Krishnaja AP - Session 01, 2023-05-11

(00:00:50) Childhood Born in Calicut. Childhood was spent in mother's home with grandparents and large family. Family structure. Brother's angry letter about marrying a man who was married before. Parents were in Podanur so she was sent to Calicut for education. Origin of 'AP' initials. 2nd to 10th grade in Jesuit school in Calicut. Excelled in school. Unique qualities of school – used to be co-ed, students made to clean school themselves. Memories as school leader. More recent visit to school with daughters, meeting old teachers. Memories as girl guide – campfire, tying knots, navigation. Natural environment of school.

(00:08:53) First time meeting scientists First exposure to a scientific team was an aunt in National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) Coonoor who stayed at home with her team while on an official visit. Her liking for performing arts or civil services. Being late to school and being taken by scientist Parvathy. Seeing an aunt as a mother-figure and feeling very upset when she left after marriage (and how this incident made her build personal boundaries).

(00:13:56) Vacations in Podanur On resenting parents for leaving her at Calicut. Actual reason was absence of English medium school in Podanur. [Interlude: Born in 1951 as one of five. Qualities of father who served in British Army. Calicut's seafood, popular site for palliative care.] Podanur was very different. Influences of Anglo Indian community there. Love for nature grew in Podanur. Memories of flowers in Podanur – “nandyarvattam” double petal white flower used as an eye drop. Thoughts on gardening as an activity and the lessons it teaches you.

(00:22:19) Early interests in school Role model was grandmother – the way she dressed, the respect she commanded. Memories of rushing after last school bell to sharpen slate chalk. Playful times in the church inside school. Literary meetings and acting in plays. Talking to a school friend, Lalitha Jasmine, after many years. Starting school at 4 years in 2nd standard. Writing 10th (SSC) exam before turning 14. Uncertainty about writing pre-degree exam due to age. [Interlude: On attachment to aunt. Grandfather's job in telecom and landing up in Calicut. A bit about mother's early life in Tamil Nadu, and her family.] [00:29:20-00:30:00 - Restricted Access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for details]

(00:31:51) Experience with pre-degree exam About friendship with friend Lakshmi. About Lakshmi's achievements as actor. Krishnaja's childhood with lots of health problems, missing exams yet being proficient in studies. [Interlude: Studying and observing butterfly life cycles. Rose garden being maintained in school. Plans to live in a greener place, spending more time on cooking and gardening.] Paratyphoid coming in the way of exam and feeling crushed. The feeling that this incident was the starting point of a string of bad luck. Missing qualifying for medicine by 1 mark. Missing national scholarship in pre-degree at Malabar Christian College very narrowly. [Interlude: Philosophical thoughts on destiny, envy, marriage, friendship, money] Being bitten by a snake, and having an undiagnosed skin infection the following year. [00:32:00-00:33:32 - Restricted Access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for details]

(00:47:05-00:48:13 Break for medication)

(00:48:14) Treating underprivileged with respect Hating the concept of color dress on Saturday because of children in orphanage who studied in same classroom. This sensitivity developed after weekends with aunt Dakshayani. How aunt made positive changes in the orphanage she was posted as superintendent. Thoughts on inequality and some people starting off at an advantage. Treating cleaning staff at BARC with respect.

(00:54:07) Undergraduate experience Taking grandmother to see principal of college for permission to not appear for exam. Being enamoured after visit to Calicut medical college. Not being able to relate to new batch with whom she had to study in her BSc Zoology. [Interlude: Learning to move away from things she loves (first aunt leaving, elder brother, trauma of treatment for suspected TB as a 13-year-old).] Achievements of her pre-degree and BSc batch (Abraham Thomas, Basant, Hema). [01:01:43 to 01:04:35 - Restricted Access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for details]

(01:04:50) First taste of research in BSc study trip Study trip to Krusadai Islands in 2nd year BSc. Memories of sights and sounds and tastes. Topping and winning prize in zoology. [Interlude: Childhood memories of reading newspapers, cooking with grandmother] Wanted to be independent, earn and write civil service exams after BSc so did not apply for MSc immediately. [01:11:38 to 01:12:20 - Restricted Access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for details]

(01:12:25) Telegraphist job as launch pad Criteria for selection. Telegraph training (morse code, teleprinter) classes in 1972. Thrilling parts of the job. Receiving a satisfactory salary. This was to be launch pad for evening classes for civil services. Thoughts on marriage and feeling back then that it was legalised rape. [Interlude: Being empowered by positive influences of women in family (scientist in Coonoor, Block Development Officer in Mysore) and being encouraged by dad, brothers & uncles.]

(01:23:19) Telegraph job Working very efficiently for a year with telegrams. Learning to work high pressure atmospheres, navigating hierarchy and working with men and women. Memories of people she worked with and influenced at the time. [01:24:48 - 01:29:40: Restricted Access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for details]