Mr. K N Singh First - Our great old History Teacher

Almost all the students from the 1970s, 1980s, and the early 1990s must have heard of or witnessed the legacy of the great K.N. Singh Ji (First). He was one of the finest history teachers at Tantia, known for his lucid way of speaking and impactful teaching. His full name was Kedar Nath Singh.

Since we also had a P.T. teacher named Sri Late K.N. Singh (Second), who was younger, Kedar Nath Ji was referred to as "First," while the younger one was called "Second."

This naming convention extended beyond them—we also had an R. Singh First and an R. Singh Second. The elder ones were given the title "First," and the younger ones "Second." However, we never saw a "Third."

Our other history teacher and all-purpose mentor, Sri K.K. Mishra ji, affectionately called K.N. Singh Ji (First) "Bau Sahib." K.N. Singh Ji was one of the most senior and beloved teachers at Tantia, deeply respected by both students and colleagues. We were told by our teachers that any person with a surname of 'Singh' in Uttar Pradesh are called as 'Babu Saheb' / 'Bau Saab' :) 

Though held in high regard, he was also at the center of lighthearted humor among fellow teachers. To create moments of amusement while maintaining respect, teachers would occasionally engage in playful mockery of him. K.K. Mishra and K Singh ji (Kailash Singh), in particular, would catch him in the corridors, address him as "Bau Sahib" with a mischievous smile, and glance at students as if sharing an inside joke. We cherished these moments.

K.N. Singh Ji was known for his irritation towards noise creating students and would often raise his voice at students when the classroom got too noisy. Whenever K.K. Mishra heard his loud scolding from another room, he would burst into laughter like a child, adding to the charm of our school days. 
On the stage of our school hall assembly, there was a table and a bench where some teachers would sit during the morning prayers. While most teachers chose not to attend the morning prayer session in the hall, K.N. Singh Ji (First) would regularly take a seat on the bench, attending both the prayers and the daily assembly lectures by various teachers. Between 1986 and 1990, I often saw him as one of the most consistent attendees at the morning prayers and assemblies, embodying the discipline and values of our school. Teachers would deliver lectures on various topics, and when they needed a real-life example, they sometimes referenced K.N. Singh Ji. On one such occasion, our Life Science teacher, K. Singh Ji, was giving a lecture on health and how to maintain it. Being a remarkably fit person himself, he was well-suited for the topic. However, to add an element of humor and make his talk more engaging, he pointed to K.N. Singh Ji, who was seated on the stage, as an example. Everyone in the assembly chuckled at the comment of K Singh ji :) :) :) 

K N Singh First Ji was not just a history teacher—he was a storyteller, a scholar, and a living encyclopedia of historical events. His command over the subject was unparalleled, setting him apart from his colleagues. While he also taught Mathematics and other subjects in Classes 5 and 6, history was his true strength, his passion. His memory was extraordinary—he could recall the names of kings, their wives, ministers, relatives, slaves, places, and, most importantly, the exact years of significant historical events with absolute precision.

Unlike many teachers who relied on textbooks while teaching, K N Singh First Ji delivered his lectures without ever referring to a book. His lectures flowed seamlessly, as if history was unfolding in front of the students. His storytelling was so lucid and engaging that students didn’t need to prepare drafts before writing notes—whatever he taught could be directly written down in their exercise books. His version of history was so structured and clear that just one reading was enough for students to remember the entire topic effortlessly.

Even in Classes 9 and 10, where the syllabus of history was vast and often overwhelming for many, he simplified everything with his unique way of teaching. His ability to narrate history in an engaging, easy-to-understand manner made learning a joyful experience rather than a burden. His contemporaries, R S Rai Sir and S D Dwivedi Sir, were also highly competent and knowledgeable, often referring to renowned textbooks while teaching. However, K N Singh First Ji’s ability to teach without referring to books—and still surpass the clarity and depth of those texts—was what truly set him apart.

K N Singh First Ji was an exceptional history teacher with a remarkable memory. He could recall names, places, and dates with precision and taught without referring to any textbooks. His teaching style was so clear that students could directly write notes after attending his lectures. Despite also teaching other subjects, history was his forte, and his classes in 9th and 10th were especially appreciated for their clarity.

