The Thunderbolts

By Dr. M. K. Krishnamoorthy

School topper got converted into a college 'backbencher' due to the shift from cozy Tamil to classic English medium and two years discontinuation of studies filled with juggling of various jobs ranging from coffee gardens labourer to supervisor... but excelled in theatre, creative writing, learning languages, sketching, sports and games.

Having profound wisdom of 'Why do they do What do they do', as a teacher, I tried to metamorphose many deadly caterpillars into breath-taking butterflies. My forte is the domain of juvenile delinquents- I call these ‘careless’ rather ‘cared less’ youngsters affectionately ‘The Thunderbolts’. Honestly speaking, I adamantly tried to tread upon the untrodden paths and ventured to encounter challenges… all to harvest the nectar, be it from bee-hive or from the hornet’s nest and to create perfect humans from the clay lumps and thunderbolts alike.

During this ongoing ordeal of wife's prolonged silent suffering- sudden lonely death and my own tryst with deadly corona-forced solitary confinement thereafter, I'm able to forge ahead with fortitude only because of the continuous moral support and sincere prayers of my beloved 'Thunderbolts' from around the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pustaka Digital Media
• Release date: Jun 8, 2024
• ISBN: 6580580011171

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The Thunderbolts

Author:

Dr. M. K. Krishnamoorthy

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Dr. M. K. Krishnamoorthy

THE THUNDERBOLTS

Yatha Drishti, Tatha Srishti!

DEDICATED

To

ALL STUDENTS, TEACHERS & PARENTS

Table of Contents

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

THUNDERBOLT - 1

THUNDERBOLT - 2

THUNDERBOLT - 3

THUNDERBOLT - 4

THUNDERBOLT - 5

THUNDERBOLT - 6

THUNDERBOLT - 7

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THUNDERBOLT - 33

APPENDIX

After traversing my trailblazing untrodden trajectory and having encountered ‘The Thunderbolts’, if you come across

any such challenges, please share them with me for

succor and sustenance.

DR MK KRISHNAMOORTHY

PREFACE

HI(S)TORY!

His is a history of rags to riches story. He was born in a village and brought up in a coffee estate. He toiled as a labourer, battled against the apparition of poverty and allowed his dreams soar high. If it is fire that tests steel, the young ten year old must have already become a man. His schooling started in 1960 from class V..., lived in a hut, collected firewood, fetched water, cooked food, walked bare footed to school, studied under the dim light of street lamps, never had even two square meals a day…but he aced all his exams and games.

He passioned for becoming a doctor but God had nobler things for him in store. For two years he had to discontinue his studies and juggled the roles of labourer, airman, teacher and overseer. Destiny through Dr. U. R. Ananthamurthy (the Gyanpeed Awardee Teacher) brought him to RCE, Mysore where amazingly he opted for the subject which was his weakest spot, English. He excelled there in academics, literature, theatre, editing, sketching and sports. But once again he became a labourer as he could neither muster the cash for theatre nor master the art for others.

A clarion call from KVS in 1975 took him to North East as a primary teacher and eventually became principal in 1995. The profession has brought out the best in him. The response his students gave him made it evident that he is in this world to brighten the future of humanity. His motto being ‘I Dare... Orchid or Kid, I Care’ heralded many innovations in education and has ‘trodden untrodden path’ with a zeal to make the mass of dust into nebula of a new star.

Golden opportunities slid through his hands inexorably, not because of the lack of mettle but because of several perfidious plans of vested interests. Scandals, conspiracies and controversies – things which would have made lesser mortals question their own survival, only strengthened his resolute to live and with dignity. God has always helped him in his mission to prove ‘Truth too Triumphs’. I wonder how many other teachers can be such fountain heads of forethought and optimism after being pushed to the limits he has been!

His idol happens to be Mr. E. R. Braithwaite. Following that exemplary teacher, he strove to metamorphose many deadly caterpillars into breath – taking butterflies. His forte is the domain of juvenile delinquents – he calls them affectionately ‘The Thunderbolts’ and makes them assets to the nation. He has always been a strict disciplinarian and stickler for perfection but with full of compassion. And that’s why he has made indelible differences in so many lives. Countless prayers flow in for him, tearing the barriers of regions, religions… which he acknowledges, ‘Your blessings are the wind beneath my wings’.

