Coimbatore

Memories of Coimbatore - Where science thrived...

R. Subbayyan on G.D. Naidu's exhibitions, playing gilli danda with Greek refugees and watching Thyagaraja Bhagavathar in action at Valankulam

He was soft-spoken, lean and dressed in a veshti. Big or small, he would respond to all kinds of questions raised by students. When I was a kid, it was G.D. Naidu who planted the seed of engineering in me. I grew up attending the many Science exhibitions he held. His exhibitions always had interesting objects. There was a coffee-vending machine in one of them. All you had to do was insert a coin into the machine and you would get a cup of coffee! I was fascinated by it and asked him how it worked. He explained how levers operated inside to mix the decoction, sugar, milk and water. A shaving blade invented by him, an automatic ticket dispenser, illustrations on the harmful effects of cigarette smoke…G.D. Naidu's exhibitions were visited by students all over the city.

We lived in R.S. Puram. The area was full of karuvelam trees. It was during World War II. Refugees from Greece were sheltered in hostels in the Forest College campus. Everyday, they would walk all the way to the South end of D.B. Road to buy fruit and vegetables — there were no shops in between. Shopkeepers would take the exact amount and return the rest if the Greeks unintentionally gave them excess cash. People were honest and full of integrity.

Sometimes, we played football with the Greeks. We also taught them gilli danda, popular with boys back then. Football matches were played at Irwin Stadium in Coronation Park (now VOC Park). Since most of us travelled by foot, we would go home really late if there was a match happening in the evening. It was Diwan Bahadur C.S. Rathna Sabapathy Mudaliyar, the municipality chairman, who installed street-lamps in D.B. Road and brought drinking water from Siruvani to Coimbatore. Diwan Bahadur Road (D.B. Road) and Rathna Sabapathy Puram (R.S. Puram) were named after him.

We would watch movies in Swamy Hall on Variety Hall Road. A tharai ticket there cost one anna. For two annas, you got to sit on a bench. The chair ticket was four annas. There used to be a restaurant on a lane off Avanashi Road with a board saying ‘Man paandathil seidha divyamaana saappadu', for two annas.

The lakes in the city were pristine. People would bathe in their waters. When I was a little boy, I remember watching the shooting of the film ‘Sivakavi' on Valankulam Road. M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar who played the hero had to push a man into the lake for the scene!

Those days, college students and teachers were more like friends. During my tenure as the principal of PSG College of Technology, I watched movies and played basketball with students in the evenings. Once, teachers and students manually installed a basketball pole in college. We also designed and constructed an automatic score board.

Deepavali was celebrated in the college grounds, crackers and all. But, when in class, we were very strict.

We had once invited Kavignar Kannadasan for a function of the Thamizh Mandram in college. Though he came late, he spoke for an hour to an audience of students delirious with excitement. In 1975, we installed the first computer centre in our college. The TDC 312, a huge machine, processed results for Madras University. Why, it even did the payroll for many companies, including LIC!

As a principal, I often did the rounds of college. On one such evening, I noticed a group of students playing cards in the hostel. “Look, it's the princi da!” whispered one of them who had seen me coming. By the time another student replied, “It can't be him da, he's probably asleep by now,” I was right behind them!

In 1954, I came across a young clerk in our college's canteen. A.V. Varadharajan was a bright kid with good marks in school. G.R.Damodaran offered him a seat in the college. We didn't know back then that one day, he would grow up to be an industrialist of repute. That he would be instrumental in the construction of the CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex in the city.

Car of the future

Driverless car navigates Berlin streets

It can talk, see, drive and no longer needs a human being to control it by remote. The car of the future completely computer-controlled is on the streets of Berlin.

All summer, researchers from the city’s Free University have been testing the automobile around the German capital.

The vehicle manoeuvres through traffic on its own using a sophisticated combination of devices, including a computer, electronics and a precision satellite navigation system in the trunk, a camera in the front, and laser scanners on the roof and around the front and rear bumpers.