His funny quirks, like mispronouncing Footta as Futur, made him a beloved figure. Students, even after being disciplined by him, never minded because of the respect they had for him. He had a unique charm, even making English proverbs amusing to all, including the Headmaster. In 1991, he retired after his last lecture in Class 10, and his remaining lessons were handed over to Sri S D Dwivedi.

Although only a few students fully understood his importance at the time, he became a grandfather-like figure to many, with some students affectionately calling him Tauji. His character and discipline were admired, especially by you, as history was your favorite subject, and his notes made learning easier. His memorable quote about Sher Shah Suri's administration was:
"Agar koi budhiya, sone ko haath me uchaalte uchaalte bhi rajye ke ek kone se doosre kone tak jaati, to bhi kisi chor ki himmat nahi thee ki uska sona chori kar sake."

Our Headmaster was the best to use the capability and competence of each and every teacher. Most of the ex-students / current students or teachers reading this must have forgotten that K N Singh First Ji was always one of the judges in School's Antakshari Competition. He played that role independently and vividly. He had no apparent favourite !! Very professional. 

An unusual incident occurred involving one of our school prefects (whose name I won't mention). Apparently, the prefect, acting in what he felt was the best interest of school discipline, challenged a student who was violating a rule. In a fit of anger, he hold his necktie  (a symbol of his prefect status) and marched the student directly to the Head Master, demanding the prefect be stripped of his position. Such a challenge to a prefect's authority was unprecedented, at least in my time at the school. To maintain order and uphold the established standards of discipline, our Head Master, Sri I.D. Singh, promptly accepted the necktie and revoked the prefect's appointment. While I wasn't a direct witness, I suspect the student's behavior was inappropriate and overstepped acceptable boundaries.

Even after leaving Tantia, you encountered him on Tarachand Dutta Street, where he always blessed you with a warm "Khush Raho."

  

https://studio.youtube.com/video/4qGknF2OKno/edit

Tiffin Time of Tantia High School

जैसा कि पहले बताया गया था, हमें चौथी अवधि के बाद 45 मिनट के टिफिन ब्रेक की अनुमति दी गई थी। कक्षा 5 से 7 के छात्र खाने के लिए 10 मिनट के रूप में टिफिन समय का उपयोग करते थे और खेलने और बातचीत के लिए शेष समय का उपयोग करते थे।

कभी-कभी, हम अपने वर्ग में क्रिकेट खेलते थे, हल्के बल्ब और प्रशंसकों को स्विच ऑफ मोड में रखते थे। एक रूमाल को एक क्रिकेट गेंद में बदल दिया गया और एक स्केल को क्रिकेट के बल्ले की तरह इस्तेमाल किया गया। मैं नहीं बता सकता, यह बहुत अच्छा समय था। हालांकि, 45 मिनट के बाद, पहले से ही, घरों के कप्तान ने कक्षाओं में प्रवेश करना शुरू कर दिया और उनका हमेशा मतलब था विशेष रूप से कक्षा 5 से 8 के लड़कों के साथ।

कुछ प्रीफैक्ट (Prefects) विद्यार्थियों से घबरा रहे थे, जो उनके सहपाठी थे, अर्थात् ऐसे सहपाठियों (छात्र जो पहले असफल रहे) को समान वजन और लड़ने के कौशल मिले। इसलिए प्रीफैक्ट्स उन्हें केवल अपनी आवाजों के माध्यम से या चरम मामलों में प्रबंधित कर सकते हैं . वे प्रीफेक्ट्स कप्तान या उपाध्यक्ष लड़के के हस्तक्षेप का उपयोग कर सकते हैं।

हेडबॉय हमारे स्कूलों के बॉस होते थे। हेडबॉय हमारे स्कूल में बहुत सम्मान पाते थे। मुझे याद है कि जब मैं कक्षा 5 में था तब हमारा हेड बॉय राम गोपाल बजाज था। १९८६... सर्वश्रेष्ठ मुख्य लड़कों में से एक... उसके बाद कोई हेडबॉय कभी भी उनके व्यक्तित्व से मेल नहीं खा सकता था। हेडबॉय के चयन में कमियां थीं . किसी अन्य लड़के में कहानी सुनाएंगे . चलो हमारे लंच ब्रेक पर ध्यान केंद्रित करते हैं।

