I am just reverting back to my TAPMI days...only difference being, assignments and submissions substituted by books and TV. I mean the normal curve that had been tracing my "time-to-bed" has a huge population at around 1:30 AM - 2:00 AM range and that was the time, that we used to think about sleeping, while at TAPMI.

A random channel, a random film, random show, song- anything, would be enough. Yesterday, one such random channel landed me in Shangai Noon, yet another random channel landed me at Jaya TV, while the "Thaen KiNNam" was being presented.. A quick look at the array of songs that I was treated with, runs like this:

1. nalam thaana - thillaanaa moghanaambhal.
2. kannum kannum kalanthu sontham kondaaduthae- vanjikoattai vaalibhan.
3. raajaavin paarvai raaniyin pakkam - anbhae vaa.
4. oru koapayilae en kudiyiruppu - ratthathilagam.
5. aen piranthai magane en piranthaaioo - bhaagapirivinai.
6. moondrezuthil en moochirukum - theivatthaai.
7. veedu varai uravu - paada kaanikai.
8. kalyaana samayal saatham - maaya bajaar.
9. orae oru oorilae orae oru raaja - padikkadha maethai.

These songs made my day(ooops!..night) yesterday..looking back, I find almost all my growing up had been bookmarked with songs...When we were in Neyveli- till my 10th standard, there used to be a huge ground in front of our house(not exactly front- it's sort of adjacent to it)...that was used by everyone for every purpose- Political party meetings, children's play ground,kite flying ground, parking lot for the NLC buses, earth moves, trucks and even bucket wheels at times.

But mostly, that was our playground and there used to be a stage at the front. I remember seeing people like Naavalar Nedunchezian, Murosoli Maaran, Stalin etc address the gathering from that stage. That time, it was three parties that used to have meetings there- for that matter any part of Neyveli. They were DMK, ADMK and Dravidar Kazhagam. I had even seen Karunaanidhi once..Jayalalaitha- nope...missed her by sleeping, I remember!

I had all along grown up listening to MGR's songs- equally divided between DMK and ADMK- many songs of his early cinematic rise were DMK sympathisers and only later he changed them into veiled references to anti-DMK plank. But I had heard all the songs(courtesy- being so close to the meeting venue means, hearing a LOTS of songs), the entire ground would have been flooded with tube lights and pattaani - sundal stalls, "stickers, banners & batches" hawkers, and foremost of all- crackers. When the crackers start their work, we knew that "the" person had arrived..there would be frencied shouting in the mike- "Puratchi Thalaivar Vaazga", "Anna naamam vaazgha"..I now know which "naamam" they meant- but then, at that age, I didn't quite understand politics!... "Aringyar Anna naamam vaazgha" would be the DMK's slogan and "Anna naamam vaazgha" would be the ADMK's- clear cut bhaagappirivinai- you see!

The meetings would go on till 12:30- 1:00 in the night and that means, so much longer we can stay out, with a chair on the road(it would be practically deserted at night) and listening to the words spewed by the horn- speakers....had you seen them- those big, horn speakers that these people used to put up everywhere- it's back looks like a "Kondai"- we used to giggle at the site of that speaker- somehow, I like standing next to it and listening to that loud noise coming out of it.. and we can even touch the tubelights- ofcourse, only with trepidation and mortal fear of burning our hands!

But once there is a huge commotion to "Malar maalaiyai pon maalaiyaaga annivikkiraen" slogans, we are to vacate the road and come into the compound...that shout means, the leader had started and they would pass our way!!

Thinking of it now, I feel a complete sense of nostalgia spreading inside...That age would never come- would it?....Now, that ground had been converted into a garage for the railway wagons and the stage had been razed to ground!..there is only a skeleton of what once was glorious remains now...every time I go to neyveli(which in itself had become very rare), I always go to our house and stand at the gate for a moment- now the house had been occupied by someone else- that being the corporation quarters, it would just pass hands- but that had been our house for 16 long years!...How I miss those days!