Dr. S. Narayan I.A.S. [Retd.] |
15 August 2021
Thoughts of an Alumnus
[On the occasion of our Independence Day Celebrations @ MCC, today]
Excerpts from his Talk -
I was actually overwhelmed when I got a call from the Principal asking me to come over here today on the occasion of our Independence day - for this function - because it brings back to me my formative years - my years in which I was shaped into becoming what I am today.
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| Dr. S. Narayan, I.A.S [Retd] & Member, TN Economic Advisory Council to the CM |
I think most of you - or almost 100 % of you here wouldn’t have been born then!
But 1958 in Tamil Nadu, was an important year in many many ways!
Silently a social revolution was happening.
The aspirations of Tamil Nadu, especially Tamil aspirations were gaining ground.
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| Flag hoisting @ MCC today |
It was also the height of Congress power, with Mr. Kamaraj and Mr. Bhakthavatsalam as Chief Ministers.
It was the time when India had become independent just about 10 years ago.
And Prime Minister Nehru was trying to struggle to make India a self-sufficient Nation especially in food grains and in industry.
So all around us we could see different people - ordinary people, big and small, business men, teachers etc., involved in some kind of public movement.
Some were involved in the movement of furthering the Tamil cause through literature, through drama, through cinema, through speeches, etc.
Others involved themselves in trying to improve agriculture or food production, make it available through the public distribution system, others involved themselves in constructing big factories like BHEL, in Ranipet, Lignite Corporation in Neyveli etc.,
Very normal people like you and me, at last had the fire and the zeal to say, that this has become my country.
200 years of British regime is finally over. So now, what is it that I can do?
With this in mind, even ordinary school teachers used to spend such a lot of time teaching the children to make sure that they did well in the govt schools.
So in that spirit of time when I came here, it was the last year of Prof. Boyd as Principal of MCC.
After that I saw through the years of Rev. Dr J R Macphail, followed by Dr. Chandran Devanesan’s tenure as Principal.
Dr. Chandran Devanesan was an amazing person who was very close to Mrs. Indira Gandhi.
She selected him to become the first VC of NEHU in Shillong.
And among the entire lot of teachers and students here in MCC, there was this huge vibrancy - a vibrancy which spread outside into society.
Our MCC Boys were often chosen to lead in Republic Day Parades in Delhi.
We were part of the University Debate Society.
Our Cricket team did extremely well.
Even after 60 or 65 years, I’m still closely in touch with my alma mater MCC - around 20 of us!
Because we remember those years as the formative years in which we were shaped here.
The only thing I would like to say, is that we have come very far!
If we read through the journals and newspapers, we always hear about complaints.
There are articles about what has not been done.
But I would like to mention about what HAS been done!
When I entered Service, there was not enough food.
Actually, my first job was, that, we were getting shipments from America – PL480 Wheat, they were being unloaded at the ship dock and immediately sent to the villages for distribution. Same was the case with rice!
We had 72 million tonnes of food grain production in the country in that year.
This year we are going to do 303 million tonnes of food grain production, which equals to one tonne of food grains per family every year.
We cannot consume one tonne of food grains per family.
So yes! Now we are hugely surplussing.
And this is true for everything else.
Back then, we used to have waiting list for gas, electricity telephone connections.
For trains, there were only 20 – 30 trains going from Tambaram towards the South.
We have come a very long way.
Internationally also, if you go to the US, or to any other nation as well, the top company heads are people from India, and a large number of companies are headed by people from Tamil Nadu.
Yesterday, there was a dynamic thinker from Asia, by name Prof Kishore Mahbubani, who gave a talk in Singapore!
He asserted on his confidence that India can become much bigger than China. He gives six or seven reasons for that.
And one of the reasons he gives is -
Look, the average income of an Indian in the US is $55000 a year.
Suppose the average income of every Indian here even becomes not $55,000 but even $20,000 dollars a year, look how big India could be!
And who are these Indians who are earning that much money?
They are ordinary people like you and me, who worked hard, took an opportunity, went away to the US, are working extremely hard there, and having a lifestyle ten times the lifestyle you and I are having.
To conclude, what I would like to give is just one message for the youth in Tamil Nadu -
It is very important to be aspirational.
