Students Strike in RCE Mysore

This is about Regional College of Education, Mysore, later morphed into the now famous RIEM. I visited the site www.riemaa.com , a product of last years alumni meet. Somewhere I saw a notice of this years meeting, on May 10th or so. A gone date, sorry. But I am truly happy that RIEM has established its identity.

The last Alumni meeting I attended was held under the guidance of eminent Mr. Varma, our long time staff advisor. The man was an ultimate in student management, very diplomatic with some blue blood in his veins which showed in all his actions. The man is no more. Just a digression for BGV.

We were gheraoing The Principal, Prof. Govinda Rao. Remember the man in cream suit walking in right angles. He would never cross the cricket field because it meant gross indiscipline. We had to shut down our transistors, unplug our iron boxes and restrict the use of geysers. And we could never accept the man spying us, young men and women. So we thought to teach the great man a little lesson. We made cartoon posters in Krishna hostel and stuck them along the roads by two at night.

By eight next morning the entourage of peon-clerk-caretaker-Principal-his son and personal assistant with the flask was stopped by the water tank by a few seniors. Soon the crowd swelled into a hundred and more. Prof. Rao tried to argue something and looked sullen. All of us just sat down silently on the newly tarred road. Every one knew what is happening, but none had thought it would be so soon. The great man who was so much respected that the B.Tech. Eds went one by one and touched his feet before every exam was now standing awkwardly in a crowd of squatting students who waited eagerly for his words. He said something like ‘inform my family’ and sat down. The caretaker, clerk and peon sat. PA was allowed to slip with the boy.

As was planned, lemon juice was served to everybody. Being in the second year, I was sort of an errand boy. With all the respect, we offered The Principal a glass of juice, but the man refused. So we went to his Qtr. No. 4, to inform his wife and get the flask. Mrs. Rao was considerably happy to receive us. We tried to speak to her in Kannada. She thought gherao was sort of a seminar. “Why do you want majka from here? Don’t you serve anything there?” We said we will serve him lunch too. We were afraid to spread panic in the family. His son also seemed happy. Why should we inform him that his father was facing some of his most humiliating moments?

Back at the spot the crowd was growing unmanageable. The staff were generally baffled and did not react. It was almost nine and getting hot. Prof. Rao started wiping his sweat and the peon started to fan him. We had no intention to sweat him out. And he refused the fruits we offered. Some went to get tender coconuts. Meanwhile we contacted BGV. The man arrived riding his fantabulous and stopped near the clinic. “Move him to the shade” said the commanding voice. “And stop it soon. In case the old man faints, you will be in real soup”. How to end it was the concern. BGV had a solution. Call Dr. U.R. Ananthamurthy, the cult figure of the campus, who had recently left for a post in the University.

URA came and made a ‘Friends, Romans….’ thing ending in “Sir, won’t you be a little more lenient?” The Professor shook his head and agreed to drink coconut water, provided it is poured into a glass washed in front of him. He will not mind the boys and girls going together to the canteen or playing the transistor if it did not consume electricity which was swallowing all funds. The college was reeling under a crunch in finances. It was the making of another Rao, the venerable VKRV Rao who had vowed to see that the college is ruined. In July 1969, during the inauguration of Ganga, he said “ Your Principal, [Miss Chari] being a sweet mannered lady can get funds for this white elephant. What use have these kind of institutions when millions in the country have no black boards and chalk pieces?” Back in Delhi, he scrapped the Home science Ed first. All dish washers and washing machines of American brands went silent and the attendants used the aprons to dust furniture. Next B.Com.Ed and B.Tech.Ed were closed down. When the axe came down on B. A. Ed, URA left. However the course continued for some more time.

It was half past eleven when the strike was over. We decided to celebrate with a common lunch. We went to Cauvery, the ladies hostel and the girls welcomed us in jubilation. They started pointing out each window, this is hers and that is mine and so on. They crowded around us and it was tough to carry the sambar and rice. The kitchen hands helped us. The rest of the day was spent in groups and pairs.

Soon it was exams time. PSF II was the paper in which they decided to fail the leaders. About 14 of the fourth years were victimized. Many of them did not have any major part in organizing the event. I was in charge of issuing guest passes to them next year when they came to clear the arrears. Most of them were sorry that their trust was misplaced by someone in the Education Dept.

Well, BGV continued to be the benign factor in students matters. At least thrice he tried forming an OSA, but the continuity was lost. Prof. Balaji and Mr. Chandrasekhar IPS of ’71 batch had helped him. They can form a link between the old and new avatars of the alumni association. May the RIEMAA succeed in its aims.