Lucknow Diary -An act of self defence

It was spring of 1990 .The last year of my service at Alambag Army School as Math professor ,a place where I invested my life.Saw 35 years of pure knowledge with a tinge of sorrow,pain,smile and most importantly, saw the rise and fall of fortunes that students made for themselves ,for their family and country.

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Next day ,I took it easy as Nita said.While taking a stroll to see the construction of our new Railway colony home I found a letter lying around my courtyard.It read ..

To

Amol Gupta
Makan no 7,Railaway Colony
Alam bag - Lucknow
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It was my daughter's letter she wanted me and my wife to visit her home in Sydney after my retirement.I somehow promised her years back that I will bring mummy to your home,once school's over.We still had to think over our trip and my promise.I was pushing it over for next summer.Maybe because I loved my country.I knew what I would do after my school,I would study Indian politics.Yes,I was one of those enthusiast who would mug up 3-4 newspapers everyday and brag about their knowledge of this upcoming popular subject in Indian community.Polity was my subject when I was preparing for civil services although I couldn't get through but I knew I loved it and can dig deeper into the subject.

Few years back I had a strong feeling that India is going to change.Change for good ,change under this visionary man - Rajiv Gandhi.I saw fire in his eyes when he addressed Indians,he said powerful words.. going for glory with every speech he made for us.Indian National Congress were indeed witnessing best years of there existence as a unified party ever since Independence.And we Indians needed nothing but just that.But not to forget if someone loves you ,then hate is around the corner too.Those haters took his life away.Yes they killed him.

As a teacher I was disheartened and disappointed, even though I was older but I felt I lost my young tutor, who promised to change my country's destiny or to think the other way I lost my best student. I politely told my wife that night -"I never told you who my best student na Nita, he is a martyr now". "Acha woh kaun hai,aj kuch hua kya school mein ?" I continued "Nahi, his name was Rajiv Gandhi.I don't know when the youth will rise now, maybe after ages ab". My wife laughed over and always asked me to take it easy with the political drama around.

But reason I was concerned,was I wanted my students who were mostly 13-18 years old , to have an icon to follow.To have someone they can rest their hopes upon.I often after class told them stories about motivational leaders world had.One such  man was no more now.

Picked up the letter,read the conditions that my daughter wrote down.Smiled and started to walk back home.Nita was waiting for this,after my granddaughter was born ,I too was worried at times for Nitya of how she would be dealing with everything all alone.But she was a strong kid.

As I walked I ran into one of my student I vaguely remembered him,but as he approached further and greeted me I was sure he was Veer of the 85 batch.The notorious Veer.How can any teacher on earth possibly forget him.Not often I remembered notorious students but Veer created a scene in school during his time which I can't forget.

He was involved in a broom fight between two sections that went so furious that he accidentally went on hitting the principal.First he converted a simple paper ball fight into a pen throwing fight.And when the mastermind Veer thought this is not enough he broke into school's janitor room and brought some 10-11 broom sticks and became a weapon supplier for other boys of his section.Ahh created a havoc that day.

I remembered the last scene of that epic incident that was the talk of the town for days,thanks to the aimless local media that covered the news,in next morning's daily denting Army School's reputation also I was there standing over at corridor.And he was about to hit the principal but stoped and quickly said "Sir sorry sir" , breathing heavily he continued "Sir this was just an act of self defense,please forgive just an act of self defense nothing else".And smiled before the principal smacked him and asked him to stop talking.It made me laugh then.

Veer greeted me with a bright smile.I asked him "Kya kar rahe ho ajkal,padhai likhai karte ho ya bass matar-ghasti pehle ki tarah".Spontaneous as expected he was."Namaste sir ,nahi nahi karta hn na Engineering nikal li hai abhi MBA ke exam diye the selection nahi hua hai." I got the hint when he said 'engineering nikal lia hai' that he must have barely passed. .I asked a serious question from a person in his youth and as stupid as Veer "Kuch banna hai Kuch banogey kabi ".His reply came with billion dollar smile "Banunga na sir banunga bilkul banunga"and I chose to walk away.But he greeted me back and enquired if I was going to live in the neighborhood. I asked "..why do you live here ? " he said cheerfully  "yes yes my house is right here at the corner of the road" he added "Ajaiye sir maza aega".Somehow I smiled again.Thinking its only good to visit Nitya in Australia than to see our youth wasting their time here in India.


We were there for almost 6 years, my son Himanshu shifted in Brisbane.We used to visit India only for over short periods. When we came in 1997 for Nitya's cousin's wedding ,we decided to check upon our Railway Colony home.Plus we thought we can get to meet our new tenant the Prabhakar's and also re-live our Lucknow days.As soon as I reached Lucknow the breeze of fresh air that was just the same fell upon me.My town was just the same.

There was a letter addressed to my new tenant lying at the same courtyard.I imagined by now letters must have had a nice friendship with the grass around, where they always made their first touch down.But with internet and emails these days,it would have been tough.It was some LIC policy.

That read

LIC -Life Insurance

Vedh Prabakar
c/o Mr. Amol Gupta
Makan no 7,Railaway Colony
Cptn.Veer bhadra Road
Alam bag - Lucknow
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My tenet Prabakar came out to welcome me.We greeted.I said with smile "nothing has changed except the address line ".Prabhakar replied yes this road is renamed.I was left aback I didn't actually got what he said then or may be I thought after my name I didn't read the address line properly.I re-read it -"Cptn.Veer Bhadra Road".And while Prabhakar went on narrating the story of a boy from this colony named Veer Bhadra Singh who was martyr at Kargil war and in his memory this road was renamed... I stood there in utter silence and disbelieve.Misjudging the youth of India and remembering nothing but those words Veer said that day "Banunga na Sir banunga... "

I looked upon the sky and said "Bangya tu yar.." from an act of self defense that boy went on to be a fearless leader for his country.I knew when I will go back ,I will tell Nita who my second best student was- a martyr perhaps Captain Veer Bhadra of Army School Alambag!!

RClouds

PS-Inspired by true events.