Krish’s Life Voyage

Preamble

Born in Yarlpanam, Ceylon on 12th April 1923, brought up in Malaya and educated in Australia and later roamed all over the world. Vaguely, I have recollections that I went to the Dutch built school opposite my house in Kalapoomi, Karainagar, in then Ceylon while waiting for father to take us back to Federated Malay States in the then Malaya where he was employed. Mother and I were brought from Malaya to Yarlpanam, during the six months long leave for the confinement of my mother to give birth to my sister in 1930.

Kalapoomi means - battle ground in Tamil. The popular belief is that the Dutch battled in that area before the British took over. - has historical importance.

To day my ancestral house is mine legally. But my house and the adjoining sister’s house are being used as a security sentry post, by the Sri Lankan Navy since 1990 without consent for the last 18 years.

Heredity

Hereditarily, we were farmers and orthodox at that; as the circumstances changed, we changed. The next generation will have to dance to a different tune. Change is only the permanent thing. I have danced to different tunes in my life- literally also. My children are dancing to different tunes of other countries all over this world. But all are in this world – so far. Our ancestors in Yarlpanam (Jaffna, Sri Lanka) were Hindus with different values. They would invest on properties to be passed on to their descendants. They would invest in gold as they thought them to be permanent (till stolen). They belonged to a very proud race. Their culture was based on natural agriculture. Their knowledge and understanding of nature was so good that they survived to face the onslaught of the present day.

Queue

I remembered that long queue of women while in Karainagar waiting for water. I recollected that these women were untouchables and the society would not allow them to remove water from our well. Like the proverbial ‘Do what the Romans do’ we had to follow what the society accepted.

On the front and right of the gate of our house was the well. The random rubble fence around our house had partitioned the well with a timber frame clad with zinc

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coated corrugated iron sheets along the centre so that the public could share our good well. The well sweep could be operated from our property only.

My grand father had a trough made of rubble and cement plaster to feed passing cattle. The travelers were provided with a bucket made with woven palmyra leaves and a wayfarers rest like in Elizabethan time to rest the load they were carrying. He religiously ran on the well sweep in the mornings and evenings to fill the pots of the women in the queue every morning and evening. I know that unless he found a replacement to do that service, he would not go anywhere.

Whenever we left the house on a journey, we always left a few hours after midnight before the cock crowed. I discovered later that an empty pot was considered a bad omen. And that was done to avoid the women coming to the well with empty pots. I consider it bad planning – and grumbled with father. Father said to be patient as the government was building a well for the ‘Untouchables’. When, it is built this practice would have a natural death. Eventually it happened and grand father was left without providing service to accumulate merit in the next world. In time he was dead. Time will solve all problems as always.

Mental development

The excellence of their mental powers was already proved in the last generation. The values changed. Under the present conditions, every thing movable and immovable is temporary. Developed mind is the only wealth one can have – till we are free to think and act. We lost literally every thing once before during World War II, buy we survived. Circumstances have changed our values.

Change is only permanent

Our values are changing constantly. When, I was young, Japanese products were considered to be of inferior quality and cheap. When the Japanese nose dived into HMS Prince of Wales off the Malayan coast in 1942, they said ‘the waves rule Britannia’ to form the ‘co-poverty sphere’. The cockiness of the USA is gradually diminishing. To day people have changed to ask for genuine Japanese products. It will also change with time. Change is only permanent.

Rent was paid to occupied houses, by the ministry of defense to some selected people. Part of the roof has been removed, and the house is in bad repair. I was told to produce a clearance certificate from the Kayts Police Station. A certificate from the Grama sevaka would not be accepted. As I am in Colombo, Kollupitiya area since 1958, the Kayts Police would not know me, to give clearance. It was not obtainable even if I applied.

Years later after closing my architectural practice, one day I called at the Kollupitiya Police station and told my problem to the Inspector. He called for some records to verify what I had said and finding out that I was a Chartered Architect

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and that my wife was a lecturer in the University of Colombo, he agreed to write to Kayts police to try and secure a clearance on his recommendation. To my surprise, after two months I received the clearance and sent it to the ministry of defense. They sent it to Karainagar Navy. The Karainagar Navy enquired from the Kayts Police to be told that I had no clearance had been issued. It is a very humiliating experience to correspond in an unknown language. The intolerable has to be endured if one is to survive. I have no alternative but to wait till they vacate after the war on terror or peace as called by the government, is over. – I am now 84 and getting feebler every day. I also know that, ‘naked did I come into this world and naked shall I depart’.

Recollections

It must have been about 1930. I cannot say much other than remembering sitting around the teacher on the mud floor with a coconut shell of dry sand, spreading it on the floor, and writing the Tamil alphabets with our right fore finger and pronouncing each aloud three times in a sing song manner the sound represented by the form. The born left hander had no alternative. They were compelled to use the right hand. By culture and tradition, all good and auspicious things were and are done by the right hand. There was no left hander in the class.

Since then some psychologists have later said that left hander should not be forced to change. I was surprised how effectively, the concept had cottoned on. Much later, in 1950 in the University of Melbourne, I noticed that there was a rush while going into the lecture rooms though the lecturer was not in sight. I always had a seat in comfort. Soon, I realized that half of the chairs were designed for left handed and that obviously, the rush was among the left-handers. I understand the ratio has not increased like every thing else. The interesting note is that even the left handed Hindus of today use their right on auspicious occasions. Are they westernized Hindus?

Father

About the end of First World War, my father Murugasu had passed the Teachers Training College examination in Thellipalai, a missionary institution before going to Malaya, to learn English and seek employment. Even though he was born a Hindu, it was the practice then, to have an English name in the institution. He was called Morris while in College, but it did not catch on. Morris cars came later to Jaffna and are still running about the place. Six in that group, soon after qualifying left for Malaya to study English and better their prospect as the salary for a trained school teacher in a Ceylon government school then, was only seven rupees a month. The six separated on arrival in Malaya, as their sponsors lived in different parts of the country. The year was 1917. Father went to Seramban. He studied English in a school there. All the six had to study English language only, as they were well

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versed in other subjects. All the six did very well for themselves and reached the highest positions allocated for the non British in whichever department they were. One among them one was rich enough to study in the medical college and become the well known Dr. Doraisamy.

My father’s first posting in the public service, was in Kuala Pekan, a town at the end of the Pahang River. I do not know the department, but his boss was obviously an Englishman. Traveling was done on the river as there were no roads as such. I realize now, that they were the true pioneers. I was told that father got married in Ceylon when he came on leave. And I was born in Enuvil hospital in Jaffna on 12.4.1923 and my sister, seven years later in the same hospital on 12.12.1930. Later on I learnt that my wife too was born in the same hospital on 3-3-1933. As a baby, I must have made a few crossing the seas but vaguely remember attending the Dutch built school first to learn the Tamil alphabets when my sister was born. When the government building was completed, father’s office was moved to Kuala Lipis and became the Capital of the state of Pahang. On his table was an old model telephone with a crank handle. I remember the journey with my mother and baby sister to Malaya via: Penang by a steam boat. The elder fellow travelers were talking about the escapades of EMDEN on the voyage, even though the First World was over years earlier. Soon I caught on when someone referred to a naughty boy as an EMDEN. I cannot remember the rail trip as I must have slept all the way to Kuala Lipis but remember that on arrival we occupied government house of timber on stilts on a hill facing the government building on another hill.

Kuala Lipis

My first primary teacher in English was Mr.Eng Sen at Clifford School in K. Lipis. He lived in the next house and had no children. Mrs. Eng Sen was my play mate and as my mother could not jump the big drain separating the houses. They shouted to each other from one kitchen to the other.

When I went to school, the fascination was to watch the gardener shave the grass of the large field with a scythe. The big curved blade fixed to a long crocked pole with two handles fascinated me. Later one day during the interval, I went to him and watched him sharpen the long blade with a grit stone shaped much like the baton used by athletes. Like a seer, he said that I should grow very much taller to try the scythe. I learnt later that Prince of Wales used to scythe for exercise.

First Display of Acumen

The principal was an Englishman. He organized a parent’s day and wanted the primary students to prepare a 20 page invitation booklet like check books so to tear

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off the invitation leaf and sell it for 50 Cents. The invitation leaves were made by chosen second year students using their G nibs and dipped ink wrote out neatly the invitations and dried them before cutting them to shape. The first year class did the potato stampings. And we only had to bind them into booklets. Most of the booklets were stitched and creased to enable tearing off.

One student had a line of holes made by a needle but was not regular and then stitched the booklet. I was born to be different. So I pulled out the thread from my mother’s sewing machine, got the needle marching or running on the spot and ran my booklet where I needed the perforations. I then pasted the cover just hiding the thread binding with gum oozing out from a tree in the compound.

Mr. Eng Sen gave the collected booklets at the principle’s office. The school peon called over to take me to the principle’s office. To my surprise the seated principal put his arm around me and said, “I will not tell your mother” and shook my little hand. As usual I ran home as soon as the bell rang. Father too comes for lunch at same time. Before the lunch was over Mrs. Eng Sen called my mother through her kitchen window and told mother, what the principal had told me. Father kept mum.

Today 50 Cent may be a very small amount. Then a rubber canvas shoes was 50 cents. A shirt was 52 cents. A four ounce chocolate Nestle, Cadbury or Fry’s was 8 cents. An ice cream cone was one cent an egg was half a cent.

At that time, Ceylon was very much better off and more advanced than Malaya in all respects. Among the British Colonies, Ceylon was one of the best and we were proud of it.

T Model Ford

One late afternoon, all the four of us were taken on a joy ride around the hills. The T model Ford Coupe came up with the hood down. The driver switched off the engine to talk to father. Father noted that I was thrilled to watch the starting up of the engine with a crank handle before taking the family for a ride. Later that night father recollected his first sight of a car in Jaffna. A man ran ahead of the car with a red flag warning the people to clear the way. It was only about twenty years earlier. I commented, ‘the runner must have been a great runner to run faster than the car.’ He said that the car could go only slower than a runner.

Father’s first train ride

Another day, he narrated how during his days in the Training College, the first train came to Jaffna. The fare was one cent to Jaffna from Thellipali a distance of about fifteen miles. He did not have money for the return trip. But the desire to experience the train ride was so great that he took the journey to Jaffna and walked back with a few friends who were in the same boat.

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Boss pushed into the river

In school studying geography I learnt that the longest river was the Pahang River that ran through our little town. All towns at the mouth or end of a river have a prefix ‘Kuala’, Kuala Lipis and Kula Lampur are examples if inland towns where one tributary ends. Father was in a mood to tell me more he told me that it took about four weeks or so to come to Lipis from Pekan but only one week to return down stream by boat to the mouth of the river. By that time a road had been built to Kuala Pekan. He said that on being selected to government service, his first posting was in Kuala Pekan. The government had given his boss, a house–boat with three punters. On one of his trips, as usual they had made themselves comfortable on the boat with cooking utensils, food and drink, sleeping mats etc. The boss had a taste for wild fouls, naturally when-ever these were found on the banks, his rifle would have its chance. The punters would prepare the meals. For a change in the menu a wild boar would be a target if it was seen near the bank. Travelers were very careful about snakes. They traveled by day usually and by moon light when possible, but always slept in the house boat. Father said that he seldom seen ‘sakais’(jungle tribes) on his trips but was sure that they were being watched by them all the time.

