Paddayana - 3 (As narrated by Vasu Kaka)

His Academic Distinction

By nature a shy young boy he would explode into his own while reciting complex and complicated passages in English be it Vincent Smith’s History or Raman effect or Maxwell’s formula or Tamil poems or Sanskrit verses where he could almost reproduce famous Anantarama Dikshitar. He was a true yeka santa graahi - one who repeats verbatim what he has heard once – an ability which his mother had detected long ago during his childhood. The unique feature of memorizing long passages stood him in good stead as his preparations for the exams meant just recalling and copying from memory – a copying practice no invigilator can detect or find fault with. No wonder he stood first in all his class exams. When he finished his school from Municipal High School, Mayavaram in 1946 father got a transfer to Trichy in time for the boy to join the St Joseph’s College famed for producing University ranks in those days. At this cross road, our father had decided he should become a Scientist and chose Science scheme in his Intermediate.

Here he displayed his remarkable analytical ability to solve complicated problems in Mathematics which was a prerequisite for understanding Physics. When formulated correctly the problems of Physics reduce to solving mathematical equations – differential equations or algebraic equations or complex integration formulae. Here he got some inspirational guides as teachers. He not only learnt the subject from them but also learnt their mannerisms and later tell his children their significance in real life. In particular, he often recalled and quoted Calculus Srinivasan – a genius of a teacher. “Differentiation of a function you can do; be humble when you come to Integration. Only some functions are integrable functions – start saying I do not know and then try”. Isn’t it true that we can so easily differentiate between objects, people, religions, caste, creed, customs etc but integrating them into a uniform concept that they are all Creations of God almighty so difficult? But the long lasting and deep impressions of his teachers created a role model for him to be perfectionist in any form of activity he undertook.

At this time, a look at the economic condition of the family makes a somewhat different picture. They were living in a single room – kitchen flat. The day Padda was to pay the fees tojoin the St Joseph’s College coincided with an auspicious day Kitsamy Kaka‘s wedding day at Kondaian Pettai in Thiruvanikkoil. Soon the new couple joined the household. To Kitsamy Kaka he was the first born and loved him so much till Kaka’s own end. Kisamy would weep when Padda was sick before his final exam and when the results were declared Kitsamy would jump with joy. There was a special bondage for him with father’s children and reciprocally he got the respect as Kaka. Padda has repeatedly remarked that in every meeting with Kitsamy Kaka he would have learnt something new. Our relation with Kitsamy Kaka was always sublime and he gave us more than we could repay in his lifetime.

With Pandu, it was a slightly different one. Padda was his contemporary and hence the intimacy was extended to all the members of the family. Padda was a leader for others to follow and relationships were established by the behaviour of the first born in the family and so Padda was a role model for all others to follow. Needless to say their departure from the mortal world left a big void in Padda’s life. We will revert to Pandu / Padda after we cover his academic excellence. Pandu had yet another pleasant task to perform in announcing the results of his final exam.

Before the final exam, however Padda fell ill with typhoid and the whole family anxiously waited for his recovery with Prayers in their lips. His professor who visited him at home told our father confidently that all Padda had to do was write the exam. and that he would top the University list. This was an extrapolation of his past performance and his ability to remember and recall at will any passages which he had committed to memory. A fortnight before the final exam in March 1951, he came out of the sickness and his memory in tact. And all of us heaved a sigh of relief with a list of vows to fulfill and visits to temples and places of worship due.

Next when he wrote the examination things appeared to be easy but the final verdict on the ranking required ratification by the University Syndicate. This meeting scheduled by Madras University was attended by Prof Savarimuthu of St Joseph’s College. That evening Pandu Kaka visited the Professor at his local home and in the twilight of the day mistaking him as Padda, the Professor greeted him enthusiastically with congratulatory messages on the distinction of the University rank which went in his favor with a huge total. When he came closer the professor realized the mistake, but Pandu Kaka assured him that the result were still confidential. Professor’s pride that his pupil had scored the rank blinded him for a while but who is not so human as not to celebrate when good things happen. Pandu could not contain the result of the success and soon went to the nearest Post Office to break the news by a telegram to the family members. Mayavaram Grand father Tandalam Krishna Rao was one received the news within minutes and joyous scenes broke out at Mayavaram where Padda and all of us had camped for the summer holidays.

The awards were three gold medals instituted by three different luminaries
1. Jagirdar of Arni gold medal for the first Rank in the University of Madras.
2. Professor P E Subramania Iyer Gold medal for the highest aggregate in Atomic Physics
3. Rev. Father Sewell Gold for the Rank at the College level

When the celebrations gradually came down, the Parents started feeling that he was no more to be with them as he had risen to the national level of recognition in Science and the parents were bracing themselves to part with him for a career at the national level of scientific institution. Soon the Raman Institute in Bangalore headed by the Nobel Laureate Prof CV Raman came up with a research career in Physics but Padda had to decline it as the fellowship was too meager - Rs 100 per month for the family to sustain. His English Professor Rev Fr. TN Sequiera whom our father respected most suggested his Pupil to join National Physical Laboratory in Delhi which had just then been inaugurated as a premier Institution in the free India. Others like our Mavasa RG Rao and his friend Achyuthan a lawyer from Triplicane came forward to talk to Prof KS Krishnan, another contemporary and coworker of CV Raman who was heading the NPL as its first Director. Finally he was packed off to Delhi to join NPL a scene which was marked with lot of emotional overtones due to the separation of the darling of the family from his home just as Krishna left Gokula of Nandagopa for Mathura from where he never returned to Brindavan. [ To be continued.