SPORTS DAY AT ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

 

Immanuel Thomas had submitted a request for the grant of Rs.12000.00 for conducting the annual sports day events at the college with an authorisation from the Principal.

I work there as its Accounts Officer.

But to my consternation I found the request erroneous.

Financial instruments require the signature of the Principal at the institution.

Finally a cheque was issued for the amount sought.

I submitted a report to the Principal in the evening.

Alex Kurien

"I do not know if you have noticed the alteration Immanuel  made in the request for Rs.12000.00

There was no head or tail in the final sentence.

I called him. He sat in front of me. I explained the oddity.

I asked him to tell me in Malayalam what he had meant by that sentence.

It was perfect. I asked him to write that down. 

Then I asked him to write its translation underneath.

Initially he said it was difficult. I encouraged him to try.

He wrote in English. I saw him fumbling with the final part. I understood it was beyond him. I filled that in for him. He wrote. The translation was perfect. All this was done in his own notebook. 

I asked him to strike out the last two lines in the request and copy what he had in his notebook there.

It looked very good..

He said he would remember this episode in his future life.

I replied I could easily have paid it off and carried on with my work -  there was a lengthy report  - 20 pages draft typed by the typist to finalise and the Times of India of 14 August 2026, I couldn’t read in the morning at home as I had  woken up a little late  - but I couldn't do that because I thought I'd then be failing in my mission and vision.

If you can't set right someone who doesn't know, there is no meaning in our existence.

Immanuel went away, perhaps cursing me or thanking me. 

But if we use the terms before and after, I believe he'll be an altered personality after the gruelling or refreshing time he had with me today.

The casualty was I could read the TOI only now.

It's folio 8 is wonderful.

A lesson in what happens  when serious matters are disposed off casually.

In 1947 it caused one million deaths.

Gandhi's vision too is there

Please don't miss the folio 8 of TOI 14.8.26

Regards
Alex Kurien