our keys were in their house. It was a kind of tense situation. We spent the day there and entered our portion next day. There was nothing in the house. Luggage came in a truck. We had no gas stove.  We spent time like a lower middle- class family. My first task was to admit my elder sister in Junior College. She was my beautiful rose that was flowering every day. I was never leaving her in thoughts and actions. I used to get her whatever she asked for, even borrowing money. If there was a tear in her eye I used to cry. After all this, the post made by my third brother in Face Book.  It is self-explanatory. I wrote a few poems on the life led by such people. It is a better-read in Telugu. I am leaving the translation part.

 

Sudhakara Rao Neelamraju

May 18 ·

It is true that I did not come to Hyderabad asI was in Shaghai.Atleast whether you waited till your elders to come.Do you remember that the utterences you made in front of the public and Purohit. You already killed when she was alive. What makes you to burn the pyre when the younger brother was thre. Are you proud of the actions. "You don't havr thr patience to wait till the elder sister of your wife to get marry."You ruinrd her life also..For all five brothers and sisters there is only one mother. We can can not cut in to her pieces. It it is her wish to stay back with you for reasons well knowno you. (Verbatim. No corrections made. sic.)

 

ఆయన కోసమే వ్రాసిన కొన్ని పద్యాలు. సామాజిక స్పృహ ఉన్నవారెవరైనా ఇవి చదివి నిజం తెలుసుకుంటారు.

 

1.నీట నుండు చేప నీట నుండగ నీక

వలను వేసి తీసి వాస నందె

మత్స్య ముండు నీటె ముత్య ముండును గద

వాణి బలుకు మాట veda vaakku! 156

 

(దుర్మార్గుడని తెలిసి కదిలించి, కవ్వించి వాడు నన్ను తిట్టాడు బాబోయ్ అని పెళ్ళాం దగ్గరేడిస్తే ఊరుకో పిరికి వెధవా అంటుంది. చేపలు పట్టడమెందుకు. వాసన అని ఏడ్చుడెందుకు. అదే సముద్రంలో ముత్యాలుంటాయి, వాసన రావు. ఓపిగ్గా కూర్చుని పట్టు కొమ్మని సారాంశము. చేపల్ని వాటి మానాన వదిలెయ్యి. నచ్చిన వారు పట్టుకుంటారు).

 

1.An advice to those who pick up quarrels without reason and then if the other person reacts cry their hearts out. Why should one catch the fish that is playing in water, smell it and say it is bad smelling and blame it? You can let it live in water or allow it to be caught by the one who likes the smell.

 

2.

అన్న దమ్ము మధ్య యాత్మ కధల ఘోష

పోయినొళ్ళ యాత్మ పొగను బెట్ట

నీదు లోపములను నిలువెత్తు జూపరో

వాణి బలుకు మాట నాదు నోట! 

 

2. Brothers, instead of blaming each other for their plight, should come out with their mistakes in life that affected all. That only gives peace to the departed ancestors.

 

3.

తనదు కడుపు మాడ్చి తనయుల బెంచగ

యామె పోవు వేళ యొకడు లేడాయె

యల్లు డొచ్చి బలుకు యెకసక్కె మాటలు,

వాణి బలుకు మాట నాదు నోట! 151

 (మనిషి కట్టె యయ్యాక మోయడానికి దొరికిన వ్యక్తే బ్రహ్మ ఙాని. అయిన వాళ్ళు తప్పించుకుంటే ఉన్న వాళ్ళే మోస్తారని సారాంశము)

 

3. Even without feeding wife properly, father brought up children. By the time she passed away, none was available to carry her body. And the son-ln-law, mocks she died like an orphan.

 

 

4.

బతికి యుండగ బుండు వాసన వెగటాయె

శవము చూడ కొంత సమయ ముంచు

యనెడి బుత్రు నేమి యనెడు శాస్త్రములును,

వాణి బలుకు మాట నాదు నోట!