तो वे मेरे जैसे बच्चों पर अपने कौशल का उपयोग कर सकते थे... जो न तो उनसे लड़ सकते थे और न ही मेरे पास जा सकते थे।

मुझे एक उदाहरण याद है कि 1988 में 9 सी कक्षा के प्रदीप सिंह हमारे कक्षा के एक साथी से कुछ शिकायतें मिलने के बाद हमारे कक्षा में आए। आरोप यह था कि कुछ लड़कों ने कक्षा में सुपर सोनिक वॉइस (असाधारण आवाज) बनाई जो हमारे स्कूल के अनुशासनिक सिद्धांतों के खिलाफ थी। उन्होंने 7 से 8 लड़कों को सजा दी। प्रदीप मंच पर मेरे प्रार्थना साथी थे . इसलिए मैंने पूछने की हिम्मत की... भाई मेरा क्या कसूर है...... बदमाशी किसी और ने और मेरी और पिट गया माई . तब मैंने पहली बार एक कहावत सुनी। मैं एक कहवत है... Gehu के साथ Dhoon भी वैसा ही चलता है . मैं उस अर्थ को समझ नहीं पाया।

So ... Tiffin time....

हमें अपनी कक्षा में खाने की अनुमति नहीं थी... हमें असेंबली हॉल में, या गलियारों में या ग्राउंड फ्लोर में खाने की अनुमति थी। हालांकि, जब हमने 10th ki वरिष्ठता प्राप्त की है... कक्षा 10... हम कभी खाने के लिए नीचे नहीं गए जब कुछ कछोरियों या सिंघार या मोडी की आवश्यकता थी... अन्यथा सभी 3 वर्गों के छात्र दरवाजा बंद करने के बाद कक्षा में खाते थे।

एक Mudi वाला, एक फलवाला, एक Idli वाला और एक कचोरीवाला था। Kachodiwala बीकानेर का रहने वाला था . वह दही और मसाला मिलाकर कचौरी बेचता था . मुझे लगता है कि हमें कभी भी किसी अन्य स्थान पर यह स्वाद वापस नहीं आया। हालाँकि, कभी नहीं भूलना चाहिए... स्कूल के बाहर एक आइसक्रीम विक्रेता था और हम उन आइसक्रीम को स्कूल के साथी के कोने से खरीद सकते थे... यह एक तस्करी थी। लेकिन उस आइसक्रीम को स्वाद मिला।

आस-पास के इलाकों के छात्र आईडी कार्ड बना सकते हैं और टिफिन घंटे बंद होने से पहले वे अपने घरों में खाने और वापसी करने जा सकते हैं। अगर कोई देर से आता है तो उसके घर के निशान काट लिए जाएंगे और उसे हाउस मास्टर के सामने पेश किया जाएगा। उन बातों का उल्लेख मैंने पहले के ब्लॉग में किया है।

इसलिए, पांचवें अवधि की शुरुआत में उपस्थिति की समीक्षा की प्रक्रिया थी अर्थात लंच के बाद। शिक्षक अपने तरीके से उपस्थिति लेते थे, विशेष रूप से एस एन पाठक जो एक संस्कृत और हिंदी शिक्षक थे, लेकिन हमेशा अंग्रेजी में उपस्थिति लेते थे। हमारे जीवन विज्ञान शिक्षक की एक अनूठी शैली थी . वह हमेशा कहते थे . ‘Apne Daaye aur Baaye dekh lo अगर कोई लापता है, तो कृपया मुझे बताएं, मेरी कक्षा में कभी भी अनुपस्थित रहने की हिम्मत नहीं की गई थी . इसका मतलब है कि हमने कभी ऐसी घटना नहीं सुनी जो किसी ने टिफिन घंटों के दौरान स्कूल से बाहर चली। पाँचवी अवधि की उपस्थिति का सख्ती से पालन किया गया ।

