It was on this past Nov 6 where I found a what’s app status, at around 6 in the evening, shared by an auntie of my clan who also happens to be a proud alumna notifying that the “First Ever CSC Alumni Meet cum Ningol Chakouba Celebration” event would be held in school’s auditorium on Nov 8, 2026. Catholic School Canchipur, my precious alma mater, has an auditorium that has a massive intake capacity of almost like a thousand-capacity seater theatre arena! For instance, while I was a student at Catholic, during literary meet in the twilight years of the last decade, eventful functions were held in the said auditorium with all the five sections of classes 6 to 9 and those four of class 10 – classes, as of then, comprising of above 60 students each, in some lower classes per se had above 70 students. So, the idea of such grand rejuvenating event is always undoubtedly pragmatic in that hall.
As I began to read carefully the program procedural list and school’s icon being imprinted on the invitation, suddenly I was engulfed in a mists of emotions and nostalgia!
2009 was the year where I began my journey at Catholic School Canchipur as a class Nursery student of section A of which Madam Bina was the class teacher. Then class KG-A of Madam Vicky a year later and thereafter came class 1-C of Madam Bijaya (senior) in which I had my first-hand learning experience of being taught how to seek permission in English to enter a classroom if a teacher has already been inside! Madam Bijaya handled us professionally really well in that scenario.
Like others, I also had my fair share of personal experience regarding the observation of every nook and cranny of our school environment. Teachers, by far the best cooperative ones in an academic setup. I have ever experienced in my schooling life. For example, in my time, if a subject teacher took 2-3 minutes extra or so when the bell was rung and the next subject teacher arrived, he/she never interrupted the class. He/she stood outside the class waiting for the teacher to leave the class and to proceed further himself or herself. This might happen few times in every scholastic year then. Professionalism among our teachers was such that if he/she continued to took the class after bell, the next subject teacher would silently leave undisturbed so that the teacher could carry on with the class. This scene of mutual understanding was almost so familiar to my own self and others. Cut to 2022 where I was a 12th standard student at a school and one of my batchmates who went on to study the same class at another rival school told me once that there was a buzz by an “able and learned” teacher at his school adding that the teacher went on to make a complaint to the principal as well. The reason, my friend told, was a fellow teacher was continuing with its lecture even after the bell rang! I felt as strange as he was. Coordination was at its pinnacle during any school events like the right from the house-wise preparation phase of our most awaited and eventful Games and Sports Meet of CSC, those three days of Literary Meet that ended with the Thanksgiving Ceremony to Teachers, Children’s Day, Felicitations and Farewell functions and what not! Even with a blink of an eye from one another, there were plans charted out and done. Absolutely no debate amongst them at all. Talking about the exam hall vibes, no invigilators in a hall which I had the experience of writing the papers, in my odd 12 years of being a student, hadn’t uttered a single unnecessary word! Not even an unnecessary exchange of words between the invigilator and a teacher who, in fact, was a colleagues, came to correct an erratum or to change a question or two in the question paper. But of course, god knows, a smile in the beginning and a “thank you” in the end or even a wish were seemed necessary. This I found strange when I went on to another school for higher studies when in an initial examination of early days, the two invigilators, all young, in my exam hall kept on murmuring throughout the whole examination hours lacking the very basic sense of courtesy ought to be shown to the students and which must have been most likely changed by now. Nevertheless, both schools have a special place in my heart of which after all we are all product. I’m still at my budding stage where everything around me seems to teach me a lesson or something. My aim of writing this part is not to squeeze something to a very naive frame of comparison with a set of teachers and the other but to showcase the professionalism and basic courtesy of CSC teachers of our time who taught us personally.
Madam Vicky was my class teacher in class KG-A (2010). Late Rev. Fr George was the Principal that time. He succeeded Rev Fr Victor. This too was told by her inside class one day. This I remember very well. Being a student of hers so are many, might know – she doesn’t speak unnecessarily- much and always acts accordingly to each student. One thing I remember of her till now is that after finishing her target of the day in her class, she rubs her face with a handkerchief while maintaining the class in the last few minutes. Sometimes, she talks to her phone silently in the said timing covering her mouth in her own dialect. Permission to go to the washroom for mere personal needs was always rejected in my time as far as I know. She’s not a total nightmare but we were scared of her.
