Learning with the Mother

HOW I BECAME A CAPTAIN

Sometime in 1947, Pranab Da did not come on time at 4:30 p.m. to take the Group A sports classes. My friend from the boarding house, Usha and I were a bit bewildered because punctuality for all activities in the Ashram was a very important part of our lives. So when Pranab Da did not turn up on time, we ran to Pranab Da’s house to find out the reason. As soon as we opened the gate of his house he asked us to stop there and not to enter. He had Conjunctivitis and was not allowed by the doctor to come anywhere near the children for at least one week.

“So who will conduct our Group?” we asked him.

“You have two monitors in Group B and they will conduct your Group.”

“And what about Group A?” we asked.

“The two of you will conduct Group A until I come back.”

We ran back to the Playground and described to everybody what had happened, then very seriously Usha and I started taking Group A classes. After a week Pranab Da came back and sat on the parapet near the gate to see how we were faring. He reported to the Mother about the activities in his absence and also informed Her that Usha and I were taking the Group very efficiently. Mother then asked him to make us permanent captains and train us accordingly. I was barely ten and a half then, and Usha was two years older than me.

Tara leading the Green Group march past