जब हम टिफिन घंटों के दौरान नीचे जाते थे . यह श्री एस राम (राम बाबू) थे जो हमेशा सीढ़ियों के अंत में खड़े थे . हम उन्हें सेना के जवानों की तरह सलाम करते थे और उन्हें लड़कों को देखकर खुशी होती थी। यह तात्या का अनुशासन था कि हम एक दिन भी लाइनों को नहीं तोड़ सकते थे। जब राम बाबू रिटायर हुए, श्री के एन सिंह सेकंड (पी टी शिक्षक) ने राम बाबू से जिम्मेदारी संभाली और जब छात्र जमीन पर लंच करने आए तो वह वहां मौजूद रहे।

1986 से 1992 के दौरान दोपहर 12:45 बजे से 1:30 बजे तक टिफिन समय था . और यह अगले 10 से 12 वर्षों के लिए समान था . जहां तक मैं जानता हूं और प्राथमिक खंड (दिन) के टिफिन समय 1:15 बजे ब्रेक होता था। तो मैं ऐसा क्यों कह रहा हूं। प्राथमिक छात्रों को महिला शिक्षकों द्वारा पढ़ाया जाता था. कुछ ईएम बहुत युवा थे. उनके बीसवें दशक में और कुछ अपने तीसरे दशक में थे. हमारे स्कूल के कुछ शिक्षक उन महिला शिक्षकों को देखने या उनसे बात करने के लिए टिफिन घंटों के दौरान मौजूद थे। मैं किसी को दोष नहीं दे रहा हूं . सभी युवा थे और इसमें कुछ भी गलत नहीं था। कुछ शिक्षकों की आदत थी और उन्होंने हमेशा हमारे प्राथमिक वर्ग की महिला शिक्षकों को प्रभावित करने की कोशिश की। मैं उन शिक्षकों का नाम बताऊंगा... लेकिन उनमें से एक महिलाओं को प्रभावित करने के लिए काफी स्मार्ट था।

जिन छात्रों को दोपहर का भोजन लेने के लिए घर जाने का विशेषाधिकार प्राप्त था... छात्र कुछ पैसे या रुपये का भुगतान करते थे कुछ सुपारी, पैन पराग, या बाहर से चॉकलेट खरीदने के लिए... जाहिर है एक अनिवार्य कटौती के साथ।

वहाँ कुछ और दिलचस्प व्यक्तिगत कहानियां हैं...... बता देंगे ... आनंद . और भगवान आशीर्वाद यू.

See this Instagram photo by @ https://www.instagram.com/p/CYwibMsMARi/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Rendezvous with Old Friends – 15th August 2014

The gathering on 15th August 2014 was nothing short of exciting. I met up with Sunil Saraogi, Chapparia, Ginoria, Prakash, Pawan, Anish, Ashok, Manish Choudhary, Didwania, Thakkar, Sanjay, Rahul, Jitender, Alok, Anand, Ajay, Sandeep, Dr. Sid, Vikash Modi, Khattry, and a few others. A big thank you to Vikash Khattry for inviting me, as I wasn’t on WhatsApp at the time!

We met just outside Bhikharam in Kankurgachi and waited for a few more friends to arrive. The reunion was as lively as ever, with the typical Tantia-style conversations filling the air. In short, everyone was still the same at heart.

A Few Highlights from the Meet:

• Jain brought roses for everyone. Thanks, bhai!
• Anish has managed to maintain his weight — neither gained nor lost any.
• Didwania and Alok still have their charming faces, and they look like they’re still in their twenties.
• Dr. Sid didn’t show off his clinical skills this time, but he seemed to be the same old alumni of Tantia.
• Jitender and Ashok were the hosts of the party. Big-hearted as always!
• Manish Thakkar looked completely different. His appearance had changed quite a lot.
• Anand was hiding behind dark sunglasses, but still looked sharp.
• Sanjay Jain appeared more civilized than during school days — a pleasant change!
• Manish Choudhary was as expected — unchanged, and probably never will be.
• Pawan was busy doing PR and left after the kachori session.
• Samir Saraogi — we need more people like him who can keep everyone connected and bind the group together.
• Sunil Chapparia looked great! He doesn’t talk like he does on WhatsApp, but still had that boyish charm. Congrats, buddy!
• Sunil Ginoria looked fantastic and didn’t recognize me at first — though I’ll admit, I beat him in the weight-gain department!
• Sandeep Bhansali still carries the same warm smile he had in school. It was clear how happy he was to meet everyone.
• Rahul Sonthalia seemed to be recovering from a neck injury. Hope he's fully recovered now.
• Ajay Chaudhary — hahaha, he really needs to ditch the beard. Otherwise, everything else was good.
• Vikash came late, but he was in good form. Note to Vikash: leave Pan Parag or Rajni Sajni Gandha (Ganda)! It’s killing your communication skills, my friend! But he’s definitely more mature now and seems to have gained a lot of experience.
• Prakash — I reminded him that we once had a fight in school, but he forgot all about it. His face hasn’t changed much, though.
• Manish Jalan — Still has the same height and slim waist!
• Vikash Modi — Looked great and pretty much the same as ever.