Like traveling on a road, dwellings were in clusters along the river banks, and acted like the present bus stops and market places. The local boats called at each of these clusters to do business and transport passengers. The boss read the few office files and invariably went on with his novels. He always, had his rifle with him or knew where it was. Father read Tamil religious books again and again. His Engineer boss had noticed that same cover had asked him, if he was preparing for an examination. As he was about to reply, father noticed that the punter was just about to knock a beehive hanging from the branch overhanging the river. He said that, he ran towards his boss and pushed him and fell into the river taking him along. In a jiffy the punters jumped into the water and the boss was quick to log on to what had happened and joined in pushing away the boat from the scene of accident, with the bees swarming around. The boss thanked father was for pushing him into the river.

Church cross

When I was in standard two, the local church had installed a cross with neon cross and it was the show piece in that little town’s night sky. I said to father that someone should make Om and a Vel to mount them on our temples. He said that Christianity was modern and had no tradition but our religion is very much older with a tradition and as such it would never be done. Later he had to make a quick visit to Jaffna as my grand father was not well, he took the earliest steamer to Madras then and went overland to cross the Palk straits to Jaffna. He not only saw the Om and the Vel but also all the other gods and the advertisements neon lights on his trip in.

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On his return, he recollected what I had said on seeing the Cross and said that I had the acumen to develop a concept and remembered the perforations using the sewing machine. From that moment he would not comment on my crazy ideas. At that time I did not know that he too had that acumen, of a different sort. I shall let you know later.

In the evenings father read the news paper and with his new ‘Shefers’ fountain pen would write on the same paper phrases that he fancied again and again to better his writing and English. He would teach me spell correctly, as dictation was a compulsory subject in the Junior Cambridge Examination.

I also noted that he did the same when read the Tamil paper. He said one should better oneself always. But bettering in English only betters worldly life but for the betterment of spiritual life Tamil is a must. I remember father contributing articles to the Tamil papers on religious subjects.

When he had to learn English on arrival he said that a few Chinese classmates then had their ‘Thow Chang’, (pigtails) and that they went for it whenever there was a brawl. I believed him since; I had seen a few older women with tiny metal shoes which had not been removed from the day it was worn during childhood. Certainly God would have blessed San Yat Sen, who had already decreed that it should not be done in future.

‘Rodda Pusing’

One day while running around pushing a bicycle hoop on the gravel road the District Officer, that post was for Malays only, the British were very tactful. He living a few houses away, came driving his A7 Austin.. His front wheel was wobbling and about to come off. I shouted “Rodda Pusing”. I did not know enough Malay. He was furious that I was cheeky to say that his wheel was rotating. By the grace of Allah he hit the embankment as other side was the ravine. He realized soon what I was trying to say. Later he met father and laughed at the incident and told that I should be taught proper Malay.

Prophetic Statements

Father used to tell about the richness of Tamil literature though we have no country of our own. He also said that, “As long as you are in the British Empire; you must try to master English.” Now, I realize how prophetic his words were and the reason why the present conflict is all about in Sri Lanka.

King Farook

At that time King Farook of Egypt is supposed to have said that there will always be five Kings in the world, The King of England and four in the pack of cards. Time will tell.

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Festivals

Ever body enjoyed others festival holidays. Deepavali day is celebrated grandly in Malaya though the Hindu New year is celebrated more in Ceylon. On that day all our Chinese, Malay and Indian friends in the neighborhood would come and partake in the sweet cakes in the evening. We too go to their festivals and enjoy their sweets. All the sweets were not the same. They were all sweets with different shapes and palate. As the dusk sets in all the crackers make big din. More the religions, the merrier we were.

Durian Season

As a wag once said, Malaya has two seasons. One was wetter than the other. There was no fruit season as such. All the year some fruit or other was in the market. The stinking fruit ‘Durian’ is special in that region. Charley Chan used to say only the foreigners close their noses when walking through the market during the durian season.

Banned Elevating Sparklers

The then available elevating sparkler was really an ingenious Chinese design. The government banned it for obvious reasons. It was actually one long wick with crackers at either end set into the cracker loosely only half inch or less deep to produce the rocket effect. A deep tight setting will explode the paper wrapping as a cracker does. This long wick with ‘loose’ fitted ‘cracker’ at each end was folded like an S or half of a swastika. A bamboo slit was twisted like a propeller was mounted on the top of the middle portion of the contraption to elevate it when gyrated. The middle of the long wick was pulled out through a hole in the middle of the ‘propeller’ to serve as the ignition point. Both ‘rockets’ were thus attached to the centre of the propeller. We placed it in a tin plate like soup plate and ignited it at the center. When, the fire reached the ‘rockets’, the centripetal force created, gyrated and lofted like a helicopter to our delight. But they sometimes settled to ignite the thatched roofs of an adjoining house. The government did what it had to do.

Language without a Sovereign State

I knew that Tamil had no phonetics. It is the only classical language that has survived to date. Linguists say that it is more than eight thousand years old or more. Like everything language in the world it too has changed through the ages. When I learned French later I had to learn the phonetics. Only then, I realized that that there were no alphabets for all the sounds in the language. So phonetics was invented. The few Roman alphabets were articulated differently in different parts of the world. Permutation and combinations were done to produce different sounds. A small portion of the world use Roman script. The rest use various other scripts.

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Mirror images, of the Roman alphabets also increase the number of characters in some countries. Are they classed as Roman alphabet?

By permutation and combination of the 360 basic alphabets in Tamil, most sounds could be produced. The Tamils use Sanskrit as the English use Latin if new words have to be coined in time. English has earned a prominence, not due to the richness of the language but the power the great empire had earned during the past few centuries. The Momentum it had gathered is keeping it going, and may go on for another century or two. Merit of a language has nothing with popularity and prominence. U.N should know that – Perhaps it is better to let things as they are, as a debate on the subject may not end well. Democracy is ideal, if it was true democracy. UN should know how many pretend to be or claim to be democratic among its members. They are helpless to correct the wrong doers, like the rotary club members. This system will go on till the ingenuity of the human mind can device something better.

Saying without Saying

After the office closes at half past four, the well immaculately dressed Malay peons close all doors and windows. There was no burglar proofing on the windows. The old machine gun from the First World War remained at centre of the main entrance. I now think that it’s positioning was very well calculated indeed to show the might of their Power to the natives. “Saying it without saying it” is the Tamil transliteration.

All the children hide and seek in the deserted empty corridors. The parents generally sit on the grass by the flag pole and gossip while the children play. I remember many such days. The peons empty the waste baskets into a big container which was removed daily.

Later to collect stamps, that was the place we went first. Father knowing this told me something without telling. He requested me to come to his office at about half past four, to go to town from there. I was pleased because he would buy me a chocolate. When I arrived, he identified two of his staff members, told me to sit on the row of chairs and watch carefully their doings till they go for the day. I naturally thought that they were going to steel deftly. I noticed that both coughed like TB patients and spat into the received empty envelopes piled on the table before throwing into the waste basket under the table. On the walk to town, father told me that both were TB patients. I told the teacher who promotes stamp collecting what I saw. To be told without telling really produced telling results. I stopped collecting stamps and that teacher also stopped promoting.

Landing Ground

I thought that being the biggest among the states, we naturally had to have a large play ground, large enough playground for the Poppy day parade in November every

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year. We seldom saw a police man on the streets. Probably there was no traffic police for the obvious reason, that there was no traffic as such.

One Sunday in the dry season, there was a policeman at all the exit points to the field. Father said that the BR is going to land and told sister and me to go down and see. Sister took a paper umbrella and I wore my Topy and ran to the field. Gradually all the children in the area had been brought by their parents gathered under the trees around the landing ground. No body knew the landing time. As every one knew each other in that small town, gossiping started. Like bees circling flowers, vendors of sweets, grams, fruits ice cream hawkers and the like circled the trees. Sister and I had come unprepared without any money and impatiently awaited to see the landing. Father had been watching us from the verandah and sent my uncle who had come to visit us at that time with coins. We were pleased to see him and called the vendors. I noticed that the tiger moth came over the river and turned to land on the field. I also noticed that our house on a hillock at the end of the run way was just enough for take off.

Annual Floods

Then K.Lipis used to be flooded during the monsoon season. Most of the houses were built six inches above the highest known flood level by law. Temporary buildings and a few commercial buildings not for habitation were allowed below that line. I have experienced a few such floods. To prevent this annual occurrence, some loops of the river, were removed further down stream by straightening to increase the rate of flow. The flood-ding was mitigated.

Tiger

One night, after mother had her goat milk, as prescribed by the doctor, we heard a loud noise from the out house goat shed and we rushed to the nearest window, to see a tiger attempting to break into the closed shed. The District Officer living in the next compound on the opposite side came with his gun, but the tiger had gone back into the jungle. The shed was well made. The noise died down. But nobody dared to survey the damage as the jungle was only a few feet away. The torch light beams could have scared the tiger. That was my sight of a wild tiger. Long later, in an African safari, I saw many wild animals, including tigers.

Kuala Lumpor

Father had a promotion in Government service to the Labor Office in as chief clerk. It was housed in the main administrative building in use today. The transfers usually took place during the school holidays at the end of the year to facilitate the change of schools. Father knew that I would not be in a position to continue my study the Tamil language and so and bought me the English versions of a great number of books for children of the well known personalities who have contributed to our culture. This was done for me to gain knowledge, learn English and the Hindu culture simultaneously. I also read the ‘Puck’, ‘cracker’ and other comic rubbish on the sly. At the end of the year we went to K.L .

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We were given a house No: 1215 in Pasar Road close to the Pasar Road School in Pudu. Father was influential enough to secure a place for me in the Pasar Road School which was one of the three feeder schools to the Victoria Institution. The others being Batu Road school and Maxwell Road school. On the results of a competitive examination among the three feeder schools, the best were given admission to Victoria Institution. And jobs awaited those from VI, unless one decides to proceed with higher studies.

Pasr Road School

In the early days in PRS, the classmates were all having match boxes. I thought that they started to smoke early. Soon, I knew what they had in the match boxes. I too got a match box and had my first spider from the partition hedge of the house. Soon a classmate of mine caught me during the interval while licking ice cream and said, ‘Do you want to fight’. I knew what he really meant, and brought out my spider – which to me appeared as a scorpion – to have the fight. The biggest spider I had seen was only half an inch long. I do not know who made the code but there was a code and all spider fighters adhered to it. At that level all boys had either marbles or spiders in their pockets. The top spinners too had their unwritten codes like the spider fighters and Kite flyers.

The teacher one day said that like the codes for all our play, there codes for using the road. He said the left side is right side of the road to walk on according to the code. He repeated it many times for us to grasp it. The following day he said the right side of the road to walk on is the left side. Later on he said the right side is the wrong side to walk on. We were puzzled. He also said the men who made the code would come to our school the following week and that, we could ask clarification. The Traffic Police tacked their drawings on the board and began their talk in Pidgin English and left us saying that they had upgraded our knowledge on, how to use the roads, without saying the left side was not the right side of the road.

My daily pocket expense was increased 100%. One cent bought a cake and the other bought a cone of ice cream or a sweet drink or a ball of sweetened ice block shavings. The block was moved up and down by the vendor on an inverted stationary jack plane, to produce the shaving. – The designer of the jack plane would have not even have dreamt of such a usage.

