Nurungukal..contd....

  The success of Railways depend on its efficiency in time and space management. Other wise the whole network would have been in shambles. The enormity of the volume of traffic dealt each day is beyond the comprehension of any outsider. Even before the advent of modern gadgets the movements of trains and handling of passengers and goods were managed with utmost safety. This was because of the discipline it maintained in its human resource management. The hierarchy of power and duties was so water tight that any lapse attracted severe punishment in service and salary. The dress code is another example. It always made you conscious of your position.

  Coming back to Coimbatore goods yard life, I noticed that far beyond the procedures in dealing goods movements, there was a humane factor which even the administration was ignoring. It is about the roll played by a set of women who toiled day in and out to keep the premises clean and tidy. Each day many types of goods viz. Grains,pulses, fertiliser, cements,machinery etc and scores of other consumables were dealt. The spillage from them if not removed in time can cause hygienic problems. But the group of women who although find a living by gathering the spill over  materials were not in the rolls of the railways. Yet they were an inevitable part. From dawn to dusk they are on their duty collecting and cleaning and leave the premises with hand full of their days toil to make a living. Many of them were mothers. Their children will be in slumber in a cloth cradle hung on the branches of a rain tree unconcerned about the dirty and dusty atmosphere. Their elder ones would be playing in the shade to keep company. Education was their second priority. Occasionally the mother would feed them. I used to wonder  weather their emaciated body could produce enough milk or not ?. Some of them used to run errands for the staff for petty considerations. I have come across such a lot in every goods yard, even in kerala. I m not sure weather the conditions have changed now.......contd...

Nurungukal...contd...

       After successfully completing my training I was pushed into the main stream of Southern Railways.  My first posting was in Coimbatore goods yard. It was a different world altogether. I could not at first find any relationship with what I was taught in Trichy and what was in vogue in the goods yard. The volume of the transactions was very huge. I was amazed to see how adept was my senior under whom I was asked to function, in handling each situation. Each day many waggons were unloaded and loaded. It was handled by a contractor, whom I noticed was more knowledgeable than me. He has acquired it due to his long standing connection with Railways. The manual of operations implemented by Railway administration gave no scope for malpractice. Still the chances of manipulations were created by some cunning staff.

          In an interval of every five hour or so sets of waggons were placed for unloading. The contractor has to finish the operation within the stipulated free time. Other wise he will have to pay demorage[late fee] and if prolonged for days it will attract wharfage also. So the noting of the time of placement is an important job and it has to tally with the records of the shunting log. There were separate lines for dealing  whole loads,in which there will be only a single consignment and smalls containing goods from different stations addressed to separate consignees. Before dealing a waggon we have to verify the seals are intact or not. If the seals are found to be tampered or missing a message has to be sent to the sender station after verifying the contents, about the damages if found any. The marking on the packages has a code of practise. First the code of the sender station then below the invoice number, below it the no. of packages and at the bottom the code of the destination station. To decipher the code is an art which has to be acquired by experience. Even from the style of writing [marking]  one can  identify the sender station.Some waggons will reach with a support seal especially when the consignment was transhipped en route due to some reasons. Here also the unloading station staff have to be extra cautious, otherwise  for any damage or loss he will be held responsible. The railway manual is very specific about the code of practise to be adopted in each eventuality and ensure that there will not be any loss of revenue due to negligence. In my seven years of service I had to face one or two enquiries for such negligence and forsake increments in my salary !!. With all these drawbacks a day in a busy good shed was event full and challenging. I loved it because it sharpened your senses and each day passed with a satisfying note. ...contd.

Nurungukal....contd.....

   But on that fateful day Muniyandi’s father lost his grip on the hump of the running animal and slipped on to the wet mud road. There was a sigh from the crowd. Usually the bull ran forward to escape from its pursuers but this one turned back and charged. Muniyandi’s father could not stand on his feet and he was writhing in pain as the injury caused by the hooves of the heavy bull had broken one of this thigh bones. And before the crowd could extricate him from the bull it had pierced its sharp horn well into his torso damaging the lungs and heart. May be the animal would have been taking a revenge for all the agony it had suffered so far. They could not save his life. Muniyandi was about eight years old at that time.

       Years passed and the pond would have been filled and emptied many a time.The widowed mother struggled hard to take care of her child. In the process Mniyandi had to drop out from the school. When the two was in dire need of money they raised petty loans from a pawn broker who visited the village every weekend. And gradually the money lender and the widow became closer and closer. The relationship culminated in their marriage. But the hitch was that they were of different castes and the villagers refused to sanctify the relationship. The result was that they were ordered to leave the village. There was no choice to Muniyandi but to accompany them as he loved his mother so much. Nobody knew their where abouts and after knowing this story I never had the inclination to enjoy the sunset on the banks of that pond. But occasionally I even now felt his presence and heard the flute while relaxing in similar surroundings!!!.

Nurungukal...contd..

