"I came from Loyola & MCC infused into me totally..." ❤️❤️❤️ | On the Lovely Lakshminarayan Sir ❤️

Sunday Inspiration | Invaluable Life-Lessons

from our Noble and Vibrant Senior Professors in MCC

#inspiration

#Dr.Lakshminarayan

Well, this post is the result of a lovely WhatsApp conversation that I had yesterday, with Dr. Lakshminarayan, former Professor of Physics, MCC, who also happens to be my beloved wife’s favourite professor in MCC.

Well, just a couple of days ago, I had posted a report on eminent MCC-ian Mr. Shreekumar Varma’s Endowment Lecture in our Department as part of the TG Narayanan Endowment Lecture Series.

Dr. Lakshminarayan had seen the post in their Facebook group, and so he spontaneously appreciated me for having done the post.

Took the cue/link from Shree’s posting on FB.

Missed being there.

Enjoyed your recapitulation of Shree’s talk.

Judesekar and I were schoolmates.

Your BLOG, it is nice.

Thank you.

This was the message.

I was quietly thrilled and felt so happy.

For three reasons.

Firstly, for the beautiful friendship that they have been cherishing since their schooldays, from 3rd standard onwards, that continues even now, when they’re into their early 70s – even post-retirement.

What a beautiful tribute to friendship. I felt like hugging him for this.

Dr. Lakshmi (as we fondly call him) is one of the best Professors MCC has ever known. Clad in his classy linen shirt, and formal trousers, with a thin briefcase on him, (that had his lectures and his day’s schedules within), the way he took class was a student’s delight. 

He was an outstanding cricketer as well, along with a host of cricketers – including Dr. Ganesh, Dr. Franklin Daniel, up until our youngest Professor in the Department, Dr. David Abraham Albert. 😊😉

He belongs to that lovely generation of MCC-ians who love, cherish, admire and celebrate all things MCC.

Secondly, when he said, ‘I missed it’ – he really meant it. Such a great admiration and a sense of pride and awe he has for his friend Shreekumar Varma and his lecture. He had this same admiration for his classmate Jude, who he says, rose up to the highest position in Nation as Director General of Forests, and Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi. [Appointed by the President of India]

[On an aside, I should admit that, I was really in awe of Mr. Jude, as well, who was seated so casual and so cool, in the first row, without any airs or aura around him, having come quite early, to listen to his classmate’s lecture.]

Mr. Jude is seated second from left, along with his past classmates in MCC

Thirdly, his cute compliment and genuine appreciation for the blogpost that I had done on Mr. Shreekumar Varma’s lecture. Indeed, it took me at least three to four full hours to write down that post to perfection and post it on the blog before the day ended! 

Quite interestingly, the first comment that I had received on the blog, was from Mr. Shreekumar Varma himself. 😊 Speaks volumes to his humility for spontaneously cultivating this sense of appreciating others. 

Thanks a million Shree Sir. You made my day.

It might be a small word/a little compliment. But it really goes a long way in bringing the best out of others. Ain’t it?

What’s more…

Dr. Lakshmi added a few more insights to the next message that he had sent me, which runs as follows –

Mano, Shree & Jude were MA classmates.

Jude, got IFS, and discontinued after I MA, i think. Subsequently , i do not know if he completed MA elsewhere. Rose to highest position in Nation.

All of us were contemporary at MCC.

Jude & I were schoolmates from 3rd to 11th STD. at DB.

Ponnaiya, Mano & Shree were from MCCHS School, I think.

My classmate, PKC Paul & Mano were cousins. So, we had all interacted, even if for a brief while.

Also, some of the prettiest girls were in our class. So, our Physics class was familiar with other depts.

😊

The MCCians who came from BSc to MSc (to be my classmates) were also friends with other dept. guys.

I came from Loyola & MCC infused into me totally.

😊

The last line, (as I also told Dr. Lakshminarayan), is EPIC!

And a real inspiration.

How beautifully he’s said it.

Admire you dear Sir.

Viva la Dr. Lakshminarayan!

Viva la Mr. Shreekumar Varma and their lovely bonds of friendship!!

Viva la MCC!!!

PS: Dr. Lakshminarayan’s inspiring talk on “MCC Physicists and the Making of Modern India”, that he had given on 26th October 2012, in the Anderson Hall, is also here, archived for posterity, on our blog.

And this should be your real Sunday inspiration, you bet!

“The list of Physicists from MCC including legends like Dr. K. S. Krishnan, Mr. T. N. Seshan, Mr. M. M. Rajendran, Mr. S. Narayanan are some of the names that immediately come to mind. In fact, the impact of Physicists from MCC on the Indian State is of course part of Indian History”, he says… and yes...

You may want to read that inspiring POST on our past BLOGPOST HERE.