But, there happened a very significant revolution in my school (most famous school in Dharwad) sometime in June of 1987. It is sad that historians failed to record it. But, as long as people like me are there to relive that revolution through platforms like dharwad.com, it is well preserved and cherished.
We were just making our entry into the last year in the school. Natural revolutionary sprit was very much alive in us. Teenage rebellion spirit was almost overflowing. We had just finished 9th standard in which we studied French and American revolutions in detail. It might have been a coincidence. But, I never thought we were going to stage a revolution so soon.
We had just obtained our new uniforms and started wearing them to school. One fine day, after the prayer, physical education teacher dropped a bombshell. He announced that the schoolteachers had unanimously agreed to ban full-length-pants (a.k.a. full pants) for uniforms and everybody (luckily only boys though) had to wear half-pants (a.k.a. chonna or chaddi). We were totally aghast for a moment. Full pants were not allowed only till 7th standard and subsequently one could wear either full pants or half pants. I felt it was going to be really tough especially for us who had spent two prior years wearing full pants. In that process we had concealed majority of the physical changes taking place as part of the growing process. I was very sure that majority of us were going to have strong withdrawal symptoms to quit full pants and wear half pants.
It did not take much time for us to find out whose conspiracy it was. It was our physical education teacher who was increasingly getting concerned about students becoming more and more physically inactive. I do not know what on the earth made him to think that way. He had a strong conviction that the poor full pant was the culprit. To be honest, majority of the students wore such lose pants not because they wanted to remain too comfortable but wanted to accommodate future changes in their bodies. But, that teacher had lobbied too much for the legislation and he got that approved by the headmaster who was anyway going to retire in a few days from then. Headmaster was a nice person. But, I don’t know what itched him and where it itched. He had signed the resolution brought about by the PE teacher.
Well, we came into the classroom. There were at least half a dozen guys who had over grown in my class itself. There were many more in other divisions. I could not imagine those guys, already looking like full-blown men, trying to wear shorts and coming to a co-ed school. That was certainly not going to do any good to the girls’ population in general. One amongst them was always a messiah of students and he started venting out his anger at the resolution passed by the school. Soon many guys joined their voices. There was only a handful of students who did not have any opinion at all. I guess they were so obedient that they would have come even in Hanuman Langoti if they were ordered to do so. Thank God, they were really in small number.
So, we decided to go to headmaster and talk the issue out with him. Girls were uncontrollably giggling at the new legislation. I did not know what was up on their mind. But, who did not want some free fun and excitement? If the characters on the posters in their bedrooms could make into classrooms, which girl did not want that?
We guys felt butterflies in our tummies. We had to start soon. Otherwise notorious English teacher MA of KARAMA triplet could come in any time. Once he came and roared at the top of his voice, I was sure nobody was going to raise his tail for next couple of days.
The leaders first thought only they would go and talk to the headmaster. But, we guys told we too would join them and show our strength and unity to the headmaster. Our leaders agreed and asked one final question. What were we going to do if our demand for full pant was not accepted? One and the strongest opinion came from the back – "We will wear half pants if girls wore Martina skirts". "Well said" I thought, trying to see if any girl heard that. It did not seem like anyone heard. At least whom I wanted to hear exhibited a sort of an intelligent dumbness. Martina skirts, you know it right? Short skirts that woman tennis players wear. That was the era of Martina Navratilova and hence the name Martina skirt. Even today it would be Martina skirt. But, for Martina Hingis.
We followed our leaders walking out of the class. We did not realize that a bigger resentment was brewing in other classes and divisions. They all wanted just a spark to explode and as soon as they saw us marching towards headmaster’s room their enthusiasm burst out and they came out as well. Most probably all divisions of 10th and 9th standards had joined together on a common cause, probably, for the first time. Roughly 350-400 hot headed semi-young men.
As we marched towards headmaster’s office, many teachers were awestruck. Some teachers asked one of the leaders what was happening. He just fumed, hissed and scared them beyond comprehension.
There was this stupidest peon who also used to do all sorts of petty chores ranging from getting tea to guarding headmaster. He tried to inquire what was happening and why so many people were crowding near headmaster’s office. Believe me, the crowed, which poured in from the small door in the main hall, literally bulldozed him. Later, I found him busy adjusting his dhothi, which was mangled, when he was manhandled. He deserved it as he used to put unnecessary vibes on small kids. I wished his dhothi was torn apart and he was made to run in his multiple-stripes-patta-patti underwear holding the laces tightly.