(తల్లి మంచాన బడి పుండ్ల వాసనతో ఆరు నెలలు ఇంట్లో ఉంచుకున్న కొడుకు మీద ఏనాడూ తల్లి మంచం దగ్గర లేకుండా, కుళ్ళి శల్య మౌతున్న శవాన్ని ఇంట్లో ఉంచుకో మేము రెండు రోజుల తరువాత వస్తామూ,అమ్మని చివరి సారిగా చూడాలి అని శవ పంచాయతీ పెట్టే ప్రబుద్ధుల గురించి ఈ చిన్న ఆట వెలది)

 

4. The son who left the country unable to bear the smell coming out of the body of the mother on bed, asks the son who looked after her bearing all, to keep the dead body until he comes. What should we call such a son?

 

5.

బతికి చెడిన వాడు బతికించు ఇతరుల

చెరచి బతుక నెంచ చేరు యముని

చీమ కుట్ట గానె చేరదె కాలుని

వాణి బలుకు మాట నాదు నోట! 

 

5.  The man who lived a rich life and became a pauper donating freely all his wealth knows the horrors of poverty and helps others. The man who wants to spoil lives of others will reach hell soon. The ant that bites gets killed immediately.

 

6.

 

అన్న దమ్ము నడుమ యగ్గి రాచల్లుడు

యత్త మామ నెటుల యాదరించు

కాడు బోవు వేళ కట్నంబు యడుగడా

వాణి బలుకు మాట నాదు నోట! 

 

6.  The son-in-law who ignites fire between brothers and pours oil on it could never have treated his in-laws properly. Even before their death, he would have demanded money.

 

7.

అన్న దమ్ము చెల్లి యనువు నుండగ

అల్లు డేల మిమ్ము గిల్లు చుండు

కట్న మడుగ చేరు కటకటాల వెనుక

వాణి బలుకు మాట నాదు నోట! 

 

7.  If brothers are united, how can a son-in-law of family spread hatred between them? If he asked dowry from a dying mother-in-law, he would have been behind bars if brothers were united.

 

8.

 

సోదర బ్రేమ బోయి స్వార్ధమ్ము నిండగ

బయటి వారి నడుమ పల్చనవరో

మిత్ర భేద కధను మరచితి రెటులయా

వాణి బలుకుమాట నాదు నోట! 

 

8. If selfishness gives place to natural love between brothers, will they not become laughing stock in front of others? Did these guys forget the “Mitra Bheadam” in Pancha Tantram?

 

On second thought I translated the poems too.

 

ఇక్కడ మీకు రెండు విషయాలు బోధ పడతాయి. ఆయన మూర్ఖుడు,  పిరికి వాడు, తను చెప్పిందే వేదం అని పట్టు బట్టే మనస్తత్వం. మహా పిరికి. కానీ ద్వేషమనేది ఆయన్ని దహిస్తూనే ఉంది. ఇంకా చాల ఉన్నాయి చెప్తే. ఇక్కడ నా భార్య కుటుంబ వ్యవహహారాన్ని బయటకు తెచ్చి, తన భార్య కుటుంబం గురించి  (నాకు సంబంధించనిది), తన వియ్యంకుడి కుటుంబం గురించి చెప్పే అవకాశం ఇచ్చాడు. అవసరమనిపిస్తే చెప్తాను. నా బ్యాంకులో ఏమి జరిగిందో నా మీద ఆరోపణలూ దాచకుండా చెప్పాను. మౌనమే సమాధానం. వాళ్ళ బ్యాంకులో ఏం జరిగిందో నేను రుజువులతో బయట పెట్ట గలను. కానీ నాకేం అవసరం? ఇది నా కధ ఊళ్ళో వాళ్ళది కాదు కదా?  ఆయన దగ్గర డబ్బుంటే నా దగ్గర అమూల్యమైన సంస్కారం ఉంది. నా భార్య అక్కకు పెళ్ళి కాకుండా నేను పెళ్ళి చేసుకున్నానని ఆయన ఆరోపణ.  ఆ సందర్భంలో వివరిస్తాను. సాక్షులు  చాలా మంది. తరువాత ఇది ఎలాగైనా చెప్పే వాడిని.