“The vehicle can recognize other cars on the road, pedestrians, buildings and trees up to 70 meters around it and even see if the traffic lights ahead are red or green and react accordingly,” Raul Rojas, the head of the university’s research group for artificial intelligence, told reporters at a presentation on Friday.

“In fact, the car’s recognition and reaction to its environment is much faster than a human being’s reaction.”

The scientists have worked on their research car, a Volkswagen Passat worth $551,800 with lots of built-in special technology, for four years.

Several other groups have also been working on such technology recently, notably Google, which has been testing a robotic Toyota Prius in Nevada.

“There’s a big trend for completely computer-controlled cars many companies and research centers in several countries are working on it and it is hard to say, who’s got the most-developed vehicle at the moment,” Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, a professor for automotive economics at the University of Duisburg-Essen, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Mr. Dudenhoeffer estimated that with the technology advances, it could only take another decade for the fully automatic cars to start becoming available for consumers. “Even today’s cars are often partially computer-controlled, for example when it comes to parking or emergency brakes.”

However, he said, that besides the technological issues, the legal challenges would be another issue that needed to be regulated — “Who will be responsible when there’s an accident the owner or the passenger of the computer-controlled car or the company that produced it?”

“However, all in all, one can definitely say that computer-controlled cares will be much safer than human drivers,” Mr. Dudenhoeffer said. “Especially if you keep in mind that most of today’s accidents are caused by human error.”

In Berlin, the university researchers received a special permit from the city’s security and safety controllers in June to use it in regular traffic under the condition that a safety driver sits behind the steering wheel, even if he doesn’t touch anything not the steering wheel, gas pedals nor brakes.

On a special testing ground, the team has also been allowed to let the car run without anyone on board.

“This kind of technology is the future of mobility,” Mr. Rojas said, who had a more conservative estimate than Mr. Dudenhoeffer, saying that it may be 30 to 40 years before they become available to the average consumer.

The key to the automobile’s intelligence is in the way the computer program runs.

“In the beginning with had trouble with the robotic driving style of the car,” said Mr. Rojas. “But we’ve worked on the programming and now its driving style is as smooth as a human being.”

Mr. Rojas estimates that once the technology specifically the sensors gets less expensive, such cars will eventually conquer the roads.

“It is similar to the beginnings of the computers 40 years ago, only research labs could afford computers, now everybody is walking around with a computer in his pocket.”

Ideally, the car will respond to orders by remote control, for example on an iPad or an iPhone. With a click or a touch, the passenger can call the car to his personal location and then order the car to drop him off at his desired destination.

“This kind of car is actually perfect for car sharing,” said Mr. Rojas. “There will be no more need for owning a car once the automobile has dropped off its passenger it will drive on to the next passenger.”

Remembering MSS

EVENT ‘Madura Geetham' is being held for the fourth consecutive year to mark the birth anniversary celebrations of legendary singer M.S. Subbulakshmi

Singers and musicians from the four Southern States are converging in Temple Town this week to pay musical tribute to legendary Carnatic singer M.S.Subbulakshmi as part of the fourth edition of “Madura Geetham”. This annual festival of music is organized under the joint aegis of INTACH, Madurai chapter, and Sri Sathguru Sangeetha Samajam, to commemorate the birth anniversary of MS in her hometown.

Like every year, school students will kick start the festival with a musical homage to MS at her ancestral home on Hanumantharayar Koil Street on Friday, September 16, which also marks her birthday. Some well known songs of MS will be sung by the children at 10 a.m. On the following day (September 17, Saturday), NadakalaPraveena Shiek .Mastaan will give a lecture demonstration titled “Nadabindu Kalaadhi namo namah” at Lakshmi Sundaram Hall, 6 p.m.

