My Friend Subhash Bhende

The year 2010 was a bad year. I lost two of my closest friends, PR and Subhash. Very untimely, and when they were planning to do something new.

Subhash (Bhendya) and I (Epya) came to know each other way back in 1959 in Gokhale Institute (Pune) when we were pursuing our doctorate theses. Our room in the Institute was also shared by two other Ph.D. aspirants, Akolkar (Balkya) and Sabade (Bhavdya). Since our work involved independent research, we did not come together for studies; but we spent glorious evenings at Cafe Good Luck, sipping tea and eating loads of samosas, watching girls (all of them were beautiful), laughing at Balkya's stories and giving patient hearing to Bhendya's plans of the future, including his literary exploits. With sharing of lunch boxes in the afternoons, we came to know our families also intimately. Bhendya's mother soon came to know our preferences for fish, Balkya's mother would send Gulachi Poli for all of us... The lunch was really a daily celebration of our friendship.

Glorious days were they! We parted after completing our mission in the Institute but stayed as very, very close friends. Subhash went to Goa and then settled as Professor in Mumbai, Bhavdya became the Secretary General of the Maratha Chamber, and Balkya became the Chief of Andhra Bank, .. and yet we met frequently and shared the same Good Luck dosti, even if not always at Good Luck. Come any event, and we four would be together or phoning each other. When Subhash got elected as President of the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, we met and expressed our worry about the future of Marathi. “If these people have to stoop so low as to elect you as President, Bhendya, Marathi is doomed!”, so said Balkya. Bhavdya was genuinely happy but wanted Bhendya to touch several subjects in his Presidential speech. He was so serious that another meeting for the purpose was soon arranged by Bhendya and along with Bhavdya's 'thought provoking' ideas, I and Balkya also made several original but crazy suggestions. It was a riot!!

Subhash immortalized us in his stories. Occasionally, along with his famous character Keyoor, some other persons bearing the names of Epya, Balkya and Bhavdya also appeared in his writings. And he would telephone us to tell that we would appear in the coming story in Mohini or whatever. Balkya would then tell him that even if we were paid to read his stories, we would not do so since many of them were based on Balkya's anecdotes. But then we would read, all of them. Openly, on his face, we would criticize them, all of them. But we knew and he knew, we liked them, all of them.

This figure of 4 of us has suddenly reduced to 3. We still cannot believe it.

When we pass by Good Luck, Bhendya, we will always remember you. And we know, up there, if you are preparing any speech or writing anything, you will miss the three of us.

Embedding Technology in Education

Today morning, when I opened my newspaper (Times of India, Pune Edition), I started hearing an advertisement of Volkswagen. First, I thought it was my radio. Then, when I found the radio was switched off, I inadvertently closed the newspaper. The voice was also off. I opened the newspaper, the voice was on. Then I discovered the source. It was a tiny sound player, gummed to the advertisement in the newspaper, which was playing the advertisement as soon as the newspaper was opened.

Simply amazing! Today no one in my neighborhood or office is talking about anything but this advertisement. With such a novel, technology marvel, the Volkswagen has entered every house in Pune, and has covered all segments, establishing the brand in one minute.

This is where future lies. I always wonder: when will it enter education? With so much knowledge to acquire, with so many participants spread over a vast country, and with such a scarcity of quality teachers, why do we not yet take adequate advantage of the advancement in technology in education? We still practice chalk-and-blackboard method, still rely on tote for the old examination system, still teach without understanding its relevance and go on complaining about the increasing vices in the chaos that is education

Of course, there are institutional exceptions. There are still several people who are experimenting with blending education with technology. I am fortunate in working with one such institution in Pune, called Pune Institute of Computer Technology’s School of Technology and Management (PICT-STM). The institute has within a very short time, using (and adapting) computer technology and software, made the task of teaching subjects like Quantitative Techniques and Financial Modeling not only interesting but also relevant. It is already experimenting with advanced Learning Platforms which can benefit students from even distant places immensely. Its emphasis on creativity and freedom to faculty and students is ably assisted by the advanced technology in and out of class rooms. I am proud of my contribution in this effort and hope that other educational institutions will soon follow its example.