 

Here you will realize two naked truths. He is foolish and timid. He wants to hide these two qualities behind one another. Because he is a fool and timid too, he tries to insist that his word should carry weight. (This affected the family and more so, me, still he does not realize). But the hatred he developed for others, not only, me still is burning within self and burning him. Here, by poking his nose in the affairs of the family of my wife, (of which his knowledge is minimal) he gave an open invitation to talk about the family of his wife (of which I know more) and the family of his son’s in-laws? Will I do that? It depends on his further utterances. Or else, this is my life, my story. I already said that incidents that do not have bearing on my life find no place here. He persisted, persisted and persisted that I should reveal charges on me in my Bank. I did it. He became mum and unfriended me on Face Book. A person should carry conviction not only to tell truth but to face truth. I know what happened in his bank, with proof. But it is not my concern. He crossed all limits of decency commenting on my wife’s sister and anyhow as I am narrating my story, I would have mentioned that too. He probably lost all sense of propriety in his foolishness and anger. The matter of my marriage will find major place in my story. I will narrate at the appropriate place. There are many witnesses. Hope he stops denigrating others for his sadistic pleasure.

 

ఇక జీవిత భీమా ఆఫీసులో నా జీవితం. చాలా ఒడిదుడుకుల తర్వాత, కుటుంబం స్థిర పడింది. మా చెల్లెల్ని చేర్చడానికి అన్ని కాలేజీల్లో సేట్లు అయి పోయాయి. అదే సంవత్సరం నారాయణ గూడాలో రామ భద్ర కాలేజని తెరిచారు. ఎక్కడా సేట్లు దొరకని వాళ్ళు అక్కడ చేరారు. మా చెల్లెల్ని తీసుకెళ్ళాను. ఆ ప్రిన్సిపాలు నన్ను చాలా గౌరవంగా చూశాడు. మొదటి సారి నా సైజు మీద మాట్లాడని వాడు ఆయనే. పేరు గంగాధరం. మా చెల్లెలు మార్కులు చూసి ఎగిరి గంతేశాడు. ఇన్ని మార్కులొచ్చినమ్మాయిని మా కాలేజీలో ఎందుకు చేరుస్తారు అన్నాడు. తప్పదు, మా ఇంటికి దగ్గర అని అబద్ధం చెప్పాను. ఇంతకీ ఎన్ని మార్కులో తెలుసా . 365/600 కి. ఏమీ చెట్టు లేని చోట ఆముదం చెట్టు మా చెల్లి. అప్పటికి బంగారు తల్లి. "నీ పాదముపై పుట్టు మచ్చనై చెల్లెమ్మా" అని తరువాత వందేమాతరం రాసి పాడితే సినిమా చూసి వలా, వలా  ఏడ్చాను. అది మాత్రం నేను తన జీవితంపై పెద్ద బురద ముద్ర లాగానే చూసింది తరువాత రోజుల్లో. అన్నీ  వస్తాయి. ఇదో ఉద్గ్రంధం.

 

Now, about my life in Life Insurance Corporation of India. After many ups and downs, family settled in Hyderabad, but not before my own finances took a severe beating. Then came the issue of admitting my sister in Junior College. Seats in colleges were filled up. That year one new Junior College by name Ramabhadra Junior College, was opened in Narayanguda, near our house. I accompanied my sister there. That principal respected me a lot. First time in my life, he did not comment on my size. He was pleased with my communication skills. His name was Gangadharam. All students who could not get seats in other colleges got admitted there. He saw my sister’s marks and jumped in joy. “Why are you admitting such a bright girl in our college?” he asked. As it is nearer to our house, I lied. Do you know the marks?  365/600.  Where no other tree grows, Castor tree is the best, a Telugu saying. She was my fairy queen those days and even now. “ I will remain forever as a birth mark on your foot” wrote one Telugu lyricist. I wept copiously seeing the scene in the film, as I remembered her. I wanted to remain a birth mark. But, she washed me out from her life as a mud spot. This is going to be an Ithihas in itself.