My first Sinhalese

I had heard of A.L. Henry living in Imbi Road, but never seen a Sinhalese. “You often cycle to Royal Bakery at Ampang Street to buy sweets and cakes. Have a look at the manager when you go next” said my father.

On the next train ride father discreetly pointed at a fellow passenger who was wearing a bed sheet, shoes and coat over a shirt with a curved comb on his head

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and had knotted his hair and his umbrella was above him on the rack. He is a Sinhalese, but the new generation looks like any of us.

Mosquito buses

At that time there were rickshaws plying but were dwindling out slowly. A new mode of public transport called the mosquito bus was taking the place of the rickshaw. To-day we call them trishaws and became aware of the changes taking place around me with time that, the rate of change was increasing.

Vendors Galore

Each hawker had a unique sound. Some were made by mouth in the vendor’s language. Some were mechanically made, by a bell, beating of two bamboo pieces in a particular tune etc. etc. There was no talk of noise pollution then. The sound told us what was going along the road. The postman as usual rang twice.

Batu Caves

On Thai Possum day, I was taken for the first time to Batu caves. Then the stairs had not been built. We had to tread on large rocks. The climb was really hazardous.Subsequently I have been there many times during festive season, and out of season with scouts. I remember the bats in the dark caves when, a few scouts ventured in with torches.

Environment

The school had a wire fence without barbs. Some of us try the stunts that actor Richard Talmage performed on the flickering screen and dive through the horizontal strands during the interval. Joe Lewis then was world King of the Ring.

At home, we had got rid of the His Masters Voice 68 RPM gramophone and the records and installed the first Marconi radio with the magic eye and father used to tag the London Melbourne air race. The teacher in PRS repeated the progress of the planes but also told about each country they flew over- mostly information was gathered from the National Geographic Magazine - He had not been to those places himself.

King George V made the first Christmas Message over the radio. We could not listen properly. Radio was at its infancy. There was too much interference.

Most Tamils had small shrines like the Chinese in their homes. We did not have constant tea as in Chinese homes. The tea pot with a spout was always on the low charcoal flame. A pot of fresh water was invariably beside with two decorated small cups without handles. My friend demonstrated how to operate the ‘self service’ unit. He first placed one cup under the spout, then he took the other cup, filled it with fresh cold water and poured it into the hot teapot. As he poured in the fresh water with one cup, an equal amount of tea spouted into the previously positioned cup below. I did not have to know hydraulics to know the working so I

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took up the tea cup as beckoned to observe that the cup was very light. When, I asked him if it was chinaware, he said ‘yes and no la. They are very expensive china silk cups.’ I was impressed indeed, as they would not break easily. It was impossible for him to be short of a drink.

We like others, had pictures of Gods and Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Vivekananda, Ramakrishna etc. displayed in prominent places. But the Muslims had large pictures of either King Farook or King George V.

Values in life were constantly changing, but it was still possible to know the aspiration of the occupant of his built environment. In each class about a third was Malays, Indians and Chinese. There was only one American in the class. We were classified as Indians. (That too changed later with the arrival of the Japanese) I remember the day when the Tamil class teacher who was also the sports teacher caught me quarreling with another Tamil (Now a retired engineer) boy over some petty thing. Since there was a difference of six days only between our birthdays and had the same height and build, he told the class to form a circle outside and brought out two pairs of gloves. Even though we did not want to fight, we had to fight and the teacher was the referee. We pretended to fight at first but due to the cheering class, we were actually fighting. The teacher stopped the fight on seeing the blood in both noses. The cheers brought the principal. I do not know what actually transpired but after that I know that whichever class he took it was the quietest.

Lord Baden Powel

Lord Baden Powell came to KL. I was a senior sixer in the Wolf Pack, in PRS. A scout jamboree was held and we were invited to partake in it. I remember seeing Baden Powel leaving his foot imprints on wet cement in the camp. Two years later I saw a motion picture recording of the event. In that, Lord Baden Powell was shaking my hand. About, forty years later I was told by a scout in Malaysia that it was still there – The Japanese did not destroy foot prints, but went for the statues during their sojourn.

First Experience of Loneliness

At that time my mother had taken ill again. Father was planning to take her and my sister to my grand mother in ‘Yarlpanam’ and had applied for 42 days leave. He was looking out for some to be my guardian during his absence. His Tamil editor friend was a widower. He agreed to live with me and the Indian cook till father returned.

I now presume that the rules on leave were made by the British rulers during the steam ship traveling days for their long voyage to London. A long leave was six months and a short leave was forty two days. Ceylonese employees had a benefit as they were closer.

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I cannot remember the Editor’s name. I owe a lot to this individual. He wanted me to play a little game with him. It was to say “Siva Sivaa” every time I did anything. It was fun at the beginning. But to do it always was difficult. He would remind me by repeating himself aloud what I had promised to do. This went on for some days and then he said one day after a few weeks, he said that I could repeat it within without moving the lips and letting others know. I did that till the war.

I was brought to Malaya as an infant and had no idea of Jaffna. My thinking was that all Tamils from Ceylon came from Jaffna and did not know about the culture or customs. When father returned alone, the editor went back. Only farther, the cook and I were in the house. Kulasekaram’s father was one of the six school friends who had come to Malaya with father, worked for the railways. (FMSR). During his parents six months leave to Ceylon, T. Kuasekaram lived with us. He was the Head Prefect at Victoria Institution. I think at that time he was preparing for the Queens Scholarship examination. The scholarship was the best ever. It was like hitting the Jack Pot. It was an Open Sesame to any UK university to follow any course. Up to that year no Malay won that scholarship. It was won by Chinese, Indian or Ceylonese. Naturally it was not fair, so the scholarship was divided and divided later after independence.

Malaya Cup

The people of Malaya made a collection and contributed a battle ship HMS MALAYA as their contribution to the Empire during World War I. After the war, the British Government gave a very large silver cup to Malaya to be contested for annually by the National foot ball teams. That year TPCA was playing the Chinese team for the cup. The important thing for me was to see A.L. Henry the captain of Tamilian Physical Club Association though was a Sinhalese. I had to see him perform as classmates were imitating his walk. Father had promised to take me to the match every year as it was a big event. The notable thing was that when the players changed sides, the cheering spectators also changed side as well. There was no stadium. The Padang in front of the ‘Selangor Club’ used to be the venue. As my father was working in the same building, we had a grand stand view from above the GPO which was at the corner. What I enjoyed watching that an Indian gram vendor had wandered among the Chinese spectators had his contents was toppled over by a Chinese EMDEN. The Vendor snatched the cross bar from the nearest vendor and gave chase through the crowd. A few among the spectators tried to prevent the chase. It was like watching an Indian film. The gram vendor was whirling the bar around like in the films and knocking down bottles in the air that were being flung at him and clouted a few who prevented him chasing the boy. Two police men came whistling and running through the crowd. My 3D film was over.

Victoria Intuition

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By this time I had gained admission to Victoria Institution and felt very proud to become a Scout in VI till I knew the truth later. We were the best almost in everything. We had very good teachers. The principal was an Englishman. English as a language was taught by a Chinese. Three of the others were Englishmen, Many Indians, Ceylonese, but no Malays were on the staff. One of the three, Mr.Danial taught General Science assisted by Mr. Lim Eng Tye.

Lim Eng Tye

Lim Eng Tye was also the scout master. He knew each student very well indeed including their capacity for pranks. And was an unforgettable character who no one who has gone through VI can forget. He was a personality. All knew exactly what was going to happen, if he asked the age, from a student. As soon as you the age is stated, all around the class, would prepare join in the chorus like clockwork join him and repeat the years aloud as he simultaneously gave a big bang on his back and continue to say, “of wasted life”. Students liked him as all felt that they had partaken in the big bang. It was customary to have lectures for about seventy five students in a science class. The lectures were conducted by Daniel. Mr Eng Tye was in charge of the lab and delivered only a few lectures. It was also customary for the master, to pass around samples of objects he was speaking about. The first, boy after studying the object would pass it to the next. The last boy had to hand it over to the master – usually at the end of the class.

One day he was talking about the structure of the feathers etc. I saw a feather on the floor – obviously from the cleaner’s feather duster. My temptation overpowered me. Deftly I took it, studied it and passed it on to the next and forgot about it. When the class was over, as usual the last student took it to the masters table. Mr. Eng Tye asked what that was. The boy replied, “Sir it’s what you passed around”. Leave it there. His response was quick, “Krishnapillai, Will you see me before you go”. - I went up - “Did you pass this around? – I said “Yes Sir,” He at once said “Go”.

Junior Cambridge

Tamil was my second language. My father was a qualified a Tamil teacher and naturally he taught me and sister. Father had been drumming into my sister couplets and explaining the meaning of a well known female poet. The examination questions were to translate those very verses to English. I naturally went like a duck to water. I received an A1.

The compulsory dictation was a paragraph of the newly constructed, largest giant concave mirrored dish on a hill of the Pyrenees in France. The remarkable thing is that I went there on French Government Scholarship to study the ways of cooling of buildings by the heat of the sun.

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1234 Pasar Road

The following year my father had to go again on short leave to bring back mother and my sister. By this time I was considered big enough. Father had befriended one Mr.Krishnar at a government conference some years earlier had talked to him about his intention. So Mr Krishnar invited us to his house No.1234 on the same road (near by short cut). We met Mrs. Krishnar. They had no children at that time. Their Punjabi neighbor on one side was a teacher in the Victoria Institution and on the ether side was a class mate of mine. They requested me to come on an auspicious day and time. Mrs Krishnar was a fast learner. She had learned to speak Hindi very well from the neighbor’s children.

Our cook had planned to go to India. The editor friend would only come only to sleep in the house. I arrived at 1234 with my books and some clothes to stay there as it was near by. I was worried that all my classmates could call for their family taxis, but I could not. I mentioned this to a Chinese classmate and a neighbor of mine. He said, “Your house number is 1234 and naturally la, any taxi company would believe that it is a hoax, and would not respond la. Try twelve thirty four la.” It was the first lesson on how others, could correctly misinterpret what I said.

As usual my friends and I were loafing cycling around going no where in particular and while going over the culvert separating Pasar and Imbi road, a bee had got into my bellowing shorts and stung me. My friends said that, a spread of ‘chunnam’ paste spread over the area will cure it and accompanied me home. To avoid sitting on the bit area I stood on the pedals while riding the bike home. Mrs. Krishnar wanted me to strip down. Knowing my reluctance, she told to lie down and expose only my buttocks. I did that. She studied the area I had pointed and went round the house in search of a female key. I was left wondering. She returned with female key in the hand. She switched on the light in the room to supplement the fading day light, stooped over and located the sting. Like a surgeon, she slowly inserted the hole of the female key over and around the sting and pressed hard. She removed the key. The sting was removed. Obviously the sting was in the key hole. When I asked her for the key, she wanted to know if wanted keep it as a memento. Years later when ever I saw a policeman in India, wearing bellowing shorts like a skirts, I was reminded of this incident. It was then, their uniform. They have now changed with time.