Mr Ricky is her son who happens to be of my batch. I have known this since my kindergarten days. I am known to him and I think he still remembers me. On his mother-son relationship, during my kindergarten and pre-senior phase at school, I had always seen him being almost pampered and taken so softly like most of our educated parents do in our generation. We were again, fortunately, classmates in class 8-A of Sir Rojendro (2018). He sat at the very back of our bench, or 2-3 benches behind us, if I remember correctly. I have known him as a smiling friend who was ready to do mischievous acts for fun like most of all teenagers in their initial phase would love to do. 2018 was a memorable year for me as well. I, too, laughed out loud, talked inside class, called out for disturbing lectures, made to stand holding my ears with a friend by Sir Patel who taught us Manipuri. Mr Babloo, Mr Lincoln who were the toppers were behind my bench and they would also do the same. I still remember we were once called out with Lincoln by Sir Lolitro in one English class and was made to stand in front of the class. Apart of which, I also really did try to not break my little study schedule which I succeeded doing so in all the three major exams in that scholastic year.All these things happened inside the same class where Mr Ricky was in. Madam Vicky and him as I saw then, had developed a sense, very unusual to me in their closeness which I personally saw long time back. Things were getting contrasting (pun, so laughter please). In the middle of the year, I saw Ricky’s performance inside as a fun-loving boy and this might sometimes – in some way or the other have disturbed certain teachers’ class and the complaint would have crossed the path of his mother on a certain fateful day. One day after all classes when we’re set for home, I saw Madam Vicky walking straight up and Ricky just at the back following silently. Turning aside and on seeing us, he winked and smiled at us again. This I remember vividly. After the dreaded 2023, I still remember my teacher – respected class teacher Madam Vicky of class KG who went on to teach Maths in Class 2-D with Madam Mercy (then Miss) being the class teacher and my friend, the then ever smiling, Mr Ricky fondly. Just before getting out of school in 10th std, I began to know each umbrella tribe my tribal teachers belong to. Madam Bina, Madam Rosemary, Madam Mawi, Miss Mercy, Sir Stephen, Miss Deepa, Sir Roland, (Late) Sir John, Sir Adam. These “honourable” teachers I mentioned have taught us a subject or two in the class where I was. And, the mother-son duo turn out belonging to the Kuki Umbrella. Those days, surprisingly, we didn’t care the name of any tribe or even a community, but how well one could crack a joke, have the ability to play football, basketball and volleyball with class 9-10 seniors, eat inside a class, and sometimes to ask answers inside an exam without being caught (and sometimes to bunk classes as well). I do still think Mr Ricky, classmate at Catholic, is still the same smiling friend who I once had the opportunity to crossed paths in my past as students. I do wish that on one fine day, after all these violence, chaos and certain politics take a turn and end, we meet and he winks at me and curves the same contagious smile I saw somewhere and sometime but kindly, please be in this lifetime. I’m confident to, at least, open my heart and say that Madam Vicky, Madam Rosemary, Madam Mawi – still remember our faces and names, if even not all, a few!
All those times we thought they would never end now exist only in our memories. And I still cherish them. I hope Mr Ricky and my teacher cum his Mom and everyone I mentioned above are doing well in their lives.
Then, there comes an event in my mind that happened in 2019. I was in class 9-A of Sir Lolitro who taught us English and under him, I was the class captain along with my friend Liona Moirangthem as of the girls’. Liona, as I knew, was a very studious, very determined friend of mine, a class topper and who went on to secure the overall topper in our class 9 batch. I was an average who really struggled to pass in all the subjects and get a rank and luckily, I did. We were sent off to participate in a quiz competition, an event in the discontinued “The Tanglei Festival” held at Oinam that year. I still remember the day was Bor Lai Khoiramba of Durga Puja 2019 as we went to the spot for the said competition. I was accompanied by my parents and my younger brother who was then class 8. She reached first accompanied by her mamo and her soft-spoken late paternal grandmother. She phoned me, I still remember, asking if I was already coming. To my reply that I just reached so and so, she already went in and make the report that Team Catholic School Canchipur was in the house! Prior to this, she had gone to some state level science competitions and others of such likes and had the experience, first-hand one, of getting first and receiving prizes. But for me it was the very first state level thing. In all the preparation which we did on some, few phone calls when we’re free after school, I was so charged and really prayed that atleast a position be secured in the name of our school like almost every average people do! I have two news for my readers – a good one and a sad. The former : we secured the very first position among the four participating schools. In my personal side, I was really hyped and happy beyond any words could explain. And to Liona, I extended my thanks for being a great collaborator during that journey every now and then. The other day, sir Lolitro enquired us about the event and on telling, he eventually smiled and congratulated us. We told him that as informed by the organizers at the spot with microphone, the prizes would be delivered right at the school so that the distribution honours be carried in our own school way. We were, especially I, very ecstatic as for our school any student who receives prizes at any competition – local, state or even international is felicitated during the morning assembly by our Rev Father Principal. The sad part : We haven’t received the said prize till date and no information as of yet on whether our school has received any info about our well deserved acknowledgement.
