Transition: Loss of a year

Year 1955-56;  Meerut College:

After my Intermediate, I joined Meerut College, Meerut for my B.Sc.( Physics, Maths, Chemistry). I had very good teachers in all the three subjects ( Prof. Tuli in Chemistry,Prof .Mathur in Physics, Prof. Jaggi in  Maths. and others ) It was all smooth. At the end of the year, I found that during examination for my first paper in Chemistry, I could not retrieve any thing from my memory to answer the questions. I was disappointed, then prepared very seriously for the second paper but for no avail.I dropped from the rest of the examination and went home.Lost the year.
It was a case of the loss of effective memory which was very good so far and I always relied on it.
As a corrective measure, I went to BHU - the only university which had final examination at the end of two years. In between were promotional examinations only . It was good opportunity for me to improve my situation. In my childhood, I attended a session on Gayatri Mantra by a saint who gave a few discourses on Gayatri Mantra in our village. He explained the importance of Gayatri Mantra, sound waves created by it and their effect on developing the various faculties of the brain - Memory, understanding, thinking, creativity, imagination etc=the intelligence especially the Memory. In BHU, I concentrated on my studies and Gayatri Mantra.I tested the improvement of memory by appearing for half yearly and annual examinations in the first year, then found that it has gradually improved. Finally, passed my B.Sc. Examination with a good second class good enough to seek my admission to M.Sc.
There was no difference in the life style here in Banaras from Meerut. It was rather more active and diversified with different groups; Religious group with Krishan Vallabh Paliwal, Roshan Lal Khandelwal etc; going visiting temples , going for Ganges bath etc; Prem Narain Agrawal, Victor Jeysellon etc. music concerts etc.Cinema group for going for cinemas; Fun group with Rajendra Prasad Srivastava, Lalit Kumar Srivastava, Bhoj Raj Singh and Kr. Diwakar Vikram Singh etc.
Towards the end of final year, I was demoralized looking at my friends as how seriously , they were studying and how much they were studying, I decided to drop from the examinations for the year and took it lightly. One night, my friend and anti-room mate , Roshan Lal ( from Ghaziabad ) commented about me " If this person passes his examination, then the standard of BHU will go down ". He was right and I took it seriously and reassessed my own situation. I decided to prepare for the exam even just to graduate as what is the guaranty to do better next year. Time was short but with the grace of Lord Shiva ( Baba Vishwanath ) in whom I had and I have tremendous Faith, confidence was more. It was miracle that I regained my memory tremendously , and I passed my Examination with a good second division. I knew fully well that I did not know the subjects very well but did well because my intuition and the help of my memory. Subject like Mathematics also. I scored better than my friends with the help of memory. My friends who were studying harder than me scored less than me.But it was a miracle not my performance. I give credit to Lord Shiva , BHU and Varanasi for my success for the rest of my education and career.
Analysing further, I found that it was mistake in 1953. After my High school, I sought my admission to DAV College, DehraDun. It was one of the finest college during those days especially for science education. Started in a very humble way from a life style of Chandpur- kind of rural settings then to a high class urban life style. In the beginning, it was very much demoralizing among the Hi Fi students from DehraDun known public schools but gradually settled  nicely.
I was living with my room mate, Mr. Satya Prakash Agrawal ( Jwalapur ) , a very good and serious student, in Pooran Ashram- a small hostel on DAV College campus . We two have been doing very well in all subject areas. We were also morally elevated and motivated by our teachers.
Another incident to mention here as it was very important and gave a new direction to the career and life. Initially, I took BIOLOGICAL group combination for my study which I switched over to Mathematics group. Once my grandfather, Shri Har Parasad ji came to visit me and convinced my to change the subject study group for wider choices .
Later in August, came a letter from Shri C.S.Sinha, Principal of Hindu Inter College, Chandpur that I should come to Chandpur to join HIC as he has started Intermediate science programme with very good faculty and facilities. I was attracted to come back and live with my maternal grandmother - Nani and enjoy her love , affection and rest of it. That was the mistake I committed and which changed the whole career and life though I passed the examination based on my memory but gave me very poor foundation for further studies.
Destiny played an important role in the whole affair.Looking back, I see as how I applied to BHU for admission ; the application process, choosing the subjects as Physics, Mathematics and Geology; It was destined to be in Vararnasi- Kashinagri- a place known to our saints and sages for its divine importance and a place of Lord Shiva as Kashi Nath.I was supposed to be here and of course BHU has to be the means for that.These were divine forces which brought me here and their influence, I got my life and career settled.GOD has always taken care of my by its own design. Obtaining both the degrees , B.Sc. and M.Sc. was simply a boon for me for which I was sent here.
Meeting Dr. Raj Nath , Head of the Department of Geology and Geophysics was not an accident but arranged by God. Dr. Raj Nath took care of of every thing for me especially my admission to M.Sc.( Geophysics); Prof. Rathod being my guide for my MS thesis work, and my choosing the topic " Off-shore Prospecting for oil and Gas " -( the topic was very hot at that time; C.B.Officer , one of the experts in the area in USA helped me a lot to provide and arrange a lot and very useful literature on the subject as almost nothing was available in the library; It helped me a lot to work out on my theses)  -were boons for me to decide rest of the things , my immediate career with ONGC and rest of it.; it helped  me to score very high marks to get me first division as well as good job without any difficulty.; Prof Rathod  treated me like his son and taught me for my thesis so thoroughly that it came out to be a master piece. Getting my First Division in M.Sc. was a great surprise to me, it was nothing but a boon and miracle for me.My MS thesis and my first Division helped me seeking my job so easily.Not going to CANADA, University of Western Ontario on the invitation of Prof.E.A. Beck...... my external examiner who was so much impressed by my thesis ,for my Ph.D. program is another example of destiny. If I would have gone to Canada in 1961 what would I have been by now? But it was not destined.
Prof. R.S.RATHOD: For my good luck / fortune joined the Department in the final year of my M.Sc.and to be  my Thesis guide. Prof. Gairola also came only in 1959 to join the Department. He was like a friend; Even Prof. D.P. Ghosh being a close friend of R.K.Sahi was very friendly.

