Minister UT Khader & IPS Officer Madhukar Shetty were ‘Chaddy Buddies’ in St Aloysius School
Mangaluru: In our limited life span we meet numerous people. We love some, despise some, respect some, care for some, hurt some, and leave some. Of all the people we meet, there are a select few who change us for better. They believe in us when no one does. They laugh at and with us. They hurt us then seek forgiveness. They never let go. They teach us lessons no school or colleges teach. They make our lives worthwhile. They are our friends. We are lucky to have one (or a few) of them. Some find them in schools, some in colleges, some at work. While others in their partners. A true friend is a friend. It doesn’t really matter if you know them from school or anywhere else. All that matters is that you found them. Celebrate them. And let them celebrate you, FRIEND!. P.S. A quote from F.R.I.E.N.D.S- What’s the one kind of boat that never ever sinks?
Minister U T Khader Late IPS Officer Madhukar Shetty
Having said that, school or college friends, if one is lucky, are yet another universe of friends altogether. And here we have an example of two “Chaddi Buddies” namely State Minister U T Khader and IPS Officer Madhukar Shetty, who were not only schoolmates at St Aloysius School/High School-Mangaluru from Standard V to X, but also benchmates, during their five years school days at St Aloysius, and this was revealed by Minister U T Khader to the media after the funeral rites of late Madhukar Shetty. If you look at the photos in the print or electronic media, right from the night the body of Madhukar Shetty arrived at the Mangaluru International Airport, until Shetty was laid to rest in his hometown in Yedadi Village in Udupi, you could see U T Khader right beside the side of Shetty’s coffin in deep sorrow. That’s what love for a friend is all about.
Revealing the special bond between Khader and Shetty, minister Khader said, “We were benchmates from 5th standard to 10th standard when we were schooling at St Aloysius Schol-Mangaluru. Although Madhukar Shetty hailed from Kundapur, he had done his schooling here in Mangaluru, since his father, Vaddarse Raghuram Shetty, a journalist was based in Mangaluru”. Recalling their friendship in school, Khader said that while other students hurried back home after school hours, Madhukar Shetty and he would stay back at the high school playground and involve in few childhood games.
“Shetty had also joined the scouts and had participated in various scouts related camps across the state, and had also brought laurels to the school. After SSLC, Shetty joined PUC-science, while I took up arts. Later after college, Madhukar had gone abroad for higher studies in USA, and when he returned I got him posted for a post in DK. However I could never realize my wish. I find it hard to come to terms with his sudden demise. I can say he was a straightforward and upright officer that I have ever seen. But post-SSLC, we both got busy with our education, thus lost our contact” added Khader,
Khader further said, “But after our college days we met twice, once during a Congress padayatra from Bengaluru to Mandya during the reign of S M Krishna, when Madhukar Shetty was the ACP in Ramanagar, and I met him for the second time in Mangaluru, during my presence at a Congress party function. But it was nice of him to still remember me, where we shared and talked about of school days memories. I will surely cherish the good old school days at St Aloysius School. Sadly missed, may his Soul Rest in Peace”.
In conclusion in my perspective, school days friendships happen when you could be good or evil as you like. It is a place of a mix of all the good and bad things, including your personality. So if a school friendship survives all the odds of the adolescence, the school, the career struggles etc, you should consider yourself to be a lucky soul. FRIENDS ARE THE BEST; no matter whether they are from school or college. It all depends on your bond with each one of them. Most of our psychological developments happen while we are in school which becomes a part of our integral personality. Chances are that the person will always remain a friend, for life. Having such long-term ‘friendships’ are more common with school friends. Of course, this is my way of looking at things. Our friends mold us in a similar way, they enact different but crucial roles in shaping us and add value to our life. School Friendship is like “Chaddi Buddy, and college friends are like “Trouser Buddy”- and whatever be the case, it’s nice to note that Minister Khader and IPS Officer Madhukar Shetty, have been great “Chaddi Buddies”
Ending this column with a sentimental song “Ye Dosti Hum Nahi Todenge” from the Hindi movie ‘Sholay’ revised by Rahul Jain in his unplugged version on Youtube:
