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.

( A good part of my life have been spent on journeys. Since the 1960s, I have been travelling in connection with the union activities, first in Kerala, then in T.Nadu and Karnataka, then all over India. I have been fortunate to visit head quarters of almost all the districts in the country, except very few. In the fiercely contested Member Verifications first in the Telecom Department (All India Telecom Employees Union Class III ) and later in BSNL, it was a compulsion to reach out to the grass root level as the General Secretary of the union/s. The journeys were conducted in most difficult conditions. But the love, affection and support of the workers and leaders at the Circle and Divisional levels made the journeys almost enjoyable.

I thought that I would share some of the experiences with our comrades and friends. I would try to avoid the details, since the valuable time of the readers are precious.)

A Night Train journey from Lucknow to Agra (1966)

It was the return journey from Lucknow after attending the All India Conference of the AITEU Class III Union. The 6-7 delegates from Kerala decided to make the return journey through Agra so that the world famous Taj Mahal can be visited. No reservation in train. Heavy rush. Since winter, all were having hold-all packs, as was the system at that time with the dresses, books etc.bundled in them. To get in train with the hold-all was difficult and there was heavy rush. Windows had no bars or glasses, so that one can even jump through it. Others rushed through the door; I was asked, as the youngest, to put the luggage inside through the window and then get in through the door. By the time time I put all the luggage, the train started and I could not get in the compartment. However, I got in the next and last compartment where there was no rush. The train gained speed.

When I looked for a seat, I was dumb-founded. It was Ladies Compartment. A good number of young nurses were sitting. An elder sister came to me and asked in Malayalam whether I am from Kerala; I nodded. She told me not to worry and that she is returning from Lucknow after taking the students to appear in the Nurse’s examination and she is the Supt of the Nursing School at Agra and by morning the train will reach there. I was allowed to sit.

After a few hours, the train slowed and stopped. No station was to be seen. It was pitch dark. It seemed that there was some work going on in the tracks. I was standing at the door and looking out. The Nursing Supdt also came and stood there. All of a sudden, the train jerked and the purse in her hand fell down. I got down carefully, but since it was inside the tracks it was dangerous to bend down and pick it up. I told her that I will take it after the last compartment passes and get up with the purse, before the train gains speed. She also got down, probably afraid that I may slip away after the purse is taken from the tracks. The train started moving, I took the purse and gave it to her. But unfortunately, she was unable to climb up the steps in the moving train. Both of us were stranded there in the dark night.

We stood completely shocked and frightened. We saw a dim light and went towards it. Fortunately there was a very small Railway Station with an Asst. Station Master with a small kerosene lantern sitting in his room. We requested him to allow us to sit there. He said that the last train has gone, he is closing and going home and advised us to go outside, where there are jutkas and they will take us to Agra, by road which is only 5-6 miles from there. In the cold dark night with warm clothes and big turbans, they seemed like dacoits in Hindi cinemas. My companion was brave, she knew Hindi well, spoke with them and we got in the jutka.

The horse trotted with speed and we reached outside of Agra Railway station by about 6.00 am. I could see our comrades sitting there, probably discussing about what happened to me since they did not see me getting in to the compartment. They were happy and I was happy. I said thanks to the Nursing Superintendent and joined with my comrades. Of course, we visited Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.