Selected Friends and classmates
Khudadad
Intelligent somewhat sickly man with "wahabi" teachings, was from my village Last I met him in London after he had surgery for his brain tumor, was full of praise for the surgeons. Died soon after that.
Rahmatullah
Intelligent but somewhat conniving, spent a lot of time during my last year in school stalking me, opposing me and generally creating unpleasant situations for me but never did any bodily harm. I would have liked him to apologize to me before parting from the school.
Shafi (Tailly)
from my nearby village and not so intelligent depended on my help for understanding many things as his father's shop was in our neighborhood, so he would sometimes spend some time with me in the evening when he could for studies.
Manzoor
Son of our local Veterinary Doctor, also needed my help and respected me for that. Once I got sick with fever so our teacher told him to take me home (about a mile from school) and he literally brought me home on his back all the way (I was little, his interest was that he got away from school and class)
Mian Sadiq
Barely passed his Matriculation and joined air force (PAF) and I met him in Lahore afterwards when he was posted there and I was in College. He helped me to travel in air force freighter plane from Pindi to Lahore when I needed to go there for admission to medical college. There were no trains or buses going because of floods.
I did not have a longer lasting relationship with any of these classmates or friends as they were all older than me. So I had friends who were in lower classes (2-3 yrs lower)
Bashir Marhoom
My best friend whom I loved very much and remained in contact with him even after he too graduated from KE medical college after me until I learnt one day of his death in Pindi from Coronary heart disease.
Ramzan (also called Jaan)
Still in our Village and my neighbor. he spent many years outside Pakistan, Ceylone, S. Arabia mostly trucking or such jobs.
Let me limit my friends to the last two and go back to the school before coming back to say more about them
Kakrali School was "Dt. Board Middle School" when I joined in 1944. I am reposting from my past ones)
Well, Bashir and Ramzan and myself would always go together from our village to Kakrali. We would go playing running teasing eachother taking a good half hour (one mile or so) to get to school. Just before we enter the village there were houses of "khateeks". These were people who deal in animal skins. They buy or get free (aweful smell) and dry it outside in the sun and treat it with whatever chemicals before selling at some price (making their money that way).
unki rozy thee is ko hum kaisay bund ker saktay thay.
Khudadad
Intelligent somewhat sickly man with "wahabi" teachings, was from my village Last I met him in London after he had surgery for his brain tumor, was full of praise for the surgeons. Died soon after that.
Rahmatullah
Intelligent but somewhat conniving, spent a lot of time during my last year in school stalking me, opposing me and generally creating unpleasant situations for me but never did any bodily harm. I would have liked him to apologize to me before parting from the school.
Shafi (Tailly)
from my nearby village and not so intelligent depended on my help for understanding many things as his father's shop was in our neighborhood, so he would sometimes spend some time with me in the evening when he could for studies.
Manzoor
Son of our local Veterinary Doctor, also needed my help and respected me for that. Once I got sick with fever so our teacher told him to take me home (about a mile from school) and he literally brought me home on his back all the way (I was little, his interest was that he got away from school and class)
Mian Sadiq
Barely passed his Matriculation and joined air force (PAF) and I met him in Lahore afterwards when he was posted there and I was in College. He helped me to travel in air force freighter plane from Pindi to Lahore when I needed to go there for admission to medical college. There were no trains or buses going because of floods.
I did not have a longer lasting relationship with any of these classmates or friends as they were all older than me. So I had friends who were in lower classes (2-3 yrs lower)
Bashir Marhoom
My best friend whom I loved very much and remained in contact with him even after he too graduated from KE medical college after me until I learnt one day of his death in Pindi from Coronary heart disease.
Ramzan (also called Jaan)
Still in our Village and my neighbor. he spent many years outside Pakistan, Ceylone, S. Arabia mostly trucking or such jobs.
Let me limit my friends to the last two and go back to the school before coming back to say more about them
Kakrali School was "Dt. Board Middle School" when I joined in 1944. I am reposting from my past ones)
Thursday, March 15, 2007
The School I graduated TWICE from
There was a definite change in climate, people, language etc. when I came to Kotla in 1944. I was enrolled in Kakrali school in 7th class. (Kotla is more important than you think. I found its name in Google Earth, believe it or not north west of Gujrat.)