I do not remember how it came about but I remember the incident. One day Mrs. Krishnar said that I was ‘a theevan’ (an islander) and that Karainagar was still a ‘thivu’ is spite of being connected by a causeway. She was in a happy mood. I knew what ‘theevan’ meant in Tamil. By that time I had come to know that Jaffna had many villages with different ‘mannerisms in speech’ and cooking food etc. And of cause had nick names. Very much like in any of the European countries.

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I went to the Editor who slept alone in our house (as the cook had left) to find how to tease the Kisnars’. He was calm and wanted to know the name of their village. Mrs. Krishnar would not tell. I got what I wanted simply by asking if their village had a Post Office. P.O. She said the name of the junction. I memorized it to repeat to the editor.

At once he said, “Pandarikal”. I ran back as though I had made a discovery and to make capital. We do not have “pandarikal” in our area. I knew that I had hit the jack pot by observing her reaction. I then quieted down quickly awaiting to deliver the big clout. That very following Saturday after Scouting I taking off my uniform and while placing my light blue and dark blue neckerchief on the hook by the window

I observed a ‘chatti pandaram’ at the front door. In a flash I ran to open the front door to answer him. His attire naturally announced his mission. I knew that he had come from Jaffna to collect “taxes” as the Malayan did not levy any tax then. I had a brain wave and ran to the kitchen and told Mrs.Krishnar that a relative of her had come from Jaffna. She left the spoon and almost ran to the hall to meet her relative. She had not seen him earlier but thought her husband may know him. She bade the ‘tax’ collector to sit for a while as it was time for her husband to return for lunch as it was a Saturday.

I mentioned the neckerchief was light blue and dark blue – the school colors. The story is that when the institution was founded the then Head master came from Cambridge. So, he gave his color and left the other as white. The next Head came from Oxford and he changed white to the Oxford color. Later I learned that similar things happened in most parts of the Empire. The cadets in the Foreign Service were then mostly, from either University.

A relative of a ‘pandaram’ is a ‘pandaram’ I repeated in the kitchen. I wanted to know how he was related. Having knotted the situation so well, I could not undo it. So I got into my shorts and shirt, took my plate and went into the kitchen and announced that there was a thriller matinee and did want to go early with friends in the neighborhood. So she filled my plate and I took it back to the dining table to have it. As I finished the Fiat car horn was heard. As the car parked, I took off on my bike.

What had transpired, I gathered later. Mr. Krishnar had his wash and invited the “Pandaram” to lunch, and was given alms. He blessed them and went away without saying anything about relationship. That was the end of teasing.

Parents Return

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A month later when my parents returned, this episode was narrated by Mrs. Krishnar to them to share a good laugh. My sister was too young. There were no Montessori schools then. We lived in the same house 1215 Pasar Road, for a few more years. The cook and four of us only occupied the house. None of the government houses –including the school - had sewage. But there was a gravel road connecting every house and the scavengers came in the night to remove the buckets.Most people used fire wood for cooking. The barber made his rounds in the mornings. The dhobis called periodically. The venders also traveled those roads as it was close to the women customers during cooking hours.

Two wives

A Chinese house, near by stole the show. That man had two wives. I think there were twenty one children at that time. But do not know what the final score was. The convent bus comes empty and goes back full. When ever I went near the house, I always heard someone crying or fighting over something. My mother’s time piece was the passing of this bus. All three of us had to be at the table ready for breakfast when the bus passes.

Kite fighting

Chums used to play on PRS fields as we all studied there. It was the boys who powdered the glass to make into a paste and smeared and dried on the twine used to fly the kite. The skill was to fly over any kite in the sky and allow the aberration of the prepared kite twine to cut the twine of the kite under it, if he is unable to prevent the cutting by lowering his kite quicker. There was no controlling authority to regulate this or any of the other indigenous games. However there existed accepted practices for all these – like the British law. The cycles were useful to retrieve the severed kites. The severed kits belonged to the person, who grabs it first after it had been severed. And not to the person who caused the severance. Of course there were skirmishes. That was all part of the game.

Top Spinning The other was the top spinning season. Tops then, were very unlike the modern mechanical intellectual tops where the designer took the credit. Those were really historical tops. Generations of children had gained the skill to spin. Development of various skills as children grew was a measure of the growth of the child. Only children who have acquired the skills could spin a small conical block of wood with a nail through the apex. A leaflet describing its operation was never given or existed. The ratchet twine wound around in a single layer neatly from the apex to the top, like a mosquito coil, is fling like cracking a whip. As the top is flung out, the end of the wrapping twine is pulled simultaneously – top spins. Advanced boys say ‘zing’ and pull up the twine to enable the top to spin on their palm. Looking back, I now think that various skills acquired by the growing children are now taught in Montessori. In the past children acquired knowledge and skills themselves at their own pace. Are we are more civilized now? Now, we have yet not come to

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the stage to be told as how to cook our rice. So far no vendor of rice grains has distributed literature as to how to prepare it. There is yet time to advance. However makers of electric rice cookers, do provide instructions as to how to use their cookers in poor English.

Fire Brigade

One night, when we were having dinner the, fire brigade engine went past our house ringing its loud bell. I left the table and in a jiffy and hopped on my bike and tailed the fire brigade. A few friends in the neighbor hood too had joined the tailing. The brigade stopped (almost on the spot where stung by a bee earlier) at the beginning of Imbi Road from Pasar Road. The firemen rushed into a house occupied by Malays, wearing sacks over their uniform dragging the hose. There was neither smoke nor fire to be seen. Soon a fireman came out and announced that a beehive had dropped through the ceiling and the occupants are safe within mosquito nets and requested us to keep a safe distance. They came, prepared wearing sacs as the nature of the “fire” problem had been informed by the complainant by telephone. They broke the ceiling and removed the hive not with a pole, but with a water jet. Bees were every where and we had to run.

First Tremor

Father had another promotion to another post in the same town. He was the Financial Assistant in the Customs Office located in Sulaiman building near the Kuala Lumpor railway Station. His office was on the 4th floor. At that time Majestic Hotel was being built on the opposite side of the road. That was the first time, I went in a lift. I remember father telling us, when he returned home as usual, that he had observed a very unusual experience in office. He said that he noticed that his ink bottle vibrated slowly and slid to the edge and fell before he could catch it. The same observation was made by some of his staff. But, nothing had happened after that. It remained an unresolved puzzle till the following morning Malay Mail reported earth tremor was experienced in parts of the town, but there was no damage caused. I do not recollect any mention about the rector scale then. Perhaps we were not technically advanced at that time – not that we could have prevented it even if we were.

Smoke Signals

At about that time shuttle diplomacy was being practiced by Great Briton. I was in the Senior Cambridge class in Victoria Institution. Father was transferred to Customs Office in then Port Swettnham. During the week ends I was in Port Swettenham and the week days in Kuala Lumpor in the Railway Quarters in Brickfields opposite the Y.M.C.A. I was living with Mr. Thillaiampalam family. By this time their son Kulasegaram was in Colombo studying Law. The elder brother was studying in UK. His sister was in a convent school in town. It was a busy life in VI. Studies, Games, Scouting kept me busy.

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Fishy

One week end in Port Swettenham, I was tempted to fish on the jetty like others. I bought a hook for a few cents, got twine from mother, the worms from our garden in a tin and proceeded to the jetty with a stick in hand. I sat away from others fishing likewise and waited with the bait in the sea. Long before dusk, I caught the only fish in my life. I was satisfied for a very short time. On pulling it up to the deck, I could not or did not have the desire to pull out the hook as it was a fish with a mustache. I tried to give it away. No body wanted it. I knew that I would be scolded for my venture, so I threw everything into the big roadside drain and went taking only my experience home.

A ‘great’ tradition

The next time I went to the Jetty, I saw the navy unloading packed military ware at the far end and unloading and loading was taking place as usual. And as usual, a calculated accident like clockwork occurs, precisely when the end of work signal goes. A load of liquor packed in boxes is dropped, and taken up again to enable the anticipating laborers hold their tin cans to collect the liquor ‘caused by the accident’. I went home and told father what I saw a few times. He said, the insurance companies pay for it to ensure that no big accidents take place. They pay small amounts to avoid large payments. It is the custom thought the Empire. It is their tradition to bribe the laborers. It is their custom and there will be a strike if they do not follow their custom.

Churchill

We had to update ourselves in the class, on the war and had to memorize Churchill’s orations in our English classes. I was taken ill but sat the exam and failed as expected. Father’s plans were upset.

K. Lipis again

Father had applied for a prize appointment in Kuala Lipis. At the interview he was asked, why he preferred to go to god forsaken Lipis after serving in K.L. He had said that he joined the service first as a junior employee and would like to retire there as the most senior officer. He was supposed to retire on 15 th February 1942. Then that date was one and a half years away.

As permission had been granted for me to ( Thanks to Mr. Eng Tye) sit the general science examination at Cliffird School, Kuala Lipis the following year, even though the subject was not taught there. My sister too studied in the same school as it was a co-education school.

The house given to us was the largest. We were only four in the family. It was on a hillock facing the large school playground. The school building was on the opposite corner. In my room, I had my study table, bed, table tennis table and an attached bath room. There was no sewage as the terrain was hilly. Now, I say that we could

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have had a septic tank. Service of a scavenger was provided. As usual it was a timber house on stilts with all normal services. O’ yes, we did not have an A/C. The verandah around the house is that, we missed most on our later abodes.

Birthday of the monarch

The birth of the monarch was vaguely like the birth of Christ. It was a holiday in the British Empire. On that day the minor offenders, - like sealing fouls- were pardoned and set free by the agents of the Crown all over the Empire. The British Resident in the colonies sometime is accompanied by a senior native to H.M. Prison. This time farther went to the Jail as visiting Justice. First, the jailers guard of honor is inspected. Apparently according to a prepared list, the judges ‘question’ these prisoners in turn and pardon, is given and set free.

Murugan Temple

The Murugan temples are usually on an elevation. But in K. Lipis the temple was in the valley and we could see the rear of the temple from our house verandah. When the air raid siren went off, people generally rushed to the nearest shelter. A few had the belief that the Japanese would spare the temple and rushed there. The temple priest obviously did not contribute to that view. I noted that he dragged his son and ran out with his wife through the rear gate along the valley. Father commented that, I was learning the ways of the world fast while going to our shelter.

Untouchable

The scavenger was thirsty and asked for water. I was in the verandah, engrossed in my Readers Digest. After some time father said, “Did you not hear the man?” I leaned over the hand rail and pointed at the garden tap and beckoned to help him self and continued reading the book. After nearly an hour later, he asked for water again.

I was annoyed and shouted at him, inquiring if he was unable to turn on the tap. Father heard it and called me into the room and said softly that he afraid to touch the tap as he was an untouchable and told me to open the tap for him, to have drink. I did that. But found no difference at all in that man. I have heard of untouchables in history books but he was the first, I had seen in Malaya. Father said you have untouchables in your school. You only do not know. The stigma will vanish gradually but will accelerate with time.

Panda ram

A ‘pandaram’ called, the political climate was such that, father gave his horoscope to him to forecast. After calculating (of course without a calculator), the ‘pandaram’ said that father will to his homeland, for another four years. Father said that it was impossible as he had to retire in February 1942, gave him his dues and sent him away. Within a few days things had changed and there was a possibility of his prediction coming correct. He looked for him in vein. Eventually, what was told

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by the ‘pandaram’, turned true. My belief is that he is one of those few blessed with that faculty to foresee events. I have heard of a few such people in my life. They have no address. One cannot get at them. They will get at you, if you are destined. All this happens in this world according to the dictated of another level of consciousness. Lots of such fakes make a living all over the world claiming supernatural powers. Such powers are given by super men (Not from Hollywood). Such endowed men are in all countries and generally do not claim such powers.

