I never thought that I'd ever have to sit down to pen my thoughts on sir's passing away. To me, he was immortal all along.!
Our dear Chemistry teacher, N Balakrishnan Nair(NBN sir) passed into the mist of time early this morning around 4 AM, in his sleep. He was all of 87 yrs.
He was born on 22 Oct 1929. He did his post graduation in Chemistry and worked as a Quality Control Chemist at FACT for two years, as a lecturer in the NSS College, Changanassery for eight years and then, as an Asst Scientific Officer in the Ministry of Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs for another three years before he joined the Sainik School, on 14 Feb '62, at its inception when it was housed in the temporary barracks of the Pangode Military Cantonment and guided many generations - I happen to be one among them - as the Head of the Chemistry department, till his retirement on 22 Oct '89. Somewhere, in between, he used to stay near my grandparents' house on the Eswara Vilasom Road in Thiruvananthapuram and during those days, it was a treat to meet him from time to time. He married Ms. Madhavi on 16 Jun '57 who'd passed into the mist of time a couple of years back. He'd settled down at Anuroop, Fort Road, North Paravur soon after retirement. He'd later moved over to Bangalore to stay with his son, Pradeep - also an ex-SSKZM of the '82 batch - along with his wife and younger brother, all of 70 yrs, a widower who'd medical problems.
It's a real sad day for all of us who're lucky enough to be brought up under his tutelage. He was a true mentor, for whom, teaching was a passion, played no favourites as he worked hard for the betterment of every child and was a thorough gentleman. He was fond of me and used to provide feedback about my performance to my grandfather. I'd him all to myself at the St Antony's church, Madivala at Bangalore on 22 May '11 at a friend's daughter's(Tommie Tharian's daughter, Sonia) wedding. Somewhere in the course of our conversation, I'd thanked him and his contemporaries for all that we were today and his reply had the stamp of NBN wit and I quote, "Just like the newspaper boy delivers the newspapers without fail or the milkman delivers the milk, we, all, had done our duty that was expected of us and did nothing out of the way but your love and affection never fail to overwhelm me!" It was humility at its best!! As he was being seen off and as is my wont, I'd touched his feet. In return, he'd showered me with kisses. I consider those kisses as much more valuable than the gallantry medal that I possess.
His passion for Chemistry was well known and the fact that quite a majority in our class of '72 had bagged distinction in the subject, during the Higher Secondary Examination bore testimony to that fact coupled with his teaching ability.
He'd nurtured the school's Old Boys' Association(OBA) since inception and is solely responsible for the lustre it has attained today. The relationship between the old boys and NBN sir was an ongoing saga. His childlike excitement while conducting the OB days and the thrill that he used to get while interacting with each one of them, showed his genuineness and love. He'd touched upon every cadet's lives, during his progression in school.
I must touch upon three anecdotes that should bring out more about the multifaceted personality that was 'Balettan', for many.
If my memory serves me right, it was in '68 that 'Chemical balances' found their way into our Chemistry lab and quantitative analysis became a part and parcel of our curriculum. These were the new showpieces and we, cadets viewed them from far - while not doing practicals - with awe and wonder. MC Aboosala, a classmate of ours, one day, did the unthinkable - fiddled with one and to his bad luck, got caught in the act by NBN sir. I can still not forget that sight of sir, shielding his eyes from the sight of Aboosala, asking him to go out of the class and to continue his studies at the then Laccadives Island. Aboosala had to stay out of his class for almost a month for his misdemeanour! Just showed that he could be a hard taskmaster, too, for errant behaviour!
During one of my leave breaks Lekha and I, along with two other classmates and their families, had visited the Nairs at his ancestral house in North Paravoor. While serving us tea, he'd made sure that the amount of tea was same in each of the glasses by holding them high to compare the contents, as one held the test tubes in the practical classes of the Chemistry lab! "I don't want to be partial to anyone by giving differing quantities of tea and so on like that", was his explanation.
The last time I'd the privilege of being with the great man was during the Guruvandanam, hosted in connection with the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Sainik School, Kazhakootam during the 23rd and the 24th of Sep '11. I and Lekha had the privilege of being together with him, most of the time, as we're staying at my friend, Mohanachandran's house. He was very keen to know about Lekha's medical difficulties and told her that he'd pray for her from then on, as he'd accepted her as a favourite daughter!
RIP, NBN sir! I humbly bow in your remembrance and to the host of wonderful memories that you've given me, with my tears and prayers! They don't make them teachers like you anymore. Here's us wishing that Pradeep and his family along with your near and dear ones, have the strength to tide over these stressful times.
Tailpiece.
1. Today is also my birthday as per my star, 'Anizham' on the Malayalam calendar. Greetings and messages kept coming in, through the day. Lekha had gone to the Mammiyoor Siva kshetram for another session of the 'Mrityunjaya homam' and the connected pujas. Between her and her assistant, they'd made a high lunch of sorts with 'parippum pappadavum'. Damn sweet of them. But mom's absence was felt right from the morning because she used to insist on being the first to wish me and I used to go across to her bedroom for her blessings! Till '11, it was mom and dad who used to wish me first wherever I was and from '12, mom had taken over that facet as her sole right!! And here I'm, now, with out their 'raksha kavach'(Protective armour)!!!
2. Sir's remembrance day happens to be my birthday. Is there a cosmic connection?
Our dear Chemistry teacher, N Balakrishnan Nair(NBN sir) passed into the mist of time early this morning around 4 AM, in his sleep. He was all of 87 yrs.
He was born on 22 Oct 1929. He did his post graduation in Chemistry and worked as a Quality Control Chemist at FACT for two years, as a lecturer in the NSS College, Changanassery for eight years and then, as an Asst Scientific Officer in the Ministry of Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs for another three years before he joined the Sainik School, on 14 Feb '62, at its inception when it was housed in the temporary barracks of the Pangode Military Cantonment and guided many generations - I happen to be one among them - as the Head of the Chemistry department, till his retirement on 22 Oct '89. Somewhere, in between, he used to stay near my grandparents' house on the Eswara Vilasom Road in Thiruvananthapuram and during those days, it was a treat to meet him from time to time. He married Ms. Madhavi on 16 Jun '57 who'd passed into the mist of time a couple of years back. He'd settled down at Anuroop, Fort Road, North Paravur soon after retirement. He'd later moved over to Bangalore to stay with his son, Pradeep - also an ex-SSKZM of the '82 batch - along with his wife and younger brother, all of 70 yrs, a widower who'd medical problems.
It's a real sad day for all of us who're lucky enough to be brought up under his tutelage. He was a true mentor, for whom, teaching was a passion, played no favourites as he worked hard for the betterment of every child and was a thorough gentleman. He was fond of me and used to provide feedback about my performance to my grandfather. I'd him all to myself at the St Antony's church, Madivala at Bangalore on 22 May '11 at a friend's daughter's(Tommie Tharian's daughter, Sonia) wedding. Somewhere in the course of our conversation, I'd thanked him and his contemporaries for all that we were today and his reply had the stamp of NBN wit and I quote, "Just like the newspaper boy delivers the newspapers without fail or the milkman delivers the milk, we, all, had done our duty that was expected of us and did nothing out of the way but your love and affection never fail to overwhelm me!" It was humility at its best!! As he was being seen off and as is my wont, I'd touched his feet. In return, he'd showered me with kisses. I consider those kisses as much more valuable than the gallantry medal that I possess.
His passion for Chemistry was well known and the fact that quite a majority in our class of '72 had bagged distinction in the subject, during the Higher Secondary Examination bore testimony to that fact coupled with his teaching ability.
He'd nurtured the school's Old Boys' Association(OBA) since inception and is solely responsible for the lustre it has attained today. The relationship between the old boys and NBN sir was an ongoing saga. His childlike excitement while conducting the OB days and the thrill that he used to get while interacting with each one of them, showed his genuineness and love. He'd touched upon every cadet's lives, during his progression in school.
I must touch upon three anecdotes that should bring out more about the multifaceted personality that was 'Balettan', for many.
If my memory serves me right, it was in '68 that 'Chemical balances' found their way into our Chemistry lab and quantitative analysis became a part and parcel of our curriculum. These were the new showpieces and we, cadets viewed them from far - while not doing practicals - with awe and wonder. MC Aboosala, a classmate of ours, one day, did the unthinkable - fiddled with one and to his bad luck, got caught in the act by NBN sir. I can still not forget that sight of sir, shielding his eyes from the sight of Aboosala, asking him to go out of the class and to continue his studies at the then Laccadives Island. Aboosala had to stay out of his class for almost a month for his misdemeanour! Just showed that he could be a hard taskmaster, too, for errant behaviour!
During one of my leave breaks Lekha and I, along with two other classmates and their families, had visited the Nairs at his ancestral house in North Paravoor. While serving us tea, he'd made sure that the amount of tea was same in each of the glasses by holding them high to compare the contents, as one held the test tubes in the practical classes of the Chemistry lab! "I don't want to be partial to anyone by giving differing quantities of tea and so on like that", was his explanation.
The last time I'd the privilege of being with the great man was during the Guruvandanam, hosted in connection with the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Sainik School, Kazhakootam during the 23rd and the 24th of Sep '11. I and Lekha had the privilege of being together with him, most of the time, as we're staying at my friend, Mohanachandran's house. He was very keen to know about Lekha's medical difficulties and told her that he'd pray for her from then on, as he'd accepted her as a favourite daughter!
RIP, NBN sir! I humbly bow in your remembrance and to the host of wonderful memories that you've given me, with my tears and prayers! They don't make them teachers like you anymore. Here's us wishing that Pradeep and his family along with your near and dear ones, have the strength to tide over these stressful times.
Tailpiece.
1. Today is also my birthday as per my star, 'Anizham' on the Malayalam calendar. Greetings and messages kept coming in, through the day. Lekha had gone to the Mammiyoor Siva kshetram for another session of the 'Mrityunjaya homam' and the connected pujas. Between her and her assistant, they'd made a high lunch of sorts with 'parippum pappadavum'. Damn sweet of them. But mom's absence was felt right from the morning because she used to insist on being the first to wish me and I used to go across to her bedroom for her blessings! Till '11, it was mom and dad who used to wish me first wherever I was and from '12, mom had taken over that facet as her sole right!! And here I'm, now, with out their 'raksha kavach'(Protective armour)!!!
2. Sir's remembrance day happens to be my birthday. Is there a cosmic connection?
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