Schooled in Leisure

It was with some apprehension that I made enquiries about calligraphy classes where adults would be welcome,my lack of any artistic skill having begun to rankle somewhat. Determined as I was to learn this art,I had reservations about attempting to master a new craft amid a whirlpool of juvenile energy trying to get channelised. Funny how you come to dread the puerile pandemonium you were once a part of.

But to my relief,the calligraphy class I entered at Alphabet Institute last weekend was attended largely by adults — notably,adult women,barring a stray male intently tracing Devnagiri characters in the corner. Quite a few of my fellow students are housewives. It’s always more interesting to come across versatile personalities and faculties in housewives than in any other social group,sort of an “aha!” moment. I like how it quietly challenges the superiority complex — conscious or unconscious — of working men and women.

Like the enthusiasm of Pune’s homemakers,the use of its school infrastructure for commercial extracurriculars is also nothing new. Schools have been doubling up as weekend hobby centres and coaching class venues for donkey’s years; some of them spiritedly taking up the mantle of Avocational Hotspot by hosting two or more such activities. These range from dance to elocution,drawing to basketball. I was not surprised to learn that a silver-haired family friend plays his morning cricket matches at the same school where I pursue my new hobby.

The tendency of schools towards leasing out their premises for such use in cities such as Pune points to a certain kind of public sensibility. A sensibility that favours economy of space and simplicity of environment. We’re not too fussy about air-conditioning or graffiti-covered classroom desks. The renter gets affordable space in a respectable location,the school squeezes some income out of its non-working days,and our fees are kept down. Everyone’s happy.

My hypothesis is confirmed when I speak to a friend from Delhi,who thinks my course fee is a steal. This same person has to drive for 20 minutes to get to a decent gym despite living at a very desirable address in the Capital. Thanks to Pune’s cosily self-sufficient neighbourhood culture,we have no such problems,and bringing school infrastructure into the physical resource pool helps a great deal,since every neighbourhood has at least one school.

There’s always a gym,a guitar class or a maidan within walking distance. Although it must be said that the emergence of lawns and clubhouses in private residential complexes did put a dent in the attendance at the neighbourhood “grounds”; where my generation grew up performing gymnastics every day after school. If there’s one thing the longstanding “ground” tradition indicates,it’s that we Puneites have made non-scholastic pursuits a priority. We’re serious about our leisure.

P.S. Avocational is a legitimate word,though it’s not in the MS Word dictionary

(The author is a chess grandmaster and former national champion)