At the same venue, same time on September 18, a unique event will be coordinated where young budding Carnatic music aspirants from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh will render popular melodies of MS. The chorus called “Navashakti” will feature nine-member all-women team who will indirectly demonstrate how well the intangible heritage of classical Indian music is taken to the next generation.

Vocal renditions by Smitha Madhav, Saaswathi Prabu, Shubashree Ramachandran and Manasi Prasad will be accompanied by musical strains from the ghatam played by Ramya, Retnasree on tabla, Jananiy on keyboard, Nandhini on violin and Lavanya on muridangam. On September 19, the scene will shift to LAICO building where Nandini Anand, daughter and student of Mayavaram sisters, will play the violin in a recital titled “Inbavellam”. The concert will feature simple but rare songs of MS and Nandhini will be accompanied by her team members.

City school children who are members of INTACH Heritage Clubs will get an opportunity to understand the intricate world of Carnatic music in lay man's terms. This workshop, “Build a rasika” will be conducted by “Shri. N. Vijay Siva at Lakshmi School, Veerapanchaan, on September 20, Tuesday, from 8.30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

The same evening, curtains will be drawn on the five day music festival with Shri N. Vijay Siva's recital, “Anthareeki Vandanamu”, saluting the great composers whose compositions were immortalized because MS lent her voice to them. This performance is slated for 6 p.m. at Hotel Fortune Pandiyan

For enquiries and more details about the event, call 9994499974

Modi-ji vindicated

Kalki

“‘Kalki' Krishnamurthy a multi-faceted personality”

“He can aptly be described as a “renaissance man” for his progressive ideas”

‘Kalki' Krishnamurthy was a multi-faceted personality and could aptly be described as a “renaissance man” for his progressive ideas, Cleveland–based businessman and patron of arts V.V. Sundaram observed here on Friday.

Speaking at the 112th birthday celebrations of the illustrious writer and freedom fighter, organised by the Kalki Krishnamurthy Memorial Trust at the Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Mr. Sundaram recalled how Krishnamurthy refused to swerve from his principles.

He was an art critic, novelist, dramatist, scriptwriter for movies, and above all, one who twice courted incarceration in his quest for the freedom of the motherland. His was a style which could attract even the common man.

“Whatever he wrote, he had historical evidence to support it. Even his magnum opus ‘Ponniyin Selvan' had characters whose names are found in the inscriptions of the Thanjavur temple.”

Referring to the period in which Krishnamurthi was at his peak (1930-50), he said it was virtually a period of a “revolution of sorts” in the State's history. Then he had the courage and conviction to harbour revolutionary thoughts encouraging ideas like widow remarriage, women's emancipation and freedom from bondage despite stout opposition. His ‘Thyagabhoomi' spoke of women's emancipation and ‘Alai osai' the thirst for freedom. Later, Mr. Sundaram handed over the Kalki Krishnamurthy Memorial Awards to Saketharaman, a budding Carnatic vocalist, and Nagai Sriram, a violinist.

Success,brick by brick

What does it take to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary? T. Krithika Reddy talks to Bala V. Balachandran, founder-dean, Great Lakes Institute of Management

Talking to Bala V. Balachandran, founder-dean of the Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, is like reading a how-to book on success. From creating and maintaining a personal brand to taking challenges head on with nothing but a positive attitude as his ally, this Padma Shri awardee offers several lessons on leadership and life in an engaging style that sets him apart from droning academicians.

During his recent visit to Chennai — one of his many sojourns that add up to five months a year — the continent-hopping Professor Emeritus of Accounting Information and Management at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA, pushes the rewind button on his life and four-decade commitment to education. “I've not opened up on my personal side before. There have been several life-changing incidents.” His warm smile complements the tender morning sunrays streaming into the spacious guest house in Tiruvanmiyur.

Beating the odds is something that comes naturally to Bala. He doesn't mince words while recalling the poverty-stricken days in his hometown, Pudukkottai. “We were very poor. Once, we were humiliated by a relative at a wedding because of our social standing. My teary-eyed mom pulled me aside and said, ‘Son, I want you to study and do well in life. But never treat people like this'.”

