Overwhelmed

Got a phone call this morning from one of the driver of the travel agency who often obliges by his service. He asked about my availability to come to our quarter in the campus. He will be coming with his wife to invite our family for his brother-in-law's marriage reception. We had a tussle. Each of us were asking what would be convenient time for other. I was concerned that he makes a living out of his job where he has less control over situation. Finally, we settled for 8:30 PM. I'll be back from office today half-an-hour early!!

Feel overwhelmed. The travel agency drivers do tell me that they have a friendly fight among themselves on who will be at driver's wheel when I book a car. Also heard that their family members often tease each other on this - that the other person did not get the chance. May be the drivers find a good listener in me to share their life's happiness and sorrows and like the way I try to encourage them.

Yesterday, in the local fish-market, the didi who often sells fish to us was trying to draw my attention to the weighing balance before calculating the payout, as I was occupied with something else. I requested her to go ahead without worrying and told that it is she who would feel bad if I get less than what I deserve. Truly so. Didi appreciated that and was in all smile.

Few weeks back I was giving my evaluation report to a young faculty where he has asked for project funding. I said that it goes beyond the project, it is investment in a person. Didn't we hear from Vivekananda, "Men, men, these are wanted. Everything else will be ready." Investment in people and getting the best out of them in every strata of life, by acknowledging their effort, by making them feel responsible that they are important part of the society, contribute to its well-being and there is no room for feeling alienated - are perhaps what takes us to inclusive growth built upon share and care.

Yesterday evening we had a small triumph! The small team with whom I work in a new admin. responsibility since mid Oct., 2013 has reached an important milestone. We reached 'zero pending' situation yesterday. It was about 8 PM. Together, we went to the official's place where our files land-up and created hallah :-) there that the official should give us treat! He enjoyed that and told that he too is a part of the team. The greatest part in this journey had been the fact that it was fun all the way, we always enjoyed each others' company and never let work pressure get the better of us.

Thank you all in-office and outside-office at IIT Kharagpur for your kind gestures. For you the life is so much enjoyable here. Truly, feel overwhelmed!

Mission Independence

/* Nothing official about it. Believe it at your own risk :-) Reader's discretion wanted! */

I was duly warned by one research student. The serious look that went with the cautionary words told it all. I should not take it lightly.

It was well past Durga Puja. Dashami was on WED. And I planned to prepone return to campus on FRI. A truck load of work was pending. For Her Highness, it was mission independence in some sense after four and half months, to visit parents, much in the spirit of Ma Durga on Shashthi day (SAT) when bodhan takes place. There are differences between then and now. Durga returned from parental home on Dashami. Here, it would be one week later as daughter's school will remain closed for one more week. The dependence from our side to have an orderly house, to keep us giving our best in competitive IIT environment, is the other difference. Even if we afford to keep a disorderly house in the absence of Durgas at home who manage everything with ten hands, how will the lunch, dinner be arranged? The answer would be - Can you not manage few days in neighbourhood restaurants, thereby giving Durgas much needed relief?

The voice within said that. And I forgot to pay heed to the unambigous warning of my research student. Landed in KGP on FRI evening. The Durga Puja break was up to SUN. And I found to my horror after a tiring train journey, all the neighbourhood restaurants were shut. The make shift dinner of egg-chowmin from a fast food centre came to rescue the evening. But two more days, SAT-SUN to go! And I told myself, "Enough is enough!" It is time to launch Mission Independence.

Mission Independence! Roti, Kapda aur Makan - only the Roti part is the cause of this ruin. Before this, I cooked food twice. At home, the charge is handed over from Mother to Daughter-in-law in due process. And this makes us spoiled. The first time I cooked was decades back when Ma was in charge.  She was then visiting Mamabari, her paternal place. I was enjoying delicacies in neighbourhood Hari Hotel of Golebazar, Kharagpur. It is still there on station road, much improved. Has to be. One should remember the likes of the persons who stepped in there! I am not talking about me. Some of the one day meet of Vivekananda Yuva Mahamandal had lunch arrangement there. One fine morning, prepared egg-curry and it was so good that I decided not to venture again to do anything below that benchmark! Not only that, took that curry in a tiffin carrier and wasting no time traveled 5 hours (two trains) to Mamabari to show my detractors there how good I was at cooking. Made everybody taste a little of that curry.

The second venture was during Trento and USC days in 2006! You cannot afford 25 US dollars per day for food, more so when you have the habit of converting everything to rupee value in early weeks. And never there after. Conveniently forgot cooking when either Ma or Her Highness was there at charge; restaurants filling up the gaps, if any.

But it was different this time. Expressed my desire to cook food to Her Highness in FRI evening briefing. One should know that twice a day briefing is must to keep up with the updates, specially the gossip part at either end! And she started screaming hearing my Mission Independence and asked me to look for restaurants in a larger radius. She was more worried about the condition of her beloved kitchen, the disorderliness I would unleash there, so on and so forth. But I was determined. Mental preparation for the Mission is done.