When I entered First Year UG Physics, there was a Chemistry Prof by name Dr. Ananthakrishnan.
On the very second day he caught me on the corridor, and he said,
Do you know, so and so became an IAS officer in the year 1955, these many from MCC became IAS officers in 1956, these many in 1957, and he continued to list out the names to me and then he said, that’s what I want you to try for!
At that point of time, I didn’t even know what IAS was all about!
I didn’t know what he was talking about.
But the point is -
That aspirational idea that you want to be something better than what you are!
That you have the capability of achieving something better!
That you can take yourself forward…!
And as you take yourself forward, you take the nation forward, the State forward, your own Village forward, your District forward.
So I would like to see once again, that fire in the stomach of Christian College students.
That’s my college, that was available here 20 years ago or even 60 years ago.
Whether it is in the field of finance, or banking, or public service, or space, or science - I would like to read about you in the newspapers and say, ‘Here’s an alumni of MCC!’
Thank you very much!
Signed off Sri S Narayan, IAS (Retd)
Our Principal Dr. P. Wilson, speaking on the occasion, said -
The culture of Madras Christian College is very inclusive!
If you ask Mrs. Indra Nooyi, “Why did you come back to your college, why did you want to give back to your institution?”
She would say, “It is not the Chemistry that I learnt within the four walls. It is outside the department of Chemistry, in the Campus, she learnt as part of College Union Society and different units of the College”.
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| Our Principal, flanked by Dr. S. Narayan & Dr. Robinson |
If you ask people who advocate home schooling, they would say different reasons. But I would definitely oppose their views of home schooling only for the social reasons – that our kids would miss the social adjustment that they learn being with their own contemporaries.
MCC is known for its traditions and practices.
Now, it’s true that UG batches are only online batches. Only the Third year students have briefly witnessed the traditions and practices of MCC till March 2019.
How will you disseminate the traditions and practices of the College that has economic implications and socio-political implications in the future?
How would an alumnus get this sense of belonging?
Is it only because of your teaching in the classrooms?
No never!
It is because of the comprehensive package that MCC has been offering. They take it along with them when they go outside the Campus.
After decades, they come back with a sense of belonging and give back to the institution.
I am not very ambitious about getting money from people. But the love that they give back, when you mention the name of MCC!
The very first day when I visited this Campus, Dr. Mantramurti, then Principal, he shook my hands!
Then I asked this question to Prof. Prince Annadurai!
Hey! Will a Principal ever come and shake hands with a newcomer?
Will he interact with a staff member?
Will he interact with a student?
It was quite very new for me!
And that day I had decided that, if at all I want to work, maybe, I should work for this institution!
This is the tradition of MCC!
Where the teachers are not far far away from you.
You can access the teacher like a friend.
He will call you for a cup of coffee!
I was meeting with one of the IAS officers last week.
I asked her, ‘Madam, why don’t you come back to Campus and have tea with us!?’
She replied, ‘No, I don’t want all those virundhu and all(feasts)!’
‘You just take me to Martin Hall, and outside the Hall, there’s a bench, ain’t it?
‘Just take me there, and give me a plate of food! That’s more than enough!’
That’s the sense of belonging!
She’s none other than Ms. Apoorva, IAS!
Same is the case with many of our alumni with whom I meet with regularly.
We have one such alumni with us, who has been helping MCC regularly.
The threat ahead of us, is that, we might lose the cultural continuity which has lots of implications for the prospects of MCC!
So I plead before you, to use all the Saturdays, invest your time on Saturdays to maintain this cultural continuity for the College,
said our Principal.
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| Two tree saplings were planted to commemorate the occasion |
PS: I gladly endorse and wholeheartedly agree with what
our dear Principal has said about the love, care and consideration of our former
Principal, Dr. Mantramurti, that’s so in sync with the rich culture and legacy of MCC!
As Sir has rightly pointed out, that firm hand shake by Dr. Mantramurti, (Retd: 2005) that is followed by the very cool and relaxed way in which he connects with you, makes you feel at home the very next instant, thus cultivating in you a beautiful sense of belonging!
On this very note, you may want to read a past blogpost of mine (done in February 2016) that’s a tribute to this lovely care and consideration of our former Principal Dr. Mantramurti, HERE!
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