Some Public Punishments That Year

As I mentioned in one of the earlier posts, in this school, public punishments were very common. There were three grounds- an assembly ground, a play ground and a basketball court. Punishments could be administerd in any of these. Assembly ground was designed such a way that it could be seen from any of the classroom, so punishments there used to be embarrassing. Play ground was surrounded by a number of high-rise flats, therefore punishments there too used to be very embarrassing especially in winter months. But, the teachers hardly had anything to do with such embarrassment of students. In my first year in that school itself, there were six instances of punishments in either of these grounds. As I wrote earlier, in the very first week itself, I found myself standing in punishment in assembly ground alongwith my other classmates. All the boys were made murga, and all the girls were made to stand with hands up. Embarassing! But, believe me that year and in the forthcoming years, we had even more embarrassing moments. Very soon into that class, once all the students of all three sections of VII class were called in the assembly ground by P.E.T. sir, and were ordered to stand in the ‘predictable’ punishments. ‘Predictable’ means murga for boys and hands up for girls. We were all made to stand so for nearly two periods, when in the end, four strokes of a thick fat stick were given to boys. Afterwards, we were all allowed to go back to our classes. We had another encounter with the same sir very soon. It occurred because of the excessive noise created by our class, and that started due to me. There was no teacher in the class. I picked up the duster, and in a friendly but mischievous way patted it on the ‘bottoms’ of my friend Richa, and enjoyed it. That left a white scar on the posterior of her skirt. She snatched the duster from me, and ‘returned the favour’ to me. I did that again to her, she did again to me. Then I did to another girl, and gradually whole class got involved into it, without realizing how much noise we were creating. It went on and on, till suddenly a very masculine voice penetrated our ears shouting “sab murge ban jao”. And instantly, there was a pin drop silence in the class. Nobody moved a muscle. P.E.T sir was standing on the entrance with his stick in his hand. He shouted again, “jaldi line banao yahan”. We obeyed the orders. He escorted us to the playground in a hot afternoon. We were all terrified by then. Once we were in playground, he probably developed some soft corner for girls in his heart. He looked towards the boys, and repeated “sab murge ban jao”. Then he turned towards us, and told to stand with hands up. The punishment continued for about half an hour or so, and for some ten minutes or so straight, he told us to shout “I am sorry sir” in the full volume, leaving us all in the want of water badly. An even more painful and more embarrassing event occurred to boys of our class very soon again. Once in the games period, they received the punishment. Standing in punishment is one thing, but P.E.T. sir kept his torture going throughout the period. He made them murga, and for some 4-5 minutes, they were all told to jump in that position itself. That itself took breathe out of them. He then ordered them to shout ‘kukdoo koo’ in full volume. This continued for some ten minutes, and finally, for rest of the duration, were told to shout “I am sorry, sir”.

Punishment during the games period occurred once again, but this time in winter months, and administered by P.E.T. madam. From her room to the playground, we walked with our hands up. Once in the playground, we were made to do utthak baithaks under her supervision. It kept going and going for some 15 minutes. Afterwards, she had her stick on each of the boys, and they were made murga for rest of the period, while we kept standing there with our ears in our hands.

P.E.Ts were not alone in escorting us to any of the grounds, we have been taken there by our SUPW madam also. In that winter itself, she once made the boys spread all over the ground and become murga, and we girls were told to line up at one place and keep our hands up. Another day, she told us to line up in playground. Boys were made murga, and we were told to touch our toes. And in that state, she made us all walk for some ten meters. Walking ten meters may not sound like a punishment, but ask someone who has been told to do so in murga position or toes touching position!!!!!