I’m sure I’ve missed some people — the names are getting blurry, but after one or two more reunions, I’ll update this page with more memories from the 15th of August meet.

Afterwards, Manish Didwania and others suggested going to "Nashta" — the little shop behind Bhikharam — to enjoy Kachori and Jalebi. It was clear that we couldn’t enjoy the full Tantia-style banter in such a confined space, so we made our way to Nashta.

It was a great decision! We had hot, crispy Kachoris with Aloo Saag and steaming hot Jalebis. Jitender and Ashok were the hosts again, keeping everything in order while we enjoyed round after round of snacks.

People couldn’t stop talking about how Manish Thakkar’s appearance had changed, and how Anand Sancheti still looked so youthful. There were a few forgettable conversations between Manish Didwania and Manish Choudhary, but nothing too serious.

Most of the group seemed to be more focused on having drinks later in the evening. The talk was about a liquor/cocktail party they were planning at Salt Lake.

Enter Khattry… He was given a fresh plate of Kachori, and we all listened to him with great attention.

Nashta was truly blessed that day!

Afterward, we headed to Haryana Sweets near Phool Bagan for tea. The passersby were staring at us, especially since some of us had returned to our “old form.” Our loud voices certainly attracted attention, and we could feel people wondering who these enthusiastic group of friends were.

The conversation shifted to colleagues from past and current jobs, and we shared information about each other. There was a fun little argument about Shuddh Hindi (pure Hindi) between me and Manish. We reminded him that he was once the head boy of Tantia High School — the only head boy who became head boy mid-year after the expulsion of the previous head boy. Manish wasn’t too thrilled to be reminded of that story.

We took some photos to capture the memories and then parted ways. Those photos are now on Facebook for everyone to relive the moment.

Here’s hoping for more such meet-ups in the near future.

Something more on N.N.Mishra ...

Thanks to my brothers for liking my recollections of Tantia days......Lets share some more memories of our great Hindi Teacher . ............... N . N .Mishra ji

It was only N N Mishra who was hard to be utilised by I D Singh for multipurposes. Hence he was given some more additional responsibilities :

• He is the librarian of Tantia High School Library. We were supposed to get one Hindi Book per year to read and return. But were not issued any book from class eight to ten. However, one book I read " Edison ki kahani  in class V , that is still in my memories. After that I could not get any chance to read about the great scientist "Thomas Edison"
• He was the chief coordinator of Tulsi Jayanti , Premchand Jayanti --- i.e. functions in which there was no inter house competition. We used to prepare for songs at Tulsi Jayanti in his Library in the presence of K P Mishra and S D Dwivedi. However, I never saw him singing and to teach how to sing a particular line. Me, Pawan Bhatia, Kunj Bihari Bhatia, Dinesh Vyas ( Now an Acharya -- I appeal every brothers to take his services for Marriage , Namkaran Sanskar and other Mangalik Functions... he is a good acharya / Pandit) , Vijay Agarwal, Vineet Khaitan ( for lecture on Tulsidas ji ) and others. However, the practice were closely monitored by S K Mishra. Sometimes N N Mishra ji was called by I D Singh to update him on practice of Tusli Jayanti and sometimes we had to sing before him... you can imagine ........the pressure of singing before him in his chamber .......... 
• N N Mishra was also a permanent judge in functions of  Antakshari and Inter house Hindi debate. But he was always unbiased at the time of awarding marks during competition. The result of Antakshari and debates were audited by D N Jha and Y Singh and they always used to produce the report with marks just after the lecture of I D Singh after every functions. 
• N N Mishra had nothing to do with Annual school sports. On that day , he used to mingle with classics like J K Singh.
• It was impossible for us to understand the assembly speech of N N Mishra. I think it was hard to understand by a few teachers too. Impeccable hindi was always a challenge for us. Once I heard the word " DRISHITKONE" , after that the entire speech was a bouncer. It was impossible for S K Bhattacharya to understand anything from the speech from N N Mishra
• In our Annual School function we had one section - Hindi 's one act play i.e. EKANKI .. N N Mishra  was the chief supervisor of that One act play ( Natak ). How he used to handle that , its a life long curiosity for me.
• He was our Hindi Prose teacher in Class IX. First term examinations used to held like class test. He challenged us to write answers from Hindi Guide or taking the help of text books ....... he proposed us to take help.........we took help........but none of the boy could pass in that exam. He wrote one line from the first lesson " Meri Jiwan Gatha of Acharya Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi" .. the line was " Mai yadi kisi ka atyachar sahan kar loon , to isse meri sahansheelta ka bodh awasya hota hai , parantu isse mujhe doosron ke uper krodh karne ka adhikar prapt nahi ho jata " ... and he asked the first question from that line " Atyachar kis prakar ka Achar hai" ............. ab kya likhen ????

