MY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE OF SPARE THE ROD AND SPOIL THE CHILD. .IN EARLY SIXTIES WE WERE IGNORANT OF CORPOAL PUNISHMENT AS CRIME, AND IT HAD FULL APPROVAL OF OUR GUARDIANS,WHO TOO HAD FACED THE SAME KARMA DURING THIR CHILDHOOD,FREE IN THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM. FOR SOME IT WAS AN EXCUSE TO REPRIMAND THE SPOILT BRATS OF OVER POSSESIVE MOTHERS.FOR TEACHERS IT WAS A TARGET LIKE POLICEMEN..THERE WERE DIFFERENT STYLES AND STEPS..OUR PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER MR.VYAS,WOULD PULL OUR CHEEKS LIKE RASGULLA S,TURNING THEM INTO TOMATOES, OR TWIST OUR EARS,MAY BE ACUPRESSURE FOR FOCUS ..POOR BOYS WERE TREATED THE WORST.THEIR SIDE WAISTLINE WAS TWISTED LIKE KEY TO OPEN THE JAMMED PADLOCK N OPENLY ADMITTED “CHABBI LAGA RAHA HUN” ONCE A WRAK CHAP,ABUBAKKAR WAS THE SCAPEGOAT, HE FELL UNCONSCIOUS. NEXT DAY,HIS FATHER WHO HARDLY VISITED THE SCHOOL EVEN ON PTA MEETINGS BARGED INSIDE OUR CLASSROOM LIKE A KABULIWALLA.THE POOR KID LEFT SCHOOL FOR GOOD..HE RESEMBLED AFRIDI,THE CRICKETER…JAMUNABEN,MRS.VYAS WAS NO LESS,NOT A BETTER HALF BUT A BITTER HALF.. THEIR OWN GROWN UP SON ONCE LEFT HOME TO COMMIT SUICIDE, BUT THE WATER FALL PROVIDED NATURAL HEALING TOUCH.NEXT WAS THE TURN OF TWO NEW TEACHRS FROM INDIA, RAMAKRISHNA AND MATHEW,LEAVING THEIR FAMILIES IN INDIA,WE NAMED THEM RAI METHI.MR.MATHEW BELIEVED IN SAVING THE ROD AND SPOLING THE CHILD…HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARDED NOBEL PRIZE FOR USING THE ROD,WE CALLED RULER, WITH PRECISION OF A LASER,ASFIXING IT VERTICALLY, WITH ALL HIS MIGHT,ENJOYING SADISTIC PLEASURE IN SOUNDS LIKE VOWELS,AAI,OOH!UUU….MY FATHER,A GENTLEMAN TO HIS FINGERTIPS JUST COULD NOT BEAR THE SIGHT OF MY SISTER’S SWOLLEN PALM..NEXT DAY IT WAS HIS TURN TO BE IN SCHOOL,HE NEVER VISITED EVEN WHEN WE WON PRIZES…TO OUR RESPITE,LANDED A DIVINE SOUL,A NEW PRINCIPAL,MR.SUBRAMANIUM,SO HUMBLE,WALKED WITH EYES ON THE GROUND,..HE INTRODUCED NOVEL AUDIO VISUAL AIDS,FLAGS FOR DIFFERNT HOUSES,BADGES FOR STUDENTS TO ROTATE ACCORDING TO THEIR PERFORMANCES…WE SAW ENCYCLOPEDIA TO BE USED FOR GK….AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT HIS,RESIDENCE WAS OPPOSITE TO MR.VYAS, WHO LEARNT COMPASSION ,BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE, SO DID HIS BITTER HALF…MAY GOD BLESS HIM FOR ADDING SWEETNESS TO OUR MEMORIES…HE RESAMBLED THE MUSIC WIZARD A.R. RAHMAN. ASANTI SAANA