Madhu Gupta: Obituary

Dear Madhu wife of Pradeep Gupta died to day in DehraDun.She came this family with a great luck and fortune. She was the only daughter of rich parents of Saharanpur Chowk, DehraDun.They had lot of property around that place.Madhu by nature was wonderful lady- very caring, very loving and very good organizer of the family affairs and maintaining good relationships with all. We always had wonderful time with her and she always treated us much more than we expected out of our relationship with her and the family. We will be missing her so badly.She will certainly have better assignment in her next life.She will ever remain in our memory for her love, care and affection for us.
Among the ladies, she was our last link in the family after the demise of Bhabhi ji.We do not know the next. We wish to be still closely associated with them.
My father,s second cousin, Smt. Ram Katori ( buwa ji ) , sister of Shri Babu Ram and Sita Ram was married to Shri Babu Ram Gupta of Chandpur where they hardly lived. My contact with this family was in 1950s when they were living in a small house in Sevak Ashram Road,and later closely in 1953 when I got my admission in DAV College, DehraDun and lived for a short period in a private hostel run by the family at Cement Road.The family has been struggling a lot for a long time, moved from Chandpur to Bijnor ( where, bhai Ram Gopal ji almost of the age of my mother, came in close contact with my mother when my father was doing his internship in District Hospital, Bijnor ; my mother used to tell that she had very cordial relationship with the family); though buwa ji, our main relation was very different kind of person, not so caring or loving but Phoopha ji , Bhai saheb and bhabhi ji were unusually most caring and loving- inviting;They ran different kind of businesses- like typing school, bicycle repairing and renting, milk vending, cloth merchant, hotelling etc. but their main source of living was Bhai Saheb,s hard earned income for typing in the court. He was known as the best typist in the court.They were very much frustrated and disappointed from all their efforts, were discomfort able.
It was another story of DESTINY- bhabhiji,s sister was married in a very rich family while she was living in this small place as her tenant.Som as Bhabhi used to call her brother was also placed in a good place as scientist in NPL.
Phoopha ji and bhai saheb will always be pleased to welcome us in their house any time we visited them.We have been enjoying great relationship with the family. There are so many stories to write about them here.

