101. Teaching Sankrit in English was a challenge

Thousand Moon: Mrs. Shubhangi Vinayak Garde
Contributed By: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar

Mrs, Shubhangi Vinayak Garde [Maiden name Pramila Kirtane] is 82 plus. She is a Bachelor of Arts with Marathi, Sanskrit, Economics and Statistics.  She stays in Kothrud Pune. She was married to Shri Vinayak Krushnaji Garde on 6^th April 1956. He was in Delhi during that time. Then he shifted to Valchand nagar, Dombivali and finally settled in Shahabad. They spent about 28 years in Shahabad . It was in Shahabad that she got all the opportunities to express herself fully.

Shri Nanivadekar Anna was patriot staying in Shahabad then. He was a Gandhian wearing Khadi. He was authorized to conduct Sanskrit examinations on behalf of Tilak Mahavidyalaya. As she already had Sanskrit for her B.A. she directly appeared for the third Examination of Tilak Mahavidyalaya and stood first. Shri Nanivadekar was a social worker and as such he used to teach Sanskrit, Bhagvad Gita and also physical exercises like Surya Namaskars. For all this she bows to him in deference.

And now her own words.

Shahabad lacked educational facilities then. So we sent both our children to Shri Shivaji preparatory Military School for their education. After about 15 or 16 years Mount Caramel Convent School started classes up to 10^th standard. It was an English medium school. But God probably wanted that I must make a headway so even though it was an English medium school they offered Sanskrit as a subject for 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th standard classes. I decided to start private classes for Sanskrit. The problem I faced was to teach Sanskrit in English as I was educated in Marathi medium but I accepted the challenge and proved myself competent enough. Teaching in English helped me improve my English also in a way. My Sanskrit classes for 8^th 9^th and 10^th grades evoked a good response and I was overjoyed when I found that 50 per cent students of 10^th class who had opted for Sanskrit were attending my classes.

I remember my Shahabad days as the happiest days in my life. Whatever I might have missed in my childhood I got it in Shahabad. I played Garba Raas, wrote a drama and also acted. I organized a children’s program for the ladies club. I learned to play Tennis and also Bridge. What ever was worth enjoying in life I got a chance to enjoy and I enjoyed. We shifted to Pune in 1992. I conducted Sanskrit classes for tenth in Pune when we shifted here but stopped them five years ago.

I am aware this is not any one single event of happiness but these are the memories of my happiest days. Actually when one of my students got 148 marks out of 150, I felt like having touched the sky.

Mrs Shubhangi Garde Pune.

100. Happiest Day Of Her Life

 Thousand Full Moon: Shrimati. Gokhale

She is close to 90 and has sent me her hand written write-up that has humbled me for two reasons. One because her entry is the 100th entry on the blog that celebrates the rich tapestry of life in the form of treasured memories from our octogenarians and two because her articulate writing, the stoic manner of expressing delicate feelings is an inspiration to diligently keep aspiring for excellence.

I have posted her original work along with my summary in English with a desire that this should reach as many readers as possible.
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Mrs. Gokhale opens her write-up with a sentence "As shade following bright Sun is the rule of nature so is joy following sorrow a rule of family life" and goes on to describe how she moved to Dharvad with her husband who planned to start Math tutoring as a means of making a livelihood. They had good friends there and settled in a comfortable life while lifting the social responsibility by carrying out volunteer work for the 'Sangh Parivar'. Her husband was a people's person well liked and respected by the community. She goes on to narrate that the then prime minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency in the country as the election she had won was declared null and void by the supreme court of India due to irregularities. As expected being a Sangh Volunteer Mrs. Gokhale's husband was arrested. Instead of losing courage she rose to the challenge and went on to question the police about her husband's whereabouts and would go and see him whenever an opportunity presented itself. Once she was able to see him from a distance at a railway station while he was being taken from one jail to another. She says she thought of him as the great Maratha warrior Sambhaji! and returned home with his image in her heart. As time passed jail time and rotations continued. Her eldest children participated in 'Satyagraha' (Truth Insistence protests) by 'Sangh' and Jamat-e-Islam  to pressure the government to release the innocent, conscientious, good folks detained in innumerable jails across the country. Over there in Delhi, driven by the desire to boast to the world about being the leader of a democratic country Indira Gandhi declared elections and reaped the fruits of her misdeeds. She lost the elections! It was a stinging slap in the face from the so called illiterate masses of India. Now the tide had turned. All the detainees were released and Mrs. Gokhale's husband came home. She welcomed him with the traditional 'Arati' in her hands, a welcome befitting a victorious soldier! She remembers standing in the door way till her husband asked her whether she was just going to just stand there looking at him like a new bride or whether she was going to allow him to enter... She spent the rest of the day singing to herself the song which says "Its joy joy and joy everywhere"

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