Westerners will naturally treat them like any other service provider, like a psychologist and the like to draw a code of conduct to ensure quality control etc. They will measure by their own yard stick. That will be the day, when they will discover that genuine seers have no certificates.

At that time, the Japanese had not attacked Perl Harbor. British and Indian soldiers were about in increasing numbers. Among the staff the principal and another were British. All others were locals. Jane Austen’s, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ was among the text books for the Senior Cambridge Examination and so the principal being the literature master took us to see a cinema show by that name in Kuala Kumpur by a hired bus. He wanted the prefect Hussain and a Chinese boy to accompany him in his car and I was to sit in the front with him. He wanted us to talk about anything so that he could correct us. It ended up with him asking questions by turn about things that we were passing by. I discovered that he was a great teacher. He would phrase his questions in a manner to check if you would repeat the mistake again.

‘Woman Refuses’

The other English teacher was Mr. Little. He was not a giant but certainly not little. One day he was teaching proverbs and said the first half and the students by turn had to finish it. Hussin’s turn came. Mr. Little said, “Man proposes” and awaited the response. He shifted his ‘sonko’ and looked up the ceiling. “Have a try. What do you think the end would be” said Mr. Little. Hussain said, “Woman refuses”. The whole class including Mr. Little and the girls, laughed as the bell sounded. Mr. Little swept his books on the table and left laughing. He went straight to the teachers’ common room and announced to all the teachers. Knowing Hussain, I felt that he only seized the golden opportunity.

Python

In that house there were a few small vacant out houses and we kept the goat for the milk in one. One noon mother heard noise from the out house, where kept the goat and calf. When she looked out she had a glimpse of the tail of a snake. She shouted and ran into the house and shouted to the cook to run. Instead the Indian cook shouted to the gardeners and they went running. The school had closed for lunch, and as I and sister approached, we saw a commotion around the house. Mother was in a panic and we saw through the window, the gardeners surrounding the out house

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with sticks, grass cutting knives. They were laughing and we did know at what.

Sakai Express

In that two street town, the Railway station was along the main upper road. The Sakai Express used to come on two days a week only. On Sunday mornings a lot of people make it a point to be on the platform even if they had no one to meet. Father said instead of going to a club they go to the station to meet each other and then to the market. It was a social gathering. There was only one big shop opposite the station and they were the only people who made ice. People who had not traveled called it an emporium. The owner’s son was my classmate and friend. Every week the uniformed men were on the increase. A few white women in uniform were also seen, but never a colored woman.

Usually, father and I listen to the news on the radio in the mornings before breakfast. On that examination day, sister and father had their breakfast and left the house as I had another hour to go. I collected my things, had my breakfast, and felt relaxed to face the examination. I sat on the rocking chair and turned on the news. The announcer said about fighting the landed Japanese. I could not believe it. Of course he said that they were under control. While summing up he said about the hell let loose on Pearl Harbor. I quickly took my things and instead of going to the school, I ran to father. Though he was in the inner office, his peon had informed of my coming. Every one there including father knew that I was exited. He calmed me and took me to a corner to listen. On listening to me, he was excited, told me to wait and went straight into his boss’s office and told him what I had heard. His boss said that all that was true. He said that ‘tactical withdrawals’ were common in warfare and not to panic as things are under control. Father took me to school for the exam.

All British Men were conscripted

When the exam hall was opened, we saw an elderly white lady among the invigilators. As told earlier, we looked for our index numbers and sat down. The lady introduced herself as the wife of the principal, and said that she had had been nominated, as the chief invigilator and would conduct the examination. She also said that, even if the red siren alert was heard, she would remain in the hall and conduct the examination. However, those who wish to take shelter were free to go after placing their answer scripts, face down and proceed to the shelter. Nothing happened the first two days. On the third day, the siren was heard and about twelve -about half, took shelter. Nothing happened. On the fourth day, I was the only examinee sitting for General Science morning and evening on the fifth.

The following Sunday, the army was driving the train and there was no schedule. I thought the Army would mark our answer papers and forgot it altogether. North

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bound trains were transporting soldiers in goods wagons. The South bound passenger trains were returning with wounded soldiers. Most were shot on their back as they were lying face down. It was a horrifying sight.

Army trucks were spread out under the trees along the sides of the field opposite our house and camouflaged with greenery. Most in that lot were ANZACS. They were conversing in a language similar to English.

Father withdrew his savings and sent half by telegraphic transfer to his brother in Kalapoomi. The following day he sent the other half to his friend who later became Justice Nadarajah in Colombo. His brother thought that through love and affection the money was sent but his friend thought that the money was for safekeeping as he was in a war zone and had deposited it in a separate account and had returned with interest that had accumulated. Both acted according to their thinking.

My First Air Raid

Soon it was clear to every one that the Japanese would come into our town. Father had gone to office and I went to town to do some shopping. Mother and sister were at home. As I entered the town the Chinese classmate stopped me opposite his shop facing the Railway Station to tell me something. Across the road, an Indian soldier standing on an open wagon supervising loading or unloading blew his whistle as loud as he could. All the people just looked at but were not impressed at his performance. Sensing the situation, he pointed at the sky. We all looked to see a bi-plane diving through the clouds. I saw even the heads of the pilot and the gunner. Both of us dived to the nearest corner of building. We were less than three feet from each other. When we got up, my Chinese friend had been hit by shrapnel. Since his house was across the road, I ran across the road – there was no traffic. I went yelling to his mother. All the people were running away to the river bank. She yelled back to me to run and take shelter. I waited not knowing what to do. She shouted again to run. Before I turned, I saw that she was the only one running against the crowd.

High Long Jump

I had done high jump and long jump at school, but never practiced a high long jump. I had to do it, as a long cycle stand was across my path. It’s only when I got to the river bank, did I realize that I had cleared the cycle stand. Simultaneously, I thought I had seen a ghost running along to take shelter. I was whirling and wondering in circles what I should do. I looked at the ghost again. He was no ghost. He was running from the hair dresser’s saloon like any of us. He only was not aware that he still had the soap on his face and the cloth around his neck.

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As soon as all was clear, I got home quickly. Mother and sister were not even aware what had happened. Father had heard of the incident and he thought I was at home.

Churchill’s warehouses

The British had massed a very large quantity of food in warehouses secretly constructed by the army, among the trees that was out of bound for civilians. In a few days it was clear that the Japanese were coming quickly down the peninsula and preparations was to halt them near Gemas where the Singapore railway forks East to Kota Bahru and West to Alostar. The doors of the warehouses were left open to enable the public to take them away. Father in the usual style gave instruction for the PWD truck delivers two bags of rice to each occupant in every government house. Father realized that he was nobody once the Government collapses. The truck drivers had disappeared with the trucks. The able and sturdy made many trips.

Augvste Rodin

Father sat on the mile post by the road just like the man on the gates of hell by Augvste Rodin. I knew that he had put on his thinking cap and waited anxiously for the outcome. After meditation, he wanted me to bring my bike. He started to walk in the opposite direction - to the town. I was puzzled, but I followed him as I told you earlier that he had acumen. It was for managing situations. Most of the shops had slid the planks vertically across their entrance but had one or two planks open for their use as they usually lived at the rear of their shops or on the floor above. Father knew the shops that were likely to sell salt and knocked on their planks. The owner was keen to sell his bags as they will not keep in the humid weather. Father bought a bag. That bag of salt was the size of present day, two cement bags. We covered it and managed to wheel the bike, home and place the sack it on the top of a spare sand stone filter stand. We rested for a while. Father then said, “Nothing can be eaten without salt. They have what we want and we have what they will want” We will barter for food. We went again for another bag of salt. Ultimately we had three dripping bags, one above the other. We collected the dripping in a glass and bartered the very next day, for food in sealed tins, packets, bottles to our liking. The clothes were removed and food was stocked and locked. Food had more value than clothes at that time. Very soon we had as much canned food as most others.

Photographer missing

The notable observation was that the Japanese Photographer who had a studio in Kuala Lipis for many years was missing. Father did not tell us much, but was tense. He was also acting for the State Treasurer at that time. He too, may not have been told, but must have known their inkling. Father said that it would be safer for us to

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be in a rubber estate rather than the town. So he had telephoned a distant relative in Kali estate in the next town Raub and he readily requested us to come (without asking his wife). So father requested the Army through his boss to arrange transport to the estate. That was assured. The following day army removed all the gold bullion crates and cash from the Treasury and farther had to destroy all the important documents in the vaults and safes. The office peon called over asking us to take food to him as he could not leave the office. I took food in a tiffin-carrier. There I saw table fans being used as blowers to feed the fire.The very next day, the last train was to cross the bridge and the army was to blow up the bridge. The traffic inspector of the Western line was a friend who left with the Army requested to look after his family. Poor man was caught by the Japanese beaten but not killed. He was released when the war was over, but he succumbed to the torture.

Refuge in Rubber Estate

After that day the military truck was take us to a rubber estate. That was first occasion I heard real ‘Classical Australian’. Father Mother and Sister were in the rear seats and I was seated with the driver. Two or three soldiers with their guns were guarding the truck. Soon after we were on the maim road, the driver said, “This Fg road has too many Fg bends and the Fg truck has no Fg brakes, and to F it all, the bloody weather is Fg awful. Father pretended not to have heard it. Mother and sister could not cotton on to the ‘dialect’. I memorized it and repeated in Melbourne about ten years later after they had gone wise to change their immigration policy. My cousin, his wife with her son arrived there in another truck as arranged. Accommodation was found for all in the neighboring line houses. My mother could stomach the treatment meted out at the water tap. But sister and cousin were sour and complained to father about the hostess’s attitude. Farther made a quick decision to return in the next morning and arranged transport for all of us – including my cousin’s family. My cousins had a house on a hill one and a half miles from our house in town. We went home to prepare the lunch. All our belongings were intact including the food stocked up.

The government was defunct

The prisoners were released. The air was tense. We were feeling in secure to live without neighbors in a large house. Houses were not being looted, perhaps in a small town, every one was known. He had been to the Jail with the BR to set free small time offenders on the Kings Birthday. The smalltime criminals would have known him. Only, government property was being removed by the greedy. From our vantage point, we noted that hospital mattresses were being carried away, mostly by hospital laborers, three or four at a time. Apparently, these people had no beds as such but had mats, so six or seven when stacked will be bed and mattress. Further more it would have been soft indeed.

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Under the trees, opposite the house where the army trucks were parked was a discarded ARP hand pump in working condition. I brought it home. As Father was the Chief ARP warden a few days earlier, he recognized it and was very angry and wanted it to be put back at once. He simply said that it should not be in the house. The mattresses will be returned, if not their heads will be severed.

The New Masters Came.