Krishna Kant Singh

A strange story of my friend, K.K.; During my study for B.Sc. in BHU, I had many different kinds of friends, some good for going to restaurants/mess etc ( like Kr. Diwakar Vikram Singh, may be , I will write a seperate story about him ); for music, P.N.Agrawal, Victor Jeysellan; for visiting temples, Krishan Vallabh Paliwal, Roshan Lal Khandelwal, P.N.Agrawal ; etc. etc. but K.K. was a different kind of friend. He was lonely , isolated and reserved to himself. Perhaps, I was the only friend in whom, he could confide and talk about his personal life. He was very handsome, tall and princely like personality.I do not remember as how we became friends ( may be because I was very outgoing socially and used to be friend of any one ). I never had any thing in common with him like any class or hostel etc.I was living in Ruia Hostel while he was in Braucha Hostel.But we were very good friends though met only occasionally.
He told me his personal story at the time of departure after B.Sc.Examination ( he was quite emotional and said that to day he must share his secret with me). He said that he  was a son of a prostitute and he never knew as who his father is? though his mother knew who the father was but never revealed to him.She was moving from Lucknow to Faizabad to Ghazipur etc. according to her convenience, clients and market.She took care of KK very well from the childhood, kept him away from her own environment; sent him to the best schools for the best education as money was not a problem for her. Any way finally, he came for his B.Sc. to BHU in 1956 and passed his B.Sc. in 1958. Before departing from BHU, he came to me and he was very sad about our separation and departure. I gave my address but he told that he does not have one which is permanent but he will keep me in touch with his development and progress in life though , perhaps, will never meet again.
We left the BHU and Banaras to our respective home towns.It is then in September 1958, he wrote me from Calcutta that he has been admitted to Marine Engineering course with the influence of his auntie ( means another prostitute and colleague of his mother working in Calcutta; and those people responsible for his admission are the clients of this woman ). No letter or information for years; lost the contact for several years; then he wrote again that life is getting better and he is getting settled with his very lucrative job and posting in London, U.K.; then again lost the contact and I completely forgot about him as I got busy in my own job and family.
It was December 1976, I was preparing to join UI , Ibadan, Nigeria, one evening while shopping or roaming in Paltan Bazar, DehraDun, some one tapped me at my back. It was KK after 18 years of gap, but we did not loose time and our memory to recognize each other. He told me in brief that he is now posted at DehraDun as Regional Manager, UP.Industrial Corporation after his retirement from marine services ( normally marine services are of short duration because of hardship and nature of those services ).He gave his address of Rajpur Road ( probably, 74 Rajpur Road ) and invited me to visit him, his mother who now lives with him and his family.I visited him and his very happy mother and family; very satisfying for every one. He married this girl in London with his background then. He loves and respects his mother very much and the whole family , his children and wife, they just live like a normal Indian family. No body cares or cared to go into the details of the family background. He told me that that chapter is closed with this a new start. Great. Great mother, worshipful like a DEVI. She did all whatever she could do to bring him up to give a grand and fresh life. DESTINY, otherwise people are lost in the jungle of this nasty world.I left for Nigeria and now again 35 years have passed, no news of him. I hope and wish that he has nicely settled after his final retirement. For me, it is not easy to trace him back again.