Our leaders entered headmaster’s (fondly known as RT) room and some of us stood outside and some inside. Headmaster did not require any introduction about our march. We told him on his face that such a thing was totally unacceptable. I really suspect if headmaster had any real intentions of enforcing that rule. It seems to me, today, that he just wanted to enact one such stupid legislation and the revoke it later. Probably he thought he would get the best farewell for any departing headmaster. Whatever may be the reason, headmaster listened to us, as he always did. He did not argue on anything. But, he questioned why we did not want to come wearing chonnas. Our leaders got a bit irritated and told him that the reason was obvious. He let out a sick joke by asking if we would wear chaddis then. Nothing unusual as he was a king of PJs. We wanted to make him feel good so we wholeheartedly (!??!) laughed at his joke. He assured us that he would consider what best could be done. One important thing was that neither did we ask him nor he told what was the reason behind letting us go scot-free for two previous years wearing full pants.
We returned to our classes. We saw dreaded MA waiting for us at the door. Our batch was a real lucky batch. MA had mellowed down beyond any belief. He had stopped disfiguring faces of the students. You can still probably see many pathetic guys with plastic-surgery-immediately-required faces roaming around in Malmaddi. MA had perfected his punches on their faces. Some may even be having, undetected, Parkinson’s disease as well. MA had suddenly become very docile. He hardly bashed up any student. He hardly mutilated any outside thug teasing our in-house beauty queens. He hardly scolded anybody. It was a total transformation like sage Vaalmiki transforming from a dacoit to a saint. Valmiki eventually went on to write Ramayana. Just to rhyme it up here I hope MA did not transform to eventually write Kaamayana !!!!
Whole day was very tense. Stud guys were literally restless. Couple of regular after-four-period-run-home guys ran home after the second period itself. Probably tension was unbearable for them and I am sure some went to lobby with their parents.
We did not anticipate any decision from the headmaster very soon. But, to our surprise, headmaster announced next day that only 10th class students would be allowed to wear full pants but rest all should adopt chonnas. We were exhilarated. Stud guys boasted that their clout made it possible. I know, if headmaster wanted, he could have made us come even in chaddis let alone chonnas. Only thing he had to do was to pass on a message to Eveready-to-scare-shit-out-of-guys, scary, gigantic, monolithic, rowdy MA. Every time MA roared studs got quiet for a couple of weeks.
Majority of my classmates did not bother about our juniors. 9th standard guys were the ones badly hit. They had addicted to full pants and they were required to quit it just cold turkey. I pitied them. Our revolution ended just like the Indian revolution, partially successful. India got freedom but also got divided. In our case, we were let to clothe in full but our juniors were stripped to half. Literally gang stripped. What an irony !!!!
I looked at the physical education teacher for any visible expressions on his face. He looked to me like last Viceroy of British Raj, Lord Mountbatten. He was happy that he could have the majority of the students in chonnas and thus strive hard to make ace athletes. Also was he sad that our campaign had worked.
For 8th standard students it did not become an issue at all. They probably had worn full pants only for a couple of days and were ready to get stripped by all means. 9th class boys probably felt molested.
Like any other disciplinary action, this also washed away very soon. People gradually started wearing full pants and eventually everybody was wearing them in no time. Yey!!!! Yey!!!!!!. But, cloth merchants, tailors and readymade shop folks made some business as 8th and 9th standard students bought at least one chonna each. Some sincere, religious boys might have bought more than one chonnas. Later what happened to those chonnas when full pant was reinstated unofficially? I wish we could have donated them to all those who had lobbed for chonnas.
Our school was always a better place without much painful, unwarranted discipline. But, from time to time some nasty bug used to bite some ever crazy people in their UFO (make your own expansion for UFO) resulting is such mindless, harassing, meaningless legislations. Actually official uniform was complete only if one wore khaki chonna, white shirt, belt with a buckle with our school’s emblem on it, a badge, white socks and a pair of white shoes. At the most people wore a chonna and a shirt and came to school sporting a variety of footwear ranging from mason shoes (in Kannada goundy bootu) to Nike sneakers. PE teacher used to persuade and somehow succeed in getting 30% of the students to wear full uniforms at least on inspection days to protect and promote the image of the school, which was by all means intact with dozens of ranks that our studs used to get every year.
COURTESY:Bra-H-Min
www.dharwad.com/nimmaputa/revolution.html
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