Almost all white men and women had vanished. The first Japanese soldiers who came in wore watches like women wearing bangles and had their cooking pots on their belts. All the remaining ‘native’ government service personnel had to report for work on a particular date. There was mixed feeling. On that day, father went and told the Japanese officer - ln Engris - that he should be on leave before retirement on that date. The Jap was happier than he was to allow him to retire. Father made sure that, it was recorded – to avoid being accused of not reporting for work. They also told him to occupy the house, till they needed it. As the whites' bungalows were vacant, it was prestigious to occupy their quarters. They announced that all property removed from government institutions should be retuned before a given date. I mentioned that we had a good of the road below. The very next morning we saw lots of mattresses on either side of the road left to the elements. Subsequently the hospital had it collected. I was happy that I had replaced the Stirrup Pump where I had found it. When told, we moved to my Cousin’s house on the hill one and a half miles away. Though, it was a small house, we were happy as we had company. Out of the row of houses about half were Tamils. We had plenty of food in stock and another bag of salt to barter. All those living on the hill, were known to one another

Like most cycles on the hill I, too had gears on my bike. I enjoyed the ride down the hill. I had traveled on that stretch so many times and felt comfortable. Between two bends, a big built Sikh pedestrian stopped me. And I made the mistake and stopped. He grabbed my bike and wanted to take it by force. I had a struggle with him and just at that time a known, Tamil teacher turned the corner cycling perceived my plight. He shouted in Malay and peddled towards us. He was big made and the Sikh left his grip went away. Though I considered myself to be big enough, at that moment I felt small. Since the teacher’s bike did not have gear, I thanked for saving my bike and walked with him pushing our bikes up the hill. He was agitated and told me that he had seen the owner of the studio in uniform. At home, I told of what the master had seen. Our family photographs had taken by him and that was the only time I had seen him. Father said that he took all the photographs of all ‘Big’ people and had gone hunting deep into the jungles shooting tigers with the “Game warden”- white man. Father met that teacher, to ascertain if he was sure, and advised him not to recognize him – unless he was recognized. It took me years to fathom his advice

A friend of mine was murdered

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A Chinese acquaint was the only witness of a murder, and for that, he was also murdered – but lived long enough to tell what he saw. There was no court to go to. Naturally the murderer got away. Father said that we should do what the wise monkeys did. “See nothing, Hear nothing and Say nothing” The Vietnamese did precisely that and you know the consequences.

Wedding sari

One day there was a children’s party in the neighbor hood and sister said that she would not go. Mother said girls grow very fast but their dresses get shorter. We had a treasure chest and father opened, it took mother’s wedding sari and tore it into two and gave it to sister to make a dress. Though it was our custom to dress the corpse in the wedding sari, mother endorsed father’s action – due to uncertainty of the future.

Opposite Buddhist Temple

The former Technical College was to be reopened to qualified students. Those who sat for the 1941 Senior Cambridge Examination also could apply. Father’s friend was Arumugam was the last Pay Master at the Police Department. I went to K.L by a bus and as arranged, lived in Temple Road. The Samuels’ were in the first house, I was living with the ‘Arumugam’s in laws’, Sinnathamby’s in the second house. The legal owner of the third house was my father and a tenant was occupying it then. Opposite this property across the road, was the only Buddhist temple in K.L. The priest in charge was good to us. As there were only a few Buddhist children living far away, he told us stories.

‘Koto Kogio Gakko’

I wanted to ‘Telecommunication Engineering” which includes “radio”. At the interview the Japanese principal told ‘Radio’ was a dangerous knowledge and will not be taught. I was told to choose another, I chose electrical engineering. The Principal was Mr. Ari Motto. He was a good man wearing a shabby uniform. He had to salute every other officer on the road as he had only two stars on one bar. Within the college compound, he was the King and all of us had to salute him. At the morning assembly, we had to recite five oaths. I remember only the first. It was “Bayiyaio Gekumetsi shii” (We must destroy the Anglo Americans) + four others like those. After a year or so, he came to know that the boys had a nickname for him. It was Harry. He was furious that he should be given a name of a white dog. It is only then we knew that Japanese dogs were given English names. I do not know if there is a change now with a change in history.

During the college holidays when I went to K.Lipis , I told my family, that I had seen a man about to dye at a discarded bus shelter. I was curious and frightened simultaneously to watch the man go- wherever he was going. Father became curious to know the end. Sister and my cousin were frightened and mother was happy that I was gaining worldly experience. About fifteen minutes, while returning along the same road, I had a desire to see the state of the man and cycled

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close by to have a good view. I saw the man in a horizontal position then. He was dead in an awkward position but naked. I took off quickly, as I may be suspected of murdering the man for his sarong. “You are fast learning the world” said father.

Suspected Thief

I left a few days later by bus to KL, with my bike tied on the roof of the bus s usual. A Malay girl had stated to the K.Lipis police that she had seen her brother’s bike being taken off by a tall young Tamil boy wearing spectacles that same day. Weight age had to be given to Malay’s complaint and so Kuala Lumpur police was informed. Because of Arumugam, I was not taken in. I had to present myself at the K.Lipis the following day. So I went back to the local police. I was taken to the girl. ‘Not this chap’ said the girl. There was no bus till the following morning to KL. So I had an extra day at home. Father repeated the very same sentiment. This is a very important experience for you in life. The following morning I was in was in K.L and told N.A.K. Nayer, the senior lecturer at Koto Kogio Gakko about the incident.

B29 raid One morning the marker plane dropped probably aluminum dust over the Sentul Railway workshops and the Air Raid Warnings had been sounded. We knew that the target had been marked. The glittering floating dust indicated the speed of the wind below so as to help the bummers. We were miles away, and our houses were in the opposite direction. There was a group that was tight lipped and preying, others frightened. Others trying to compute what we were taught in College. By counting the seconds it took for us to hear the sound after seeing drop some tried to calculate the distance of the target. I had relatives living near the workshop.

One was enjoying himself so much, that our mutual friend said, “Hey Bala, don’t you realize that bombing is taking place around your house?” Silence fell. The bombs sounded louder. When the all clear signal was given, I cycled to Brickfields to my home. Mr. Sinnathamby had some food parcels made to be given in the bombed area. I rode back to the opposite end of the city with a few friends, to be only stopped by Japanese soldiers. It was instantaneous acting without any rehearsal. We cried and shed crocodile tears and told in the newly acquired lingo understood by the soldier that our kith and kin were affected, showed the food parcels and managed to enter. My relatives were all well. So we moved on the centre. My friend Bala was standing on the top a rubble heap that was his house when he left in the morning. They were a family of seven. His eldest son, a medical student had come home only the previous night. They were all in the shelter. Their house was near the workshop. From the pattern of bombing he realized that then target was the workshop. Between rounds he managed to remove them from shelter

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to shelter to a safe area. His father took shelter in a well built deep shelter. All in the family were alive.

Further down the Road, we met another friend and classmate who lived with his relatives. The whole family was killed. The shock was so bad that became dumb and deaf. All at home had a direct on their shelter and all had died, except their dog. I gave him food but he did want it. A relative of the family had come to look after.

A few feet away people of all nationalities there were digging and wanting help to load the bodies and severed limbs wet with blood into a truck. My friends and I helped to throw the body parts into the truck. One among us was vomiting and could not stand it. We gave the food to whoever wanted it and got back before it got dark. According to our custom, we had to take bath outside the house and then enter the house.

Sense of humor

Another cousin was an overseer in another town near by. He was had a big frame but when he called on us, he was half or less in form. He had a sense of humor and narrated the incident that caused his decline. He said the Japanese soldiers when the first came to the tropics, had a great desire for young coconuts. When they were in many in numbers and wanted a drink, they stood round a tree and used their samurai swards to fell trees to have a coconut drink. So many tell tale marks were around. They later knew that most natives can climb the trees. It was unfortunate that he was caught to climb the tree. He tried to tell them that he could not climb. They said that they would teach how to climb. He fixed his bayonet to his gun and by sign language instructed to climb. He did climb about five feet and the soldier held the bay net under his buttocks. He said that, he fell down when he saw the bay net and fumbled to see how much of the bayonet had gone in. The soldier had a sense of humor and said in good Engris that you cannot ride a bicycle by watching others riding and left the place. My cousin said that nasty experience was the cause of his declining health. After, the fall of Singapore they were after white women, liquor and food.

“Jiki dan duty”

All adults had to do “Jiki dan Duty” to safe guard our locality by a roster system from local thieves. The system was a farce because you could get someone else to be nominated for a consideration.

One day the city was marked into small areas, in order to enforce ‘Home Guards’ round the city. A roster was prepared and all males (I forgot the age limits) were grouped to guard their locality from nine pm to five am. in two groups. All meant all. Father and sons, Employer and employees, Professors and students, Richest and the poorest had to partake. Since we could form our groups, I knew that it will fail.

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In reality the professor would rope in his students in the group. The Employer grouped his employees, etc. etc. No body was caught for months and it had a natural death. At that age, we rally enjoyed ‘Jikidan duty’.

Forced Labor

The same data base was used by the Japanese to obtain forced labor, to do what the British had considered as an impossible task without the help of heavy bulldozers. The task was to fill a discarded open tin mine so as to expand the runways. I do not know if they succeeded or not but the forced labor ended soon – in about two weeks. It was a memorable experience. All in the list had to assemble at a particular time and place. There were no trees or vegetation in that area and sun was a big problem. A sentry was placed at intervals. The rich Chettiars and Thowkeys came in rickshaws to do forced labor. Some came with bottles of water, some brought food. There was no toilet or cycle parks as such. I thought labor like this would have been used in Gizze to move nine foot cubic stones to build the Pyramids. If a member in a group was slow moving instead of coming down with his whip, he would throw a stone. Invariably one other in the group would get it. It was very effective because the group members see to it that nobody slacks. We were given sweet potatoes and a cup of tea without sugar. I think we were expected to lick the sweet potato and drink the tea. As the bicycles were taken away by the Japanese army for their use whenever they needed it, it was only prudent to make it less attractive. Most people removed their stands, chain guards, dynamos, mudguards, carriers, decorations etc on their bicycles. My cycle only had wheels with solid tires and brakes. It was safe to possess it. The cycles were in the open while doing forced labor. Most tires were flat and had to be pushed home, after the hard days work. The rickshaws pullers were the only beneficiaries.

‘Chellow Delhi’

Around that time the Indian National Army was formed on the field opposite the Selangor Club. (Whites only). And the Bronze Bust of King Edward VII, in front of the Government Building. That was easily the biggest frenzy crowed that I ever seen. Without being aware, I was, also shouting ‘Chello Delhi’. As I was in the prime of life, I could then worm my way through the crowd and sat in front of the temporary platform erected from which Subas Chandra Bose would speak. I have known of his reputation as a great personality and speaker. What I could not understand, the presence of a very ‘large’ closely woven wicker basket. It would have been seven feet square and seven feet high without the top. I recollect that it was pegged to the ground, with or without a bottom.

Most in the crowed were Indians. Thousands of Indian soldiers whom the British were unable to evacuate were also in the crowd. I presume that the Indian soldiers got rid of their uniforms and had merged with the local Indians. The circumstances were ripe for Subas to rope them in. And he did it very well as he had the acumen.

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– to liberate India with the help of the Japanese. The Indian national army was borne. (A few called them Traitors)

Indeed it was a moving, the speech and the situation was such. At the end, he called for funds. I do not think, I will see another event where people gage everything they had. That wicker basket there erected was the depository of all donations. Cash and gold. I saw women throw in bangles, gold chains a few drew out the ‘thali’ and throw in the chains and rings. Men wrapped notes into bundles and contributed without receipt or acknowledgement.

