My memories of Ashwani go back to a hot 1987 July evening at Hostel No.7, Pune University Campus, when he arrived as my M.Sc classmate. In just a few days, the soft-spoken, gentle mannered Ashwani became thick friends with the rest of us, a motley mix of students from various regions of India, to form the group of "9". I vividly remember his sense of humour, brought to the fore many times during our numerous birthday parties at the hostel and other such occasions. I also remember the tasty matris and home-made achar (North style: sweet&sour) he brought for all of us from home after vacations. Our group spent the most memorable time of our life together with Ashwani in the Pune campus.
After we graduated in 1989, we all got dispersed to various parts of India and abroad. With him at IUC-DAEF Indore and me in Kalpakkam, my contacts with Ashwani over the years were reduced to the occasional bumping into each other at DAE Solid Sate Physics Symposia. Of course, each time we met, we got back into the groove instantly and never ever felt the effects of huge gaps in friendship that lapse of time creates. In the recent two years, I happened to make frequent trips to Indore for official purpose. Each trip, I made it a point to contact Ashwani. I was happy to see Ashwani and Meeta as a couple. Whether it was their hospitality or giving company to me for shopping, I enjoyed being with them immensely. I met Ashwani last in February 2007 at Indore the night before my departure. Meeta may remember the little conversation that took place while he dropped me back late at night after a sumptuous dinner in their house, at the IUC Guest House. He asked me “Subbi..so this is the last time I will be meeting you at Indore, isn’t so?” I immediately corrected him that may be this is the last time I am in Indore with respect to the two year bout of frequent trips for a certain purpose, but I will be coming again to Indore for other reasons and I will definitely be meeting him in future too. Alas…I have been rendered wrong.
From him, myself and all my Pune friends have learnt that patience, hardwork and soft-manners are key elements for progressing in life. This is the message Ashwani has left us, apart from the ever-sweet memories of the splendid company he gave us at Pune University campus.
10 comments:
this is indeed a great homage to Ashwini - regards gopal
Yeah, Chitty. Do accept my invite & join the blog. You can log in using our GMail or Orkut ID to post in the blog.
Hi Subbi, It is very nice of you to have taken time to create this blog in memory of Ashwani. I shall definitely contribute my thoughts soon. Vasu
Hi Subbi
Nice to create this blog. I will post the paper cutting and my memories with him at Indore.From our friend circle I will convey our condolance to his family.
kane sanjeev
Vasu....Sure. Looking forward to your thoughts on Ashwani.
Kane...Thanks for offering to convey condolences on behalf of all of us to his family. I have been unable to get Meeta's phone number so far.
Dear Friends,
I am interested in finding out if there is an interest in starting an annual award/scholarship in memory of our Ashwani Kumar at University of Poona.
Please feel free to forward this message to other friends who may be interested.
Best Regards,
Anant
Anant:
This is a nice idea. But with 6-7 of us, it may not keep a sustained show running year to year. Given the very low interest rates bank can offer at this time, even Rs 100,000 (1 lac) may not get much yield to support any meaningful cash awards. Perhaps a yearly award of some sort of memento and a very small amount of cash may be a possible sustainable activity. Of course if we could get more circulation to your e-mail, we may have better luck. An award for the best all round student for the year award should be very appropriate, I think. Is that not how Ashwini was chosen as our student rep. in year 2 ?
We may also need a POC at Poona. You mentioned that you visited Poona last time and you are in touch with folks there. A visit there is long pending. I will do so next time....
regards
-gopal (chitty)
Dear Anant & others,
Yeah. That's a good idea. In India, bank FD rates are still good. So a
Rs.1.0 Lakh deposit will yield a minimum interest of Rs.8000/- per annum
and more if we invest for longer periods. Rs.8000/- is a pretty big sum
for a student in India still & he/she can do a lot of things with it. Of
course, we can get more of our friends to contribute and build up a
sizeable amount.
Possibly, we can operate through the Pune University chapter of the
Indian Physics Association, which is quite active. In the Kalpakkam
chapter, we have done similar things. Once a while, someone would donate a
lumpsum amount and request us (office bearers of IPA) to institute an
award for needy school students in the name of a person (like IPA-XYZ
award). We used to lock up the money in a bank FD and handover the
interest money each year to a meritorious school student through their
Principal on their annual day.
Later we will send a brief report on it to the donor.
Likewise, if we can rope in Pune Chapter office bearers & I am sure there
will be some faculty members too in it, we can streamline the handing over
of the interest amount. The money will be in safe hands & we can ask them
to institute an "IPA-Ashwani" award & send a report on its utilisation
every year. We can provide them the guidelines for selecting the
appropriate student.
Anant, I suggest that you put up your proposal in the blog too. The site
URL is http://ashwani-indore.blogspot.com/ and is being visited by
people associated with Ashwani, including Meeta.
Here is Meeta's email id and phone number, in case you want to ask her
opinion. I got a couple of mails from her recently and she is slowly
coming to normal.
-subbi
Dear Subbi, Sanjeev, Manisha, Neelkak, Anant, Gauri, vasudeva, Sanjay & other friends/classmates of Ashwani,
I am grateful to all of you for your unforgettable contribution and feelings for Ashwani. I have no words to thank all of you. Although, I had been visiting the blog from a long time, I couldn't collect enough courage to write on it. Whenever I tried to write anything, ashwani's remembrance made me unable to write.
Ashwani was a soft spoken and a low profile person, he was simply great and a very loving personality. I was, I am and I will always be proud of him. I very much liked the idea of starting an annual award in honour of Ashwani to a student of Pune University. Even, I am also in process of starting a Medal/award in Ashwani's name to a student of IPS Academy, where he was working in the last time.
I request everyone to write to me freely in this matter. I will write more about ashwani later on.
Wishing all of you Happy Diwali and a very Happy new year.
Please keep in touch.
With best regards
Meeta
Dear Subbi and others,
I do not know how should I take this blog as this reminded me my M.Sc. days at Pune University but it gave me deep sorrow to know the untimely death of Ashwani. As far as I am concern, my association with Ashwani was tremendous. We were living in neighbouring rooms in hostel so we had some extra time to spend in evening and night together. We use to discuss the subject and many other things. His being good in computer programming, he use to not only help me but others also. Many time he even use to guide me if he finds I am deviating. I remember one incidence. In hostel number 4 of Pune University where we were residing, we decided to cook our dinner regularly. I told him my inability to help him in cooking and he then asked me help in washing the utensils. But, he was not satisfied with my washing so he finally asked me to help me cutting the vegetables. Anyway this did not work for long due to our loads in terms of assignments etc., but we enjoyed.
Later, we use to meet regularly when he was in Indore and I was in Bhopal. But we were not in regular touch once I left Bhopal in 1996 or so.
May his soul rest in peace and may God give his wife Meeta and family strength to face this difficult time. Sincere condolences from me and my family
Further, I agree with Anant to form some memorail award on Ashwani's name.
Prafulla JHA
Post a Comment