DIFFICULT DAYS

Bala decided to give studies his all. He graduated from Annamalai University and even taught for a while. In 1967, he left for the U.S. to further his academic pursuits in the University of Dayton. “My wife and infant son remained in India. Those were extremely difficult days. Initially, I used to lock myself up in my room and cry. Then I decided that if it's pain first it's going to be gain later. I went on with life and completed my Doctorate from Carnegie-Mellon University. In the meanwhile, my wife too came to the U.S for higher studies. It was a terrible feeling. I was in Pittsburgh, my wife was in another part of the U.S., and my two sons were back in India — one with my mother and the other with my in-laws! All along, I just kept telling myself, ‘look at the positives'.”

In 1973, Bala joined Kellogg's faculty. The roadmap was clear. “It was a new beginning. I leveraged my time and sweat for academic accomplishments. I'm a huge fan of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan. His dialogue on education being a powerful weapon in one of his films left a deep impact on me.” Bala served as Chairman of the Department of Accounting Information and Management at Kellogg from 1979 to 1983. Later, he became director of the Accounting Research Centre and served there till 2006. Now, as Emeritus Professor, he continues to teach. “In education, there is no retirement. If you are passionate about something, there's only joy, no fatigue. So it's work in progress,” says the 75-year-old, who turned ‘edupreneur' at the age of 64! “It was time to give back. I had to leverage all the experience I'd got from abroad to open world-class management institutions in India,” he says adjusting the tiny golden brooch with India and U.S. flags on his shirt.

VALUE-BASED EDUCATION

First, Bala helped set up the Management Development Institute in Gurgaon. Next, it was the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad. “I sold my property in Neelankarai and founded the Great Lakes Institute of Management in Saidapet, Chennai. In two years, GLIM made such a name for itself that we were able to move to a sprawling campus near Mahabalipuram.” (Incidentally, GLIM is one of the few Platinum-rated campuses, what with its stringent green code.) GLIM's strengths are its faculty, curriculum and guest lecturers. “We get the best names, even Nobel Laureates to interact with the students.” A strong believer in values, the ‘not-for-profit' GLIM has a programme called Karma Yoga that's compulsory for all its MBA students. “Our motto is passion with compassion. We want AC-room-bound executives to experience slums, interact with and support poor people. Many villages near Mahabalipuram have benefited from this programme.” A visionary, he has also made learning of Mandarin compulsory. “I want our students to not just learn Mandarin, but also be aware of Chinese culture. With China poised for a big leap in the world scene, it will be useful to them in the years to come.”

After launching the Mumbai Business School last year, Bala is now busy setting up the Great Lakes University of Corporate Excellence in Bhubaneshwar. “It will be value-based business education with undergraduate and MBA programmes. We plan to open it in 2013. I've been invited by the Gujarat Chief Minister too to set up a management institute in Baroda. But I'm yet to decide on that.” It's apparent that he doesn't want to dilute Brand Bala. “If I lend my name, I should be totally committed,” says the professor, whom India Abroad named among the 50 most influential Indian Americans.

A big fan of Tamil movies, Bala took time off to pick up 60 DVDs during his recent visit. I went and watched ‘Deivathirumagal' and was moved by it. I'm a big fan of Sivaji and Rajnikanth. We have a lot to learn from our movies and our stars.”

LSD QUOTIENT

Bala's belief in communication as a tool to connect, rather than make a statement, is evident. As he relates anecdotes and parables, it's almost noon, and you haven't realised it! “Lord Ganesha is my ultimate CEO. And I often talk to students about the LSD Quotient — Lakshmi for wealth that will help you serve, Saraswathi for knowledge that's empowerment, and Durga for courage that will enable you to take risks. In life, there's this constant conflict between emotional quotient and intelligence quotient. I wish to balance the two.”

