Colony Life in the 70s

 I grew up in the colonies of Singareni Collieries in Andhra Pradesh, where my parents worked for 30 years. It was smeared with coal dust, and lots of great memories.

We had free coal supplied to homes, and therefore stoves that used coal supplemented gas stoves or electric ones- electricity was subsidised, as the company had its own plant to generate it!

We had clubs, where we played TT, Badminton, and swam. Tennis, usually the elders played. We also met friends, watched elders playing Bridge, and participated in the many events organised by the Club- parties, picnics etc. 

A sophisticated cosmopolitan crowd of people from all over India was around us- and some still keep in touch. Recently met Archana Singh, after several decades. Have met the Ahujas, Talpallikars, Kaushiks and Mahesh Bhogawar, Vinay and Varsha Nadkarni, over the years. 

Fun times, with vacations being a highlight. Subodh, Manoj Bhide and my brother and me played Bridge non-stop and took river walks in the blazing Sun, during vacations. Also watched films in the Club on 16 mm. projectors..

Andhra Pradesh- Telangana Et Al.

 To me, it's still one state, and not two. I was born at Kothagudem, Khammam district. Railway station was called Bhadrachalam Road. Singareni Collieries, a Centre-state joint venture coal-mining company, was the reason we were there. I learnt Telugu, and still speak a little, when I find a few who also do, like Siri Adi, my ex-student. Or Jayanti Ranjan, who was a colleague and friend from IMT G.

Anyway, we had a British-built bungalow with a sprawling front and back garden, for a house, the first few years on the planet. I climbed trees, watered plants, and picked mangoes by the bucket in a storm. Learnt photography by observing my parents use a German folding camera, and later, in school, learnt how to develop black and white pics in a lab. 

After 1982, did not see much of the state, though we stayed till 1989. I was away getting an MBA, and later working, or getting a Ph.D. abroad. But my memories of those days -22 years- is still strong, and many of my childhood buddies from those years are in touch, at least on facebook. Met a few over the years too, last in Pune last November. Also had a record player, and lots of records. Developed my taste for Hindi film music by listening, and watching films- my parents were buffs, and we drove to cinema halls in town whenever a new film released. Jewel Thief was one of those, I remember.

Coal-fired Nostalgia

I grew up in a coal-mining town in Andhra Pradesh. Actually, three of them-Kothagudem, Bellampalli and Ramagundam, where Singareni Collieries had its mines. This was a remote set of towns, what you might call one-theatre towns, with Hindi films coming in six months after their Mumbai premiere.

The earliest film I remember seeing was Jewel thief. There was a club in each of these towns (a British legacy, as were the mines). This was the centre of social life, and sporting life. We kids of all ages played a lot of Badminton, Table Tennis, and used the swimming pool extensively when summer came along. Some billiards too, when allowed by the elders.

There used to be films screened outdoors in 16 mm with a whirring projector. I remember seeing a film called Aulad in which Mehmood donned a chaplinesque costume and sang Jodi hamari jamega kaise jani with Aruna Irani. Also remember an English film starring Shashi Kapoor.

On festive occasions we had parties, where the food was usually good. On Christmas Eve there was a fancy dress and I once became a coal-miner, with a dhoti, and a miner's lamp. Santa also gave us gifts, and it was fun.

We did a lot of cycling those days, and played all kinds of games outdoors. NTPC putting up a big new Super-thermal power plant was a sight worth seeing in Ramagundam, and so was a wide Godavari river. 

To get out of Kothagudem by train (on steam engine trains), we travelled through quaintly named stations such as Tadkalpudi, Bethampudi and reached a junction called Dornakal, which was a gateway to Delhi and Madras. Similarly, Kazipet was always on the way from Ramagundam to Hyderabad. There was a metre gauge line from Kacheguda (Hyderabad) to Ajmer via Indore, and we travelled on it once to visit an aunt in Indore.

Deja Vu

I am in Bhubaneswar, and met old colleagues at XIM campus. I started my Indian teaching career at XIMB. Therefore there is a sense of deja vu. I have a session to take at a research methodology workshop at another university tomorrow. This city is really lovely and modern looking now. In 1991-92, there were only around 30 autorickshaws in the town. And it used to be a small town, with only one traffic light, and almost no traffic.

It is still very green. But the IT sector has come in, with big buildings housing the firms. Roads are wide, clean and well-maintained.

Last two days, met Shailaja, a childhood friend from Singareni Collieries twenty years ago, and some IIM batchmates who live in Mumbai. In all, a great sense of the bygone days came back. Memories are always golden-hued. And why not?