DB Middle School Kakrali (District Board) was an inverted U shaped building where I joined in the 7th class. So I knew I'll graduate after two years and I did.
Anecdotal stories of these two years.
Hot Punjabi summers can be dangerous for a youngster like me. School timings were 8 am to 2 pm. Returning home at 2 pm from Kakrali was too dangerous so my mother, concerned about "loo" (heat stroke or sun stroke) found a far relation of hers in Kakrali to keep me till the scorching heat cooled down a bit. I spent afternoons in Massi's home during that summer no matter how much I wanted to go home (It took me about three or four months before I could speak or understand Panjabi) being home sick. On the other hand "Massi" was so sweet and kind to me, giving me "lassi piyala" to drink and may be some roti(always real tandoori one) with butter (white fresh Makkhan) and 'shakkar' (Not cheeni) which was actually real organic brown sugar (Different from the crystalized brown sugar sold in the grocery stores) and made me lie down on 'manji' (cot) in the inner room (away from the sun) with a hand-fan. (You could'nt ask for more comfort and luxury, but I was'nt fond of afternoon siesta).
I was familiar with the punitive exercises prevalent in India which I breifly mentioned (My first school) previously, like holding by the ears, or squeezing and twisting earlobules with or without a pebble, and making one stand for x number of hours or minutes etc. There was one to become "Murgha" which was, in my estimation, the limit of punishment and humiliation. So when "Malak saab" (our seventh class teacher) asked the standing boys , "chalo, kann pharr laow" (Go ahead hold your ears) I did not understand because I saw all of them "becoming Murgha" (in my terminology). I was totally un-prepared for the next step. Before telling you the step, keep in mind the boy who answered the history question correctly was next to me (lucky for me for history was my weakest subject) and before him were the 'standing boys'. What was happening to my heart and skin and lips is just physiological.
Anyway the next order "Malak horein" gave was to the boy with the correct answer, "Litter chuck lay" (Pick up a shoe) and then to the boys in 'murgha' state, "oochi karo" (lift up your tashreefs). The boys like trained individuals carried out faithfully and completely every order and after each boy was treated with the 'litter' would sit back down as if nothing extra-ordinary had happened. As for me, I cant describe my condition it was just close to being dead.
Punjab has been majority Muslim, so one day Head master summoned me in his office and asked me, "namaz aati hay?" (Have you memorized Namaz?)I proudly declared, "yes sir." he said, "phir bhool jaao" (then forget it). I was dumb-founded and speechless. Reckoning my predicament he quietly admonished, "Naheen bholani to parrha karo" (If you dont want to forget then you should do it regularly). A lesson taught in the most effetive way.
'Maulvi saab' (Master Ahmed Din) lived in Sahontra, another closeby village and was our regular teacher. For night classes(see below) we would be either in Sahontra or in Kakrali. Head master changed in 1945, to a Qureshi saheb who wore coat and pant which was, in a village, extremely modern dress almost outlandish. Maulvi saheb wanted all students (Muslim) to have complete haircut ("tind") because he felt that regular haircut of 'modern' type was "Angraizi boday" (English haircut) and therefore 'haram'. Master Qureshi wanted the boys to have properly groomed hair with style and head uncovered, whereas Maulvi saheb wanted Saafa on their heads. However it was our Maulvi Saheb who taught us regular namaz and various duas, tasbeehs etc. and was responsible for the 'masjid chabootra' (still there I think) by the well in one corner of the School compound. The boys did not mind wearing safa and taking it off in appropriate classes.
Maulvi saheb enjoyed using rhymed phrases, like "Oay Bishamber Das, tera sattya nas" (My classmate Bishamber Das was not very bright, I guess)
At the end of WWII, I remember, in 1945, getting off early from school one day with sweets in my hand, I figure it must have been at the order of the British Government.
We prepared for excellence in performance during '46 to go for Vernacular Final exams, (8th class), so Qureshi saab and Maulvi saab worked hard with the boys day classes extra and night classes, all for the good of the boys. All they wanted was that school performance would excell other DB schools and their dedication was exemplary and an unforgettable experience.
