The Website inaugural in honour of the memory of Dr.Vishnu Bhat, held at TGP Kalyana Mandapam, Tambaram, on Friday, 18 November 2011, saw a grateful gathering of myriad minds, who had been touched by the spell of this literary wizard in one way or the other. The life of Dr.Vishnu Bhat – the teacher, philosopher, guru and friend was an inspiration and a motivation to innumerable students and staff alike, now spread far and wide across this globe, lightening lives.  |
| Dr.Jayaraman and Dr.Neelakandan |
Firstly, Dr.Ganesh, speaking of his Guru, said:
Dr.Vishnu Bhat breathed literature. The kind of man that he was, was evident in the way in which he helped his students, right from the way in which he helped them prepare for a CA test, or an MA Project or an MPhil project, or a PhD Scholar, with the same enthusiasm and energy, without looking for standard. Sir did not like the word ‘standard’ – a word that any teacher today flaunts. He always said that the interest level must come up. So he will teach anybody anything at anytime.
Like Emerson talks about Shakespeare, ‘his range and extent was terrific’. The man’s greatness was proved when Harvard invited him. No class, caste or religious distinctions were there when it came to his students. My PhD viva was unique because, for once, the supervisor was happier than the candidate.
He took enormous pains to shape me. We were all shaped by him. Before we met Vishnu Bhat sir, we were non-entities. At least, we were dabbling in literature, before we met this man, who breathed literature, and breathed literature into us. Here is the passion; here is the conviction that literature saves humanity from all its perils that can be created in the mind, maybe out of the external circumstances of life. So, when we came to him, and i am hugely indebted to Dr.Neelakandan, (I am extremely happy that he is here). He was my senior in Loyola College. He came one year before me to MCC, and the one single topic we discussed was Vishnu Bhat. Neelakandan took me to his house. He led me to his wonderful gurukulam, to sit at the feet of this eminent guru of modern times. A very traditional man with the most modern view.
His practice of religion was reflected in the way he related to people. It was not a singular practice which created a wall in between himself and the others. What he walled out was hatred. What he walled in was human warmth and understanding. I delayed going to his house for one semester. I met Vishnu Bhat sir in the year 1981. He was waiting for one of my teachers Dr.Ramani in Loyola College. I did not know who he was, but destiny led me to him. He was just standing there, quietly outside the English department. Nobody was bothered about him, and he was not bothered about anybody either. I went up to him and asked him, ‘Sir, are you waiting for somebody?’ He said that he was waiting for one Dr.Ramani, and so I immediately went up to Dr.Ramani and told him that Dr.Vishnu Bhat from MCC was waiting for him. That was my first meeting with him, and what a meeting that was! It was a life-transforming meeting. You can never talk about Vishnu Bhat sir individually, because for him it was a family – a family of students. A man who did not have a private space or private belongings, because we can take his dhotis or his shirts. He did not have anything for his own, but for his chair, on which we dare not sit on, out of reverence.
Dr.Jayaraman and Dr.Vishnu Bhat were very close friends. They were like two eyes to students at that particular time. The humour that both of them shared – laughed, laughed and always laughed. Not that they did not have problems; they did have. Sir will make a mountain into a mole hill when you went to him with a problem. We were very fortunate that we could go to such a scholar, a committed teacher for anything and everything. He lent us financial support, lent us emotional support most importantly. People from different economic, social backgrounds could come and relate to him. They ate with him at the same table. Nobody who went to Vishnu Bhat sir’s house would leave without a cup of coffee or something to eat. He always took it at the hugest problem in his life if one went out without eating anything. Dr.Radha Bhat, his beloved wife, fed us with love and food. So we are all beholden to them and blest to have such a great guru and a guru pathini.
Anbarasan is a senior correspondent in BBC. He came from Auroville. Sir took him under his wings. Not many people in the department were favourably disposed because he could not speak English well. He could not write English well – that colonial hangover that we suffer from. But Sir said, English is just a language. English is just a vehicle of communication. He can master English by and by; and he always used to tell his story of how he mastered English by and by. He would tell us how he faced problems when he started speaking English.... to be continued...
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