My job as a CHEMIST

It is an interesting experience to write here. I never liked Chemistry after I have to drop from my B.Sc. Pt. I examination in Meerut College in 1956 because of Chemistry. I opted out Chemistry from my list of subjects to be studied in BHU. Instead of Chemistry, I chose Geology in BHU ( only consideration was any subject but not Chemistry hence Geology by chance).
I responded to an advertisement for job of a Chemist with Dyers Stone Limes Co at Katni (MP). I applied , got the interview , attended the interview at 10 Alipur Road, Delhi 6.The interview was with Mr. N. Macedo, the owner and the Boss of the Company ( I did not know at that time). He asked me a few questions about Chemistry; Mol. Wt. of HCL and how to prepare normal HCL solution etc. I did not know any thing of Chemistry and hence told the same honestly. He asked me as " who called you for the interview, you even do not have a B.Sc.Degree in Chemistry ? "Any way, Get your traveling expenses from our cashier. " I came out and settled the expenses with the cashier. As a second thought, I requested the Secretary of Mr. Macedo to see him once again. So, I saw him again and told that, I do not know Chemistry but if I can learn Geology at B.Sc. level, I can assure, I can certainly learn the procedures of Chemical Laboratory if told once by some one in Katni. I am prepared to go there of my own and without any salary. Give me chance for month and watch out if I can work for you. He told me to go for now and will see as what should or can be done.
After a few days, I received a conditional appointment letter that I am posted at Katni on trial for a month @ Rs.250/ PM + free accommodation. After a month , another interview would be conducted and depending upon the performance and success , appointment  would be confirmed.I accepted the offer and reached Katni, reported to the Chief Chemist, Mr. Bharginsa. To my surprise, I found another persoon, Om Prakash from Aligarh with the  same terms and conditions. He was with a postgraduate Degree in Chemistry.Mr. Bharginsa asked me to prepare normal HCL solution which I did not know how to do. He then remarked as who has selected me for this job? I have to say :" that black and short man in Delhi telling me that you will be teaching me the chemical analytic procedures for a month." He said with a surprise that "Do not you know that he is our Boss and that I am not going to teach you any thing ". A few days no work, I have been simply watching as what is going on in the Laboratory, certainly not with any disappointment or frustration or rejection. I was very much composed with any situation though it appeared that Om Prakash,s appointment was sure to be confirmed ( Mr. Bharginsa was interested only in him and the least in me ).After a week, Mr. Bharginsa left Dyers for Bombay to join Johnson & Johnson , leaving two of us to struggle in the laboratory. I picked up a book " Limestone and its products " which included chemical analysis for Limestone products , lime etc.( This included Tappi Method of chemical analysis for LIME which was the only one used here in the lab.) Well. I learned it quickly and did very precise analysis. Om Prakash was busy with bueretts and pipettes in the lab, I was going around the works and office to learn inside and outside activities of Dyers. I was reporting my observations and test results weekly directly to Mr. Macedo. So, it was not one month, it was two when he visited Katni. It gave me more time to learn more and adjust to various situations in Katni and with Dyers.Mr. Macedo called me and asked me as how do I like the place, environment and how long I would like to work with them. Sensing the positive attitude of Mr. Macedo, I reciprocated in positive, saying I would like to work as long as he would like.I was almost certain that I got the confirmation. Om Prakash was asked about chemical procedure etc.Om told me that I should prepare to pack off as Mr.Macedo did not ask me any technical questions.I simply said just let us wait and watch.The letter came in his name and he was happy before opening it. The contents were disappointing for him as he was asked to settle his account with the cashier and with a thanks and may be that he would be given an opportunity in the future if available. He got really very much disturbed and became abusive saying that these private companies prefer to have disqualified people etc.Any way, he did not know and forgot that private companies need some other attributes also besides qualifications. Any way, next day he left for his home.
In fact for these two months , we were living together  in the same house, sharing almost every thing. I  felt his absence .
Days passed, I learned many new things in the lab including the chemical analysis of  Fire Clay , Bauxite, and Limestone etc; experimented new products especially HYDRATED LIME ; I became very confident about my work after getting my analysis  verified by Shri Ram Institute of Scientific Research in Delhi. I noticed that Mr. Macedo was not only satisfied with my work but very happy with my approach of doing the work.
Hydrated lime was a great success when the product was approved by Pimpri Antibiotic Factory and they placed a huge supply order with us. Dyers and Mr. Macedo were surprised and happy to look at it and on my independent effort in this direction. Mr. Macedo came to Katni, being a Chemical Engineer himself, he designed the mechanical production system of hydrated lime ( that would have been simply impossible for me). There after, I took the charge of quality and production of hydrated lime. Dyers were the first to introduce this product in the market and it generated more substantial income for Dyers.When resigned after I got my admission for M.Sc.( Geophysics), Mr. Macedo reminded me for the words : " that I will work with you as long as you would like " and told Mr. Pinto Rosario, the Manager to wait for his arrival before he would accept my resignation and release me from the job. Mr. Macedo told me that he wanted to appoint me for the post of the Secretary of another coming up company, The Perfect potteries with very lucrative terms and conditions and offered  me several attractive options but I have to decline on the advice of my mentor, Prof. Raj Nath.I left Katni and joined BHU for my M.Sc. programme.
Another interesting episode to mention here was that Mr. Macedo requested me to go back in August for a week to Katni and give a week  training to his newly appointed Chemist. I did obliged him. But to my surprise and embarrassment , the new Chemist was no body else but the same Om Prakash.

