18 October 2012
It is strange how our association with the past increases as the years go by. Last month, I heard that one of my teachers from Engineering was retiring and that brought up some old memories; long forgotten conversations, comments that guided and moulded. Radhakrishnan Sir had been a favourite with us as he came through as a genuine individual who cared for our future. When I heard of his retirement, I phoned him up and I was very pleasantly surprised when he recalled me even after all these years. It was also a matter of personal pride that he recalled me by my association with Panchajanyam Library. When we talked, he invited me to his house and I promised to visit whenever I was in Kerala next.
Accordingly, I set off yesterday along with two of my friends – Madhu and Murali. As we were driving there, I kept thinking about how the meeting would be and whether we could get back into the easy conversations we used to have on difficult subjects like philosophy. A long twenty three years had flown by and we had gone different ways. I had grown wiser in the ways of the world and had, to an extent, managed to utilize, benefit from and compromise with the base ways of the world. On the other hand, Radhakrishnan Sir had steadfastedly declined to compromise and had withdrawn bit by bit; the wheelings and dealings of the “worldly wise” were not for him. His was an outlook derived from the strength of Indian philosophical thought and wisdom and that was how he approached engineering and physics. I remembered him as a simple soul with simple needs but with strong conviction and awareness of what really matters.
I have to admit that I was a bit anxious when I walked up the steps of his house. All my concerns were blown away when he appeared. My friends, who expected an “engineer” were totally floored by the dhoti clad, smiling individual who welcomed us with folded hands. No grandeur, no pompous words and we started off exactly as we had left off more than two decades ago. We talked about the college and what he is doing currently and about his very famous ancestor, Kunchan Nambiar. The talk soon turned to values and life and sure enough we soon got into Vedas and Upanishads. His father was also present in the room and he is an expert in Sanskrit and Vedas. Once again, I was a student and for a brief while, I had the good fortune to be transported back in time. Recently, I had heard a couple of students say that Radhakrishnan Sir did not teach well and I could only feel sorry for their ignorance; it is surely their loss. It is not often that you have an opportunity to listen to a pure soul, a person with nothing to hide, but has a lot to share. This was what we had seen in this unique teacher when we were in his class – a pity that the later generations seem to have missed out on that.
An hour and a half passed like a few minutes. As we left, we were all silent for a few minutes. As I sit down to write this, I find that my writing skills are totally inadequate for this task. What do you say about someone who is only bothered about being a good human being, someone while being brilliant in his own field never bothered to chase commercial success, someone who is deeply concerned that his students should imbibe the right values that will help them in life? He did not ask me how successful I was in my career or otherwise, he was only interested in how I am as an individual. He gave me a gift of a book and some writings. I was humbled, impressed and touched by this very genuine person who only wants to make this world a better place to live in. I salute and bow my head in respect to my teacher, who practices what he preaches. To me, he is a great teacher and I know that many of my class mates feel so too. The mark that this teacher has left is valued and cherished even after a quarter century has passed. If this is not success, what is?
Kaazhchakal 