30 th January 1948

                   My father was a great patriot and a   follower of Gandhi and his principles. Simple living . Khadi at all times. No accumulation. No wastage . Shram dhan . This was what he lived by . However he was also an active member of the RSS. 

                    30 th Jan 1948 11 am . With the passing away of Gandhi all prominent members of the RSS in Trichy were rounded up .  Appa , along with them. 

                   From Trichy they are sent by train to the Vellore prison. 

                   In our early childhood we had no idea about appa’s colourful past. Once we were on a holiday and were crisscrossing the country by train . Somewhere near Calcutta a gentleman got into our first class coupe . How could someone intrude here . 

                    Was it coincidence, karma ? I know not what. The newcomer hailed Appa as his long lost RSS bhai. There they were trading tales. 

                       RSS? What was appa doing in a banned organisation. Prison ? Was he a felon. 

                   We of the Congress era,  born after independence had no knowledge of the RSS except that it would be banned again and again. We dared not ask appa anything.

                      Reading surreptitiously where ever we could , we learnt about the organisation. Flood, other natural calamities , catastrophes RSS would be the first to give a helping hand. 

                         As young adults we got the courage to ask him .We knew he was a reader/ lecturer in the physics department of National college Trichy in those days . He would braid his long hair into a S kattu and wear veshti to college. Red kempu stone kadukkan in his ears. 

                          Even then I wanted to serve the people. This was a good way to do it. Your grandfather’s  law office was on one side and my RSS office was on the other side of the veranda of our Tennur house. There would be a long line of people waiting to see me. Your grandfather would be annoyed. All this labour for no wages!! He was jealous no doubt. I would wear my khaki half pants and go to the drills too.

                            What about prison. Yes we were all taken from Trichy to Vellore by train. First class compartment. A novelty for me. Along with me were the creme de la creme of Trichy .

                    We were given toothpaste and brush. Ha ! Again a first time for me. What did I know beyond  the neem stick . 

                     Since we were political prisoners we were shut up separately. Shut up is not the term I should use actually. We would each be given a small amount of money every day for food. Since I was the youngest there , I would go out and get vegetables and ration . Come back and help cook the food. I made friends for life I got to know people very high above me in the social ladder. 

                       Then after about a month we were just sent home. 

                        That bonding helped in my job . When a NCC officer’s post came up in the college I got it , in addition to my lecturer duty. Who else but our Ranga was what they said. 

                      A couple of years later I left everything behind to join the army. Yes at long last your grandfather gave me permission to become a pattalathan . However I had a few anxious moments when I saw the application form. Were you ever convicted?  I wrote truthfully No and went on to serve the country. 

                 So that khaki half pants followed him to the end of his life.😁

          

                 Sorry if I misled you into thinking this was an article about Gandhiji😁