1977 May.

Have you heard about Warrangal chillies? They are famous – for its size, red colour, and very hot. I was in Delhi and wife at Calicut. When I informed her  that I was going to Warrangal to attend CWC meeting of E.III(N) Union, she told me to bring some chillies. Fine.

After reaching Warrangal I told Com. J.Sampath Rao, Circle Secretary, who was organisng the CWC, about my wife’s request. Before proceeding, two words about Sampath Rao. A great organiser and leader, who have a big heart and always think big in every aspect. When the CHQ was worried about how to raise funds for purchasing a car for union, he offered and within months collected and handed over Rs. 1.75 lakhs, the cost of purchasing a Maruti 800 Car. Tours with him was always interesting. Everywhere, members will surround him to speak to him and I think he knew each and every worker in the whole of A.P.  A large number of workers will be with him to immediately act upon what he says.

Coming to the point. When along with Delhi comrades, I have boarded the train back to Delhi, Sampath Rao and some other comrades came to the compartment and put a big sack under the seats and said ‘your requirement’. They were immediately gone as the train started. I understood what was in the sack. I only wanted maximum one kg, but this was one full sack.

After some time, there was the sharp smell of the chillies. It spread all over the compartment within no time. Delegates with me understood what was in the sack. Passengers were asking where from the smell was coming. I had apprehension whether I will have to throw it away. After some time every body was adjusted to the situation.

Some lady delegates from Delhi were with us. They were very much interested about the chillies. After getting down at Delhi station, we opened the sack. There were three covers inside to prevent the smell coming out  but still strong smell. Distributed chillies to all. After a few days on going to Calicut, I gave the chilly packet to  my wife. Of course she was happy.

1997. It was the period of Membership Verification in Telecom Employees Employees Union Class III. The question was which is the correct E.III Union,  headed by V.A.N.Namboodiri or by M.B.Vichare? Continued tours were being organised by both the groups to ensure their own victory.

I had been touring district by district in circles along with other leading comrades. The tour in Bihar circle was decided from 2nd June 1997. I started from Delhi on 1st with with the scheduled arrival of the train at about 10.00 hours next day. I could not get any reservation. Delhi Patna route is one of the busiest in the country. And to get reservation ticket, you had to be in the queue for many hours. No time. Another secret. Reservation will cost more, which the union was not able to spend in that difficult time of financial crisis. Somehow managed the night by sitting.

A meeting was arranged at Patna at noon and I had to go to  Ranchi by 19.00 hours train.   But by about 09.00 hours in the morning the train halted at a very small station. Even after about half an hour, there was no sign of train moving. People got down in  the platform. On enquiry, it was found that there was a murder at Bhimapur and a bandh has been declared resulting in all the trains halted wherever they had reached. Trains were being picketted also.

I had not taken breakfast with the hope that it can be taken after reaching Patna and a good bath. It became certain that hours will take for the block to be cleared and train to start. It was such a small station, there was not even a tea shop. About half a furlong away two small tea shops were seen. Along with two others rushed there, took tea and two tasteless biscuits which was only what was available.

Waited and waited. At last the train started. Reached Patna Station at about 20.00 hours. It was difficult to get down, as the platform was full of people. Trains were in all the platforms. Somehow got down with my heavy suit case with dresses, books etc. Even to move an inch forward was  impossible. It was 7th or 8th platform and I had to go out to meet our friends there. Mobile services have started only a few months back and of course none of us had mobile phones. Whether our comrades will be there was also not known. Some how I climbed the stairs and was slowly moving to the first platform. The rush became so thick that I thought that I will be crushed to death. I even thought of throwing the suitcase on the track and jumping afterwards, which was suicidal. At that moment a burly railway porter with   many bags in head was moving the same way. I managed to get directly behind him. I was saved. I walked behind him and without any casualty.  Reached first plat form. Went to RMS office. Our comrades were waiting there. Noon meeting already missed.

Our train to Ranchi which was to start at 1900  will be ready to start by 21.00 hours. Took some tiffin. Started for the concerned platform. I felt relieved as there was help now.  The train was ready. Our comrades took me to the RMS compartment since there was no chance to get in any other compartment. The RMS comrades arranged two berths inside. I was so tired, I lied down.

But another trouble.  A policemen came to the compartment and asked the RMS sorters to allow their superior officer and family to get in and occupy the berths. Sorters told the berths are occupied. The policeman brought TTE to verify, whether we are sorters. TTE verified and we were safe. But in every station, postal bags were put in and the space was being cramped.

After three four stations again  policemen came with Railway officials to create trouble. I told our comrades ‘let us go to  other compartment. No need to make trouble for our RMS comrades’.  Since the front doors were blocked by the police, we got down by the backside and entered the next compartment and somehow got seats. The Railway officials entered the RMS compartment, but we were not there.

Next day we reached Ranch. The tour continued in that part of Bihar, which later became Jharkhand state.

It was in the 1970s, probably in 1976.

P and T Co-ordinating Committee Mangalore was organising a big convention and they wanted former Chief Minister Kerala and veteran CPM(I) leader Com.E.M.S.Namboodiripad to inaugurate the same. I spoke to him and he agreed. Com.E.M.S. reached Calicut from Trivandrum by the early morning by train. He was accommodated in the Railway  room already reserved. The Non-Vegetarian restaurant owner came and told that he will arrange whatever food is required, instead of bringing it from the usual hotel in the town. He was specifically told that salt and chilli should be avoided as also oil.  EMS ate only very little quantity of  food. He smilingly confided to me that oil and salt were there and that probably the restaurant owner might have thought how a person can take food less these ingredients. The bill was paid with out complaining.