He is a prolific writer (so far eight books) and a polyglot too (so far seven languages). God has blessed him with so many laurels, amongst other honours NCERT Award, KVS Eminent Teacher Award, G. N. Bordoloi Award and National Award from the President of India (1995).

He ignited the eternity with his sterling attitude…I aspire to inherit his fortitude. He may not be a global icon yet. But to millions of his students, he is more than one. To me he is an unsung legend. What makes me the proudest is that he is my father.

SRISHTI KRISHNAMOORTHY

(Extracts from Srishti’s article which won her a Commendation certificate from Commonwealth Essay writing Competition in class X--2004)

INTRODUCTION

Out of all the boons, the greatest boon is to come into the world in the form of a human being. Yes, man proves this adage by being the master of the universe. Every human child is a unique creature- a Bio-Psycho-Socio Cultural entity, an Integrated-Unified-whole-Personality. It is said, ‘Mother makes man’. It’s also said ‘Home makes man’. If ‘Mother’ stands for heredity and ‘Home’, environment, mothers make only, ‘a little man’ as the child is just heir of hair (Physical features like color & shape of hair, eyes, body, etc.) and the rest rests in the agents of environment to make him a ‘Great Man’. Therefore, I feel ‘Mother and Home’ make a ‘Perfect Man’.

Most of the modern children are blessed with all the advantages of scientific and technological achievements; reasonably well-off parents, comfortable life style, highly qualified teachers and schools with complete modern infrastructure. But ironically- the rate of dropouts, juvenile delinquency, addiction to alcohol, drugs, etc. and moral bankruptcy increase day by day. Who or what is responsible for this alarming situation? How can we prevent further deterioration? What are the steps we have to take to bring the younger generation onto the right track?

Parents are supposed to fulfill the physical needs of the child such as providing proper food, clothing, protection from pain, sickness etc. and teachers are expected to fulfill the educational needs such as providing education that does not create fear, a warm, safe and understanding school atmosphere, chances to experience a sense of achievement, education that can prepare them to face the challenges etc.

Both parents and teachers are to fulfill the psychological needs of the child such as accepting the child as a unique entity, showering love and affection, constantly reassuring, consoling and encouraging – wherever and whenever needed. Do we, as parents and teachers, really do so?

Ironically, most of the affluent parents spend their life in amoral ways and their children amidst plenty, experience poverty. Due to lack of love and respect and the presence of easy money, they drift to bad ways such as seeking shelter in drinks, drugs, etc. Many of the middle class parents are in the rat race for making quick money and there is a general craze in them to become ‘Nouveau Riche’ by working overtime, doing side business, both the parents working and thereby neglecting the emotional needs of their children. The children of such parents end up in perversion and juvenile delinquency. A large number of poor parents hardly have any time to attend to the needs of their children.

As cradle nurtures the culture and the school shapes the future, is it not high time for us to seriously realize our onerous responsibility?

Parent is the first teacher and teacher, the second parent. Both the parents and teachers have to work together and play a vital role in building up the ‘Integrated – Unified – Whole – Personality’ of the child.

Both should work jointly and cooperatively – teachers should not forget to seek the help from parents and parents should not feel shy to discuss the problems with the teachers. This healthy endeavor of parents and teachers will instill confidence in the child to become better and to be a responsible citizen. Both parents and teachers should inculcate virtues and values by being embodiments of them – practice speaks better than preaching. Are we really the right kind of role models? Do we have healthy relation with or at least respect for each other?

Each child is a galaxy of unharnessed atoms. If the right environment is not provided, it will explode, bringing instant destruction. The gravity of this serious situation has to be realized, both by the parents and teachers. We should act like the railway track, each playing equal and important role so that the child travels smoothly to the desired destination. Even a small snag on any side will result in a calamity. But at times, we, the educated lot, suffer from maladies such as dummy prejudice, empty ego, false pride and pseudo prestige and waste our time and energy in sizing up each other by standing on different sides of the fence. Can’t we jointly spend that energy in fighting against the common evil forces, which try to rob the future of our children?

