Happy Birthday from my Mutual Fund Company

Got this email from Unit Trust of India, the mutual fund company. First, I thought, it has come wrongly to me. But, then I realised, it was indeed my Official Birthday ! On 25th July.

Like most children in India, my real birthday and the official one (that is recorded in my school certificate) are different. Legend goes that I was even named by the Doctor, who conducted the delivery for my mother. After delivery, the doctor issued a prescription for some medicines, it seems. Since the pharmacist wanted to know the patient's name, the doctor wrote 'Manoharan', it seems. Thank God, she didn't write some complicated name !



Similarly, when we kids in India are taken to the school for admission, the parents realise that there is something called Date of Birth. The Teacher will ask, "What is his age ?" or "She should have completed 5 years on the day of admissionl". So, the parents are supposed to tell the Date of Birth. As many of the parents those days did not remember the date of birth, or the kids might not have completed the mandatory 5 years, the teacher will decide when we were born. He (or She, in my case) will grandly decide that we were born on so and so date of July !

As July is the school admission time those days, most of the kids in my generation were born either in June or July. And, I need to maintain that lie throughout this life. Because, later that date of birth entered into my college records, then later to the passport, ration card, driving license and what not ! That is how, I came to be born on July 25th.

Poor UTI, they took it so seriously and wished me ! Feel sorry for them ...

Here, almost all our adivasi team members do not remember their dates of birth. When we apply for their passports, it is a nightmare. To complicate things further, their names also get changed by the school teachers when they get admitted in the school. (What big difference ? Instead of my Doctor, they got their names from the Teachers !!) The age and name in the ration card will have nothing to do with the details in their school certificates. Of course, their actual name and birthdays will be entirely different from these two.

With the Government making registration of births and deaths mandatory, things probably will change for the next generation. But, they will lose out on some fun all of us had, I am sure ...

Here is a cartoon, which nicely describes the year of birth and death !