We realised after leaving the school that we lost a great opportunity to learn a better Hindi. When we were student we did not like some of his lectures, but after I personally felt sorry. 

will update more.............

pls dont consider english general mistakes..........without review I have written everything.

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Smile of Shri N.N.Mishra :)

N N Mishra joined Tantia High School as a Hindi Teacher in the year 1986. I think since childhood he used to wear " Safed Dhoti and Yello Silk Kurta". I challenge nobody has seen him in trouser and shirt. He is from Benaras Hindu University and a student of Krishna Bihari Mishra , Hazari Prasad Dwivedi and Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla etc. In spite of good knowledge in Hindi , he could not get a better opportunity in Kolkata , however I D Singh did not lose an opportunity to hire a Masters from University of Allahabad. N N Mishra Ji is a symbol of Benaras , always a "paan" in his mouth with a steady face. Mr. N N Mishra is the symbol of an underpaid person who is well qualified person in Hindi.

I used to study in Barabazar library whose librarian was Ramchander ji. Every body calls him Ramchander (Ram Chander) , even he himself calls his name as Ramchander . But one day , I saw N N Mishra visited Barabazar Library just near to our school and asked a peon ...( just pay attention )  ......" RAMCHANDRA HAIN ???"  wow what a classical examination of "Vishudh" pronunciation of Hindi ..... once in a life time ,somebody called Ramchander as "Ram Chandra" i.e. correct sound. So N N Mishra is the person who cannot think to pronounce something wrong in Hindi even in his dreams.

N N Mishra possesses great rapport with one of our History teachers Sri S D Dwivedi and Sri P. Tripathi. All of three belonged to the same age group. But both Dwivedi and Tripathi ji wears shirt and trouser but N N Mishra always prefer to be seen in Dhoti and Peela Silk wala Kurta.

One thing was best, his small smile ......he never laughed but has a great smile. He was a great competitor of K P Mishra , the other Hindi teacher who used to wear trousers of seventies. Like Sachin Tendulkar ( on the cricket Pitch) , K P Mishra ji alwasy used to create gaps between his two legs by just lowering himself at least thirty times in an hour. Sometimes while sitting on the chair also... ......... how  ??? please dont ask.

His pronunciation and meaning of a poetry and prose are impeccable. I saw him advising students of B.A and M.A. also with the same confidence  like teaching a student of class X. He has written some essays which he has secured by him for his retirement days. I appeal our friends that if somebody can help him to fetch fair value on publishing his materials. The favourites of N N Mishra during 1986 to 1992 were  ( which I saw him from my childish eyes) Manish Didwania, Ajay Singhi, Rama Kant Holani, Vinod Singh Rathore, Pawan Bhatia etc. Manish is one of his all time favourites. N N Mishra ji got maximum respect during that period only hence he still remembers most of the students of that period. Please god ... keep him healthy and stay fit. I heard that he is retired now.

I used to meet him after passing class X , he was not happy with the students after 1994.

will write.....if I remember some more.

