KURUPPACHAN

Kuruppachan to me is many things rolled into one. Lightly put he is one among the less than five great friends in the world. Friendship is just one thing. If I am to give a true picture of my love and reverence for him, I will have to narrate the story of about four decades. This note has no purpose other than a little humour during these locked down days.

Kuruppachan retired as the Head of the department of Malayalam, CMS college, Kottayam. One day a final year bachelor student of Malayalam entered the department in a hurry and finding only Dr Kerala Varma there turned back, again in a hurry.  Varma thought of helping him and asked,

“ What’s the matter?”

“Nothing sir”

“Tell me, you want to meet anyone?”

“... I came to talk to Kandakkurup Sir”

“WHAT?? KANDAKKURUP SIR??”

When the soft spoken Varma roared like that, the boy started running out of the room. But Varma was in no mood to leave him like that. He sprang from the chair and followed him and roared again,

“Stop there, you..”

The boy was frozen by the rage of the teacher who is wonted to speaking in a low tone and never raising his voice. By the time he reached the boy, Varma had regained his characteristic calm and told him.

“Edo,  Sir’s name is Sreekanta Kurup”

But the boy was in no mood to relent. He tried to educate Varma.

“I know. I have respectfully said Kantakkurup Sir. The Sir in the end takes care of everything”

The boy continued,

“Sir, we all fondly and respectfully address you Varma Sir and not Mr Varma Sir or Shree Varma Sir. Isn’t that very awkward Sir?”

 Varma returned to his chair, fell into it, and with fingers crossed started shaking his head. Was the weight of the newly acquired knowledge too much for his head to bear? Or was he playing Samuel Johnson murmuring “Ignorance my dear student, pure ignorance”?