Comments on: The Mitre, issues from 1956

By: Editor

Editor — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 02:27:04 +0000

There are a few more email exchanges that got missed out in the post above.
Here they are:

Jai Joshi wrote:

Vijay:

I am bedazzled by what you say about examination papers- that most of class knew the questions before they entered the examination hall. Really? And you are only now telling me? Only the nerds who could not be trusted to report a leaked examination paper were excluded, you say. I for one had no idea this was happening, and now wish I had (especially for the Hindi exams in the SPECIAL ELEMENTARY HINDI group that I was in. I was no nerd, that’s for sure, so this is all very revealing to me, fifty years later.

Can you elaborate, please

Jai Joshi MD

Badal Singh wrote:

I knew nothing of any papers being leaked ……….. IM so frickin clever I passed All my classes including my boards becos i did what everyone is doing today …….. i bribed my way through school …… As for Krishen Sikand going down the chimney and back up again ……… I also believe in Santa clause but this really takes the cake …. I know Stokes had an underground hide out …… where Among all his other treasures was also a stamp collection that belonged to the governors son …….. Arunjit Rai was the biggest asset to every class …… every time we wanted to miss a class he used to fake a fit …. and the teacher would run out of the class like his ass was on fire …. Remember the boxing match that never materialized between Sunder Singh and Montford …….. Also remember the sportsmanship of Podgy carrying Milo out of the boxing ring with tears in his eyes …… I was in BCS So frickin long that i could go on and on ….. but am afraid of boring everyone who might not have been there for some of these events …………..Cheers

Bittu Sahgal wrote:

Vijay add me to the list of deprived. I had a seriously rough time getting into St. Xaviers because my Cambridge marks were simply put, “adequate”. All through I think I was only tolerated because I played cricket, hockey and football. But how I remember school, you guys, and how I miss those hills.

Bittu

Vijay Khurana wrote:

My dear Jai,

You sound more indignant than bedazzled !! Neither you nor I benefitted from these endeavours and we were not geeks by any standard. Matter of fact, members of our class rarely gained from this scheme. However, I do recall one year – I think it was in Shell – when three of our peers sat at the bench I referred to in my initial mail. No names! Their results were not, however, spectacular for that paper or so I recall.

One of the pioneers of this business was Krishen Sikand and he was no nerd!! The other person, I recall, was H S Sekhon (Huttie) whose father happened to the head of the police service based in Chandigarh. Mr Tiwari, the hindi teacher, had the opportunity to comment on Huttie’s exceptional results in a hindi paper one year. The teacher knew exactly the capacity and capability of his student! Both Krishen and H S are, unfortunately, no longer alive but there are sufficiently enough collaborators around to verify my account. Billy has my thanks.

The only time when our class had the hindi paper in our hands approximately 30 minutes before we entered the exam hall was when we appeared for the Board exams. Fat lot that did anything for any of us inspite of Pompey’s excellent tutoring !!

Finally, you were exceptional not to have dropped a class from 1954 to 1963, a considerable feat by the standards that then existed !! I think you missed nothing and may have reason to feel proud!!

Warmly,