Childhood dream comes true on Children’s Day

Ideveloped a taste for reading in Class 5. It was 70 years ago. Back then, children did not have many options after school so extra-curricular reading was encouraged. Our school in Mandi had a good library stocked with Hindi and English books of all levels. There was also a reading room where newspapers and magazines used to be kept. However, there were not many magazines during those days. For children, there were only two Hindi monthly magazines, Bal Sakha and Bal Bharati. Bal Sakha used to be published by a publisher from Allahabad and Bal Bharati was from the publications division of the Government of India.

There were three widely circulated weekly magazines, two in Hindi, Dharmyug and Saptahik Hindustan, during those days. Dharmyug was a publication from The Times of India Group and used to cost four annas (25 paise of today). Saptahik Hindustan was from the Hindustan Times Group and was priced at three annas. The English weekly magazine, The Illustrated Weekly of India, was the magazine of the elite. If I remember correctly, it was priced 10 annas during those days. We could not understand the articles published in the magazine, not even those on its children’s page, but we browsed through it regularly for its pictures.

The Hindi newspapers had columns for children, which were popular with us. The most looked forward to was the one carried in Hindi Milap, a daily published from Jalandhar. This paper had a club and encouraged children to become its members. An application form used to be published in it and children were asked to fill it to get enrolled as members. The names of new members were published the following week. This used to be a day of great excitement for all of us, akin to seeing the final exam result. Extra-curricular reading created interest in children to write and seeing our name in print as writers was the ultimate joy. Many of us started writing stories, poems, and jokes and sent them to the periodicals for publication. I was also among the aspiring writers. Most of us started by writing a poem, thought to be the easiest task. On reaching Class 8, we started trying writing short stories.

The magazines wanted the contributors to send a self-addressed stamped envelope if a reply was sought. The whole exercise used to cost six to eight annas, which used to be a lot of money to be spared out of our monthly pocket money of one or two rupees. Parents usually did not approve of this kind of expenditure.

I must have failed at least 50 times in finding a place for my writings in children’s magazines. But it never discouraged me and I kept trying again and again, a habit I have kept up with even today.

In our Class 10 English examination, we were asked to write on what we wanted to become in life. Unlike most of my classmates whose career dream was to become a doctor, engineer of a highranking government officer, I wrote that I wanted to become an editor so that what I wrote could be published. This unusual career aspiration surprised all except a Hindi teacher, who encouraged us to do extra-curricular reading and write.

I MUST HAVE FAILED AT LEAST 50 TIMES IN FINDING A PLACE FOR MY WRITINGS IN CHILDREN’S MAGAZINES. BUT IT NEVER DISCOURAGED ME AND I KEPT TRYING AGAIN AND AGAIN, A HABIT I HAVE KEPT UP WITH EVEN TODAY