    Jallikettu in Trichy area is a popular sport. More than a sport people celebrated it as a festival. Rich landlords in the area nurtured and maintained huge Kangayam bulls exclusively for participating them in Jellikettu. There used to exist long standing feuds between families on this sport. So, each of them spent lavishly for grooming ferocious bulls. Similarly a few youngsters or even middle aged men who are strong and agile participated in this sport with the main objective to win the prices.

    Between the horns of the bulls the price money will be secured, which the person subduing the animal can take. It may be a few rupees or gold coins. The value will depend on the ferocity of the bull or the status of the owner. The bulls with the price money between their sharp horns will be locked in a narrow enclosure and will be mercilessly  provoked by smearing chilly powder in their eyes and nostrils and pocking them in vulnerable portions of their boy with sharp pins. The poor animal will be virtually writhing in pain and trying to escape from the torture using all its energy. When it is at its peak, the animal will be let loose and it will jump from the clutches of the torturers into a jeering crowd who will mercilessly start beating to provoke it further. Then it will run for its life smashing,  kicking, hissing and goring whoever confronts it. At this moment the men try gallantly to subdue the animal. We can witness a struggle between the man and the animal which invariably ends in either the animal shackling from the clutches, or the man snatching the price money or an injury, some time fatal to the intruder. There had been many cases of deaths when the ferocious animal charge into the jeering crowd. Muniyandy’s father was such an adventurer who used to regularly participate in Jellikettu and win the price money , but.............contd.

Nurungukal....contd..

   I was away from Trichy for a fortnight in connection with the last ceremonies of my father. My mind was in doldrums. I longed for solitude. My only choice in Trichy was the banks of the pond about which I mentioned in my last post. The cool breeze was once again caressing me and I felt consoled. I sat there till the last bit of sun descended behind the hillock. There was no sign of Muniyandi or his herd and I returned to hostel in dismay. For the next two days I was busy with a practical training and could not go to the pond. Next day I took one of my fellow trainees for a company and waited for Muniyandi. The sound of the hooves and cries of the cattle became audible. I was so happy about the impending reunion. But as the herd came closer and closer It was not the familiar silhouette of the boy I knew.  As usual the cattle headed to the water, but my friend did not come to me . He was sitting on the other bank and I walked to him to say hello. To my surprise the lad was not Muniyandi. When I enquired about my friend he narrated a story which felt me desolate.....contd

Nurungukal...contd...

  It was my pastime to stray into the nearby village in Trichy very often. There was a large man made rain water harvesting pond. It was a mud dam. The water was used for irrigation,also as a source of  drinking water to the cattle and for washing, bathing etc. It looked like a fairly big lake. Surrounded by hillocks and vast stretches of fields. The North East monsoon replenished it every year. In summer it was almost dry and the mud at the bottom cracked to form a pattern.

 In the evenings I used to enjoy the magnificent sun set behind the hillocks after colouring the water in the pond into a pool of orange. The little waves produced by the gentle breeze made its surface look like a velvety carpet. A king fisher or an egret will keep me engaged to watch their agility.

  But before the sun set I used to have the company of a herd of cattle returning home after grazing in the adjacent fields. The sound of their hooves and cries in different notes while running to the water front can be heard from a distance. And behind them there will be Muniyandi with his long stick waving in the air, in his long shirt which would cover well below his knees shouting to the herd to take correct directions. Once the cattle settle down to quench their thirst he will come to me for a chat. He was shy when we first met but within a  a few days we became friends and exchanged pleasantries freely. A lad who enjoyed his destiny which was not of his choice. He was forced by circumstances to drop out from the school when he lost his father while he was in third class and since then he was the only support to his young mother. Our conversation often made in roads into his life and every time I was sad about his future. He might be of fifteen or sixteen years old when we met. He was a good flutist. Always carried one with him. His herd of cattle responded to his calls and tunes. But for his attire he had ample similarities to Ambadi Kannan. He was dark in colour, had an enchanting smile ,agile and popular among the damsels in the village !. It was my first encounter with a lad who was so much resourceful and I craved to help him some way..contd..

Nurungukal ...contd...

  My days in Trichy as a Trainee in Southern Railways taught me several lessons which were use full in my later life. First and foremost was that the responsibilities of an employee. Understanding of my position in an hierarchy and the implications of discipline. I knew very well that my bread winning job was at stake any time if I failed to fulfil the above, more so as I was a probationer.

  The second lesson was about my commitment to the society. I became aware that I was a product of the society and I was called upon to satisfy certain obligations as long as I derived a livelihood from the social economy.

  The third was about how I dealt with my fellow beings.

  Th interesting fact was that the Tamilian culture was so rich to provide an answer to all the above. And I felt happy that my grooming took place in such an ambiance.

