Paniyuru is a small village in Belapu grama panchayat limits near Kaup in Udupi District. It is near Mahathobhara Yelluru Shree Vishweshwara Temple too. Atmosphere there is calm ,quiet ,clean clear and fresh. There is absolutely no pollution whatsoever. It is suitable for pursuing studies. Every moffusil school could be a mini Shantiniketan of Rabindranath Tagore. About six decades ago there lived a school teacher by name Hussein Sab. He was a teacher of Government Primary School there. Adequate number of children required to run a school was not usually found in a village at that time. It was normally built up from a number of nearby villages. If there was no adequate number of pupil , a school used to be closed down by the authorities. Even to-day, a school is normally wound up if there is poor number of pupils . In order to evade a school being closed down or shut down , village elders used to go from door to door and were persuading the parents to send their kids to school. Literacy is normally less in rural areas. Having a school in their village is always an honor to villagers. Villagers wish that at least their kids have learning.
Percentages of passes in secondary school leaving examination is the highest among schools in Udupi district. Medium of instruction in almost all government primary schools in Karnataka is Kannada. A few government primary schools have playgrounds and play equipment. In most of those schools there is coeducation . In those days number of female students was meager in schools. Even in those days the villagers used to provide mid day meals to students in order to encourage them to pursue their studies. Further, there used to be no proper building to a school during those days. There was no toilets either for teachers or students in schools. It was a tile roofed clay building surrounded by paddy fields a midst nature. Classrooms were sparsely decorated and furnished. In fact , in many classrooms there were no benches why not even mats for the students to sit upon. They had to squat on the floor. Schools were not provided with either adequate number of teachers or adequate supporting staff also .There were occasions when a teacher had to take two classes at a time. The teacher had to play the role of a clerk as well as role of sub staff too.Hussein Sab was not best suited to such situations. A young energetic and enthusiastic teacher would not have minded such situations.
Education is more valuable than gold. School is a temple of knowledge. Teaching is a complex and demanding profession. It is a skill. Everyone cannot be a teacher. Teaching profession is the most respectful one. It demands so much consistency and commitment . Hussain Sab had extra curricular activities. The extra curricular activities were common to school teachers in rural places . Sometimes on account of going to bed late in the night Hussain Sab used to find it hard to control his sleep . At that time , he was asking students to solve algebra problems and used to fall asleep in the school itself. He was entrusting an elderly pupil to supervise the class at that time. This is how many rural schools function even now. They say that time changes things.
Time may change but everything does not change. Many things remain as they are. There are two types of pupils in every school. One type of pupils interested in the study.The other type is pupils not interested in study who attend the classes to while away the time.The latter type of pupils is more in a Government school. Those students who are intelligent and ambitious and who work hard only emerge successful in such schools.They know the value of education and they have hunger for learning. They would never mind all these hurdles.
On that particular day Hussein Sab was in good mood. Students persuaded him to tell a story. He was good at storytelling. Storytelling is a wonderful art and more than that, it is a talent. A really good storyteller can enthrall the audience and transport them to a different world. Normally classes taken by Hussein Sab were used to be noisy. However whenever he told a story there used to be pin drop silence in the class. He was keeping all the students spellbound with his talent. His telling a story in Kannada with Urdu assent was really amusing.
It is difficult to understand a man. Is it possible to understand the whole world ? World is a mystery. It is full of good and bad and what not. Nobody can understand it fully. Much time is lost in understanding it. Even if one understands a little bit the world . One needs time to change or be practical. A few are only practical in their life. Life would be over by the time one learns something and practices. Life is short. Everyone is mad in one way or another in this world. Madness differs from man to man. One is mad after reading, one is mad of roaming , one is mad of seeing, one is mad of working ,one is mad of eating , one is mad of singing, one is mad of listening and one is mad of writing so on. It is not only everyone has a different name but also everyone has a different character. It is not mental deficiency. It is a craze. We are a bunch of crazy people in a crazy world. World is full of eccentric people. It is difficult to describe the world.
On that day Hussein Sab narrated a story about a thief named Kannan. It is not only from the life of great people we have to learn lessons but also we have to learn lessons from the life of others too.Every life is noteworthy. Everyone needs a career or profession for their livelihood. Knowing fully well that stealing is bad ,no one would take it up as their profession. Only when there is no other go , when they are compelled by the circumstances, one chooses it.It is a disguise for the sake of the stomach. Why a thief , even son of a thief seldom commands respect in a society. However good he may be, he would be identified as son of a thief only in the society. It is society that many times compels him to be a thief. Zimbabwe thief 'begs to be jailed for life' According to him "Life in prison is better than life in the streets. Majority of thieves often prefer the life in a prison more than life that is outside a prison because everybody looks upon them with suspicion . Nobody trusts them. Besides, they are humiliated a number of times. A man is circumstances driven. No one is born as a thief.No one would like to be a bad man in another's eyes. It is circumstances that make one a thief. "To err is human, to forgive is divine.” It is better everyone in a country is broad minded. An opportunity should always be given to lead a good life to a thief too. Why thieves , even dacoits would know one day that what they were doing earlier was wrong. In fact,many dacoits surrendered to Vinoba Bhave after realizing what they were doing earlier was wrong. Maharshi Valmiki writer of the great epic Ramayana was also once a dacoit. Self realization did marvel in all those instances.
