jobs searches for seekers
In 1961 getting a job for engineering qualifications is not difficult at all.The Govt based on results of professional courses appoints qualified students and the appointment order automatically reaches home.No.14,Sivankoil street,Sannanallur has become very familiar address as the post man walked  many times delivering appointment orders for Ganesan.Superviser in Highways and Rural works,PWD,Electricity dept,Union engineer Panchayat union,Public sector Projects etc started pouring in.Obviously Ganesan was confused to select the best.As usual his elder brother came for rescue.He was Upper division clerk in Highways and seen engineering supervisors making hey left and right.Corruption was not unknown in govt depts.So he advised Ganesan to opt for PWD and on 15th August 1961 Ganesan joined Special Minor Irrigation Programme Dept of PWD at Pattukkottai.It was investigation  preparing renovation works for irrigation tanks in dry areas which depends on  rain for agriculture.With in two months Ganesan was transfered to Avadayarkoil near Aranthangi of Thanjavur dist.By early 1962 he was transfered to Peralam close to his native place.By mid 62 he was transfered to Koradachery.Perhaps all these moves are his elder brother's work to keep his brother close by.By october 1962,a project acroos Vettar near Melattur"Conversion of an anicut into a Regulator came up in Vennar division of Thanjavur.It was about 7-8Lakhs project literally pouring into the river.The dept was looking for resonably honest,bachelor to execute it.Ganesan was selected and moved to the site immediately as the work is to be executed during off season Dec-May
    In oct-Nov 1962 Indian political scene seriously changed due to Chineese attack on India and the country was under Emmergency.The project at Melattur started in full swing as river water was closed at upper level Regulator.By April -May1963 the project was completed.Ganesan got about 2-3000 bags of cement saved for the dept and closed the accounts.But the contractor broke open the cement shed claiming that it was his profit.The dept supported the contractor as it was contract work,the loss or gain should go to the contractor only.Ganesan resigned PWD job.

wings Growing

The flying hazard of just growing wings.
  Chettinad is dry rocky area,the ancestral land of Nattukkottai Chettiars popularly known as Nagarathars.The famous people in this community are Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar and Dr.Alagappa chettiars.It was actually Kanadukathan where the polytechnic was located.Ganesan stayed in hostel from 1958 to 1961 and appeared for final exam by the Directorate of Technical Examination in April 1961.When the result was published a month later Ganesan did not find his number.He was shocked and tried to locate his friends numbers.To his utter surprise not a single number from his polytechnic appeared.When the principal was contacted it was told that the results of  all students appeared from Annamalai Polytechnic are with held as mass scale copying suspected.Students from that institution will appear for a Re-examination from a changed centre Trichirappally. With out any hesitation Ganesan went to Trichy and stayed in his sister's house and appeared for the re-examination.Days passed and Ganesan was busy in his father's aggricultural avtivities.One day in the late evening a friend of him casually mentioned that some polytechnic result has come in the morning news paper.Ganesan got exited and ran here and there and got the paper.In some corner three lines news appeared" Result of Annamalai polytechnic Re-examination" and only ten numbers appeared,three first class and seven second class.Ganesan was thrilled to see his number in the First class list.....
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It was 1958 when I left my village in pursuit of higher education.I had literally no idea about higher education
but followed my eldest brother's instruction blindly.He on his own decided to educate me on Engineering line.But instead of looking at long distant goal he was in a hurry to get quick return and hence decided to send me to diploma course only.I do not know where all he had applied but one day he came home and told me that I have to go for an interview at Annamalai Polytechnic,Chettinad,then Ramanathapuram district.In june 1958 I accompanied him to Ramnad along with my documents.
    The destiny started drawing new lines on the life book of Ganesan.The wings started growing.

Carefree Growth.
Ganesan grew up in a carefree environment.The village activities demanded buzy schedules for oneself,for the animals at home,for the agricultural works.For exampleone has to get up at 0430hrs in the morning clean up himself,take the bulls to the field,plough the field till the fields assistants come and take over,return home ,milk the cows,get ready to school,start running 5km and reach school by 0900hrs.Even though number of people and brother sisters are at home no one dictates what is to be done and it is clear understanding of the daily routine.The physical activities of the village by force keep the youngsters healthy and energetic as the life there was survival of the fittest.Injury,danger to life  due to animals,flood,fire,etc were co-existing and growing up under that environment makes one absolute carefree.Ganesan flew off from the village with that spirit.
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Schooling.
Around the year 1945-6 there was an elementry school very close to his house.There was classes up to 5th std.Ganesan started schooling in perhaps june 1947.when he was in third std he was promoted to 4th std after half yearly exam and moved to 5th std after annual exam.This double promotion made him comparitively younger to all his classmates subsquently.From 6th std to 11th std he studied at Board High School,Nannilam.This was the pattern of education in those days.Schooling upto 11th std and then 2 years intermediate and then 3years graduation.In the year 1957 intermediate was abolished and pre univesity scheme was introduced.River called Mudikondan a branch of cauvery takes off at Sakkottai near Kumbakonam and runs East towards Nagappattinam Sannanallur is on the northen bank of this river.It is a seasonal river.Water come in june-july when released from Grand Annaicut,and dries off in jan-feb when Mettur dam is closed.Ganesan used to walk along the river bank of 5km one way.Playing in water in winter and on the sand in summer with the school going boys is common.The road had fruit bearing trees on either side.Black jamune,Mango.Tamerind,coconut,Palmirah are the few.Ganesan could climb all such trees.A group of boys who could not climb trees usually join him to get the fruits.Game like cricket was unheard by him till he was 15-16 years old.However he was good in all village games kabadi,Gilly-danda,Marbles and such.He passed SSLC Exam in March 1958 and there starts another chapter of his life.
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The child is the father of the man.
Life is to be lived and not  spent There are millions spending their lives in villages but do not know any of the village crafts.As mentioned in my earlier blog village is full of life inviting you to learn the the art of living.water flowing in rivers,canals, and tanks and lakes over flowing but you do not know swimming.Animals all around but you do not know how to feed them,milk them,make curd,butter and buttermilk etc.Trees all around and you do not know how to climb.All water bodies are full of varieties of fish and you do not know  how to catch a single fish.In agriculture field the rats play havoc and you are helpless.Ganesan was master of the village crafts and skillful.The school was 5km away and for 6years he had walked up and down.Hundreds of activities of agriculture from preparing the fields to harvest were known to him. In all he grew up as son of the soil..No wonder,the noble earth of Sannanallur was sprinkled around at South Pole in the later part of his life.
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