We often hear a lot about Sainik School, good and mostly bad reputations. One such was about the concept of seniority and juniors. Like it or not, its very much there and it's a legacy. Today's juniors are tomorrow's seniors and while not justifying any righteousness about it, nothing else can replace this structure, the way it maintains discipline and smooth functioning of the Houses. When I became a senior, I too carried forward the legacy of my seniors…
It's the legacy of 'late night' parties, during the 'preparatory months' preceding the board exams. We would carry (steal/rob/persuade) food from the mess and feast on them during early hours of the morning. Someone collected rice from the mess in polybags, and pressed them to accommodate the maximum volume, while some others would collect vegetables and pulses.
Studying was one quality that came very hard to SSGians. The idea of the feast would keep us awake, as we gossiped away through the night. Finally when the clock would strike 2-2.30 am, some ever resourceful seniors would usher some juniors to collect banana leaves from the backyard gardens of our House masters and Superintendents. Sometimes as the junior, chopping the leaves and later as the senior pulling out the rusty electric heater to cook the rice, I have always enjoyed the idea of such a feast.
As the food was heated, the banana leaves are being cut according to the number of people available in the feast. Most of the times, someone would take out some home made pickle from his cupboard and that would be the most precious item in the menu. Gossip would follow after the feast, accompanied by smoking. By dawn break, we often slept promising to "study from tomorrow" only to make the promise again and again with each passing day…….that's our story of Lohit house and I am sure my friends from other houses will have similar stories to share…
2 comments:
Rajib, fortunately or unfortunately I never had the experience of collecting food from the mess as a junior, as I was an office bearer mostly and I was peroccupied with light out reports (do u remember?) & attendances. However, I did attend such feasts way too often during my stay as a senior.
Those mid night feasts were arranged mainly near are board exams. we also had such late night dinners in our house. Really missing those days.
Post a Comment