R.S.Rai - Tough man History teacher

Our one of the History teachers Mr. R.S.Rai ( Ram Sapath Rai) was on the toughest teachers of our school. He never shared with us a single moment of his life. He was never informal with any student and never asked tuitions !! He was a true and royal rai Saheb. He possessed good rapport with colleagues specially with H.R.Jha and D.N.Jha. But he was very cruel with students. His favourite weapon was " Duster" , once he started , it was impossible to stop him. Once he beat a boy , he could not sleep in the night. But it did not change him. In section B of class IX and X , he used to teach history. He used to bring an old history book and used to read fastly. Students named him " 80 word / minute". Once he fell down from his chair and a student laughed ( he was his relatives , though) but he was not merciful on him and he had to pay for his smile.
His way of delivering speech in the assembly hall was very unique. From his right hand , he holds the mike and never lefts till the completion of speech. From class V to X , we were fortunate to listen him atleast ten times , but he always used to pick one revolutionery patriot of pre independance India , whose description was not available in our text books. Always, he was very agressive while speaking ...... he starts with .....Pyaare bacchon , tumne Vinayak chapekar ka naam suna hoga, wo ek mahan krantikari thaa............................. log jel jaane lage, rail ki patriyaan ukhadi jaane lagin, videshi kapade jalaye jaane lage, sarkari daftaron me aag lagayi jaane lagi.......... were common in all of his speeches. We enjoyed a lot. Once , one of the teachers told to my freind, jab bhi ham log ko nasta karna hota hai, hum Rai sahab ko hi to khojte hain ,sabse pahle nastha karenge, paisa denge aur taxi pakdenge........
In class V he was our english Grammar teacher and taught only 50 % of his times, but syllabus was completed. His way of taking attendence was also unique.... he used to get excited while taking attendence .......one , twoooo, threeeeee, for,fiveee, six,sebun, at, nine , ten, elebun, tuwelve, thirty, forty, fifty,sixty,seventy,eighty,ninety, tuwenty, ...............and so on......with a lot of pressure in his voice. In class VI .. he was our history teacher, .. the best teacher to put signature .. he never saw the last page .... just put corrections and sign.......never read the copy ... not even in examinations.......... One of my class mate... Jitendra Jain ....wrote about Maharana Pratap in the question of Shivaji in Pre test examinations , he got maximum marks for that question and he shew us , as we could see our Pre Test copies.......... God bless our teachers...... one thing was clear , he loved school and he loved India.

Houses of Tantia High School

When we were students at Tantia, the school was officially a Hindi‑medium institution. However, thanks to the efforts of the trustees and our former Headmaster, the great H. S. Sharma Ji, the school always followed the convent school pattern in discipline and conduct. I will write more about H. S. Sharma Ji later, based on what I heard from our teachers, ex‑students, and even outsiders. He was truly an icon of discipline.

To encourage healthy competition among students in sports, debates, and other activities, the school was divided into four houses.

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Primary Morning Section – Houses

The Primary Morning section was divided into four houses, each with its own house teachers:

1. Alok House
2. Jyoti House
3. Kiran House
4. Prabhat House

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Primary Day & Secondary Section – Houses

The Primary Day and Secondary sections also had four houses, and their names were common across sections:

1. Pratap House – (R. Singh – First)
2. Vidyasagar House – (S. P. Pandey)
3. Raman House – (A. Pandey)
4. Shivaji House – (S. K. Bhattacharya)

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House Periods and Discipline

From Class V to Class VIII, every student had to report to their respective houses during the last period of the day in the assembly hall on the ground floor. Usually, three of the house teachers would motivate students to perform better in inter‑house competitions and daily activities.

Students were allowed to tell jokes and stories. Some teachers even permitted film songs during these sessions. However, life was quite different in the fourth house.

Mr. S. K. Bhattacharya was extremely strict about discipline and performance. Any student responsible for a reduction in house marks was punished severely by SKB Sir. If a student came late to school, wore a thread of any colour other than white, or had shoes that were not strictly black and white, the house captain or prefect would deduct marks. The student’s name would then be entered into an old‑fashioned house register that was brought to every house session.

After punishing students, SKB Sir would ask English poems or questions related only to studies.

In contrast, the other house teachers were far more liberal in their attitude. For many, the house period became a time to relax. The best example of this was Shri A. Pandey, whose sessions were the most peaceful.

