they came streaming in from all directions. by plane from delhi, train from trivandrum, car from coimbatore, bus from hyderabad, maybe even bullock cart from palghat :-) came back to their alma mater for a chance to be together for one more day in their lives, and on a very special day that :-) it was our university's convocation time on saturday and the campus was alive with the hustle and bustle of hundreds of students back one more time, perhaps one last time, back to receive, with pride, perhaps relief (:-), that coveted piece of paper that stated to whomsoever may have been concerned that yes indeed mr or miss so & so had studied at this august institution. they had not only studied they had probably even attended classes (there is this 90% attendance requirement :-). they had also taken the exams and by dint of their hard labor & sweat and an intelligent choice of friends they had passed the exams. with the help of their parents and some obliging banks they had paid all their dues. and much as we love them, on this august day in this august month in this august institution we are officially certifying them as graduates, adding to their names a certain degree, and setting them free! and i must say you do have to earn your freedom here :-)
the air was festive. our dress code for the convocation is something i personally like a lot - a beautiful cream shirt and a mundu for the men and those simple cream & incredibly elegant sarees for the women. having said that i must confess that i have personally worn the mundu only 2-3 times in my life and that shobhana's grandmother had to personally come to my rescue the first time i wore it (at our wedding in guruvayur). i was having, as they say in modern lingo, a certain "wardrobe malfunction":-) as were many of the boys on saturday! the mundus notwithstanding, there was joy in the air. the graduates were looking and feeling bright, their parents and siblings were one proud and beaming sight, the campus awash in beige and white, the cameras were trigger happy and light, and in our little world out here, just for a little while, everything seemed just right :-)
the chief guest for the convocation was dr gururaj deshpande and he promised to give the graduates no advice and kept to his word :-) it was a good talk as was the one from dr martin chalfie, a nobel prizewinning professor from columbia university, recorded (i think) and broadcast specially for this event. they spoke from the heart and though i am not sure how many students were registering anything they were saying, it was touching. the transcript of dr chalfie's speech is here:
i said that i am not sure how many were actually listening for many of the students (at least the ASB students :-) were in an intense personal space of reconnecting with their friends and chattering away a dime to a dozen:-) the convocation was yet another reminder to me about how precious are the friendships that the students form while here at amrita. perhaps it is the restrictiveness of our rules, perhaps it is the magic of ettimadai campus and its incredible beauty, perhaps it are the kind of students we attract - but they sure seem to make good friends here - and love them dearly! they remain connected long after they have left this place, and every occasion to meet again, to be together once more, is treated with such excitement and longing (check the facebook photo albums!). it was the same at this convocation. i realized that their real joy and excitement was being with their special gang again - the degree certificates were just an additional bonus! but we didn't mind - the kids looked happy :-) they did! you know for reasons i cannot remember or fathom now i missed all my convocations (and there were many!). i wish i had attended at least one. there is a sacredness, a special sanctity, a joyous gravity to the whole ritual. a little ritual is important in life. who would remember a degree received by mail or courier. but this event, with all its little elements and ceremonies, perhaps the presence of a visibly proud parent or grandparent, and of course the cheering of a beloved and regular gang of idiots, and the occasional mundu wardrobe malfunction thrown in - very tough to forget!
the rains go on in our lives, the campus is filled with an ethereal beauty, the graduates have returned to their "other" lives, and once again a batch slowly begins to recede from our sights, many to never be seen again. this is the rhythm of our life as teachers, this is the rhythm of life itself, this we understand, still :-) the heart is soft, the mind reflective, and its just the time i think to bring in faiz ahmed faiz :-) Some Lover to Some Beloved Down the memory lanes, on which you've strolled since ages past They will end if you walk farther a step or two Where exits the turn towards the wilderness of forgetfulness beyond which, there isn't any Me, nor any You My eyes hold their breath, for any moment you may turn back, move ahead, or at least turn to look back Although my sight knows that the wish is just a farce For if ever it were to run across your eyes again right there will spring forth another pathway Like always, where ever we run into, there will begin another journey of your lock's shadow, your embrace's tremor The other wish is also in error, for my heart knows There is no turn here, no wilderness, no mountain-range beyond whose horizon, my perpetual sun-of-your-Love can set May you continue walking these pathways, its better this way If you don't even turn to look back, it is okay
Faiz Ahmed Faiz translated by Hamid Rahim Sheikh the convocation is over, to our regular worlds we have all returned, but the memories are still fresh, they haven't yet paled. and if you do occasionally look back even that is ok (:-)), its a happy thought actually, and yes you've just been monday morning emailed!
much love, d&s
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