 

చాలా ఎక్కువ ఫీజు. అప్పు చేసి కట్టాను. అప్పులు చేయడం నాకు వెన్నతో పెట్టిన విద్య అయ్యింది చిన్న తనం నుంచీ. అప్పులు చేసే వాడిని. వడ్డీలు కట్టేవాడిని. వడ్డీలు  కట్టడానికి మళ్ళీ అప్పులు చేసే వాడిని. నేను అనుభవించింది చాలా తక్కువ. వేరే వాళ్ళు అనుభవించిందే ఎక్కువ. (ఒక సారి ఒక సర్దార్జీ నన్నడిగాడు "మేనేజరు గారి పిల్లలకి ఇంత మామూలు డ్రస్సులా? తిండి పెడుతున్నారా లేదా? అంత పేద వాళ్ళుగా ఎందుకు పెంచుతున్నారు" అని. గర్వం పెరగ  కూడదని, నా దగ్గర డబ్బుల్లేవు కాబట్టి అని  చెప్పాను . నేను ఇస్తాను అన్నాడు. వద్దు అని చెప్పాను .  ఆయనే తరువాత నేను చాలా మంచి వాడిని అని బ్యాంకులో బల్ల గుద్ది వాదించాడు. ధన్యుణ్ణి, సర్దార్!  నా భార్య కూడా చాలా చవక రకం చీరలు వేసుకొనేది. బంగారం లేదు. సదా కృతఙ్నుడిని.)

 

I paid very heavy fees as it was new college and building fund was more. I borrowed and paid. Borrowing was a game of the left hand for me. I was borrowing, paying interest, to pay interest I was borrowing more. It was  a vicious circle. But it was inescapable, because of my love to my family and my soft heart to those suffering. The funds I enjoyed was less and the funds I spent on family was more from then till 1986.  (At one point of time, one Sardarjee, who was a client asked me why a Manger’s children were so shabbily dressed like poor guys? I told him I wanted them not to think they were children of a Manager and that I was not having money also. He offered assistance. I refused. This man later argued emphatically in my bank that I was the best Manager the bank ever had. Thank you, SardarJee!  Even my wife was wearing the cheapest of sarees. There was neither gold nor silver. Thank her!)

 

కాలేజీలో చేరాక మా చెల్లికి చాలా ఖరీదయిన డ్రెస్సులు కొన్నాను. మంచి బ్యాగు, ఏమి అడిగితే అది. తండ్రి లేడు అనే లోపం లేకుండా చూశాను. (దాని పెళ్ళయ్యాక వాళ్ళ మామగారు నన్ను వేనోళ్ళ పొగుడుతూ, నీ లాంటి మనిషిని నిన్నే చూసానొయ్, అని వ్రాసిన ఉత్తరం ఇంకా నా దగ్గర ఉంది. ప్రచురిస్తాను. హైదరాబాదులో ఉంది). దాన్ని చెడగొడుతున్నావు అని మా అన్నయ్య, అమ్మా, తమ్ముడూ అందరూ తిట్టే వాళ్ళు. దాని పేరు తలుచుకుంటే  నాకు ఆనందం వేసేది. దానికి కన్నీళ్ళొస్తే ఏడిచే వాడిని. అదే నా ప్రపంచం. ఇదెందుకు చెప్పానంటే నేను చేసిన అప్పులు రామదాసు లాగె సత్కార్యానికే పోయి, నేను శిక్ష అనుభవించాను, రామదాసు లాగా. "నువు కులుకుతూ కూర్చుండేవు"  అని చెప్పలేను కదా. దాని వైభోగం నాకు ఆనందమే ఇప్పటికీ. నాకు అసూయ అంటే తెలియదు.

 

After she joined college, I purchased her good dresses, a fine bag. Whatever she asked was present the next morning. I treated her in a way she would forget she had no father. I became her father. My brothers and mother used to object my pampering her. (After her marriage her father --in law wrote a letter to me. “You are the only person like yourself I have seen in my life that treated a sister like that with the scarce resources. I still retained the letter though I lost my life. I will post it here at appropriate place. When I thought of her, I used to feel elated. If she had tears, I used to cry. Why I am telling all this is that now she lives in a palatial bungalow, with the amount of gold one envies and she is one of the richest. Like Ramadas, I spent my money for a good job. But like him, I do not blame my sister, “You are enjoying my wealth and I am suffering from a life time curse”. For, envy never entered my mind. I always thank God for what he had given me lot of courage, a wife that is an asset and children that are loving and caring

 

నా పెద్ద కూతురికి దాని పేరే పెట్టాను. లక్ష్మీ రాజ కుమారి అని. వాళ్ళ మామగారికి ఆనందంగా వ్రాశాను. ఆయన బ్రతికి ఉండే వాళ్ళ పేర్లు పెట్ట కూడదు అని వ్రాశారు., లక్ష్మీ కుమారి అని పెట్టాను. మరి నా భార్య సంతోషంగా ఒప్పుకుంది కదా. ఆమె కూడా స్త్రీ కాదా, వీళ్ళ లాగా?

