Looking back: Hectic days of 1955 to 1957 had gradually turned into a long perspiring march. Some invisible forces were always with us to keep us going. The first batch of students had gone through the grinding for two years under all sorts of limitations and constraints, with unflinching faith in building a fruitful career. It was always a very happy feeling to see them deeply involved in the tasks assigned to them and their inherent urge for fullest participation in all types of games, sports and literary and cultural activities. The institution, which had its beginnings from scratch, had crossed most of the hurdles and was looking forward for better days, stability and consolidation. The new session commenced in August 1957 with the availability of most of the physical facilities and teaching staff. All members of the teaching staff knew, what to do and what was expected of them and were deeply committed to do something better. The students had some flashes of their future options and were in the grooves to make things happen. Timely placement of most of the students of the senior batch, which passed out in 1957, provided wings to the imagination of all upcoming students and provided a tremendous boost to their efforts with an inherent urge to make the best of what was available.
Twists and turns: Life continues to take all types of twists and turns. Every man has some fanciful urges, aspirations and dreams. An honest and dedicated person always looks to the work or assignment in hand. If he is member of a team, normally all his attachment is for the work assigned to the team. If he is working in a business establishment or industry he devotes all his energies and faculties for the promotion of the interests of that establishment or industry. When a person moves from one state to another state or from one country to another country, he starts working with all the dedication for the interests of the adopted state or country. How does it happen? How does he leave the place where he spends the best part of his life and moves to another place without any fanfare and regrets and starts working there, as if nothing has happened. It is all very simple. The man is always tied to the present. Naturally, his attachment is for the work or assignment, with which he is involved. Whenever, a man moves from one establishment to another or from one state or country to another, all his focus shifts to the newly assigned work entrusted to him and perhaps in spite of all his feelings and emotions, his dedication to the new assignment in hand does not leave any space for wondering about and active involvement with, what he had been doing in the past.
My tenure as a lecturer in civil engineering at Civil Engineering School Lucknow was extremely satisfying. I had opportunities for living with the students in the hostel and interacting with them in the institution and outside the institution and I was always involved in rendering all possible help to them in their overall development. Development of the new campus on Kanpur Road and phased movement of the institution there, was of considerable help in the extension of physical facilities and smooth running of academic and other student activities of the institution. That further strengthened my bonds with the students and the institution. These are the memories, which I have always cherished. During that period, at no time, I had any thoughts about changing tracks. In spite of that, the providence worked out the circumstances in a manner, that I left the institution, without even knowing , that, I was leaving the institution.
Our family at Allahabad: After initial hopping from one house to another in the beginning, we had settled down comfortably in a three bedroom house on Beli Road in Katra, which was a busy locality close to our institution. Our sons Mohan, Alok, Nishith and daughter Rashmi were school going. Our father had wonderful time with them. Children need all the care and attention at all times and the grandparents have all the time for doting on them. There is no generation gap. The relationship is very natural and thoroughly complementary and is reflected in the ultimate growth, development and values imbibed by the children. Incidentally, that, frees the parents of children from most of the worries and they find themselves comparatively free for unflinching dedication to their careers and other tasks in hand.
Ram: Kamla Nehru Maternity Home, was built in the memory of Kamla Nehru on the sprawling complex of Anand Bhawan at Allahabad. Ram was our fifth child. He had his birth at Kamla Nehru Maternity Home on 5 September 1956. When he was one year old, Indira Gandhi happened to be on her way to the Ladies Club of Allahabad as chief guest of their Ram Naumi fiunction. She happened to see a healthy child moving in a pram outside the gates of Ladies Club and at the spur of the moment, she took him in her lap and made a dash to the dias of the Ram Navmi function of the Ladies Club. That child was Ram. He was there for about an hour and during this period, he quietly went through all the fondling and pampering by Indira Gandhi and distinguished ladies of the town. Incidentally, that is a reflection of the human side of Indira Gandhi.
Vinayak Govind Garde: VG Garde was working as an assistant professor of civil engineering at Thomason College of Civil Engineering Roorkee, when I was a student there. In the meantime, the state of Rajasthan had been formed by the integration of former princely states of Rajputana. Birla Engineering College Pilani was the first engineering college of Rajasthan, which was established in 1946 with degree courses in electrical and mechanical engineering. Subsequently, Mangneeram Bangur Engineering College was established at Jodhpur in 1951 with a degree course in civil engineering. That was the time, when a large number of senior administrative and technical officers had been made available by the Government of U.P. to Government of Rajasthan for providing a push to the newly formed state. VG Garde was one such officer, who took over as the first principal of MBM Engineering College, Jodhpur. When the Directorate of Technical Education and Board of Technical Education were formed in Rajasthan, VG Garde was appointed as the Director of Technical Education and Chairman of the Board of Technical Education in addition to his normal functions as Principal of MBM Engineering College Jodhpur. Since, there was a tremendous shortage of qualified and experienced technical people and professionals in Rajasthan at that time, he used to lean heavily on Roorkee for the recruitment of suitable teachers. I happened to be one of the persons sounded by him, when he was in the process of establishment of MBM Engineering College at Jodhpur in 1951 and he again remembered me in 1957, when the first government polytechnic was to be established at Ajmer. The post of Principal Polytechnic had been advertised by Rajasthan Public Service Commission and Principal Garde expected that, I will respond, as and when there is a call for personal interview.
Bye Bye Allahabad: The new session kicked off in August 1957. The teachers put in a lot of time and effort for reviewing and rewriting their write ups for distribution to the students. All instruction sheets of laboratory practicals and field work were reviewed and rewritten. As soon as things were in the grooves, games and sports activities started engaging the attention of the students. Time continued to roll on and by December 1957, the whole institution was in a state of frenzy. Most of the students were on their toes and had visions of mounting the podium.
Establishment, of a regional college of engineering at Allahabad was in the offing. It was expected to be established at Shivkoti, where sufficient land was available for its development. In the initial stages, for a year or two, it was expected to function temporarily from the premises of Civil Engneering School Allahabad.
That was the time, when I got a formal order from the Government of Rajasthan for my appointment as Principal of Polytechnic in Rajasthan. The Board of Governors of Civil Engineering School Allahabad decided, that, the show should go on, without a ripple, like business as usual for the rest of the month and that, I may be permitted to leave after the commencement of the winter break in the first week of January 1958.