Qureshi saab started a wide campaign to raise the school level to "high" and the district board wanted the enormous sum of Rs. 1000.(in 1946!) It was duely collected from all the villages around and the board eventually agreed. Since I had 'graduated' from the school so when my school-leaving certificate was demanded, Qureshi saab refused. How could he let a good student go off. Incidentally,I had had the hospitality of his home laso, because during preparations I spent nights in his household instead of 'boarding school' (my family had protested). I have to tell you, his wife made the best tasting 'french toasts' (I was not familiar even with their name) for breakfast and after taking two, I would look temptuously at the rest of them getting ready. I dont remember a better breakfast than that one in my life. My children today ask me how come I make such nice and delicious french toasts and pancakes (pancakes have another story).
So I ended up re-entering the school, now D.B. High School Kakrali, for my nineth class. That was a blow to all my excitement of going to Lahore or even Gujrat, cities I was longing to see.
There were so many factors for me to stay in the village but a compelling one was that Pakistan was being created and was just 'round the corner'. There were so many developments underway that I'll have to pick up in 'part two' now insha-Allah.
DB Middle School Kakrali (District Board) was an inverted U shaped building where I joined in the 7th class. So I knew I'll graduate after two years and I did.
Anecdotal stories of these two years.
Hot Punjabi summers can be dangerous for a youngster like me. School timings were 8 am to 2 pm. Returning home at 2 pm from Kakrali was too dangerous so my mother, concerned about "loo" (heat stroke or sun stroke) found a far relation of hers in Kakrali to keep me till the scorching heat cooled down a bit. I spent afternoons in Massi's home during that summer no matter how much I wanted to go home (It took me about three or four months before I could speak or understand Panjabi) being home sick. On the other hand "Massi" was so sweet and kind to me, giving me "lassi piyala" to drink and may be some roti(always real tandoori one) with butter (white fresh Makkhan) and 'shakkar' (Not cheeni) which was actually real organic brown sugar (Different from the crystalized brown sugar sold in the grocery stores) and made me lie down on 'manji' (cot) in the inner room (away from the sun) with a hand-fan. (You could'nt ask for more comfort and luxury, but I was'nt fond of afternoon siesta).
I was familiar with the punitive exercises prevalent in India which I breifly mentioned (My first school) previously, like holding by the ears, or squeezing and twisting earlobules with or without a pebble, and making one stand for x number of hours or minutes etc. There was one to become "Murgha" which was, in my estimation, the limit of punishment and humiliation. So when "Malak saab" (our seventh class teacher) asked the standing boys , "chalo, kann pharr laow" (Go ahead hold your ears) I did not understand because I saw all of them "becoming Murgha" (in my terminology). I was totally un-prepared for the next step. Before telling you the step, keep in mind the boy who answered the history question correctly was next to me (lucky for me for history was my weakest subject) and before him were the 'standing boys'. What was happening to my heart and skin and lips is just physiological.
Anyway the next order "Malak horein" gave was to the boy with the correct answer, "Litter chuck lay" (Pick up a shoe) and then to the boys in 'murgha' state, "oochi karo" (lift up your tashreefs). The boys like trained individuals carried out faithfully and completely every order and after each boy was treated with the 'litter' would sit back down as if nothing extra-ordinary had happened. As for me, I cant describe my condition it was just close to being dead.
Punjab has been majority Muslim, so one day Head master summoned me in his office and asked me, "namaz aati hay?" (Have you memorized Namaz?)I proudly declared, "yes sir." he said, "phir bhool jaao" (then forget it). I was dumb-founded and speechless. Reckoning my predicament he quietly admonished, "Naheen bholani to parrha karo" (If you dont want to forget then you should do it regularly). A lesson taught in the most effetive way.
'Maulvi saab' (Master Ahmed Din) lived in Sahontra, another closeby village and was our regular teacher. For night classes(see below) we would be either in Sahontra or in Kakrali. Head master changed in 1945, to a Qureshi saheb who wore coat and pant which was, in a village, extremely modern dress almost outlandish. Maulvi saheb wanted all students (Muslim) to have complete haircut ("tind") because he felt that regular haircut of 'modern' type was "Angraizi boday" (English haircut) and therefore 'haram'. Master Qureshi wanted the boys to have properly groomed hair with style and head uncovered, whereas Maulvi saheb wanted Saafa on their heads. However it was our Maulvi Saheb who taught us regular namaz and various duas, tasbeehs etc. and was responsible for the 'masjid chabootra' (still there I think) by the well in one corner of the School compound. The boys did not mind wearing safa and taking it off in appropriate classes.