I named my eldest daughter after her. Lakshmi Raja Kumari. I wrote a letter to her father-in-law seeking blessings. He wrote back saying that one should not name people after those who are still living and hence suggested Lakshmi Kumari. It is her name now. My wife did not fast or shout on me. She is also a woman driven by all human passions. But she is different.

 

సరే! ఇక ఆఫీసు.   భీమా సంస్థలో  అప్పట్లో వింత పరిస్థితులు ఉండేవి. చాలా బలమైన  కమ్యూనిస్టు    యూనియను. బీ జే పీ వాళ్ళ యూనియన్లో చేరాను. అప్పట్లో నేను బలమైన కాంగ్రెస్సు వాదిని. కమ్యూనిస్టులన్నా,  బీజేపీ అన్నా  కోపముండేది. (జన సంఘ్) దీనికి మా నాన్న గారి ప్రభావం ఎక్కువ. (ఇక్కడ ఒక విషయం చెప్పాలి. నాకు కాలేజీలో రొటరాక్ట్ క్లబ్బు లో ఉన్న పేరు చూసి ఏ బీ వీ పీ వాళ్ళు కాలేజీలో ఉండగా  నన్ను మెంబరుగా చేర్చారు. నేను ఆర్ ఎస్స్ ఎస్స్ కి పూర్తి వ్యతిరేకం. వాళ్ళకి చెప్పాను. నా అభిప్రాయాలు  మారవని. నిద్ర లేస్తె చదవడం నాకు జన్మతః వచ్చింది. తింటూ కూడా చదివే వాణ్ణి. దాంతో రాజకీయాల మీద ఖచ్చితమైన అభిప్రాయాలుండేవి. ఇప్పటి పిల్లలకి కూడా అదే చెప్తాను. చదవండి. దేశానికి ఉపయోగ పడుతుంది అని)   అయినా చేర్చుకున్నారు. వెంకయ్య నాయుడంటే చాలా గౌరవముండేది. ఆయన మీటింగులన్నీ వినే వాడిని. విశ్లేషించే వాడిని. మర్నాడు చర్చ పెట్టే వాడిని. ఆయన్లో తప్పులు వెదికి మరీను. అప్పుడే రాజకీయ విశ్లెషణ చెయ్యడం ప్రారంభించాను. నా వాదనలు చాలా  మంది వినే వారు.  నా ప్రాణ స్నేహితుణ్ణి కూడా చేర్పించాను. ఆ సమయంలో విజయవాడలో ఒక పెద్ద సదస్సు జరిగింది. నన్ను, మా స్నేహితుడినీ మరి కొంత మందినీ మా వూరి నుంచి పంపారు, కార్యకర్తలుగా. ప్రొద్దున్న గడిచింది. రాత్రి అందరికీ క్రింద చాపలేసి పడుకోమన్నారు. కొంతసేపు  పడుకున్న తరువాత సంశయ మొచ్చింది. నాయుడు గారెక్కడ  అని. హోటల్లో పడుకున్నారు అని. ఏ సీ హోటలు. ఆయన ఇక్కడికి రావాలి, లేదా మాకు కూడా హోటల్లో రూము లివ్వమని అన్నాను. అందరికీ కోపమొచ్చింది. క్రమశిక్షణ అన్నారు. ఆయనకు లేని క్రమ శిక్షణ  మాకెందుకు అన్నాను. పెద్ద గోల అయ్యింది. కొందరు అటూ, కొందరు ఇటూ. ఏమయ్యిందో తెలియదు. మీకు ఇష్టం లేక పోతే వెళ్ళి పొండి అన్నారు. మేము కొంత మందిమి వెళ్ళి పొయ్యాము. వెళ్ళెటప్పుడు చెప్పాను, నాయకుడు కార్యకర్తల్తో కలిసి ఉండాలి. ప్రత్యేక మైన సదుపాయాలు ఉండకూడదు అని. ఆ కధ అంతటితో ముగిసింది. వాళ్ళు నన్ను తీసేశారు ఏబీవీపీ నుంచి.(కానీ ఈ సంఘటనకి, నా కాంగ్రెస్సు మీద ప్రేమకీ ఏ సంబధం లేదు. ప్రతిదీ విశ్లేషించే అలవాటు వేణ్ణూలుకుంది)

