My Days by Anil Simha, Bangalore

My earliest memories of Vanitha Sadan are vague, mainly because they are as old as the venerable institution itself. What I say here about those early years is based more on what I have been told, ad-infinitum, by teasing elders in the family. I believe when the Shishu Vihara was started in Vanitha Sadan (1939?), I was a ripe candidate for admission as my parents (late Sri T. Krishnamurthy & Late Smt. T. Indira Bai) were very good friends of Smt . Susheela Bai & Sri Nagesh Rao and were, in fact “fellow travelers” in Gandhian ideologies & practices. We were at that time staying in a house on the lane opposite the Chamarajapuram railway station, a good kilometer away from the Vanitha Sadana located at the end of Weavers Lane, just across the railway tracks. An aunt of mine was deputed to escort me to the school each morning. I have some very vague images in my mind that the “class room” was in fact the spacious entrance foyer of their house. I have been teased for many years by seniors in our family that I was a very reluctant student and that I preferred to stay just outside the class room most of the times and any amount of cajoling by Smt. Susheela Bai and others would not get me to sit down in the class. Perhaps what fascinated me and held my undivided attention at that time was the opening and closing of the railway level crossing gates. I must have envied that man for his job!!! Smt. Sushila Bai’s eldest daughter, Chandra, apparently thought my aversion to the class room could be corrected if I spent more time in their house. So, I believe she volunteered to babysit me on a sleep-over at their home. Of course, I got up in the middle of the night and threw a tantrum and poor Chandra and Sri Nagesh Rao had to carry me home!!! My Vanita Sadana (for  some reason most people referred to the institution as SAMAJA) experience came to an abrupt end before the academic year was out as I fractured my shin bone while playing (more likely jumping?) on the slide in Vanita Sadan’s play area. By the time my injury healed we had moved home to Chamundipuram and so no more Vanita Sadana Shishu Vihar for me.

Years later, when I was in High school, I did three days of apprenticeship at the Samaja in their paper making project. I can not recollect who were the senior persons involved but I do remember helping them in various stages of producing hand-made paper. By this time the building next door was also part of the VS organization. During one summer break, (possibly still in high school) I also recollect having spent a week helping catalog CBC stock,  while my father did the internal audit work for Sadana. Still later on, when in first year college, I had occasions to visit the Samaja premises for Sri Nagesh Rao’s help with my English studies.

Looking back now, I am convinced how privileged I am to have had the opportunity to be associated with such dedicated people as Smt. Susheela Bai, Sri Nagesh Rao and their family. It is so heartening to know that Ms. Anasuya, Ms Bharathi (Papu to most of us) and Late Ms Tulsi Bai have so sincerely carried on the hard work to  make the vision of the founders in to reality.