Days Gone By-II: Annamalai University

My Speech on 30 April 2019 at IIPC Hall, Department of Pharmacy

Good afternoon everyone. Thank you so much, professors and friends, for your kind words and thoughts. I grew up in West Bengal and had finished two years of life in Karnataka, before coming to Chidambaram way back in the year1986. I remember attending the interview for the lecturer post on 7th October 1986 at the “Chettinad house”, Rajah Annamalaipuram on my first activity before my journey at Annamalai University, meeting there with Prof Srinath. And I was surprised to know from Prof Srinath that the University is located not in Chennai but a travel distance of about 5 hours.

I came to Chidambaram on the pleasant winter afternoon of 2nd November 1986 on a Trichy bound Cholan express and landed in a place awash with rain, and whipped by a wet NE monsoon. I joined the University on November 4, 1986, along with 3 others including Prof P.K. Manna.

Being an ‘outsider’ and stranded among a host of unknown people, who, neither spoke my language nor belonged to my culture, I did not find myself to be in isolation. I am saying this based on the fact that all the colleagues and even many students extended their much-needed assistance to us and were very supportive and we developed a feeling of a spirit of friendship and loyalty amongst us. Prof Surulivel was kind enough to allow me to share his bachelor room, Prof Pandey offered his bicycle to paddle in his absence during holidays, Prof Srinath extended his unlimited support to select our accommodation, and Dr. Parthsarathy trained me learning my scooter driving so meticulously that I could learn to ride within a couple of days.  

And that was the time before the era of smartphones, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, social media, Instagram, Google Maps, TV channels and even landline phones. Chidambaram was different back then; too, it’s changed a lot! There was no shopping complex in Chidambaram, you couldn’t find any restaurant as we know it modern term, you didn’t see very many people driving two-wheelers, and the modern amenities of living style hadn’t really started. In general, it still seemed like a largely traditional conservative society – at least according to me.

It’s been an incredible ride, these last 33 years, with lots of highs and lows. No one knows the “right way” to live, and we learn by experience. As I go through this process of reassessment, I’ve had some very down moments I am deeply grateful for my life and for the opportunities and adventures I’ve had at Chidambaram. I know very well that we are probably the most privileged class (top 1-2% of people), not because of our jobs and our roles and the consequent influence on the society, but because the government salaries are pretty good. I sometimes think confidence is the most significant privilege.

There are so many memorable moments. It’s impossible to describe or try to counter the immense wave of nostalgia that threatens to submerge me whenever I think that my days at Annamalai University. It is hard to pinpoint one or two. A sizable amount of time, I spent in the present staff room of our Department in association with Professor Srinath, Professor Sathyanarayana, Professor Surulivel and Dr. Venkatachalam, who generated the collegiate environment that provided lots of room for creative thinking, stimulated to generate right academic culture, motivated to cohesive sense of self importance and nonetheless sometimes arguments. I’m grateful to all of them.

During my living at Chidambaram, while I'm blessed to have had access to the inner chamber of Nataraj Temple, that houses the formless form (void) of divine Lord Shiva where Strings of fragile golden vilva leaves shimmered in the dark space, however my most profound experiences and insights arose simply by walking through the open spaces of the Nataraj temple, and moving through the various areas of the temple town of Chidambaram.

I’m very grateful to all the people and thank you, everyone, for your constant support, encouragement, love, care and for the invaluable lessons in life.

Friends, I like the people here, who according to my observation are humble, highly disciplined and aspirational. A perfect sense of the religious fervor in association with the family values and culture are deeply embedded in the people - that I haven’t seen this level of reverence before coming over here. I love the time I spend with you. I love the fact that what you do matters. I would like to thank for everything.

Here I also take the opportunity to ask for forgiveness of any conduct or mistake that I may have made unknowingly.

Thank you all for being here.