 

Now, let us go to my office life. Those days, in LIC of India a peculiar situation prevailed. There was a strong communist union and a Union affiliated to BMS, a wing of BJP (then Jana Sangh). I joined BMS. At that time I was a staunch Congress supporter. I used to hate communists and Jana Sangh equally. My father had maximum influence in this regard on me. I have to tell one matter here. With the popularity I gained as a Rotaract Member, the local unit of ABVP approached me that time in college in my town. I was strongly against the ways of RSS back then. I told them I won’t change my opinion about their parent organization. Reading books, papers and whatever comes way was and is my forte. Even while eating, I was reading something that my children imitated and continue to read. Hence, I had some firm opinions about politics of the day.  I tell children now too to read. It will be useful to the nation. Even after I told them this, they admitted me as they considered me as a value addition. I used to have great respect for Venkaiah Naidu those days. I never missed his speeches with punch. I used to analyze and start discussion on his speech, even pointing out the negatives in his speech. My friends used to like my analysis. Political analysis started in my life too early. I got my best friend too admitted as we were inseparables. That time a grand meeting of ABVP took place in Vijayawada. We were deputed to represent our town wing along wih few others. First day morning session over, post dinner, we were asked to sleep on mats in a big hall. After sometime, I got a doubt where Mr. Naidu was. I asked the organizers. He was resting in an AC Hotel. I told them frankly that either he should sleep in the hall or we should be sent to hotel too. There was commotion. People started speaking discipline. I said if the leader was not disciplined, we had no need. The hall was divided into two wings. I do not know what happened. But we were asked to leave. We packed and left to our town. Later we were removed from ABVP. But the incident had no bearing on my Congress love.  Analyzing everything became part of my life.

 