Whether you like it or not, the traditional knowledge sources, like textbooks, will have less significance tomorrow. They will be replaced by the “embedded” bugs, something like today’s Volkswagen sound players in the Times of India. They will be present in your (albeit, new Avtaars of) cell phones, newspapers, radios, TVs, or even napkins and tea-bags. As soon as you start using these “media”, they will start passing on knowledge, information and required analytical tools.

Hunting for the right "media" and creating such “bugs” is a challenge not only for the marketers but also for all social scientists, educationists in particular.

September 20, 2010

HATS OFF, ANJU AND ABHAY!!

Dear Anjali and Abhay,

You are celebrating the Upanayanam of your daughter, Archis, on 5^th September 2010.

In ancient vedic days, it is said, this ceremony used to be performed for both girls and boys.

The Hindu culture has radically changed since then and now mostly, only boys, and that too Brahmin boys, are allowed to perform this ceremony.

The Upanayanam marks the stage when the boys begin their formal education. But now, with girls outshining boys in almost every field, denying this ceremony to them has absolutely no meaning.

So, with this symbolic gesture, you are returning all the rights of equality to women. Celebrate it with pride; and let this example be followed by all the parents of girls in India, caste and creed not withstanding!

And how appropriate it is to get this ceremony performed on the Teachers’ Day (5^th September) and by a lady priest!!

Bravo, you two.

And Archis:

Let this initiation in the World of Knowledge make you an able and intelligent Brahmavadin!

God bless you.

September 2, 2010

Music: Linking Generations

On 25th April, we attended an annual of "Swarmayee", a music coaching class run by Rajashree (wearing red saree in the top photo). Archis takes her singing lessons there, trying to understand both classical and the light music. Rajashree's students include a bipolar population: one consisting of students below 16 or so, and another above 60. One tries to understand wonders of music, the other attempting to get to the meaning of life. But one thing is common for both the groups: All are spirited, fun-loving, correcting each other's mistakes sportingly and laughing away their worries and tensions.

We find such classes all over India. Are they also there in other countries?

Hats off to the likes of Rajashree!!

MY FRIEND PR

When you reach 75, it is time you appreciate what and how others have helped you to get to this point. While I was pondering over it, suddenly the news came that one of my dearest friends has just passed away. To be precise, on 24th April 2010.

Prabhakar Raghunath Joshi (PR for all of us) was of my age; he lost his parents very early and had to spend his childhood in Pune Vidyarthi Griha. We became friends in BM College of Commerce in 1954. We studied together, ate together, and formed our own Group of 4 (with SG Kulkarni and Mohan Phatak). The Group still remains, although SG, and now PR, are no longer there.

After his getting M.Com., he continued to study for Ph. D. in economics and then joined ICICI. He became a finance man and served on some international bodies and taught at Post graduate level. He married Sudha, a doctorate and Professor in Marathi. They have a son, who is now in USA, of the same age as Abhay, my son. PR was a scholar and a very nice human being. He was loved by my both parents and became a member of our household in no time.

PR, how can I forget some of very lively chats and fights, which would run on and on, interrupted only by the omelets (prepared by each individual as per his taste)? I remember very vividly how you informed me about our passing B.Com. examination and becoming entitled to a couple of rewards from the college: superintendent of the hostel for a year, and sports secretary of the college. We discussed these positions and finally agreed that I would become superintendent and you the sports secretary. The tutorship for two years would enable you to rent a single room and bring out your younger sister from the girls hostel to stay with you. You did that, and took the responsibility of her education and life thereafter.

And then, when I decided to quit service in 1985 and be on my own, you came forward and encouraged me. And how? You promised me that if I failed to earn adequately, .we two would pool and share our earnings every month. We never reached this situation; but we did share our knowledge, experiences, happiness, and minds. Till a couple of days ago.

PR, you had no reason to leave so early.

I am now reading a great book "India after Gandhi" (Macmillan, 2007) by Ramachandra Guha. A Contemporary Historical account, it tries to answer, in his own words, "Why is there an India at all?"

It is bulky (almost 900 pages); yet, I am enjoying it.