Some of my long-standing memories (perhaps better described as “age-young”) remain sweet and preserved in time. I often find myself recalling them, savoring the moments over and over again. Here is one such memory.
In September 1996, the morning was exceptionally beautiful. If my memory serves me well (though it tends to fade these days), it marked the third session of the Organizational Behavior class conducted by Dr. Sugumar. We were in the first semester of our MBA program. At that time, the class seemed formidable to me, as Dr. Sugumar’s profound knowledge and eloquent delivery portrayed him as an intellectual giant. Adding to the challenge, most of my batchmates appeared “pretty laid back,” aiming to establish themselves as the cream of the engineers selected for the program. Interestingly, this laid-back attitude persisted among the 26-member class for the remaining 24 months, mostly spent in hostel rooms or, in the case of day scholars, elsewhere.
Returning to that particular day, Dr. Sugumar spent the initial 20 minutes discussing “Classical Conditioning” before opening the floor for real-life associations with the theory. The next 10 seconds were met with literal “pin-drop silence.” It was you who broke the ice, sharing your schoolboy experience of classical conditioning with the 7 am All India Radio’s AakashVaani – “Seidigal Vaasipathu Saroj Narayan Swami.” It was simply superb. Over the course of 25 years, from that moment, I have admired your perspectives as both a boy and a man, my friend. So, on this special occasion, I’d like to express a few words. Here you go.
சிந்தனைச் செல்வனே !
தெளிவென்ற வேலே
என்றும் உன் ஆயுதமாய்
இன்று போல் என்றும்
இடுக்கண் களைந்து
மிடுக்கனாய்
பல்லாண்டு வாழ
பிறந்தநாள் வாழ்த்துக்கள்
இரயில் பயணங்களில்.... 