I will write more about our teachers and the house system later…
Wait 🙂

A Walk Down Memory Lane: Our Good Old School

Let us take a moment to refresh our memories of our good old school through a few small but memorable incidents.

Every student’s journey begins in the Primary section, then moves on to Secondary, and finally to Higher Secondary. At the time of admission, one could choose either the Primary Morning section or the Primary Day section. I was in the Primary Morning section, and we had to report to school by 6:30 in the morning.

I was admitted directly to the Infant class in the year 1980. On my very first day at school, I forgot my aluminium box containing my books there. Later, my sister and I went back to school to collect it. And so, my student life began on a rather funny and unforgettable note.

One of the unique features of our school was that the Primary section was managed entirely by lady teachers, while the Secondary section was dominated by many “Sir‑jis” (male teachers). Another interesting peculiarity was that the school was co‑educational only up to the Primary section. After the fourth standard—the last class of Primary—our girl friends had to take vidai (transfer) to other schools.

In a way, girls from Tantia learned their first lessons of Vidai Samaroh right in their own school. During our time, the first preference for most girls was Ram Mandir 🙂🙂—not the temple, but the school whose actual name was Seth Surajmal Jalan Balika Vidyalaya. The second preference was Shree Sikhshayatan, followed by Marwari Balika Vidyalaya. I wonder what the preferences are today—I’ll have to ask a few people! You may update this in the comments.

Just when we boys had started to understand the chemistry of friendships with girls, we were shifted to the Secondary section—without any girls. However, we gained new friends, as boys from both the Morning and Day Primary sections were merged into one class. After a few initial clashes, many of us went on to become lifelong friends.

Now comes the worst peculiarity of all. Suddenly, we students from the English‑medium Primary section became part of a Hindi‑medium Secondary school. This created many difficulties, and even today, some of us still struggle with Hindi spellings. At the same time, the English we had learned during our Primary years slowly faded away in the hardcore Hindi‑medium environment.

During our time, the school offered classes only up to Class X (Madhyamik). Today, it proudly provides education up to Class XII. One of my close friends assist Tantia High School for obtaining persmission from West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) to start Class 11 and Class 12. 

Tantia High School : Our Golden Years (टांटिया हाई स्कूल: हमारे स्वर्णिम वर्ष )

यह ब्लॉग मेरे टांटिया हाई स्कूल के पुराने दोस्तों, इसके पुराने और नए शिक्षकों,  वर्तमान और पूर्व छात्रों को समर्पित है। मैं काफी भाग्यशाली हूं कि अधिकांश महत्वपूर्ण घटनाएं, स्कूल शिक्षकों के नाम और उनके चेहरे आज भी मेरी स्मृति में हैं। मैं टांटिया हाई स्कूल यानी अपने स्कूल के गलियारों और क्लास रूम में बिताए अपने बचपन के सुनहरे वर्षों के कुछ अविस्मरणीय क्षणों के बारे में लिखने की कोशिश कर रहा हूं। मुझे विश्वास है आप सभी को यह पसंद आएगा 

मैं भास्कर चौमल हूं , मैंने 1992 में माध्यमिक परीक्षा उत्तीर्ण की थी। मुझे अपने स्वर्णिम साल में टांटिया हाई स्कूल का पूर्व छात्र होने पर गर्व है | उन वर्षों में, हमारे स्कूल ने कक्षा 10 के लिए 100% उत्तीर्ण परिणाम प्राप्त करना शुरू कर दिया

1986 से 1995 के दौरान अधिकांश छात्रों ने हमारे महान पुराने अच्छे शिक्षकों के साथ बहुत अच्छा समय बिताया। 1996 के बाद मैं ज्यादा ट्रैक नहीं रख सका, हालाँकि मैं अक्सर स्कूल जाता था। यह अफ़सोस की बात है कि, मुझे पिछले कुछ वर्ष स्कूल जाने का अवसर नहीं मिला

खोज इंजनों में, मुझे हमारे स्कूलों, शिक्षकों और छात्रों के बारे में वर्तमान गतिविधियों और अतीत के बारे में बहुत कुछ नहीं मिला। यह हमारे स्कूल को वेब पर डालने का एक छोटा कदम है।

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