EASY EDUCATION

*DVDs such as Little Einsteins have always fascinated me. I plan to involve myself in bringing out similar DVDs that educate children effortlessly. It will be a part of the AIM for Seva project initiated by Swami Dayananda.

*I also plan to write a how-to book for parents. It will deal with shaping the minds of children in their formative years. I think the first 12 years in a child's life is very important. It lays the foundation for his/her future. It's important to inculcate good manners, discipline and compassion. Be strict without being dictatorial. I call it ‘tough love.'

*I'm also co-authoring a book on the softer side of software giants with my student. We plan to get into the life-changing incidents and the formative years of their lives.

The Vice-Chancellor who treated me like his son

P. RAMALINGAM
(The writer's email id is: ppchellaan@yahoo.com)

For me, it is an occasion for recollecting this grand personality standing in his immaculate long coat and dhoti worn in typical South Indian panchakatcham with medal and turban, without which he does not meet people.

I was admitted to B.Sc in Benares Hindu University in 1945. I had got admissions in all the three colleges in Madras — Loyola, Presidency and Tambaram Christian. But due to father's ‘ziddi' (it appeared to me as a stupid idea at that time), I landed at the university main gate three days ahead of reopening. At 16 and with no knowledge of a single word of Hindi, it was all a world lost for me. I was dispatched by train to Benares via Howrah. I had a first class railway pass as my father was a medical officer in the then M&S M Railway. I was timid by nature. My father had got my admission card from Principal Godbole from Shimla and I was told that I would be allotted a hostel room on arrival. When I landed at the imposing (to me) university gate, the security people had a hearty laugh and, in their broken English, told me that I would not find a crow on the campus and the offices would open only after three days. It looked as if I should go back home and face my father's ire.

Then I remembered that I had a letter from a friend of my father introducing me to his father at 80, who was living in the Hanuman Ghat area, where elders like him stay till the end of their life. He dips in the Ganga three times a day and, after Sandhyavandanam, goes to the Viswanath Temple in wet clothes. I had and still have a lot of reverence for such people when I see them. With this letter as my only hope, I asked a cyclerickshaw driver to help me find this old man at the Hanuman Ghat. The rickshawwallah was a Muslim, very courteous to me. He offered to wait until I spotted the old man. He is still a model of human behaviour. On enquiry, the local people told me that I should wait at the ghats and the old man would definitely come at 12 noon sharp for his rituals.

At the stroke of 12, an old man came running down the steps and, after a dip in the river, ran up the ghats in wet clothes. I ran after him calling “Mama, mama, I have a letter for you.” He quickly read the letter and asked me to hurry up and follow him after taking a dip in the river. By the time, I paid off the rickshaw driver, who was happy to have put me in safe hands. After my first visit to the temple, we went to the old man's small accommodation. He had a very hospitable group and neighbours, unlike the present day neighbours in flats, who just do not know who is living the next door.

The next morning, he went with me to the university gate and said he wanted to meet the Vice-Chancellor. The people at the gate did not probe why he was meeting the Vice-Chancellor, unlike as employees would do nowadays. On getting OK from the Vice-Chancellor's residence, we were ushered into the drawing room and offered coffee and asked to wait. Sir. S. always meets people only after 10 a.m. unless he is dressed up. He was in the room upstairs.

When he came down, the Vice-Chancellor met my local guardian, the old man. Coming to know of my problem from this guardian that the boy did not even know Hindi and had to stay with him without any facility for three days, he called up the hostel warden Pande on the phone and asked him to accommodate me in a room close to his residence. He advised the warden to take care of my food requirements, treating me as his guest until the hostels opened after the vacation and I was allotted a room.

Can you imagine a Vice-Chancellor going out of the way to help a newcomer student! How can I forget this rare specimen of human understanding? Today at 83, it is my privilege to recall him. To Sir, with love.