Daniel and five other white teachers were P.O.W

The white men, including my teachers were taken as prisoners. We, took alternative routes, on the way cycling to college made effort, not to see our white teachers sweeping the road, as it would be embarrassing. It was done to humiliate the prisoners. However, though we were non smokers, we bought packets of cigarettes and as we passed the A.N.Z.A.C p.o.w, we would light the cigarettes, and drop them on the road where they were sweeping. To our surprise the Japanese guards were only happy to see the Asian boys throw the buts for the A.N.Z.A.C p.o.w. to pickup and smoke. The Japanese perception was helpful to repeat our performances.

Uncle returns from Burma

My mother’s brother was a Station Master in northern Malaya. His friends wrote to father that uncle was forced to serve in Siam and then in Burma. A year later he turned up in K.Lipis as a scare crow. He did not want to talk about the hell he underwent on the Journey to Imphal. His philosophy “Whatever will be, will be”

Delayed Shocking News

The final exam was the following week in KKG. Accordingly the exam took place. I was told later that during the middle of the examination that father was taken in on suspicion with my cousin in Kuala Lipis. Mr. Arumugam came to know the news, but did not want to tell me until the examination was over. When I returned after the last paper, his son told me that his father wants me and to call over. I was in a happy mood that I had done well in the exam. I was told the shocking news. I fell silent and did not say a word and went back to Mr. Sinnathambi’s house where I was living. I do not remember anything but remember taking the Lipis bus the following morning. When I reached home, I had a mixed reception. Instead of welcoming me, the first thing mother said that I should return by the first bus in the morning. She said that because it was the custom for the Japanese to arrest all major males, if one in the house is arrested. I could not say no. It was hell. Except the children all were crying, mother was crying but she put up a front. Father knew that he may not return and slipped off his signet ring and threw it into the grass as

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he was removed – mother saw it, but did not look for it at once. We then searched every blade of grass. Obviously a spectator must have helped himself. My cousin had a child and was crying. My sister was stunned. I was told that a local Eurasian while drunk had expressed pro British sentiments to the Japanese. He was given more liquor and had been questioned as to who else were of his opinion. He gave the names of eight government servants from Jaffna. All were taken in including my cousin and father at the same simultaneously.

We kept talking, and left early to Kuala Lumpur. There no bus that day. I paid to get a ride in an open truck, and to reach K.Lumpur. The truck broke down on the road near Bentong after dusk and I was afraid of tigers. I probably said Siva Sivaa climbed down and slept under the truck deep between the wheels- presuming the tiger would not get me there. The other four packed themselves in the cabin and had no sleep. I heard the humming of mosquitoes around me but being in a confined space could not move or drive them away. They had their night. At dawn the driver got the truck moving and we reached KL. All were surprised when I narrated the events. Arumugam said that was a wise move.

Savages

Two weeks or so later, we heard that around the Java Street round about twenty chopped heads were on display. There was disagreement about seeing it. I told that a scene like this cannot be witnessed even in the next birth, and mounted my bicycle. There was a milling crowed going clockwise on foot. I have heard of the expression ‘blood is boiling’ but never did I experience it. It was then a reality and I could feel not my blood boil but simultaneously feel the boiling within all the people doing the round either pushing their bicycles or on foot. Not a word was spoken ‘as a mark of respect?’ to the Japanese sentries on duty. I hope not to experience that in all my future births.

No postal service I was desperate to know about matters in K.Lipis. After about ten days, I told my problem to Mr. Arumugam. He said, “Go but be careful”. After a rough ride, I reached home. Mother was not frightened as no further arrests were reported. The stock of rice had dwindled. Mother gave me another plain gold ring to buy rice if possible. I changed into old clothes and walked to town past our old house on the way and went into my friends shop. None in the family were to be seen, but they saw me alright. I told the person in Malay, that I wanted rice in exchange for the ring and gave it to him. I thought he was taking it in to assess its worth. Another person returned with the ring and enquired if I was, Murugasu’s son. On affirmation, he returned the ring and said in English, “Keep it. You may need it later. Stand at the foot of the hill at mid-night to-night. A bag of Siamese rice will be delivered. You will have to take it up”

The wait

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The waiting was killing. I was frightened to be alone at mid-night hiding behind a tree waiting. I could only think of ‘Siva Sivaa’. Mosquitoes were about the place. I was afraid of leeches and snakes. At last, he came on a bike and helped me to mount it on my back. I walked up the road, a third of the climb and decided to go through the discarded rubber estate to avoid barking dogs. I was tired, but dared not put down the load, as I would never be able to place it up again. It was hell. I crouched on my knees and elbows many times and finally managed to get to the Badminton courts opposite the house. Only Mother and Cousin were waiting for me. They came to the road and helped me in. The neighbor’s dog was a friend of ours and aware of us but co-operated by not barking. I must have slept as was exhausted. When I woke up, I told Amma that the Loo brothers knew where we lived and that father was in jail and gave back the ring.

Life’s event

I went back to Kuala Lumpur as the Koto Kogio Gakko results would be out soon. The announcement was made that it would be out the following week. The following day I fell ill with high temperature. The second or third day my condition was very bad and so Dr. Doraisamy was summoned. He came and while examining asked if I was Murugasu’s son. When confirmed, he enquired about father and said he would go home and return with equipment to do a lumber puncture as the pressure was too high. After he had gone, Mr. Sinnathamby was happy to know that we were family friends. After an hour or so there was an air raid by the allies to recapture. We came to know that Dr. Doraisamy’s dispensary had a direct hit. Naturally he did not turn up as expected.

I was told later that as my pressure went up, I became boisterous and two or three would come into my room. Every thing in the room was removed, including the bed and electrical fittings to prevent me from hurting myself. A mattress was on the floor. I was shown the damage caused by me later as I would not believe them. News that I had passed would not have helped.

The build up

I found myself in a hospital bed when, I gained consciousness and was hungry. I found that my right hand and leg were paralyzed. Much later, I found that I could not also talk. I thought of my horrible predicament. I was aware that farter was in jail on suspicion as British element. I knew that mother, sister and cousins were helpless in Kuala Lipis. My head was reeling. As there were road blocks, no body could come. To my surprise, I found food by my bed in a bowl. With great difficulty, I managed to really eat with my left hand. After eating I thought of the person who had placed it there. I knew for certain that it was not from the hospital kitchen. It was Jaffna food. A little boy came to remove the bowl. I must have frightened him as I could not talk. I learned later that there was Dresser in the hospital from Karainagar who knew father and my case.

How can I commit suicide?

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I had spotted a chest of phials of medicine from which the Chinese nurses took medicine to the patients. If only, I could get there, all the problems could end. I convinced myself that the solution was to die and not be a burden to my family.

Late that night, I pushed my pillow on the floor, rolled and fell on the pillow and dragged myself to the chest. Having got there, I found it difficult to get at the phials.As I grabbed the phials, a man in white dhoti grabbed me up and helped me to the bed. I was bewildered is an under statement. My pillow was still on the floor. I was not sure of anything. In the early morning round, the Matron raised hell when she noted the tampering of the cabinet. I was not suspected for the ability to do such a thing. It definitely was supper natural. As I had not met god earlier I could not say for certain. Since that moment, situation changed dramatically. The medical student son of a family friend of ours was in toe with the nurse in my ward. And with his visit to my bed, that nurse fed me and instructed her colleagues to look after me.

Father’s release

All of a sudden all the eight were set free. Father was assisted as he was having a spout of asthma at that time. He heard of my case only on arrival. I do not know, if Lord Lewis Mountbatten’s broadcast from his Eastern HQ in Kandy after the Gaudar Canal disaster that responsible Japanese officers holding civilians in jail on suspicion would be severely dealt with after the war had any effect.

The desire to live

The very next day, father walked into the ward, while I was awake on the bed. Was I not glad to see him? “From now you will be aright” and hugged me on the bed and put holy ash on my forehead and mouth then smeared my right arm and right leg with it. Instead of wanting to die, I had the strong desire to live. It is like the release of pressure and must have slept for two or three days.

Mother & temporary home

I remember next the bus stop in Bentong. Uncle Arumugam was at the bus stand with a parcel of food to see us go through. I had to be fed. The sorrow in the face of uncle was telling. Next thing I remember was in my cousin’s house in Kuala Lipis. All in the house were making effort, not to cry. It was true that I could not speak and use either my right hand or leg. I must have looked like a living corpse. I made progress like a slow snail. Father said, “Time is what we have in plenty now. Let him progress slowly. Time will cure him”. How prophetic his words were.

No medical treatment was available. My grand parents were strict vegetarians but we were only partial vegetarians. When a local Muslim healer said that twenty one

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pigeons if cut and not only must, the spouting warm blood is smeared on all the paralyzed parts and allowed to dry, I must eat all of it’s cooked bird. I knew that father had no alternative. He looked at me. I nodded my head. It was a distasteful procedure. I would have been a more repugnant for cousin and mother to prepare the curry to eat. It was done for all the twenty one days. Nothing tangible had happened. I showed improvement, not in the usage of my limbs but in general health as I had been over fed.

The cow

As our ancestors were farmers, my father was acquainted with rearing of cattle before coming to Malaya. While he went on his walkabouts, he saw the abandoned government cattle shed that was there all those years. He had a flash and he became himself. That day he saw his cow shed. With the help of laborers to cleared the creepers and vegetation around the shed and walked about two miles around the hill to the former milk shed owner’s house and wanted to buy a milking cow and a calf. The owner was only too pleased to sell as his stock had multiplied through the occupation. The following day happened to be auspicious day too. So he went and paid for the cow and walked slowly grazing the cow and calf along the side of the road and tied it in the shed.

‘Katties’

When a Malay woman in the neighborhood, saw father, taking a knife (for cutting grass) and rope and a woven basket to the cow shed came to the wrong conclusion and requested to be given five ‘Katties’ of meat. Father came home and was visibly upset. He then realized that the cow could be stolen for the meat. When there was no alternative one has to take chances. He repeated uncle’s “Kay Sara Sara”. (Whatever will be, will be) It is now hard to belief that the whole family had milk to drink in those hard times. Father was generous. He would sacrifice our milk to the needy sick children and old people in the vicinity.

‘Cow Boy’

Unlike, modern people being taken by their dog for a walk, when I could walk, I took the cow for a graze along the road sides near the house. I could feel myself getting better, little by little.

‘We are coming back’

This went on for some months. Then regularly after five every day the B29s would survey from a height. No effort was made by the Japanese air force. The custom in Malaya was to sweep the fallen leaves and set them on fire which produces smoke. Keeping the mosquitoes from the vicinity was one of the reasons. Knowingly or

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unknowingly the surface wind direction was observed by the B29s and their dropping of leaflet was perfect. Naturally when thousands are dropped, some fall into inner court yards. Some rest on trees and in all sorts of places. The common citizen does not pick up in the open as agents of ‘gestapo’ may see them.

‘Tida Laku’

Inflation had broken the record. Wallets could not contain the money an average man carried. There were no plastic bags then to use. People did carry parcels – some large and some small. Like most people, I had carried money tied to my carrier at one time earlier. Only ten dollar notes were in use. The notes printed later had no numbers. If someone turned the note, it was to make sure that ‘Tida Laku’(Not Valid) was not stamped to ensure it was genuine Japanese.

Madness

Saving is always is a good habit. But to save valueless money is definitely madness. One man had stacks and stacks of bundles of this useless money and must have dreamt of being a billionaire. When he realized the truth this man, instead of attaining Nirbana, he attained madness.

Waste paper When millions of ten dollar counterfeit notes were dropped by B29 planes, we knew the end was near. At the end, the price of one quinine pill was 1 inch (of stacked notes). Of course, we could bargain. We put out our forefinger and move the thumb up and down along it and the eyes are watched by the buyer and the seller. When the seller accepts, the buyer stacks his notes tight to that height and if they agree, the transaction is complete. This mode of transaction would be a better way to sell old news paper in future.

B29 leafletsNews that atom bombs had been dropped and the Japs had surrendered was dropped every where by B29. When the news was out I expected the army to go berserk. But like the guards in Bukingham Palace guards they suddenly turned to be live ornamental statues. The sentry on the road would not move even provoked. The suppressed anger of the public began to manifest. Not being cured completely, I kept a safe distance in case he went berserk. I realized at that moment, the reason for the ‘success’ of their forces – unless he had an empty gun – to obey orders like robots. People began to spit on him. Soon he was drenched in it. From a distance I could see the difference exhibited within a few hours. I went back to father in the shed and let him know of the happenings I had seen. He said “Siva Siva” and continued to feed the cow. I knew that I would see more soon. No Japanese soldiers were seen. They were all in their camps. The atmosphere was very tense but all were happy.

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About two days later, a teacher in Clifford school took a few of us for a treat down the road at the bottom of the hill. I could walk well but the coordination of my right arm had not become normal by any means. I had to use my left to help the right. To celebrate, he could only call for milk coffee. It was served in big dirty glasses. The glasses were of very poor quality and looked dirty. After the treat the gang slowly walked back. The teacher said there was no difference between cow milk and the buffalo milk we just drank. It is only then I knew that I had consumed buffalo milk. Though I felt nothing within, I threw out on the road once.

At that time, we heard the sound of motor bikes coming into town. Soon they came around the corner. We were happy to see the English and Indian lieutenants stop and ask if there were any Japanese outside their camps. We said that none had been seen for the last two days. They said that in a day or two their army would come to accept their surrender, but in the mean time the came in search of Murugasu who was the last State Treasurer. The teacher pointed at me and said that I was his son.

I do not know where I got the strength but I hopped on his pillion seat and the three went on two motor bikes up the hill, to our door step. Fortunately, father was at home. After expressing the very pleasant surprise, the visitors were relaxed and wanted to light his cigarette, father produced the locally available box of matches. box was a stuck on cartoon of Churchill strangling Roosevelt. That explained their gleefulness. They asked for in exchange for what they had. It was gladly done. They were seeking information about the last white game warden. Father said the Warden had gone into the forest before Pearl Harbor and surfaced after the Japanese had occupied. He had no alternative but to go back into the forest. Father also said that it was common knowledge that the warden had a big son by a ‘Sakai’ and was capable of living for years in the forest. The disturbing part was that the Japanese photographer had known him and if he had come to know of the warden’s where about could have used him to access the wealth of the Jungle like claws, hide and such like – and a threat to him. They went back. The forces came in bulk two days later to disarm.

Tiger of Lipis

The nicknamed ‘Tiger of Lipis’ was in trouble. The mass was for his skin. The Allies had to save him from being skinned alive. My Chinese friend said that this man raped a beautiful woman on front her husband. He later pulled the fore skin of her husband and burnt the exposed end with his cigarette in the presence of his wife. The allies had to safeguard him and at the same time had to appease the crowd. So he was kept on the top of the only goods lift to display him to the crowd with no access to do bodily harm by the people gathered around the spiraling stairway. So they thought. Most men undid their fly and urinated on him. The forces rescued him and placed him on a tank and drove slowly through the crowd to the guarded field where the surrender was taking place. Like bees surrounding a

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sweet meat vendor, the people moved with the moving tank and came to the safety of the guarded field.

Surrender ceremony

Due to my disability, I had to witness the ceremony from a distance. The Japanese came one by one and surrendered their weapons in the guarded field. It took hours and the people dispersed. Later, I was told that the prisoners ware marched away.

Call to work

The government servants were to report for duty. There was no legal money in circulation at that time. Then bartering was the only way to get what you need. The government gave a deductible amount to all government employees who reported for work. Father had the former quarters cleaned up and we moved in. One early morning the Jail warden came home in mufti and went down on his knees and begged father not to take action for his doings during the occupation. Father raised him and said that he only did what he had to do at that time and to forget the past like a dream.

Visiting Justice

Very soon the he was requested to visit the very same jail with the Officer in Charge of Civil Administration. But, I had to go to Kuala Lumpur to see the United Nations Military Medical Team of Experts that had come and civil patients had to be recommended by hospitals.

When I returned father said the military officer and he went through the gate, father went back in time – the very same people who were his ‘jailers’ were standing a guard of honor. I can imagine his feeling then. He would have been in another world. He did not mention of the ‘justice’ he performed that day as he had better things to convey.

At tea, later on father called the Warden and wanted to know if a particular cell was ‘occupied’ and gave a number. The Warden said that it was vacant. Father excused himself and went in to that cell, put his figure into a crack in the wall near the door head and recovered the articles he had kept, when he was the occupant. The warden was surprised, but kept quiet.

The military officer naturally wanted to know the history. It was the twin gold sheath of his teeth placed by his dentist. Then he told how it got there by saying that if he died for some reason or other, his head would be cut for the gold sheathing on his teeth. So he removed it physically. He said that he lost a lot of blood in the process. He did not want to throw it away as it was gold. The officer was all ears when he continued. The Japanese knew that the Indians were fighting their independence from Britain but Ceylon was a colony. When a drunk Eurasian was caught by the Japanese Intelligence and give more liquor and asked, he said

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that all the Ceylonese were awaiting for the return and mentioned eight names he knew. All were Jaffna Tamils from Ceylon. All were taken in simultaneously including himself and his nephew. Only one was beaten badly because he had listened to BBC. Even if there was no evidence they kept us to the end.

Remembers being pushed

That army officer, after passing the Foreign Service examination was posted Malaya for a few years and was later transferred to African colonies. He was conscripted when the war clouds were gathering and had served in many places. He was posted to Malaya as records had indicated that he had served in Malaya. He had forgotten all about Malaya but had recollected father’s mannerism while the story was being narrated. Then all of a sudden he said, “You are the one who pushed me into the river.” Father was a gasp. They would not have even dreamt of meeting each other. So the Brigadier and he talked and talked and talked after about thirty years.

Dressed for the occasion

A date and time was given to me. I was there on time. When my turn came, I was taken in and I was to undress behind a screen and go in. I undressed and went in my under ware. A white army nurse saw me and politely said that I was dressed. I had to go back and took off my underwear and returned to ask her if I was properly dressed for the occasion. She could not prevent giggling and, took my height, weight, pressure etc and took me to the specialist who had the report from my hospital. He was an elderly person. Obviously he was interested in my case and consulted the person next to him and both asked silly questions and told to do silly things by turn and talked among themselves for a long time.

I noticed that there were about ten points where the formerly dressed people were being examined. Most of them were service men. I was wondering how the young women were attending on the men dressed for the occasion when elder doctor came around to tell that he had never in his experience, come across a case like mine, to have recovered to this stage. The finest nerves are in your tongue and there is no known drug to improve you. He said that god has been kind to me. However only time and a change in climate, can do any good.

Father’s concern

Father must have thought of providing me, for my entire life as I was considered handicapped. He already had a handsome amount as the British paid the entire accumulated wages for the period they deserted us. He was then requested though retired to work at double the salary to reorganize the department for one more year.He at once planned that I should go to Ceylon and, stay in our house in Kalapoomi. Having been the State Treasurer he must have known that money depreciates with time as it multiplies.

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Malay Mail

The K.Lumpur news papers comes to K.Lipis one or two days late. We read the paper and could not believe it. It said that that the 1941 Senior Cambridge Examination results would be published on the following Monday. We knew that within two weeks after the last examination the Japs were in town. The story was that the answer scripts were sent to Indian Universities and that Cambridge had nominated some Indians to mark the scripts.

The daily paper was one quarter the size of a single page.

Return as refugee

I could note the slow progress I was making. Poor mother was torn, but plucked enough courage to let me go. I think the second evacuation ship was to go in a few days from Port Swettenham. I got the doctors certificate and was driven to Kuala Lumpur emigration office. The lieutenant in charge said that I should get a police clearance to receive the embarkation card. He said that I should go by the next boat as there was no time. The lieutenant was good to me as I may be a distant relative of Mahatma Gandhi with my pole.

I did not know that Pay Master of the Police had opted to retire. I went to his office with my pole and opened the swing door to find someone else sitting there. My utter dismay was noticed by the man sitting on the chair. I apologized and said that I expected to see Mr. Arumugam. He requested me in and sit, he said that he was his successor and could do whatever Mr Arumugam could do. Before I could ask the question, he wanted to know whose son I was. When I answered, he wanted to know if father was alright after the release. Then, I told the problem. He picked up the phone and said to put his name as guarantor and rang the bell that was on all office tables throughout the Empire. A smart Malay peon arrived and as beckoned, I handed my papers and he went away. He was curious to know why I was with a scout staff. Before I could finish telling him the story, the peon returned with my documents and the boarding permit. I finished the story and thanked for what he had done and left without knowing even his name. I new, supernatural power was at work.

The Lieutenant was surprised when I produced the boarding pass. He only did not salute me, but gave me a royal treatment. I was soon on my way to familiar Port Swettenham to board the ship well in time.

The weather was good. We went down only for food and use of the amenities. As it was humid and hot, we spent most time on the decks. We slept the nights on the decks too. There were two pandarms among the refugees. One padaram slept a few feet away and was snoring loud. At about mid night, he asked for the time loud so

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that anybody awake can answer. I was awake, so I said ‘The head crow has just crowed’ in Tamil. Many were wake heard the question and the reply were humored and wanted to know the fellow who answered. Next morning a man with two beautiful daughters was very interested in me, but turned cold on knowing my physical condition.

Very soon we were saw land. Anxiety was on every one. When we docked, the place was full of women clad in pony tailed saris, to help the evacuees. The special Jaffna train was near the pier. Three of my cousins were in the crowed to receive me. None knew me to recognize, but they had no difficulty at all as, I was the only youngster who was handicapped.

What I saw was very moving. Some of the arrivals went down and kissed the home land soil. The train of course stopped at the main stations. Beyond Vavunia large crowds had gathered at the stations. The climax was in Jaffna. The reception was is peculiar to describe. We were not war heroes. We had not done anything great. Each of us had experienced something unique. Our experiences were not collected.

The society is virile. I noticed the change in the mode of perception of the returned people. Being a virile race, they changed with changing conditions. The survival depends on the ability to change.

I reached Jaffna, no one awaited my arrival. I was driven to my house at Kalapoomi, Karainagar. My father’s widowed elder sister was there to receive me.

To be continued Return of Parents

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