"Then and now"

THEN  AND  NOW

There  was a time when there were no #BallPens.

There used to be #FountainPens. And these were expensive. Those who could afford it bought #Watermans, #Parker or #sheaffers. Others settled for the much cheaper locally manufactured pens pens costing Rs 5/- of the fifties (over Rs 500 in today's value) .

All school desks had #inkwells on the right hand top corner. These were used for the other pen - the holder pen- that had to be contantly dipped in ink pot for writing. For these cheap holder pens one had to regulàrly buy nibs. The most popular nib was the pink coloured #Geenib  made of pure copper.

Schools had three types of students. The studious, the michivious and the 'none of the above'. The mischief mongers provided entertainment in the class such as wrapping up frogs in the cloth duster (meant for cleaning black board), fixíng ball pins (आल पिन), with sharp point upwards, on teacher's chair or bringing a street dog inside the class room.

Teacher were creative. They found new ways of punishing the students. But the most popular ageless punishment was making a #MURGA of the student.

We are in a different world now . No holder pens, no fountain pens, no Murga.

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