  In Trichy my sympathy towards the fellow human beings grew to greater heights as I watched the Rock Fort, built many many years ago in the sweat and blood of thousands and thousands of sculptors and fellow toilers. The majestic and towering edifice, although envisaged and culminated by powerful dynasties had failed to leave behind any trace of the pathos suffered by their subjects. Now knowingly or unknowingly we stand blissfully before these monuments . Remnants of despotism.I feel the simplicity and humility of a Tamilian can subdue the ethos of such creativity. I will remember Trichy for the farmers, vegetable shanties, long stretches of paddy and sugar cane fields, the sweet Rasthali plantains, tasteful milk, women hawkers, bullock carts and the crystal clear water in Kavery freely flowing with a tingling melody and many many such natural expressions.

Nurungukal....contd....

   My joy found new bounds when I finally joined the post in Southern Railways on 8th jan. 1963. The hostel accommodation for the trainees was arranged in an old bungalow  which was once upon a time used by a British officer. It was a big one with spacious rooms, a dancing floor, surrounded by wide and airy veranda. The windows and doors very large having arrangements for letting in air even when they were in closed position.This was new to me. The floor of most of the rooms were wooden and it was cool inside. Some rooms had attractive chandeliers and fans which were swung manually by servants by a rope. But the ropes were missing and the chandeliers were blind. The bungalow was known by a name ‘Chummery’ and it stood in grandeur in the middle of a large compound. On the one side there were quarters for the servants, a stable and a kitchen which was connected with the bungalow by a covered and secured corridor. But altogether it had a dilapidated look as Railway's maintenance was poor and careless. More over alterations on the main structure diminished its proud past.  A few huge mango and neem trees provided shade and inside it was very salubrious, which may be due to the abundant ventilation through the doors and windows and secondly because of the height of the roof.

   I was provided a cement bench on the veranda. Many other trainees were also accommodated similarly. It was facing a baron land and a cool breeze blew day and night. There was plentiful supply of Kavery water and we used to enjoy a common bath under overhead showers. Later I came to know that only we had the supply of fresh and soft water and others had to satisfy with hard water. There was a canteen which provided homely food as it was managed by a Keralite. Pure and fresh boiled cow’s milk was available almost any time. We used to enjoy one or two glasses along with a ‘rasthali’ plantain, very sweet and stuffy. My main pastime was to wander into the nearby village. Vast stretches of paddy and sugar cane fields spread over acres and acres of land always fascinated me. In the middle of such land scapes a hamlet existed. The land lord who possessed the adjacent lands lived in a rather big mansion on the one end and the rest mainly the labour class occupied both side of the street leading to the mansion. This was the common pattern in the surrounding villages also. They were very gentle ,polite, loving and respected values. Also they were committed to their profession. The bond between them was intimate which I think was the driving force to build a strong agrarian economy, although if we look from outside we can identify grave imbalances. I hope that by now they might have managed to build an egalitarian society.

Nurungukal....contd....

    There was not much luggage I carried to Trichy. I had stuffed most of my things in the hold haul and the remaining , a pair of khakky pants, white shirts which was the uniform dress for the trainees and one or two shirts and dhotis, under garments and my certificates, appointment order etc. were kept in an iron trunk. This trunk bought from Ponani was with me for quite some years but had to abandon for the sake of convenience and style. Even now my wife is fond of preserving her old clothes with the help of naphthalene balls in such trunks but bigger in size. When I get the smell of these balls I feel even now the presence of a wooden box which my mother had , in which she kept our property documents [ ezhuthu petty  ].

        Those days the travel was not much organised. We never bothered about reservation of accommodation. In fact I preferred to travel in a general compartment , because the co travellers used to be more friendly and informal.  Very soon all will be immersed in intense conversation about subjects of common interests. My mother was an expert in entering into such pleasantries. As soon as she settles down she would  throw a smile to the one next to her. Then a few remarks about wheather and followed by enquiries about the purpose of the journey and family connections. Very soon she may be able to carry a few of the co passengers along with her and there after she becomes vociferous till the end of the travel. She used to be comfortable with people from other states also  as she can handle with ease Tamil and Hindi. For me her company was very absorbing hilarious.

       I had to change the train from Erode and by next day noon reached Trichy. It was my first journey for such long distance . I did not get sleep as it was a passenger train and passengers got in and out at each stop and I had my seat on the floor near to the window. Trichy was a busy station . I was not equipped to handle Tamil. But managed to reach the Railway hostel [chummery]. Cycle rikshaw was the main mode of transport. It was altogether a new experience. The first thing I noticed was the dress pattern of the women and girls. All teen agers were in pavadai and dhavani and elders wore check saries and very colour full blouse. All of them had smeared turmeric on their face. Their earrings and bangles were very catchy. Kanagambaram and jasmine garlands were profusely tucked to their plait. Their gait , swaying delicately from side to side caught one’s eye. Many women carrying big baskets of vegetables, fruits, flowers etc were hurrying to their destinations unconcerned about the rest. The aroma of boiling ground nut oil pierced through my nostrils as we passed through narrow streets. Huge bullocks with long horns and high humps squat on the middle of the road without budging. So was the cows with  bulging udder slowly found their way from shop to shop in search of the remnants of vegetables. I was amidst a set of  strange characters and was in love with them at the first experience.