Raghuettan's Shashtipoorthi
Wit and Wisdom finds a Perfect Blend ... in this Erudite Gent
Way back in Jul 1996, Manju (my wife) and I, with (then) two year old son, Shaantnu in tow, shifted to the Naval Base in Ghatkopar (West). I had been selected by the Navy, to pursue MTech at IIT Bombay, and the Ghatkopar base had the nearest Naval Officers' family accommodation. That was one posting, where we had the good fortune of meeting and interacting with a multitude of our KV family, in Bombay. The fact that lots of them were proximally close - Kumari cheriamma in Ghatkopar (East), Aniyanman and Narayanman in Chembur, Devi vallyamma in Sion - meant that the meetings would be fairly regular. My tryst with destiny (aka Raghuettan; R'ettan, for short) started around that time.
R'ettan was then working out of Boisar, living in Bombay and driving a red Maruti (if I recall all three of those aspects correctly). We used to catch up during birthdays of kids, weddings, wedding anniversaries, etc., but as is so often the case on such occasions, the exchanges used to be minimal and perfunctory. As I moved on to Delhi, these interactions petered out. Then came the news that the gent in question, had decided to move his profession seamlessly, from corporate to campus. Finding a calling, different from the one that you're pursuing, is a difficult proposition per se; acting on it, by drawing the courage to do so, is even more tougher. But our man did it, and in style. At an age when most people would be happy, consolidating on their experiences to climb the hierarchical pecking order in their workplace, R'ettan jettisoned the mundane, jumped out of a comfort zone and landed into a completely new and esoteric domain ... that of academia and research. TAPMI was the choice and a PhD in the arcane field of marketing ayurvedic medicines, the result (OK, I maybe wrong; the topic may not be as arcane as I make it to be, but what the heck!, can't an ignoramus like me take a few liberties).
The rest, as they say, is history. TAPMI gave wings to R'ettan; apart from teaching and learning, he flew into the azure blue of administrative aspects of the university's functioning. As a Dean, as an HR functionary, and perhaps donning several other hats that I am unaware of, with conviction and distinction. His role as a recruiter of interns, and as a selector of candidates for the TAPMI programs, brought him several times to Delhi, and that offered me great opportunities, to meet up, and to discuss and chat about the nuances and intricacies of an academic life, both on and off campus. Having been interacting very closely with the academia myself, over several years, as part of my tasking in the Navy, I got deep insights from R'ettan, that have stood me in good stead. Thanks a ton for that, R'ettan
TAPMI also gave vent to R'ettans artistic bent of mind; his enactment of Lord Mahabali, during a forlorn Onam, beset with the pandemic, is still vivid, in the minds of all of us. That impromptu show of his, full of ad-libs and "Raghuisms", was a class act. We expect more of those histrionics, Sir.
Our interactions intensified in 2017, when Pratyush, my younger son, landed a BTech admission at the Manipal Institute of Technology. The two-storied villa of R'ettan and Anita chechi in Manipal, was our "War-Room" and "Operations Centre", for Pratyush's admission process. That, and a quick visit very soon later, prompted by some unforeseen circumstances, showcased to Manju and I, the very famous, large-hearted hospitality streak of R'ettan. His intent, was supplemented and complemented in content, admirably, by the suffused ministrations of his better half, the very dear Anita chechi.
It would be an understatement to say that R'ettan is full of life. He exudes a certain joi de vivre .... not overtly exuberant, but with covert, subtle ebullience (My apologies; I couldn't put it across, any other way). His sense of humour, his one-liners, his repartees, his narratives in our Wapp group, etc., are enlivening and downright entertaining ... and he does most of that by underplaying himself, in a most self-effacing manner. That's his hallmark, the attributes of a modest, realised soul.
His fetish for, and repository of, husband-wife jokes are legendary .... and I daresay, he has been getting away with it, in our KV group, thanks to the absence of his lady love as a member there ... or perhaps, he has his insurance cover well-buttoned up with his beloved, with regular princely premium payments (exotic vacations, designer jewelry, wardrobe replenishments, etc.), . There's a lesson worth learning there, for the wedding hopefuls in our midst; the ol' warhorses, may also benefit from that wisdom. Can we expect the munificence of a piece of that, as a return Shashtipoorthi gift from you, Professor?
While his exterior persona may display an easy going attitude, there is a mind and brain, sharp as a whip, that's ticking away continuously, conjuring up an assignment for his students here, or wondering about the next breakthrough strategy in marketing indigenous _Arishtams_ there, true to his pedigreed Ivy League education ... IIT Kharagpur, IRM Anand and TAPMI. As you hit the milestone event of Shashtipoorthi, here's wishing that your grey cells remain tickety-boo, and you continue to be in the pink of health, for training, mentoring, guiding and leading a legion of your students into the path of enlightenment. Best wishes also go out to your consort, the charming Anita chechi, and to Kamala valymma, Anju, Anish and Arjun, who make your world and your cocoon in Manipal, a most enchanting abode.
Godspeed, fair winds and following seas to you, R'ettan. शं नो वरुण:
