A school etched in history, thanks to Sundara Ramaswamy’s stories Premium

Sethu Lakshmi Bai Government Higher Secondary School in Nagercoil, a literary landmark with a rich history and inspiring victories.

Sethu Lakshmi Bai Government Higher Secondary School at Nagercoil is three years away from joining the 2,211 government schools that are celebrating their centenary. But SLB, as it is known, has secured a place in literature. Though it finds a reference in many of the short stories of Tamil writer Sundara Ramaswamy, the school becomes the central character in Nadar Sir, one of the finest pieces. “If there is a reference to a school, it is only SLB. He was also a student of the school,” says Kannan Sundaram, son of Sundara Ramaswamy and Kalachuvadu publisher. It was constructed in 1928 with a sprawling football ground and basketball and volleyball courts.

Those who studied in the school in the 1980s will see the events of their time unfolding in the story, particularly the school’s victory in football over the invincible Carmel Higher Secondary School. The person who changed the fortunes of the SLB football team is S.R. Rajan, a former student of the school and an employee of the Telephones Department. When he was transferred to Nagercoil, he decided to train SLB students as his office was next to the school.

“As Tamil Nadu won an inter-departmental match in Kashmir, I got a transfer to Nagercoil. Chandrasekara Pandian, headmaster of the school, and the physical education teachers supported my effort,” says Mr. Rajan, who is one of the best athletes in Kanniyakumari district. “Sundara Ramaswamy, who used to go for a walk on the SLB campus, would have been inspired by the story of the school’s victory. The story appeared in the Pongal issue of Dinamani,” says folklorist A.K. Perumal, who used to accompany Sundara Ramaswamy during his walk. “He even once showed me the house of Mr. Rajan on the road opposite the school,” Mr. Perumal recalls.

Sundara Ramaswamy has made Rajan into Ekambaram Nadar, the protagonist of Nadar Sir. Ekambaram Nadar, a former student and football player, who had represented the Travancore team, joined the school as a mathematics teacher when 13 boys in the class of the narrator had failed in the subject. “Nadar Sir entered our class. He is a curious sight. Other teachers sport a tuft or have their hair cropped. Everyone, including the girls, laughed. You feel like laughing at my sight?” reads the story.

A boy dared to ask him about the mark he had scored in the Class X exam. “Maths will be taught tomorrow. Let us talk about some sports,” he replied, explaining football. It was then a student lamented the inability of the school to defeat Carmel in football and Ekambaram Nadar said it was not difficult to beat Carmel. With the support of Rajam Iyer, the headmaster character in the story, Ekambaram Nadar started training the students. Rigorous practice led to SLB’s victory over Carmel, but the students failed in mathematics. Ekambaram Nadar refuses to attend the prize distribution ceremony as he was chided by the headmaster for the poor performance of the students in mathematics. He would agree to attend when the boys made it clear that they too would boycott the event. “I trained the boys in shooting techniques. We practised in the morning and the evening. As I know all the players of the district, I ensured that over-aged boys were not allowed to represent the teams of their schools,” says Mr. Rajan.

P. Sivaraman, one of the members of the team, who later represented the Tamil Nadu junior football team and now an employee of the Port Trust, says the match with Carmel ended in a draw. “The Carmel management declared a holiday and the entire school was on the ground to encourage the team. But trouble started even before the match was over and one boy was hit with a key. We were kept safe in a room by the people of Vallankumaravilai. Finally, we were declared the winner,” says Mr. Sivaraman, who went to see the movie Malaiyoor Mambattiyan after the victory. Peyar Theriyatha Maram (The tree without a name), part of Sundara Ramaswamy’s collection of incomplete stories, begins with the narrator’s admission to SLB. “My father admitted me to SLB when I was nine. I still remember the day I went to the school with my father with trepidation. There was talk about the plans to admit me to SLB for a week. The majestic structure of the school dominated the discussion,” reads the story. Palliyil Oru Naaikutti (A puppy in the school) is a story about Sundara Ramaswamy’s experience as a regular walker on the SLB campus. “I noticed the movement of the puppy during my second round. It has just opened eyes, and wobbles. News about mothers dumping their newborns in garbage bins. Will dogs do the same?” reads the story. The puppy is found dead the next day.