During 2020 covid times, when our school seemed to care a little less for our 2021 matric-appearing batch, Sir Pari of Computer Science Faculty, in the form of a good samaritan, personally reached out to me on messenger extending a real humanitarian aid of Free Online Coaching for all the students who were offering Computer Science. He went on to add that there would be two other teachers – his friend Sir Malemnganba who, I was told, topped his MCA batch of NEILIT, Akampat and a professor who taught them. I beg the pardon of ny readers that I now fail to remember the “esteemed” name. But I still remember how sir Pari requested his MCA topper friend mentioning the “freeship for all” as the what’s app text screenshots betwwen the two were sent to me directly. In the initial classes, sir Pari himself joined with us together reviewing each step the other teachers are investing their efforts on us to which there would not be any return of any kind at all. They covered all the syllabus in time. He conducted a few test series too at his home. Sir Pari, at that time, had his first born boy just beginning to speak and walk whom he fondly calls “Tomthin” who now would have been a healthy kid in his kindergarten days! Thinking about those struggling phase of our teachers when even salaries were in a time of negotiation amidst the deadly covid season and the fact that, then a cub teacher, sir Pari coming out and extending that miraculous help for the welfare of the students was an act – a lesson being a taught beyond the exam curriculum of any academic syllabus! Those online classes and his banters and our rejoinders are now a memory for a lifetime.
There’s a very respected teacher by the name of Binodkumar Huidrom, we fondly refer to and popularly known as Sir BK in teaching spheres. He was our class teacher in class 10-D (2020). Reserved and quiet, hair well groomed, doning neatly well ironed dress everyday and no nonsense teacher by all his might. He teaches English from classes 8-10 in my time. He is known for his meticulous teaching in the English Grammar section. I recollect at this hour the way how he emphasized answer writing and his way of taking much seriousness in presenting answers to the essay type questions in his subject for the then upcoming Matric. Prior to the lockdown, his teachings during the Macbeth Chapter, the only chapter he personally taught for our class, in Literature will remain with me till the end. One day, he enquired me about the article I had published in a Local English Daily adding that he read it the other day and congratulated me for doing so. While in his classes, he inspired me really well to write my thoughts and keep doing so.
In speaking English, his way is stylish and accurate. He is very much known for that too. In fact, in every school functions such as school’s Games and Sports Meet in early March and Literary Meet in September wherein he always emceed the March Past Ceremony and literary courses during my higher classes. A total goosebumps feeling one feels while listening to his thunderous delivery. He is well known amongst students for his ability to grasp the moment and deliver the scene or narrating in English. His commentary during the football matches, important announcement after school assembly were all of his part. His prominent laughter and a popular line he usually verbalised during our time – “If your good, I will be better. But if you’re bad, I will be the worst teacher you have ever experienced in your entire life.” That ended with a thumping – “Mark my words, Ok!” and his terrorizing – “Do you want to be beaten black and blue?” are all well settled in our heart and soul now.
As time never ceases, we were all now called the batch of 2021. Sir Seityajit who taught us Biology in class 10-D refers to our batch as Covid 19 Matric batch after a football session between our batch and teachers at Chumthang Shannapung on someday in August 2024. Fortunately or unfortunately, 2021 Batch didn’t appear for the HSLCE 2021 that was, I still remember, stipulated to begin on May 6 that year but was left postponed due to the sudden rise in the active covid cases in March-April. On the last day of Yaoshang that day year, government urged the public to cancel all public gathering and thereafter, “Lockdown” and “Quarantine” were added in our daily vocabulary.
I have to pause myself right here and put my pen down for the time being for there are stories that better be kept untold or unwritten and left as it is in the corners of our mind and in the passage of time, when life blows erupts out of nowhere, someday or the other all these smiles and feels I am getting right now while jotting this highly emotionally charged life events may become a motivation to look back my roots and to energize myself up to continue “striving” rather than to give up.
A huge respect and it’s my most humble and sincere request to all my dear seniors who are now even at the helms of affairs of our State’s bureaucracy and other departments and from other “esteemed” walk of life, who infact are responsible for the aforementioned event and steering the effort for this great initiative to connect each other once again and who once were at the same environment, breathing the scented academic air of CSC atmosphere together to kindly carry on with this venture and to reach out whenever required so that our CSC Alumni Association grows stronger day by day.
And as the maxim goes : “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”, this event held on 8th of November, 2026, I believe, is the beginning first and foremost step of a thousand, thousand miles for which I am ever ready, charged and pumped to contribute, share and help as a proud alumnus of this highly prestigious and precious – my beloved CSC!
“With God, our fathers love
Whose love we do believe
We’ll strive to build a better world to live. “
The writer is an Alumni of Catholic School, Canchipur, batch of 2021.