Maulvi saheb enjoyed using rhymed phrases, like "Oay Bishamber Das, tera sattya nas" (My classmate Bishamber Das was not very bright, I guess)
At the end of WWII, I remember, in 1945, getting off early from school one day with sweets in my hand, I figure it must have been at the order of the British Government.
We prepared for excellence in performance during '46 to go for Vernacular Final exams, (8th class), so Qureshi saab and Maulvi saab worked hard with the boys day classes extra and night classes, all for the good of the boys. All they wanted was that school performance would excell other DB schools and their dedication was exemplary and an unforgettable experience.
Qureshi saab started a wide campaign to raise the school level to "high" and the district board wanted the enormous sum of Rs. 1000.(in 1946!) It was duely collected from all the villages around and the board eventually agreed. Since I had 'graduated' from the school so when my school-leaving certificate was demanded, Qureshi saab refused. How could he let a good student go off. Incidentally,I had had the hospitality of his home laso, because during preparations I spent nights in his household instead of 'boarding school' (my family had protested). I have to tell you, his wife made the best tasting 'french toasts' (I was not familiar even with their name) for breakfast and after taking two, I would look temptuously at the rest of them getting ready. I dont remember a better breakfast than that one in my life. My children today ask me how come I make such nice and delicious french toasts and pancakes (pancakes have another story).
So I ended up re-entering the school, now D.B. High School Kakrali, for my nineth class. That was a blow to all my excitement of going to Lahore or even Gujrat, cities I was longing to see.
There were so many factors for me to stay in the village but a compelling one was that Pakistan was being created and was just 'round the corner'. There were so many developments underway that I'll have to pick up in 'part two' now insha-Allah.
Well, Bashir and Ramzan and myself would always go together from our village to Kakrali. We would go playing running teasing eachother taking a good half hour (one mile or so) to get to school. Just before we enter the village there were houses of "khateeks". These were people who deal in animal skins. They buy or get free (aweful smell) and dry it outside in the sun and treat it with whatever chemicals before selling at some price (making their money that way).
A highly smelly affair indeed, cannot forget it We would make a quick dash from that smelly air to the school and would start breathing normal after that with a sigh of relief (that was a daily experience of torture)
unki rozy thee is ko hum kaisay bund ker saktay thay.Master Mohammad Shafi was a very intelligent and well-liked teacher of Junior classes when I got to ninth and tenth. Since we did not have any math teachers (New high school and Partition riots etc.) he used to teach us high school math. He was very friendly with me and with Bashir. It was usual for him after the school to go to our village before going home to his village along with other boys of our and other villages. He was fond of talking to me (because of Urdu, instead of Panjabi). Then his older brother whos name I cannot recall came to us as out OT (Oriental Teacher) He was also very intelligent and had some scholarly air around him that I recall which would make you respect him. I remember clearly he told us the story of Musa and Khizer AS for us to learn a lesson. He often would give such stories for learning.
Bashir and myself would get to masjid in the Ásr time and sit and talk until after maghrib and then the corner of the street where we had to part would find us standing and talking (I dont remember now what but we were so much attracted to eachother) until Bashir's mom would come with a light (laltain)
"Putter ji ghar nayin chalna" (My dear son aint you coming home ?)
7 comments:
wow..its a long and pretty interesting post..I got take printout and read sitting on my sofa...
The best part is
"Punjab has been majority Muslim, so one day Head master summoned me in his office and aked me, "namaz aati hay?" (Have you memrized Namaz?)I proudly declared, "yes sir." he said, "phir bhool jaao" (then forget it). I was dumb-founded and speechless. Reckoning my predicament he quietly admonished, "Naheen bholani to parrha karo" (If you dont want to forget then you should do it regularly). A lesson taught in the most effetive way.."
Yes, I have never forgotten.
Assalam-o-Allakum
I read your topic about Kakrali, it is interesting, I also belongs to Kakrali and happy to read about kakrali. Here I am giving u my email address, I am very happy if u contact me and can talk with me on kakrali, our beloved place.
trueinam@yahoo.com
03324947864
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