Part VI Jodhpur: Eventful Years
Shuttling between Jodhpur and Ajmer: Nature has its own subtle ways. After a marathon train journey from Allahabad to Jodhpur, we were happy to land at Jodhpur on 4 January 1958. We had been able to get a comfortable house at Jodhpur and we were in the process of settling down at Jodhpur, when I found that, I was expected to establish a new polytechnic at Ajmer. We had the option to stay on at Jodhpur for three to four months, but, a day’s visit to Ajmer on January 5, 1958, found us moving log, stock and barrel, from Jodhpur to Ajmer, on January 6,1958. Next three years were hectic, with all the ups and downs and twists and turns and we were gradually getting into the process of settling down at Ajmer. Ajmer Polytechnic had gone through all the teething troubles and was well on its way for a healthy and sustained growth and development. We were happy to be able to assemble an extremely enthusiastic faculty of budding youngsters in the institution at that time. My hands were more than full and I was deeply involved, in almost all the activities of Ajmer Polytechnic. That was the time, when, there was a sudden call from Jodhpur in November1961 and without any further ado, ifs and butts, we moved to Jodhpur to assemble and consolidate the scattered saplings of Jodhpur Polytechnic, the premier polytechnic of the state. A professional is after all a professional. He has all his attachment, involvement and dedication for the tasks entrusted to him. There was no time for regrets and or after thoughts.
Jodhpur Polytechnic had started functioning from 1958 in all types of temporary and improvised accommodation in the campus and outside the campus of MBM Engineering College. The permanent building of the institution was in an advanced stage of construction at its sprawling campus of about 140 acres. The day after my joining at Jodhpur, I moved all the classes and other activities of the institution to the partly finished building of Jodhpur Polytechnic. Thereafter, after running through all the initial problems, setbacks and limitations, we were well on our way for a smooth and satisfying transition and we had started thinking about the emerging challenges of the future. That was the time, when on one fine morning in April 1962, we were told to move back to Ajmer and we found ourselves moving from Jodhpur to Ajmer. However, we had no regrets. We were in the process of settling down and picking up the threads again at Ajmer, when in July 1962, we received orders for the second time to move to Jodhpur and we found ourselves, one more time on the road to Jodhpur. Fortunately, our stay at Jodhpur from July 1962 to July 1975 was extremely satisfying and turned out to be a game changer.
Those times were different. People were different. Thinking and values were different. The country was under the process of planned development. Polytechnic at Jodhpur had some sort of halo and was on the radar of almost everybody. The institution had an unlimited potential and there was an obsession for doing something and doing something better and something different. For almost fourteen years there was a flurry of activities, which placed Jodhpur Polytechnic on a pedestal. All credit goes to the dedicated group of teachers, who rubbed shoulders with the students in almost all the activities and to the young and talented bunch of students, who went through the grind cheerfully.
- Marwar
- Inauguration of Jodhpur Polytechnic Building
- Teacher and the taught
- Settling down at Jodhpur
- Mass participation in games and sports
- Some of the welfare activities
- Practicals, projects and community jobs
- Career advancement courses
- Indo-Pakistan War of 1965
- Hub of activities
- Water resources development
- Summer programmes
- Trip to USA
- Indo-Pakistan War of 1971
- Some recollections of the bygone days
- Events leading to emergency