BANGALORE: The memory of the little fair girl with plump cheeks and ponytail is still fresh for a few Cottonians. When she hit the headlines again for her landslide victory in Tamil Nadu on May 13, they rejoiced as well.
TOI traced her days at Bishop Cotton Girls' School which had bought a card to send her on Monday. According to school records, the 63-year-old, third-time chief minister studied here till Class 4.
We found a Class 4 photo of her in 1957 which former principal Stella Samuel used in her 2003 book about the school's 140 years. We also tracked down a couple of her classmates.
Dorothy Sampath Kumar, wife of Sampath Kumar, former bishop of Methodist Church, spoke fondly of her. "Of course, I remember her. She was very studious. Getting Grade A was never a big deal for her. She was a quiet girl who'd mingle with all of us but never took part in the mischief we got up to. She seemed to be very disciplined and was always the teachers' pet student," said Dorothy.
Jayalalithaa, they say, was a good athlete as well as an all-rounder. "She was always chosen for the relay races. She was with Barton House, I think," she added.
Her classmate Fatima Jaffer went on to teach in the school for over 30 years. "We had a lot in common. We registered at the school on the same day. My birthday was on February 12 and hers on 24. Every year, she'd send mithais to the school," recalled Fathima.
TOI traced her days at Bishop Cotton Girls' School which had bought a card to send her on Monday. According to school records, the 63-year-old, third-time chief minister studied here till Class 4.
We found a Class 4 photo of her in 1957 which former principal Stella Samuel used in her 2003 book about the school's 140 years. We also tracked down a couple of her classmates.
Dorothy Sampath Kumar, wife of Sampath Kumar, former bishop of Methodist Church, spoke fondly of her. "Of course, I remember her. She was very studious. Getting Grade A was never a big deal for her. She was a quiet girl who'd mingle with all of us but never took part in the mischief we got up to. She seemed to be very disciplined and was always the teachers' pet student," said Dorothy.
Jayalalithaa, they say, was a good athlete as well as an all-rounder. "She was always chosen for the relay races. She was with Barton House, I think," she added.
Her classmate Fatima Jaffer went on to teach in the school for over 30 years. "We had a lot in common. We registered at the school on the same day. My birthday was on February 12 and hers on 24. Every year, she'd send mithais to the school," recalled Fathima.
No comments:
Post a Comment