The Damaged Report Card

I had a great ‘mishap’ after the half yearly examinations that year. We had been issued our report cards to carry them home and get the signatures of the parents. While at home, I entered into some alteration with my sister, which soon turned into an ugly fight. That time she was pursuing ETE course from DIET and in the heat of the moment, I laid my hands on her project and tore it down in pieces. In return, she grabbed my report card and tore it down into two pieces. We kept fighting till I received a tight slap from my dad, and we were both made to stand in different corners of the room facing the wall. It was only during that punishment we both realized that what damage we have caused to ourselves and to the other. Anyhow, I walked down to school next day with a pondering heart, almost sure of the harsh treatment I am due to receive, but still feeling the suspense that what exactly would be meted out. So, in the first period, madam started calling names of the students. The student had to walk upto the teacher to show the signatures in the report book. If somebody brought back the report card without signatures, that person was slapped tight twice, ordered to come with dad next day and was sent out of the classroom as a punishment. Those who had forgotten to bring the report card were made to stand in the classroom only with hands up, and were told to bring the report card and come along the parents next day. When my name was called, I walked slowly towards the teacher, with pieces of report card in my hand. As soon as she saw the torn report card, she brought fearsome expressions in her eyes. Even before, I could reach her, she shouted “ye kya hai”? In a low pitched voice, I tried explaining my circumstances, but even before that she grabbed my right ear and pulled it downwards with a great force. I cried in the intense pain. I still can’t forget that pain. She was continuously shouting at me, but I could not pay attention to that. I was just crying in the pain. Suddenly, she showered slaps on both of my cheeks. In fact, I could not understand what was going on. The next thing I remember is that she said in a loud voice, “chal, murga ban”. Very obediently, I found some space between the students who were standing with hands up, and assumed the murga position. Almost instantly, she told a girl in the class to bring a stick from the staff room, and she threw the pieces of the report card on my head and my back. So, this too was clear that she will use that stick on me only. Therefore, while in the murga position, I was terrified, I was sweating profusely, and almost nervously awaiting the next round of ‘rapping’. In the meantime, she continued receiving report cards from other students. I distinctly remember how I struggled to keep my posterior upwards, just in order to avoid harsher corporal punishment that could have come with lowering of my posterior. Obviously, butts were falling down, but within a minute or so, I applied all my strength to bring them up. But, again I could not hold them there for more than a minute. In short, I had my butts swinging up and down in the air. Initially, I was conscious of my clothes, but a few minutes into the punishment, I was no more aware of wherever my skirt was going. It was only after madam commented that girls these days get their skirts stitched up too short, and to the top of it, they purchase their socks too very short, “besharam ladkiyan”. Actually, we had salwar suits in our uniform from IX class onwards, therefore in VII and VIII classes only, when adolescence was catching up, we used to prefer shorter skirts that preferably did not touch the knees to fulfill our desires.

When the stick was brought into the class, she once again loudly called my name. I stood up erect, walked upto her and on orders displayed my right palm to her. Within a moment, I received a hard hit on it. Then she called for the another palm, and that too received the same treatment. Both the palms were caned twice each, and I was warned that the next day, I either come with my father, or I should better consider my name struck off from the school. For rest of the period, I was again sent to the same position to resume my punishment. This one remained one of my worst punishments in the entire school life.

Mathematics Teacher

We had yet another horrifying teacher to deal with in VII class. This gentleman used to teach us mathematics, and could not stand low marks. In the unit tests, anybody getting less than 30 out of 35 used to become his victim. He had defined the set of punishments in the very beginning of the session. Boys scoring less than 30 were made murga and spanked upto ten times. For those, who used to score more than 25, used to get five spanks, and those who scored less than 25 used to get 10. For girls, more than 25, but less than 31 marks meant 10 sit ups, and for those who got less than 25, they had to do it 25 times. Rules were of course different for half yearly exams, which used to be of 100 marks. After half yearly exams, there were no punishments for students scoring above 90. Unfortunately, there was only one boy falling into that bracket. For boys,  murga punishment with five spanks for less than 90 but more than 75 marks, ten spanks for more than 60 but less than 75 and fifteen for scoring less than 60. For girls, it was utthak baithak again- 10 for scoring more than 75 and less than 90, 20 for scoring above 60, but less than 75 and 40 for less than 60 marks.

Now don’t expect me to write that I used to get maximum punishments. I was good in studies. In half yearly, I fell into 10 utthak baithak category and for rest of the year, I either fell into ‘safe zone’ or into ’10 utthak baithak’ zone only.