Reflections Mark Amalapuram ZP School SSC Students’ Reunion
Some of the teachers even recalled the surnames of their students, including Jonnalagadda, Kota, Dommeti, Nimishakavi, Bhamidipati, Velidi, Ayyagari and Yerramilli
KAKINADA: It turned out to be an emotional and memorable reunion for the 1975 batch of SSC students belonging to the 150-year-old Zilla Parishad High School in Amalapuram of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district on Sunday.
The school boys of 50 years ago felt and talked as though 15-year olds, even though many are now in their mid-60s. Many of them have retired in top positions like vice presidents, senior managers, professors and principals. But their devotion towards their surviving teachers, some crossing 80 years, has remained the same.
Natural science teacher N. Lakshmi Kantham said she has worked in Amalapuram, Allavaram, Kakinada and Hyderabad in various posts before retiring. Whenever she has met her old students, she has found her life satisfying, she underlined.
Physics teacher P.V.V. Subrahmanyeswara Rao said he is in 80s, but feels like a youth seeing his 1975 SSC batch students, even forgetting his ill-health. PE teacher T M. Manyam said the Amalapuram HS has produced many basketball players.
Some of the teachers even recalled the surnames of their students, including Jonnalagadda, Kota, Dommeti, Nimishakavi, Bhamidipati, Velidi, Ayyagari and Yerramilli.
One of the students said, “My name is Bhamidipati Narasimha Sastry. I am the son of former RRB chairman Bhamidipati Krishna Mohan. My classmates called me Banni, Bansi or Bhamiditipati. I am very happy at being called these names even now.”
Another student Professor Jonnalagadda V.R. Murthy, who retired as a director of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada (JNTUK) said he is enjoying himself meeting his schoolmates.
Bringing in humour, Bonam Kanakayya, one of the directors of the famous B.V.C. Engineering Educational Institutions, recalled bunking classes and going to movies.
“I used to roll in the muddy ground before going home, so that my parents do not realise the cigarette smell,” said Velidi Suryanarayana, a businessman, “but my father noticed and beat me up severely.’’
A student S. Vinayaka Rao (Ganesh) said he found studies difficult and spent time being noisy. “I have gone on to become the municipal chairman of Amalapuram and served the society a lot,” he maintained.