COMRADES PUNCH

I would love to site here an interesting incident which took place in my school days back in 2000. The school was Bhavans Vidhya Mandhir Irinjalakuda renouned for its discipline and strict rules and regulations.

Although there are a lot of memorable moments, I choose to write this one because I got of the present scenario in Kerala. Infact I was driven down to those memories, when I was paying my ears to pannyan raveendrans L D F campaign speech in Irinjalakuda.

This happened in 2000-2001 when Kerala was heading towards Legislative Assembly Elections. I was in 9th standard. The whole of Kerala was swept by this particular political fragrance. A perfect time for a 14er to get into such an ambience. And as you all know, I am a leftist, CPIM to be precise. It was neither because I got behind left ideology nor had I read Das Capital. But the entire environment around me was filled with a communist aroma. I always get to breathe that here. My family backgrounds do have an inclination towards leftist ideologies. I still remember kochettan(small brother) who was pretty active in door to door campaign along with the candidate in our assembly ward. And one day even I got a chance to be part of them. My sole duty was to write the election slips in all the houses which were the part of our campaign. Those moments are inexplicable. Especially when some girls gaze at you in amazement, they don’t expect a kid like me there with the a badge on pocket with the party symbol……I was in the top of the world….though when I look back today, I understood I was just a data entry guy….but still any one who works for cpim is a comrade-kochettan did tell once…So am I a comrade after all????

Bhavans environemnt was different…it was ulta there…I was the lone comrade (I love to call myself a comrade, rather than a mere supporter of the party) in my class….I don’t know the reason…most of them supported bjp and congress….i am speaking specifically about boys here…I still don’t know the reason why girls are never interested in politics…they were only interested in sharook khans,amir khans and other khans…or other stuffs like stamps or silly paper games(I wont deny the fact that I loved a few of those, especially-flame)……political maturity and social awareness….in both these, they take years to graduate…

I guess I have given a picture of my class…..like the recent ayodhya verdict….3 divisions, anti lefts (few boys-around 6-7), neutral rather politically ignorant girls and a few boys least bothered about politics and last but not the least the LONELY COMRADE (even today, when I write comrade here, I can see all my hairs in my hands standing on end). There used to be heated discussions in the intervals especially in lunch intervals between me and the anti leftists…..But I used to get an open fight not with all of them, but with one guy only…I am not gonna expose him here, because he is a very good friend of mine…though all from bhavans would identify him, once they go through this blog….sorry my friend Mr. X, if you think I brought any disgrace to you with this script. Mr X feelings for the ruling government were abominable. He always had senseless points against us. But I accentuated the fact that Kerala is going to have another 5 years of LDF governance.With the charisma of Naayanaar, it never looked impossible. At times our war of words seemed to exceed the boundaries and thank god, had it been not a class room, we would have responded each other with our fists.

That day was Sunday…..a day before the incident took place in school…election results were out….LDF had an unexpected defeat…I don’t know if PB expected it….it was unexpected for me….I could not believe my eyes when I saw the results in TV screen…LDF flunked totally and to add another nail on the coffin, Irinjalakuda also witnessed a huge backlash on LDF…….It was not the trauma of LDF defeat that was haunting me, but the very sight of myself being booed at the next day….how can I face mr X……

The next day purposefully I got into class late just in time for morning assembly. It was the only day of my life when, I hated girls for smiling at me.. While marching back to class and in first 2 periods, I could feel the whispering and chuckling…….and finally the interval came and Mr. X came across me and started his cheap teasing and mockery….i was getting heated up and to make the matters worse, girls got around both of us….i wonder where the boys went…”potty potty ldf potty..potty potty chandy potty”....His bantering song made me loose my temper….and completely lost my mind when one of the girls commended “sandeep….respond…respond”…..THUD…..girls were all taken back…..it was when I saw Mr X covering his mouth to stop blood from his mouth, I realized that I did give him a punch on his mouth….that was unintentional,but sometimes you loose all the control over you….I didn’t know what to do….but gave him my kerchief to wipe off the blood and took him by hands and dashed to gents toilet…He was emotionless and dumb. I wanted to check his pulse. But I didn’t. Don’t know why….Thank God, punch was on his lower lips and was a light one and he regained himself in a minute. Before he could react, I offered one of my insincere sorry (I don’t repent. That was badly needed for him) hugged him and offered him falooda in priya bakery same evening. This was not the first time falooda in priya bakery had been my mediator. Hopefully I would explain those stories in my coming blogs.

By the time we were walking back to class, all boys were running at us, only to see both of us walking together hands on shoulders. They never expected the issue to get resolved this easy……But it was then I realized, I bore the party in my heart. My emotional broke out stamped that….and truly deserve to be called a comrade at least by myself……When we entered the class, all were dumb struck to see us like that…..I could see them being diplomatic, they were clapping and cheering us…..With a pleasing smile, I waved my hands at them……A COMRADES SALUTE.