For me, Dyers Laboratory was first to learn not only chemical analysis but many more other practical things of working in a private company and dealing in varied situations. I thoroughly enjoyed my working with them though it was only for less than six months. Iit was a great opportunity to have this Great experience of life.I remained in touch with Mr. Macedo for a long time; Mr Macedo was intelligent and a very dynamic person. Even after a few years when Dyers  established another Hydrated Plant at DehraDun , with Mr. Kapoor as the Manager, Mr Macedo requested me to be in touch with Mr Kapoor and help him. It was when I was working with ONGC as Geophysicist.

My First Job as a Teacher

After passing my B.Sc.(Physics, Maths and Geology ) from BHU, I could not get admission to my desired subject ( Geology, Geophysics and Law ) in 1958, I was looking for a job. I went to Ajmer for a job with DAV Inter College ( my visit to Ajmer , Khuwaja,s Durgha and Puskar ji ). In December 1958, I got a volunteer job with S.J. Inter College, Gajraula (Moradabad).I was given a room of 8x8x10 without any ventilation, windows, plastered walls or finished floor ( floor was only sandy) within the school,s campus and I was the only person living there. I used to go out to the farms for toilet, bath at the well outside the school campus, my breakfast, lunch and dinner etc. at a dhaba near railway station. My life was simple and regulated with no complaints what so ever. I was teaching Science, Maths and casually English to High school students. I enjoyed my teaching and students were very happy and satisfied. I became very popular among the students and colleagues.Management of the school was mainly Vaid ji and his son from  Gajraula village who established the school.Vaid ji,s son was headless person and he once came to the school and humiliated me before the students. I decided to leave the place and started looking for another job. I got a paid job as a chemist and left the place. Read about my next job; chemist.html.http://shubhkamna-davendra.blogspot.ca/2010/07/my-job-as-chemist.html My students and colleagues were really sad on my departure. In such a short period of a month, I got so much love and affection from them.
Every place gives some experience. I got very rich experience of living in such a substandard place with very poor lodging and boarding conditions though enjoyed my teaching. Got first hand experience as how these private schools run like a commercial venture with thumb rule kind of management and fraudulent practices..
It was a very good assignment , without any perks but with rich experience.

MY Father; last moments with him

July, 1973,; My father was very sick with broken hip bone at home , I received a telegram from home that I must immediately reach home. I did reached home immediately by first available train. As I reached home, my father was very emotional and started crying .... repeatedly mentioning that these are his last days, he is going to die soon. It was very emotional moment for me too. We took him to Bijnor District Hospital. ( How I managed to take him to Bijnor with his back broken bone ???; Also that why my younger brother left him in that condition?? of course , others were in their place of working away from the town ). He was admitted and taken good care immediately, given a place in semi-private ward for recovery.Myself and my mother were taking care of him. Through out , he was on Glucose drip , his condition never improved, worsening day by day. I have been planning to shift him to Dehra Dun.It was 25th July 1973, in the night that his condition got worst. To my ignorance, I could not notice that he was under heart attack. Doctor on duty was so careless, sleeping all the time. Even on my repeated requests and approach, he never attended him , just gave him Bromide mixture to calm down/ relax the system. In the early morning ( 26th July, 1973) , I have to call the Civil Surgeon, so nice of him, he immediately attended him and arranged the Oxygen cylinder. He came to visit him several times, told me that he was under severe heart attack and looking at his health condition, it would not be possible for him to survive, rather, it is matter of a few minutes and advised me to take out the Oxygen and let him breath naturally during his last moments. He did ordered to remove the cylinder and he died just after a few moments.It was Lala Gyan Prakash ji, Mahesh's father who was on his bed side, closed his eyes and covered his face.Terrible moment for me. He was staring at me as perhaps, he wanted to say some thing but unable to say as his tongue was speechless. He looked helpless to express himself but folded his hands for greetings. I wonder that he had the sense of Greetings..He died in peace; I did not notice any fear, pain or regret during his last moments.
Perhaps, he could have been saved if timely help would have given to him? Any way, he lived a meaningful and purposeful life by serving the people and the community from the core of his heart.
My mother left on previous evening for Ekadshi fast and prayers at home hence, she was unfortunate to bid farewell to her husband;
No body else , my brothers or sisters was present at this time. I was all alone.
I could not cry, though broken completely and thoroughly accused myself not to take care of his ill health during his living time;Regretted but for what use now?
It was my well wisher and friend, Mahesh who arranged every thing for his funeral, taking his body to my home town, JHALU in a truck and then to Ganj near the bank of Ganga for final funeral etc.
It was about 10 AM when I reached home , my mother was still worshipping at home.
My brothers came later , never bothered to ask rest of the things as how we managed to look after him in the hospital or should they share the cost / expenses of funeral etc.. As unconcerned as they were and they are even to day.
My father wanted to see his grandson, so I have to call Virendra who brought Malanki to Bijnor. My father looked very happy and satisfied after meeting my son.
This was the second death I witnessed in my life after the death of my grandfather on July 1, 1953 ( also by severe heart attack).