Recipe were noted over phone. Correlated them with remnants in memory from USC days. Ran youtube videos for several times. Her Highness was almost in tears to think about what is going to happen in the kitchen. To assure, I said that my lazy self might not allow me finally to go for it and I might look for a restaurant outside campus. Going by my past record in taking responsibility at home. she felt relieved.

And I decided to play aggressive and not just depend on singles. The cauliflower, beans, potato, tomato, dhaniapata curry was followed by no less than chicken curry. Preparation of rice was a cake walk in comparison. And it was not a one day wonder like one film hero. The cabbage preparation of yesterday evening tasted even better. Now, even when the restaurants are open, I am not venturing out for dinner and preparing it at home. Such is the fragrance of independence!

Her Highness told that the sister-in-law would take a test soon on my cooking ability. I have nothing to prove to anybody. Such thought is more than over-confidence. It is arrogance. May be I can conduct a trial before that here, at least with chicken curry, a kind of lab. level test. Don't know who will dare to eat that. But I have great faith in my research students. My colleagues say that I am blessed  to have such a wonderful research team. I overstepped their warning on availability of food during Durga Puja break. The overstepping has gone quite a far. I am sure that they will maintain the tradition of saving me as they always do from nightmares when review team of sponsored projects tells, Enough of fun / it's time to test / what you have done.

Is there anything called independence? Independence from what? If I am dependent on ABC, I am not independent. In turn, if ABC is dependent on me then too, I am not independent. Confused? So am I.

The 26th June

The biggest surprise of the day came from the students in the lab. This was one such day when Her Highness makes sure that she stays ahead of others by wishing when clock strikes 00.00 hrs. Phone calls start coming early in the morning and continues throughout the day. And emails. Feel great to find a childhood pal remembering the day and making a phone call after long, long time. Apologetic call today for missing it yesterday. Assured that today is the day according to Bengali almanac and thus it was very much on time.

This time 26th June coincided with Bipattarini (a form of goddess Kali or Chandi) Puja and Rathayatra  week. Ma (Mother) was ready by 8:30 AM. Together went to local Shiva-Kali temple (Prof. G. S. Sanyal was very much involved with this temple's development in his final years). I was happy to find Ma in smile, "Khub bhalo pujo hoyechhe.(Puja was great.)"  Often, due to rush or otherwise short-cuts are adopted which leaves old timers like Ma unhappy. The other reason perhaps was her contribution in making a lotus bloom. The same was placed on the sacred pitcher in front of the deity. Me, all the while, was busy in attending phone calls, talking to a colleague who was associated with NSS and of course offering silent prayer.

An interview of me was scheduled at 11 AM in my office. Luckily it was not a test of my ability and pass a judgement on me (Hope so :-)). I saw my worth three days back sitting beside another IIT faculty at the other side of the table. I was astonished to experience breadth and depth of his knowledge. Long, long way to go to be considered remotely as wise. The correspondents wanted to feature few IIT faculty members in some article and I was picked up as one for being engaged in certain activities which touch common cord. Earlier I was interviewed by correspondents of national and international media but that used to be focused on certain specific research work. This one was more of 360 degree stuff and to be published in something which is very, very special and dear to all KGPians. Thus, I was little nervous to begin with. The correspondents were very professional to make me comfortable in no time. It was more of a friendly conversation where they were taking notes in between.

The lab. students did not know about this scheduled interview. At 11:30 AM, one of them took the cordless phone from my office. That was not unusual as they often take that for testing our voice signature based applications. At 12 noon, he comes and requests me to go to the lab. for a demonstration. I requested him to go ahead with rest of the lab mates as I was not done with the interview. At 12:30 there was another lab student knocking at the door. He is instrumental behind our virtual lab. related developments. He requests me to visit the lab. and check a new DSP experiment he has just finished on virtual platform. I was naive not to suspect anything at this point too. Requested him to wait a while as I was almost done with the conversation with the correspondents.

And then I entered the lab. Lo! what did the students do? I am no longer a child! But you do not actually complain to succumb to such wishes of students. There was nothing missed. Cake, candle, "Happy birthday" song and I was more overwhelmed than embarrassed. In my "Thank You" card I requested them to wish so that I become worthy of this love and respect. I narrated this to my 9 year old daughter while bringing her back from school. She was disappointed to miss the fun as she never saw his father doing some such thing like cutting a cake after blowing candles on birthday.

Back home there were rituals like taking payasam and other socio-religious activities associated with such a day. Of course, the lunch was special. Spent last THU-SUN in Bhubaneshwas for some official work. Could not take family to Rathayatra fair in the weekend. At 6 PM, we set off for the fair ground near Jagannath temple at KGP town. Enjoyed the fair very much and was ready for dinner by 10 PM.

