A bold new step, an affair and many new events

This blog perhaps captures many tumultuous event in Ammamma's life and would seem like a roller coaster ride.

As mentioned earlier, Ammamma's exposure to political thought did leave an indelible impression on her and even today she continues to get high on politics and political events with the same child like excitement. (I bore this animated excitement in the run up to the elections for the past 8 months now, with the last month at a crescendo level! It's a miracle I survived!).

Ammamma's further education and her life is now guided by the political events and awakening in the family, more importantly her fourth brother, Satyam Mamayya. She used to be inspired and excited about Bose's speeches (thrilling is the word she used actually. She also had many discussions with her brother Satyam, who was in the Congress Party that time, alongwith his cousin Pundareekaakshayya (Leelakka's father).As mentioned in my earlier blog, she eagerly absorbed all magazines and used to listen to patriotic speeches. She was most disappointed that her brother could not attend the Tripura Congress in 1938, where Subhash Chandra Bose was anointed as Congress President. (Sweets - revisit this in Tharoor's novel on Pandu's election).

All parties, irrespective of whether they were congress or communist, believed in nationalism, believed in the unity and homogeneity of our diverse country, wanted Hindi as the common language as opposed to English. Satyam Mamayya wore only Khaddar and so did his wife. Poor Jhansakka, who was born in probably 1937, also was clad in thick and heavy khaddar by her patriotic parents! After about a couple of years, Satyam Mamayya and Suryavathi Atthayya joined hte cause of communism, however, Leelakka's father continued in Congress. That was also the parting of ways or at least distancing between the families.

By now, Ammamma had finished her schooling in the village. It was obvious that her fahter and other brothers would not think of further education. So Satyam Mamayya, with active and wholehearted support from Suryavati Atthayya, decided to help Ammamma go to Allahabad to study for Matric there, secretly. In this, they sought the support of Suryavati Atthayya's brother, who had already enrolled in Devgarh (Bihar) for a course. He of course, suggested that he would help, but after finishing her studies, they should marry. In her anxiety to get an education, Ammamma thought it was a good idea and agreed. She then ran away from home without telling anybody and helped by Satyam Mamayya.

Imagine girls - a completely alien place, alien people, no exposure to the language, unfamiliar climate. a new culture - what guts! She was enrolled in Mahila Vidya Peeth in Allahabad in the 9th standard. The Principal was the famous poetess Mahadevi Verma. All subjects were in Hindi and a special Hindi Pandit was assigned to Ammamma for coaching her in Hindi and a lady teacher for coaching in English. This kind of a bridge course was great and to Ammamma's credit, within three months she could catch up with the rest and the special tutoring was discontinued. the Hindi Pandit was so pleased with her that he presented her a book on Veer Savarkar, which naturally impressed her because of the sheer adventurism of that man. She was also enamoured by reading the Indian War History, even though she could not fully understand it. There were several girls who came from all over India because Banares was a great place of learning. For example, the Kathiawar Maharaja's daughter was in her batch, as was a girl from the family that owned the famous Lakshmi Mills in Coimbatore. She also remembers a middle class girl called S V Draupadi from Madras. (Ammamma visited her later when she was a teacher in Madras and Ammamma was en route to Cuddalore Central Jail to visit Taathayya who was lodged there). Interestingly, all letters used to be censored. Even Tamil and Malayalam letters were censored, but since there was no Telugu person to read Ammamma's letters, she wrote freely and received letters freely from Deogarh.

The rooms had to be shared between 2-4 girls. They had a strict regimen - get up at 5 am and jog and then the studies and sports. At that time, Mahatma Gandhi was to visit Allahabad to inaugurate the Kamala Nehru Hospital and hte Principal was seeking out volunteers to assist at the event. She was choosing girls based on height and Ammamma took advantage of the fact that the Principal was inspecting fromt he other side of the short parapet wall. She stood on a brick and got selected. It was then she saw Gandhi and Nehru and also witnessed Nehru's famous anger when crowds started surging and disorganised - he jumped directly into the crowd and started physically putting people in place. The girl brigade of the Vidyapeeth was obviously not in a position to manage crowds.

Ammamma passed her 9th and had one month holidays before her 10th class started. So Suryavati Atthayya's brother, Nageswara Rao came and took her to Deogarh for a visit. There she happened to chance upon his diary and did not like what she found there and decided that she would not marry him after all. Anyway, she went back to Allhabad after the holidays and wrote to him from there her decision of not wanting to marry him. He was livid and he tried convincing her to marry him. He then got so angry with her refusal that instead of writing in Telugu, he wrote to her in Hindi and of course, this time her letter was censored and she was summarily sent home by the Principal. This was another turning point in her life. In my next episode, I will write about how she completed her matric despite this setback.