Bengaluru (Bangalore) 1943 - 1944
I was born in Bangalore (Bengaluru) on 3rd April 1943. I was born at the Vani Vilas Hospital near City Market. I understand that the gynaecologist was Dr. Mrs. George Chandy, the wife of Engineer George Chandy, who was my father's boss in the Mysore Electricity Board. I was told by my mother that I was quite ill when I was born and suffered from very bad colic. I do not know to which house I returned or in which church I was christened. I was given the name Jacob, which was as a memoriam to my mother's elder brother, K. M. Jacob (Chackochayan) who had died in 1941 at the Chickmagalur Estate. I was told that he had dies of a rat bite, but no one ever confirmed that to me. The Matthan's of my father's generation had started a tradition of also giving the children an Indian name besides the Biblical ones. I was given the name Sushil. My elder sister had been named as Nalini. My elder brother was called Ranjit. They both took their Indian names into the school registrat...