We boarded the train to Mangalore. I had booked  first class for him. I was in ordinary compartment.  In between, I went to his room and he was writing.  I did not want him to be disturbed. At Mangalore Railway Station, local P and T  comrades came with union flag and banner to receive us.  Com.EMS handed over me a cover addressed to the Chintha Weekly and asked me to post the same so that it will reach in time. He had written for his regular question and answers column in Chintha Weekly while in the train. Not a minute wasted. That was Com.EMS.

The meeting was held in the Head Post Office. Com. EMS inaugurated and touched upon general issues as well as on P & T issues. Looking to a photo hanging on the wall, EMS asked ‘whose photo’? I replied that it was the photo of Babu Tarapada Mukherjee, founder leader of Postal Movement. He commented ‘so you have your union leader’s photo also in the office?’  It was a fact that in many Post Offices, Tarapada’s photo used to be there. No body objected. It came to my mind that in all the India Coffee Houses in the country, Com.AKG’s photo will be in prominent place. He was the person who ensured existence of India Coffee Houses, through forming co-op societies, when the Coffee Board decided to close them all.

(I used to meet Com. EMS whenever he came to Calicut. I also used to visit him whenever I went to Delhi, during his stay there. He was always considerate. I will write about those meetings sometimes later).

1978 March 13. Journey from Trivandrum to New Delhi to attend National Council of Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM), Departmental Council. K.K.Express has started running and AC compartments introduced. I was in AC compartment, eligible for journey to attend JCM. Both Shri Kadannappally Ramachandran M.P. and Shri Henry Austin M.P. were in the same coach. Only limited number of flights were eligible for M.P.s in a year and they travelled mostly by trains, keeping the flight coupons for emergency purposes. That time, First Class and AC compartment were inter-changeable, but most preferred AC though the facilities in the First Class were more, but without AC. Since we were sitting nearby and time was available in plenty, we talked about so many things. Later they started speaking political issues, and I remained mum.

After some time, Henry Stephen gave me a small packet and spoke in confidence that he has got sugar problem and sometimes he may fall down or become unconscious due to low sugar. My job was to immediately put the sugar in his mouth. I readily agreed. I was full of tension, fearing that any moment he may become unconscious or fall down. For the entire journey, nothing happened and I was relieved.

On the return journey, when it reached Ernakulam, Com. K.Prabhakaran, NFPTE leader, came to the compartment and handed me an old long handed umbrella with a big long handle. I thanked him. We spoke for some time about union matters and the train started. Co-passengers were curious. I told the story of the umbrella. I had forgotten the same in the train when I got down from train at Quilon on an earlier journey from Trivandrum. I phoned to Com.Prabhakaran from Quilon and requested him to go to the station at Ernakulam and collect it if it is still in the compartment which I had travelled. Prabhakaran collected the same. He repaired it, put a new handle and had brought to me now. Co-passengers joked why so much trouble for a very old umbrella, the telephone call from Quilon to Ernakulam etc might have been costlier than the old umbrella. No mobile phone at that time. (They might have forgotten that I was working in the telephones).

On reaching Trivandrum Railway Station, hurriedly I got down, went outside, got in an auto riksha and reached the Lodge room where I was staying. After some time, I remembered about the umbrella. Again, I have forgotten to take it from the train. It was very difficult to inform the same to Com. Prabhakaran, but as a matter of fact, I told him later.

When I told the matter to my wife, she was not at all impressed or surprised. She knew about my ‘great memory’ and loss of more than one umbrella, and money purse earlier. Still I can claim that I maintain that ‘great memory’, may be it has become ‘greater’.

After being elected as the Kerala Circle Secretary of All India Telecom Employees Union Class III (NFPTE) in 1977 Kottayam Conference, I was nominated to the Circle Council of Joint Consultative Committee (JCM), of STR /STP Circle  with  head quarters at Madras. The meetings were expected to be held every three months, but some times it may be delayed. In these meetings, as a Member, I was to participate.

It was for such a meeting I was going to Madras. Since JCM Members are eligible for I Class travel, I had booked ticket in first class. AC compartments have not been introduced. I was in waiting list, even then I was allowed to travel in first class. It was a four berth coupe. By about 10.00 pm all were ready to sleep. Since I had no berth, I spread a sheet on the floor and started to lie down.

There were two Europeans, one gent and one lady in the compartment, may be husband and wife, may be not. But they told me that they will sleep in one berth (the first class berths are wide enough) and I can sleep in the other. I was surprised by their generous offer and of course accepted and thanked them.

While returning from Madras next day, I was alone in the first class compartment till the last moment. All of a sudden, there were a lot of people rushing to the compartment with much luggage and a bundle of  journals. Except one person, all others left before the train started. With surprise I could recognise that my co-passenger was none other than famous cine star Shri Prem Nazir. The other two berths were vacant. Probably he might have booked them also, I don’t know.

A chance in a life-time. I introduced myself and we started discussing many matters. He was going to Calicut for some programme. I could understand that he was interested in reading. Then I asked him whether there is any intention on his part to enter in to  politics, as reported by the news papers at that time. He laughed and told me ‘no such plan’. He added that Kerala is not like T.Nadu, where many cinema stars entered  politics.

In the morning I got down at Tirur to attend a meeting there, after saying good bye to the actor.