First time when one goes to jail one feels ashamed. Afterwards, while going to jail again and again one would not have that feeling at all. It becomes a routine affair . Once an image is tarnished it is difficult to restore it again. If one cultivates the habit of stealing ,it never leaves them easily too. That is why it is said "Once a thief always a thief". Kannan was a thief in Kannur jail. Jail though not a heaven is not a hell. Though not holy it is not a unholy place too. According to Hindu mythology , it is the place where the birth of Sri Krishna took place. Great people like Gandhi, Nelson Mandela to Godse as well as most wanted and notorious criminals were all in jail at one time or another. It is jail that brings people from all walks of life & all religions for transgressing the laws of the land together . It is a reformation center.
Jail and reforms takes us immediately to film "Do Aankhen Barah Haath" In that film jailer Adinath reforms six notorious prisoners and lays down his life. The story of Kannan and Mohan is not a similar story. When Kannan was a prisoner Mohan was the jailer at Kannur jail. The jail is situated at Pallikunnu, three kilometers away from Kannur town, is a cynosure of historical importance. Many leaders of National Freedom Struggle and various local peasant revolts were either brutally imprisoned or mercilessly executed here.The greenly colonnades of huge trees, model sericulture units and vast mulberry gardens under the lingering silence of the serene, picturesque surroundings help one forget the painful memories. There is a sales counter functions in the prison premises for the sale of jail produces, especially the artistic carvings and weaving of prisoners.
Kannan might have been to jail dozens of time during the tenure of Mohan as jailer.Character and behavior of Kannan were always been very good. In fact, friendship developed between Mohan and Kannan. Longer the association more one understands the other. Mohan was a strict and disciplined jailer. He reminds us of Kiran Bedi - famous police officer. Mohan too was innovative like her. He had always been trying his best to improve the inmates' behavior with devotion and honesty. He never looked upon any inmate with disrespect or scorn. He never considered anyone of them as a culprit. Instead he considered always everyone of them as an human being. He was always kind and patient, and listened to everyone. He toiled day and night to improve the living conditions in the jail. As a result , he commanded the respect of one and all. Even the animal like people had become human during his tenure. He had won the hearts of not only of all the inmates but also hearts of the higher authorities. He was a popular jailer. He had brought about a change. Everywhere it is the man who matters the most not the position.
Though Mohan was leading a simple life and though he had a small family, his savings were poor. Saving is an art.Due to rising cost , it was hard for a good man to lead life. Mohini was the only daughter of Mohan. She was beautiful and had attained marriageable age. Mohan was successful in securing an alliance. Compared to other parts of India, in Kerala marriages are not expensive. It is a cent percent literate state. Dowry system is almost not there. Marriages take place in temple there with exchange of garlands by bride and bridegroom. Yet, Mohan needed more than a lakh of rupees. He was worried. He was burning mid night oil. He had kept both his hands on forehead and was in his office room. Kannan noticed this. He taught that something is wrong with the jailer. He slowly, crept into his room and patted the jailer. After much persuasion only, he was able to make Mohan open his mouth. Mohan shared his financial problems with him.
Kannan requested him not to worry. He would be his real friend only if he is of some help to him in his need. He requested him to let him go out for some hours. He said "when the whole world slept, I used to be awake. My duties used to commence at that time . I would be back by dawn at any cost . I would keep up my words like the cow which promised to come back to tiger after feeding its calf ."Without waiting for a reply from the jailer Kannan vanished. He slipped into darkness that was wide spread outside. Where he went and what he did , he only knew. Clock was making tik, tik sound. Heart beating of Mohan was increasing every minute. Nobody normally trusts culprits .Nobody reposes confidence in them. Doubt and suspicion started creeping in Mohan. It was 3 o'clock there was no sign of Kannan. Even 4 o'clock passed. There was no glimpse of Kannan. Mohan knew not what to do. He was feeling sleepy.Eyes were becoming heavier and heavier. He surrendered to God. In fact, he fell asleep. It was 4.45. am. Somebody, woke him up. He could not believe.It was Kannan. He said " Sir this is not stollen money. I swear . This is brought from my home. This is my life savings. The marriage of your daughter must be celebrated with pomp and grandeur." Tears rolled down from the cheeks of Mohan. Kannan seemed to him not like an honest thief but seemed like an honest man. Once good qualities develop, all bad qualities automatically leave a man one by one and a glow appears on the face of a man.The Face is the mirror of the mind and eyes.