Sachin

Yesterday, Sachin told that he has resigned from TCS to join EXPEDIA , a new job in USA.He was very happy on the new development. He wanted it , he got it, so there is a reason to be happy. I do not have here any comments to write except that is it. A success story of Shri Ladli Prasad Bansal , from no where to some where. I wanted him to fish in the open wider ocean where you have an opportunity to have big catch of big and variety of fishes. At certain point, he wanted to be in the dirty pond of limited opportunity, ( not even in the fresh water lake ) however, timely rescued to remain in the ocean. He is now back in the great Lakes of USA of fresh water from the ocean . Still OK , as he knows now as what is what and he can always manage to jump from one opportunity to another and also the support and confidence of Surbhi. Sachin ( Born on 12th. September, 1979 )is the youngest child and only son of Rajendra Bansal and brother of three sisters. He was certainly groomed by his grand father who loved him the most and had very high expectations from him.
It was July 2002 when I visited India. I went to visit Saharanpur as Rajendra was quite sick and weak; very sentimental and worried about Sachin, s career and job etc.He was looking for an opportunity for Sachin as mechanical engineer with the help of my sources and resources ( Anil Garg , one of them ). His own awareness about the recent trend of job market was limited , obviously because of his limited exposure. I have to do some ground work to motivate the young mechanical graduate just graduating from an engineering college in Karnataka ( BIET, Davangere ) ; not very clear about the wider job market and opportunities in the field of Information Technology. He was going after management courses- MBA programme, no doubt very lucarative but it is not for every one and not any where. IT was/is the open and wider field of vast expansion and opportunities for any one. I remember, I have to explain him the concept of the historical development of modern human society from Homosepians-Ago-Society-Industrial society after scientific revolution - to now INFORMATION SOCIETY. I was trying to convince that the future is to enter any aspect of IT to be successful in the career and life , now fast growing Information Society. He was not convinced initially but I continued to encourage and motivate him through phone calls and e-mails etc.I do not remember as how after wasting some time ( about six months or so ) got convinced about IT and joined the recommended C-DEC course at Pune ( completed the course in 2003 ) . Thank God, he came to the right track , it was a great relief to me and I was happy that I did my job to the satisfaction of Rajendra. His father was also relieved from the worries of Sachin,s job and career etc.Rest is the long story , perhaps my e-mail messages to Sachin , phone conversations etc. may reveal the whole story of my continuous persuation and motivation for certain things to do and others not to do.
Well adapting IT from Mechanical Engineering , itself was a great noteable change, the rest of the later part, switching the job to TCS and getting married to Surbhi- a very reasonable girl are just the sequences or consequences of one single development.
Later in 2005, on my next visit to India, I advised Rajendra not to go for traditional marriage system of our region, for local references and dowery etc. but for a good girl and good family try through matrimonial advertisement etc It is time to do that for the marriage of Sachin. He agreed to the basics of it and rest of it is the result of that effort- a good girl, Surbhi with a much better family background of his own.