In my memorable days in St. Michaels Kannur, I have noted three batches of students, to be ever bright in memory for different reasons and no particular reason. I dont know whether it is in good taste to mention names truly and directly. So I am mentioning them in a way I have found efficient. It is better , I feel, to go chronologically. The first of this is MY senior most batch in SMS .sirrah k a was the leader.and nahomardnahc , the assistant. Here to make matters clear I have to give a version of the history of SMS that I have come to know after joining here. I wont say that it is THE history. It is a background that.I have gathered and felt satisfactory. I am taking this bail in advance making it clear that I am subject to correction. In the erstwhile Malabar [before 1956] SMS was a premier educational institution paying the employees a very high salary compared to the state schools [when the pay of state school teachers was Rs.80/ basic and college teachers were getting Rs 120/ the then SMS management was paying Rs. 125/- basic.] after formation of Keralam, there were many pay revisions in Indian schools making it reach Rs140/ while SMS pay scales remained Markandeya at 125. The teachers and other employees made a hue and cry that fell into ears made deaf because of the financial commitment involved. The management was getting only a lump-sum grant from government and not a full deficit grant. They had their reasons not to take full aid and come under government rules. The Education bill of 1958 of Keralam was making the management dangerously cautious I am not trying to make any judgment. The Managements of Anglo-Indian Schools had their justification in not taking government grant and coming under KER. The employees including we teachers lead by Sri TGMenon were not able to make the ends meet. We tried our best to take parents and the society at large into confidence by publishing statements in the press [ the services rendered in this respect for the sake of good values by Pamban Madhavan [congress leader, MLA, correspondent Mathrubhumi - our Madhavettan] Azhekkodan Raghavan [CPIM] , PPMukundan [CPI] and dozens of other people who were capable of opinion forming in society helped the KAISTA to create a momentum.....Yet nothing was precipitating. The peak-value [as in nuclear reactions] has not been arrived at. At that critical juncture the top leadership of the Union decided to take a morally not so justifiable [of those days] approach. The students lead by sirrah k a and nahomardnahc were taken into confidence and the situation was explained well to them. Their conscience was stirred and made very much favourable for for their teachers and themselves. In a short time students were on the war path demanding justice for the entire school system. Can anyone believe now?......Michaelates were ON STRIKE! THE SCHOOL WAS CLOSED lest there will be law and order situation! The student leader was there in Thiruvananthapuram meeting MLAs and Education Minister Sri Muhammed Koya. Question was raised by some MLA [unluckily I dont remember his name] Sri C.Achutha Menon , Chief Mininister, Keralam, took active personal interest in this matter. The State Law Department was asked to draft rules for A_I schools. with in a reasonable time. Many Managements, the teachers and other staff came under Education Rules of Kerala Subham! All is well that ends well! But who broke the back of the CAMEL? Factually, it was the sudden effective action taken by sirrah k a, nahomardnahc and other students........Michaelates! I wonder whether they knew what good they had done! [ to shade a Biblical style] to this system! NANDI AAROTU NJAAN CHOLLENDU!??! . .Note: History student in me says that if Fr. Kunnungal and Fr.Anthrepper { respectively Manager[Rector] and Headmaster} did not venture to bell the cat, suffering wold have laster longer. They working in Indian aided schools knew that governmental interference was a paper tiger with a toothless-bite.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 05:51:15 +0000
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