The college is fortified like never before. For once, we are all scrabbling around in search of the ID tag when we near the Adm Block. The police guard the block like it's a Category Z subject. We are questioned even if we bat our eyelids for a fraction of a second longer...or move the arm suspiciously. 

Bags are searched for arms, ammunitions and other inflammable materials and sadly, the only inflammable I had was my 'vatha kolambu' for lunch, as a police official sadly found on examination of the numerous storage spaces of my bag. In fact, I found a long lost pencil of mine during the search!

Well, just in case you thought that the security was for the safety of the staff and students, you are way beyond the mark. Ballot boxes are stored in LI and L2 halls and the D1 hall. Guns, rifles registers and crackling belt phones on a special frequency are sighted and heard ( I meant the last one here) all over. Even our parking spaces have been taken over by swarming hordes of policemen and one has to apologetically park it in the usual place.

I take refuge in the lab, since power supply to the department has been cut off and will remain so till the counting day. 

We all take long detours to reach the departments, since the block has been made a single entry point. All of us have a lost a few kilos and look  like shadows of our own selves...

I'm sure, once they leave, I'm going to miss having my bike guarded through the day...and my ID card will find its way back into the dark nether zones of my bag.

Life will never be the same again, till another election is held.

 

Feel rather low and down in the dumps, because as the year draws to a close, I feel that with the large number of classes I've been handling, I may not have done justice to the children, because I have not had time to stand and chat with them. I miss the chit chat on the campus roads and canteen ...in fact, I realised I've not been to the canteen more than two or three times this year! 

The stress and strain has also had its toll on my cheerfulness, making me dour and glum, except when I realised that I was turning into a typical teacher - distant, cold, aloof  and out of touch with my first years...and then, I pulled myself out of the sad state of affairs. Even my visits to the library and reading have been sacrificed at the altar of duty. I've not visited the library in more than a year!!!!

The extremely short semester compounded by the election has not made things easier, as one rushed through the lessons and classes...

Hope things are better the next year. My optimism and joy in teaching never desert me. :))

The principal was given a fond farewell by the Association of Teachers at the initiative of Prof. PGV on his promotion as Additional Director at DOTE.  

Heads of Departments and faculty members spoke, recalling their association with the principal in his long stint of nearly 30 years at the institution. They spoke of his solutions to the long pending demand for domestic billing for electricity in the quarters, his sanctioning of arrears and funds for development activities in the mechanical and civil departments, his encouragement of research proposals and his simple administrative style.

The principal was his humble self as he spoke of the memorable days at Bargur where he learnt his reins, his tussels with administration, his strong understanding of administrative rules and regulations  and  his desire to help all.

It was with the feeling of happiness that he was not really leaving the instituion, only moving to a bigger seat of power, that everyone left the hall, wishing him success, achievement and happiness.