REMEMBERING GD
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A brilliant teacher and a multifaceted personality
I had a four-year break in my studies before I joined the Economics B.A. Class in American College. Most of the young professors were of my age group, which facilitated staff-student relationships of a jolly kind.
Prof.G.Devarajan was a few years older to me, and he made a great impact on all of us, in and out of the classroom. He was a master of his subject – Economics. He never carried any book or notes to the classroom. Economic theories and witty narratives to illustrate these theories poured forth from him in a steady stream.
He had a great analytical mind. At the end of every class, he summed up in five minutes what had been taught that day. At the end of the week he took about ten minutes to summarize the week’s portion. At the end of the term he took about half an hour to sum up what we had studied that term. And at the end of the two-year course he took one period to give the gist of the entire course. It was indeed a brilliant performance. I have never seen any other professor doing this.
Film buffs
Later after working for a few years in the Madras Christian College, I came back to American College as a lecturer. And then GD and I became friends. Since both of us were film fans we went about on my motorcycle to see all the English films that came to town. Occasionally we saw some Tamil films too. But GD refused to see any Hindi films. This was because of the anti-Hindi agitation of 1965, in which he had taken part along with several other professors and students. When I asked him to come along to see a Hindi film, he firmly refused.
I felt there was nothing wrong in seeing a film just for entertainment no matter what language it was in. So one day when GD was riding pillion on my bike I guided the bike straight into the Thangam Theatre compound. An official of the theatre saw us and came rushing to us and requested us to go right in without bothering about the queue. Obviously he was an old student of American College. GD couldn’t refuse and so we saw that Hindi film.
He seemed quite absorbed by it. When we came out he said “The last Hindi film I saw had Madhubala in it. And this time I was able to see another beauty, Hemamalini.” From then on Hindi films were no longer taboo.
Carnatic music
GD was a great lover of Carnatic music. He was well-versed in many of the ragas. He placed a comb or a matchbox close to his lips as he whistled some Carnatic tunes. It sounded very much like a flute. He also tapped on the table or on any available vessel, or even a matchbox, sounding like a mridangam. So we sat around and listened to him, making periodical requests. We got interested in this music and started attending the Thiruvaiyaaru festival. All of us who had motorcycles took a pillion rider each and made the trip to the festival venue. We stayed in a lodge there during the festival. GD explained to us some of the nuances of the music we were listening to, thus enhancing our enjoyment.
GD became the Dean of Academic Affairs, and later the Bursar. He brought to bear on these jobs his precision thinking. And unlike his predecessors in these posts, he was relaxed while the work went on smoothly.
GD used to tell us that he would die soon. We didn’t take him seriously. But he suddenly collapsed and died before he reached sixty years of age.
It sunk the whole college in gloom. But we thanked our stars that we had been exposed to the influence of GD.
J.VASANTHAN
© Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu
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posted by jvasanthan @ 9/06/2008 06:22:00 am
4 Comments:
A great man indeed.
I was fortunate for being in his close circle in spite of the differences in our age to the envy of many of my colleagues, since he used to be so choosy about his friends. He had great but unfinished dreams for the college. Sharing a few moments with him either in the canteen or elsewhere would make us richer with some new information or other. His love for reading is quite contagious. He was the one who introduced me to Futurology, which became later my field of interest.
My oft repeated நேயர் விருப்பம் was an M.G.R. hit and he whistled that song for my sake whenever we happened to be together. I very much wanted to record a cassette of his effortless whistling …
I always used to call him "Devaraj mama" since my boyhood. His eldest son Chakravarthy ("chakarai") was ny classmate during I to V STD in Noyes School. Mama was always a man with a smiling face. I have never seen him angry. He, my father were good friends. We, fathers and sons have seen many Holywood movies in Movieland, Regal and at times in Tangam theatre. I convey my wishes aunty, chakarai and family, Benjy and family and Vasanthi and family.
I know how his students worshipped him. Some of my friends in the Economics department like Ganesh recounted several incidents that displayed his encyclopaedic knowledge. Once he invited me to his class after I finished college for an impromptu lecture on the Indian National Congress. It was a virtuoso performance. Then I knew how he could keep quiet Economics students quite erroneously perceived to be 'rowdy' elements in our college. A legend of our college. May his tribe increase.
Dr. A.R.V. writes:
Dear Sam,
Thanks for a copy of Vasanthan's portrait of GD published in 'The Hindu'. It is a sensitive portrayal of a teacher and friend that GD was to Vasanthan. I enjoyed reading it. It brought back to me my own memories of a wonderful colleague and friend.
A.R.Venkitaraman
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