భీమా సంస్థలో ట్రైనింగు అయి పోగానే సరెండర్స్ అనే సెక్షన్లో వేశారు. 12 ఫైళ్ళు ఇచ్చారు. పక్క వాళ్ళ దగ్గర నేర్చుకున్నాను. ఆ రోజు 4 గంటల వరకూ పట్టింది. రెండో రోజు 12 గంటల కల్లా పని అయి పోయింది. ఆఫీసరు కిచ్చాను. ఇంకా చేస్తావా అని అడిగాడు. అవుననన్నాను. ఇంకో 20 ఇచ్చాడు. ఇది పక్క సెక్షన్లో కమ్యూనిస్ట్ యూనియన్ వాళ్ళకి తెలిసింది. కోప్పడ్డారు. నీ లాగా మేము పని చేస్తే మీకు ఉద్యోగాలు వస్తాయా? నువ్వు పెండింగు పెడితే ఇంకొంతమందికి ఉద్యోగాలొస్తాయి అని గీతోపదేశం  చేశారు. (తరువాత వచ్చిన యమ గోల సినిమాలో "మేము పని చెయ్యం, ఇంకోళ్ళని చెయ్యనివ్వం అని రామా రావు చెప్తాడు. పశ్చిమ బెంగాలులో ఇది ఇప్పటికీ నడుస్తుంది). ఏం చేస్తాం. మరునాటి  నుంచీ రెండు గంటలు బయటా, రెండు గంటలు సీట్లో అలవాటు చేసుకున్నాను.తరువాత నెమ్మదిగా బస్ స్టాపుల్లో నిలబడటం అందమైన అమ్మాయిలని చొంగ కార్చుకుంటూ చూడడం, 11 గంటలకి (అప్పుడు రాక పోతే సెలవు పెట్టాలి) రావడం అలవాటయ్యింది. ఇక్కడే  ఇంకో ఐదుగురు నా లాటి యూనియన్  బాధితులు తగిలారు. అందరం బస్ స్టాపుల్లో తిరిగే వాళ్ళం. ప్రొబేషన్ అయి పొయ్యాక కొత్త పద్ధతి కనుక్కున్నాం. అక్కడికి దగ్గర్లో మీర టాకీసు. వారానికి కొత్త సినిమా. ప్రతి వారం సంతకం పెట్టడం, పక్క సెక్షన్లో పని ఉందని నాలుగు చిత్తు కాగితాలు పట్టుకుని సినిమా చూసి, లంచ్  చేసి వచ్చి గంటలో పని పూర్తి చేసే వాళ్ళం. కొన్నాళ్ళయ్యాక సెక్షన్ మార్చారు. ఇది ప్రీమియంస్. ఇక్కడ ఒక షీటు ఇచ్చే వారు. జర్నలు. దాంట్లో పాలిసీ  నంబర్లుండేవి. అవి చూసి లెడ్జర్లలో  తేదీ వ్రాయడం, నంబర్ సరి చూసుకుని. 250 కోటా. మొదటి రోజు అర గంటలో పని అయ్యి పోయింది. జీతాలు పెరుగుతూనే ఉన్నాయి. లాభం లేదనిపించిది. రెండో రోజు 1000, మూడో రోజు 2000, ఇలా 10,000 వరకూ వెళ్ళాను. ఆ సెక్షనుకి ఒక ముస్లిం సెక్షన్ హేడ్ ఉండేవాడు. ఆఫీసరుకి చెప్పాడు. తొందరగా  చేస్తున్నాడు, తప్పులు పోతాయని. యూనియన్ వాళ్ళొచ్చారు. నా ఇష్టం అని చెప్పాను. ఆఫీసరు మీద అరిచి వెళ్ళారు. అప్పుడు దైవ సహాయం అని మళయాలీ ఆఫీసరు. వాళ్ళ ఎదురుగా నన్ను కోప్పడి "నువ్వు ఎదిరించ దలచుకుంటే రేపు 15,000 చెయ్యి. నేను అండగా ఉంటాను. అని చెప్పాడు. చేశాను. ముకుందన్ అని డివిషనల్ మేనేజర్ నన్ను పిలిచి నన్ను పిలిచి నా సర్వీసులో ఎవరూ చెయ్య లేని పని చెశావోయ్  అన్నారు. అంతే. వేల మంది పని చేసే ఆఫీసులో నా పేరు మోగింది . నా బ్యాచులో నలుగురూ కూడా యూనియన్ కి ఎదురు తిరిగారు. మొత్తం మారి పోయింది. కోటా సిస్టం గోవిందా. దాని తరువాత జే ఆర్ కే మూర్తి అనే ఆఫీసరు వచ్చాడు. ఆయన నన్ను తన ఆంతరంగికుడిగా చేసుకున్నాడు. అప్పట్లో ఎంప్లాయ్మెంట్ ఆఫీసు నుంచి కొంత మందిని 90 రోజుల సర్వీసు మీద తీసుకునే వారు. ఎక్కవ మంది మా సెక్షనుకే వచ్చారు. వాళ్ళకి నన్ను బాసుని  చేశాడు.  రోజూ మా సాయుబు గారితో తగాదేనే. అందర్నీ చెడగొడుతున్నాడు. ఇలా అయితే పని అంతా అయి పోతుంది. నన్ను ట్రాన్స్ఫర్  చేస్తారు అని. ముష్టి యుద్ధాల దాకా వెళ్ళేది. కుర్ర బ్యాచ్ అంతా నా వెనకాలే. అప్పుడే ఇద్దరు అమ్మాయిలు మమ్మల్ని పెళ్ళి చేసుకొమ్మని అడిగారు. రోజూ లంచ్ లు, గిఫ్టులు ఇలా ఇచ్చి ప్రసన్నం చేసుకోవాలని చూసే వారు. ఆ జీవితమే జీవితం. ఏ సెక్షన్ కెళ్ళినా చాలా మర్యాదగ చూసే వాళ్ళు, పని చెయ్యడం ఇష్టం లేని వాళ్ళు చాలా తక్కువ మంది. ఎదిరించే ధైర్యం ఎవరికీ ఉండేది కాదు. నేను మొదలు పెట్టాక, యూనియన్  కేవలం మీటింగులకే పరిమిత మయ్యింది. సంవత్సరంలో నేను, నేనుగా గుర్తించ బడ్డాను. పొట్టి రెబెల్ గా.

