It was the golden jubilee celebration in
a prestigious institution and the engineers who passed out 50 years ago,
including my husband, had an emotional and joyful time reminiscing their good
old days in the campus.
As a part of the big celebration a
concert by the super singers was in full swing. As soon as the instruments
began to play a particular tune the gang which could identify that song rose to
a big uproar of appreciation. I turned around to look for some hooligans among
the 70+year’s oldies who had gathered there but that was not to be…..it was a
gang of young girls, the budding engineers who had come to watch the free show
in the open theatre and mind you….it was not boys who were responsible for this
uproar!
During the dinner time the prime topic of
discussion was the monopolization of the campus by the girls. One of the granddaughters studying in grandpa’s college shared with us the information
that in any college function or tournament it is the girls who are the cheer
leaders and the boys indeed seem to take a back seat!
“Lucky girls…..” I said. “When I was
doing the UG in a one horse town boasting of a single college prestigiously
known as the ‘Cambridge of South India’ we
were prisoners rather than college students! We had no right to move
around in that sprawling campus. We had no right to sit under the trees on the
banks of River Kaveri and enjoy the cool breeze! As we entered the college
through the pedestrian bridge over Kaveri our companions should be girls in the
absence of which it should be a quick stride with the head bowed down. This was
our protective first circle!
There were two rooms adjacent to the
principal’s office, one for the few lady lecturers who accidentally land up in
the place due to compulsory transfers and the next bigger one is for the
students! Our duty was to contain ourselves in the ladies room and be in the
protective circle of the principal!
For flag hoisting and assembly sessions
we ladies would line up in the veranda front of our rest room while the boys
filled the lawns!
If ever any one happened to see a handful
of ladies standing outside a class it should be understood that it was no
punishment but rather a waiting time for the lecturer to enter the class…….
Can’t believe it? But that was the truth! Girls were not supposed to enter the
class till the lecturer walked in! The row of desks at the corner closest to
the entry door was reserved for the ladies and any extra seats in that row were
forbidden for the boys! Second and third protective circles! At the end of the lecture
the girls would walk out of the class first. It was part and parcel of the
lecturer’s the duty to make sure that the girls left the place before him. Fourth protective circle from another angle!
And as we changed classes every hour this
ritual was followed with passion!
And thus our modesty was thoroughly protected
by the college authorities”
As I ended the story, everyone laughed
out except the one who declared that she had an even sadder story than mine as
a zealous student.
“Today I have come to this institution as
a spouse of an engineer having completed his studies 50 years ago. But I came
to this same institution 50 years back with the record creating marks in my PUC
with a great passion to do my engineering. But my application was rejected on a
very frivolous excuse that I was a girl.
I didn’t want to take this ‘no’ lying down. I met the principal and told him about my
ardent desire to do the engineering course.
“But this is just for boys my dear “he
explained
“Then show me an engineering college for
women. While there is an arts college meant for women and a home science
college for the same gender….. Where can I go and satisfy my great passion of
becoming an engineer” one of the wife of my husband's classmate expressing her
frustration in the 1960s.
“But why do you want to take up
engineering. The purpose of getting a degree is to have good catch in the
marriage market. Go for home science and become a very good home maker and you
may prove to be a good daughter in law.” said the principle of the engineering
college to her.
“Did you quietly listen to him?”
“I was very upset and angry…. But
couldn’t give expression to it lest I lose my ultimate goal. So I continued
“Sir take the other professional course,
medicine… where members of both gender study together. Is not engineering an
equally prestigious and a professional one?”
“My dear girl I don’t have any answer to
your clever arguments but think of my position. I don’t even have separate
toilet for you……. I don’t even have a room where you can eat your lunch, I
don’t even have a lady lecturer to whom you can confide and most of all I have
to appoint a security specially for you who can safe guard you from this
teaming young and energetic men……… moreover the constitution of the college had
to be amended to let you in and I can vouch for the conservative nature of the
board which would be responsible for this amendment. Can you please save me
from all these tribulation?”
It was a passionate request to her from
the man with folded hands.
We were eager to know how the story
ended!
“I had no other option than to join an
arts college and it was Midas’ touch for me throughout the college days and was
a star student and I proved my prowess in the banking sector and till today act
as a consultant”
“You seem to be having an interesting
time throughout your career my dear…. I can tell from my man that engineering
is not all as that exciting as yours! You are lucky that you were refused a
seat. Instead of spending your days with machines and the likes you had served
people well “The spouse of an engineer who had moved with her man and his machines
till he retired thus beautifully closed the discussion on this subject!