The advent and invasion of the electronic media with all its boons and banes, and the spread of the draconic nets of drugs, crime, violence, corruption and erosion of values make the lives of our children more complex and cumbersome. Let us face the challenge and convert the setbacks into stepping-stones for a giant leap into the braver, newer and better world. Let us, therefore, pledge to aim at helping our children to be physically fit, mentally alert, emotionally stable, socially acceptable and morally upright. Let us be intelligent enough to capture and decode the signals transmitted by our children and fulfill their needs.

I do not have any formal training in the field of guidance and counselling. All I know is that I love my profession and derive immense pleasure in every endeavor of mine which brings me closer to my children. I am not just a distributor of knowledge in the limited school hours. I am a teacher for all the time and in all the places. To me Character building is the summum bonum of education. I do not claim any credit in making good students better. I experience ecstasy when a misguided gifted, ignored creative or neglected backward child shows even a slight tilt towards the positive direction. It’s a great challenge to face them, gain their confidence and carve a niche in their grateful minds. The entire endeavor itself is a big reward. When everyone’s eye ‘sores’, my soul ‘soars’ high up in the sky. Yes, my forte is the domain of the ‘eye-catchers’. I affectionately call them The Thunderbolts. I not only read the lines, but also between the lines and beyond the lines. This is the secret of my energy and success.

In the last many decades of my teaching career, I have encountered innumerable cases. Not every case ended in a triumph but none have failed to leave an indelible mark in me. I shall present a few cases without passing any moral judgment. Hope it will help, to some extent, all those people (teachers, parents and children) who are engaged in the process of future building. In order to protect the identity of my dear students, I have given fictitious names here.

These are just anecdotes from my real experience – neither hypothetical experiments nor any theoretical trash. At the same time, no dogmatic effort has been made to spell out any gospels or guidelines. However, in order to dilute the pungency of naked facts and to metamorphose ‘Science’ into ‘Art’, I have taken the liberty of literary license and flavored the stories with imagination and collinear futuristic vision. It is hoped that everyone can cull out the heart of the matter. So, please prepare a face-to-face with the faces that you are going to face.

DR MK KRISHNAMOORTHY

GUWAHATI, 1999

Dear All,

School topper got converted into a college ‘backbencher’ due to the shift from cozy Tamil to classic English medium and two years discontinuation of studies filled with juggling of various jobs ranging from coffee gardens labourer to supervisor... but excelled in theatre, creative writing, learning languages, sketching, sports and games.

Having profound wisdom of ‘Why do they do What do they do’, as a teacher, I tried to metamorphose many deadly caterpillars into breath-taking butterflies. My forte is the domain of juvenile delinquents- I call these ‘careless’ rather ‘cared less’ youngsters affectionately ‘The Thunderbolts’. Honestly speaking, I adamantly tried to tread upon the untrodden paths and ventured to encounter challenges… all to harvest the nectar, be it from bee-hive or from the hornet’s nest and to create perfect humans from the clay lumps and thunderbolts alike.

During this ongoing ordeal of wife’s prolonged silent suffering- sudden lonely death and my own tryst with deadly corona-forced solitary confinement thereafter, I’m able to forge ahead with fortitude only because of the continuous moral support and sincere prayers of my beloved ‘Thunderbolts’ from around the world.

Truly teaching is a noble calling!

(Let me introduce a few of my Thunderbolts)

THUNDERBOLT - 1

R A J U

He has been already kicked out by three schools. He is a renowned thug… absolutely mannerless. If we could get rid of him, it would be better for this school. This is how he was introduced, from a reasonable distance, to me by a few colleagues when I joined that school. He looked overgrown for his age, really well-built and a little bit shabby, like a neglected baby. He carried an air of arrogance and haughty temperament all along. Students despised him and teachers were disgusted with him. He, like a tusker on must, left behind destruction wherever he went. He asked vulgar questions and laughed at his own ‘courage’. Without any ‘hide and seek’ or any pleasant demeanors, he proposed to a few girls and they sought shelter under the teachers. He smoked cigarettes, drank wine, teased girls, battered boys, disobeyed the rules, troubled teachers… and his exploits continued.

I took a lot