 

After the fifteen days’ oral training, I was allotted to Surrenders’ section. I was given 12 files, the quota for the day. I learned the calculations from seniors and I completed work by 4’o clock. Next day, by 12’o clock I finished the work. I handed over the files to the officer. He asked whether I would do more. I took 20 more files and finished. News reached the communist union in the next section. They came and taught me Geeta. “If we worked fast like you, you would not have got job. If you work so fast there will be no pending work and no further recruitment. Hence, complete your quota and keep with you” Later in one Telugu picture, N.T.Ramarao says “We neither work nor allow others to work” after he establishes a union in hell and preaches the workers there how to avoid work. (Yama Gola). There was a rumor that this sentence was uttered by NTR on the spur of the moment and it became very famous. Even now, in West Bengal the same rule rules. From next day, I used to spend two hours in seat and two outside, depending on the load of work. Later, I started to spend time in bus stop till 10.30 AM looking at girls getting into busses and dreaming. I used to reach office by 11’o clock, the time at which they used to mark absent. (Even though there was 10- minute rule and if we crossed it two times, leave was marked, officers were not daring to implement it. Such was the grip of unions those days.) Here only, I got acquainted with five more guys. We used to be called “Agraharam Batch” as all were Brahmins. We used to be together wherever we went. We used to loiter in bus stops and reach at 11 AM. After confirmation, we devised a new strategy. There was one talkies nearby, where pictures used to change every week. We used to sign, take some scrap in hand as if we had some work in the other section, go to the picture, have lunch and finish work by evening and go home. Spending time idly at that age was horrendous experience. If we read books, it came under indiscipline. This was discipline. (reason why country is like this). After few days I was shifted to Premiums Section, Ledger Department. At 10’o clock the section head, a Muslim, used to hand over a sheet containing policy numbers, name, amount paid and date of payment. Huge ledgers were in large cup boards and, we were provided with high chairs to reach to the top. We have to compare details and write date in the ledger. The quota was 250. First day, I completed it in half an hour. Our salaries were on the rise continuously. There was no work to do. I decided one day, I had to break the jinx. I did 1000 postings, next day 2000 and I reached up to 10,000 postings one day. My section head got panicked. He complained to the officer that doing so fast I might commit errors. He asked him to verify. Union people came and bombarded the office. Mr. Divasahayam, the officer, cajoled them by saying he would advise me and advised me to reach 15,000. My friends too opposed the quota system and the union. The quota system failed. Many followed us and were doing work as much as they can. Lazy guys continued with old practice. At that time we got a new officer, MR.JRK Murthy. He made me his close aide. At that time, recruitment of temporary hands was being done by LIC for 90 days. Many used to come to our section. I was made in charge of them by-passing my immediate boss. I was guiding them to do the maximum turn out. This led to daily arguments with my boss. One day, in anger I threw the journal on his face and he made a big issue. He wanted my immediate suspension. Our Divisional Manager, Mr. Mukundan, called me and congratulated and with his usual tact saw the issue was resolved.

During this period only, two girls proposed marriage to me. They were giving gifts, lunch to me. (Don’t worry. My wife met them after they were married. She knows all my life stories). I became a talking point. Many used to show lot of love and respect to me. Many employees were willing to work more but were afraid of the strong arm tactics of unions.  Within a year, I was recognized on my merit and on my size, as a little rebel.

 

మన జీవితంలో మనకున్న ఒకే ఒక్క గౌరవం మనమేంటో ప్రక్క వాళ్ళు గుర్తించడం. నా విషయంలో అది అక్షరాలా నిజమయ్యింది. నా జీవితమే ఓ సందేశమయ్యింది. వ్యవస్థకు ఎదురు తిరగల్సిందే అనే నా పట్టుదల ఇంకా పెరిగింది. గర్వమూ పెరుగుతుంది కదా?

 

“The only respect we have in life is our neighbors and co-workers recognizing our worth” My life became a message. My resolve to oppose the system multiplied. With it my self-pride and arrogance too! Two sides of the coin.

 

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