The walls of Bishop Cotton Girls’ School, Bengaluru have many tales to tell. Perhaps the most famous of them all is about how former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa spent six years of her childhood there. Not many knew about this, until Dr Stella Samuel took charge as the school’s principal in 1999. She spent days browsing through old records and found an old class photograph where Jayalalithaa was a round-faced little girl seated on the ground. As we caught up with her after a memorial service was held for Jaya at the school, she had much to say about the enigmatic actor-turned-politician. Excerpts...
What are the memories you have of Jayalalithaa?
When Jayalalithaa was a student at Church Park, I studied at Queen Mary’s College, Chennai. She used to come to our college for dance performances. When she became an actress, I became her fan. When I became a teacher at Bishop Cotton, I came to know that she studied here. Then when I became the principal in 1999, I dug out the details and found her records. She studied here for six years from nursery to class IV. I wrote a book on our school during its 140th year, stating its milestones, where I wrote about her. I sent her the book and right from that year, she’d send sweets to the whole school on her birthday. The whole school used to sing for her birthday.
Has she visited the school after becoming the CM?
She couldn’t visit Bishop Cotton after becoming the CM. Of course, she was busy and as you know there is an ongoing Cauvery issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. So she did not make an attempt to come to Bengaluru. But she told me quite a few times that she wanted to come to the school campus.
Has she ever written to you?
Yes. Once when I sent her greetings, she responded beautifully. Also, she responded to my invitation for the fashion show.
If she was alive today, what would you have liked to say to her?
I would have asked her to come and visit the place where she was when she was a toddler. We had an appointment to see her. In June when we went, she said that she would make it in July, which was further postponed. For the last three months, she was ill. Her secretary told me that she is perfectly fine and will make it to the school definitely in December or January. We were hoping for that and it did not happen. We are really sad now that she has passed on from this world.