Oh yes! Did not miss the work out for the day and am doing fine on that count. The other day one colleague wondered if I am visiting Gym. That I could shed 6.5 KG in 3 months just by free hand exercise broadened the grin! On another occasion I was walking along the corridor of a different Dept. when a senior faculty (who was our teacher too in a Basic Science subject) stopped me. Affectionately he took me to his room and showed one of my blog post on his computer screen. He appreciated the write-up and told that after retirement he would start writing his ideas. I thanked him and requested him to preserve the points in the form of bullets somewhere which can be expanded later. I heard that the author of 'Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' (Link) used to keep notes in bullet form. Later he used to meditate on them to arrive at the full form. How much we are indebted to the author, Sri Mahendra Nath Gupta to bring Sri Ramakrishna live before us!

The correspondent asked in the interview how I pursue many different interests. I unhesitatingly told them, whether it is research or NSS, it is the team who deserve the kudos. For research, full credit to research students. I just try to make them see the opportunities and ask simple, obvious questions on result and justification given. I am proud to say that each of our research students who complete tenure in our lab. can do research independently anywhere in the world. The same goes for NSS activities. The field work in a particular village is done by one faculty colleague and his student team. I just lend a support and discuss opportunities to serve, the big picture and how our smallest contributions too get counted. It is all their hard work and they are the ones.

Let me end this post with some not-so-serious pictures of recent Bhubaneshwar visit. The work assigned in these 3 days stay was tedious, starting 9:30 AM every morning and there was no fixed time to end. One day we (myself and driver Tanmay) decided that 'enough is enough'. We started early in the morning and went around the city, visited famous Lingaraj Temple, Khandagiri caves. Few glimpses of this visit appear below. Camera was not allowed inside Lingaraj temple.

Added on 28th June : This evening got a sweet message from a junior which in Bengali is "bhawanipurer bari te j gaanta bijoydar sathe gaye tomar janmo din er subhechha janano hoy ni shei gaanta gaichhi.."TUM BAY SAHARA HO TO KISI KA SAHARA BANO.." SUBHA JANMO DIN ." He is in Railway service now posted at Southern India. He is remembering the function we used to have on this day at our Bhowanipur residence ... about 20 years back  and the song he wished to sing but could not ... today while wishing he remembers the same. Thanks Dipjyoti. Jaane kahan gaye woh din.... It used to be informal song, recitation, adda. At times, we used to have play. Just an opportunity to have a get together and lots of fun.

Copying

I feel like sharing the TOI report that brought smile this morning even in a sense of grief (pls. refer to the previous post "Life owes"). I leave it you how you interpret this story. To me a student always remains a student irrespective of age, position etc. and there is this fear of exam., a irrepressible urge to 'cheat' when preparation is lacking...and some of them are habitual, even if the prep. is good, solution obtained, a confirmation from fellow student gives a sense of relief. Cheating in exam. is a subject by itself ... and there are so many varieties of them most of which do not get noticed, ignored by invigilator (he may be remembering his own student days or doe not care) or got away with by a stare, gentle nudge, different degrees of threat (none of which reaches ignition point). However, this is not even a borderline case ... and gross bad luck that the law caught up with the ones who are custodian of the same.
-----
FOUND GUILTY
Five judges caught copying,suspended

TIMES NEWS NETWORK (27/8/2010)

Hyderabad: Five judges belonging to the state subordinate judiciary were suspended by the Andhra Pradesh high court on Wednesday for allegedly copying while writing their LLM exams at the Arts College of Kakatiya University in Warangal on Tuesday.
One of the judges was found copying from a law book hidden under his answer sheet.Written slips and pages torn from textbooks were seized from other judges.The copying material was confiscated by university invigilators who stopped the judges from writing any further.
The judges were doing LLM under distance mode from Kakatiya University as the degree would help them gain some increments in their career.
Those placed under suspension include K Ajitsimha Rao,senior civil judge,Ranga Reddy district,M Kistappa,principal senior civil judge,Anantapur,P Vijayendar Reddy,second additional district judge,Ranga Reddy district,M Srinivasachary,senior civil judge in Bapatla of Guntur district and Hanumantha Rao,additional junior civil judge in Warangal.
According to N Manohar,the universitys additional controller of examinations,the candidates were taking their exams in Room No 102 when a team headed by him made a surprise visit.
The judges were caught on camera copying from books,smuggled notes,and each other.Upon receipt of this information,the HC suspended them from service pending an inquiry.
The Warangal Bar Association said the whole episode was a blot on the judiciary.The judiciary is the final recourse for the people to get justice,and if the judges indulge in this kind of malpractice,how can you trust the judgment of the courts asked Ravi Kumar of the association.