3018) Did You Know Series (84): The "Competitive Spirit" between the Martiniere Colleges: Cal Mart and Lko Mart:
Ever since the Martiniere Calcutta Schools were relocated to Lucknow during World War II in view of a threat of an invasion by the Japanese troops and the beginning of the inter-Martiniere Competitions in football, swimming, debating etc. between the Martiniere Colleges - Calcutta and Lucknow - a competitive spirit pervades between the students of both Martiniere Colleges.
Not only is the "competitive spirit" seen in the inter-college competitions, but it spills over into our later day careers as well.
In 1999, I was posted in the State Bank of India's Corporate Office in Mumbai and was awaiting the allotment of a flat in Mahim State Bank Quarters. Although my wife Sumita and I were allotted an independent room in the Mahim Guest House, it so happened that once I was sent on training to the State Bank Hyderabad Staff College, when I returned, another of our State Bank lady colleagues was allotted my bed. It seemed to be a "conspiracy" between Sumita and her. So, I was bundled out of my room to share another room, where a senior State Bank Officer - Mr. Atanu Sen - was already staying. On the first day, we introduced ourselves. It turned out that Mr. Sen was from Cal Mart.
So as all Martinians do, we got down to discuss our experiences in College. We shared the names of our Houses and had fond memories of our College days. Like all Martinians we could not stop talking about our College days.
The one common factor which we never agreed on was that "my College is better than yours". There were incessant debates and discussions on everything from sports, teaching facilities "being better than yours" (the debate never seemed to end in this "game of one upmanship").
"Ours was the first school set of in the country and is rated at number one" went a contention for Cal Mart.
Everything was discussed from which College had the better campus and that Martin stayed a major part of his life in Lucknow, where he became a great architect and gave us the "Constantia" building.
I shared that a group of some 50 odd Mart Alumni had come from the schools in Lyon, France in the 1970s and were felicitated by Col. Daniels, our College Principal, and they agreed that they had never seen a more elegant College building that Constantia.
During heated discussions we even discussed that I was in the Lucknow Mart debating team, when we beat Calcutta "hollow", during one of their visits to Lucknow. Although I have been a boxer and never hit below the belt, it was like a no-holds barred competition - who is the better actress - Nafisa Ali (Cal Mart) or Priyanka Chopra (Lko Mart) etc.
We always looked forward to exchanging more and more memorablia of our College days every evening when we came back from our State Bank offices. We would forget the State Bank during this "alone time" when we were College students again.
Despite our incessant debates we agreed on one thing - The Martiniere Colleges are the best "this side of the Suez Canal" and "comparable to Oxford any day". They are also called the "Eton of the East".
Both Sumita and I took early retirement from the Bank and settled in Pune. We went to see Mr. Sen when he was the Chief General Manager at Mumbai Head Office. We could not meet him as he was busy with a Performance Review Meeting. I left a note with his Personal Secretary. Later I learnt that he had gone on to head a State Bank of India subsidiary as the Managing Director.
Time has really passed, and I am left with memories. Nevertheless, our Mart days are something that have remained alive with me forever.
Such is the Martiniere spirit which prevails from Calcutta to Lucknow to Lyon.
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