Chronicles of KGP: My Survival Story
Architecture was an unheard of choice for me when I joined IIT Kharagpur in 1973. My only choice was Chemical Engineering as I was a graduate in Chemistry working as a trainee plant operator in Synthetics & Chemicals Ltd, Bareilly. I happened to appear for JEE on encouragement from Bhupendra Tayal, a fourth year Chemical Engineering student from RK Hall who came for training in my plant. Since my all India rank was 1513 I did not get Chemical and I opted for architecture, hoping to change the department after joining, if seat fell vacant.
When I joined, warden of my hall, R. P. was Prof. B. N. Awasthi. A wonderful gentleman who heard from seniors about me being a Chemistry graduate accidentally stuck with architecture! He sought me out one day in the hall and was particularly happy that I could speak chaste Hindi, because of my U.P. educational background. He advised me to meet Head of Chemical department and also said he would speak to him about me and see if an internal transfer was possible on seat falling vacant. On enquiry, I was told that it was possible provided I fared well in the mid semester examination and if the architecture head gave a NOC for change of department and academic council approval etc. etc.
Well, I worked hard for the mid semester exam, especially for the drawing part, as science subjects were quite easy for me. The result was that I topped the mid semester exam in my batch in architecture. Thrilled, I rushed to my HOD Prof. Dr. Rohini Lal Muni Chakroborty.
“Now, Prof. Muni was, to all of us in architecture, an enigma”
He had this Charlie Chaplin-esque personality, always dressed in black trousers and white full sleeve shirt, the sleeves rolled up above the elbow, a triangulated handkerchief tucked behind the collar to absorb perspiration, which was profuse in his case, often making his specs foggy while talking! He had a pub nose, the tip of which always had a couple of beads of perspiration shining like little pearls, above a trimmed Chaplinesque moustache. He would always take the first year design class himself, primarily because he had a wonderful way of making the least interested individual also get interested in architectural learning. The foundation year was crucial in case of architecture which had few takers those days in IIT KGP, with many seats out of the 20 intake going vacant on account of no admission or students leaving after first year. In my batch we were 18 when we joined, but by second year only 14 were left.
So here I was in Prof. Muni’s cabin requesting him for a NOC to change the department to chemical. Prof. Muni pushed his black rimmed specs up his pub nose, pursed his lips with his tongue, gawking at me in silence for some time.
Nervously I told him about my Chemistry and industry background and told him about the desire to study Chemical engineering. He nodded and said, ‘Okay, gentleman, let me see your performance so far in architecture.’
He pulled out a large hand filled result sheet and mumbling my name slowly… Peeee aaaaais hori mohon pillllllllllllaaaaaaaaaiiiiii…. Searched through the result sheet for my name vertically, suddenly stopped in the middle and asked, ‘Gentleman, bhat is your roll numbaar?’
‘ 1 AR 73 271 Sir’ I said.
He continued, ‘Vaaan…A…AAAAR… sebhen… three… two… sebhen… one…’
I found all this to be too funny and waited patiently. Finally he found my name, then moved his finger horizontally along, reading out each subject name from top of the column and marks scored in each…
Then he read the total and said, ‘Bah! Beautiful… gentleman you are pharst in the batch! Congratulations!’
He stared at me from above the black rim of his specs with a smile on his lips.
I stammered and said, ‘Thank you sir…’
‘Now give me one good reason why you want to leave architecture?’ He said, his eyebrows raised and frozen in that position, his nose holding up his specs, waiting for my answer.
I was quite nervous but summing up courage I said, ‘Sir, I don’t like architecture, I want to become a Chemical engineer’
He dropped the result sheet and said, ‘Arrey bhai, why do you want to spend the rest of your life smelling darty theengs and all kinds of gas in a chemical plant, when you can sit in the comfort of your most probably air conditioned office making drawings and putting your signature over the line P. S. Horimohon Pillaai, Architect!’
He stared at me with wonder in his eyes and a frozen smile on his lips. I had no answer.
He said, ‘Okay, show me your signature…’ pulling out an A4 size blank sheet from the tray in front and giving to me.
I took the paper and signed my name on it.
He took it back, held at arms distance and exclaimed, ‘Bah! Beautifool!! You have such a beautifool signature… Arrey bhai, let me tell you, when you become an architect and set up your own office, all you need to do is to put your beautifool signature on drawings and make money! With a smile he added, ‘Drawings will be done by your staff and signature by you… simple!’
I did not know how to argue with him, yet I stood with a pleading look on my face. Silently, ignoring my presence he sat down and got busy arranging the table.
‘Sir, Please…’ I begged, my voice cracking.
“Without looking up he said, ‘Over my dead body…’”
‘Sir?’ Stunned, I asked
‘Over my dead body you can take the NOC… you close that door, kill me, and write NOC, put my signature and take it…’ He said quite seriously.
I was shocked. I knew now that nothing was going to work. With hesitation I stepped back slowly to the door. When he saw that he got up and said, ‘Do you understand why I cannot give you NOC? First of all architecture department gets very few students every year while all other departments get full students. And here you are topper of your batch wanting to leave the department. Everyone in the campus, the director, the deans… everyone will laugh and say Prof. Dr. Rohini Lal Muni Chokroborty, B.Arch. M.Arch. PhD California…FRIBA…FIIA…ABCDEFG…DDT…BBC…ETC…ETC is incapable of keeping his best student in his department!’
He stepped out from behind his desk and came near me, held me by my shoulder and said with affection, ‘ Arrey bhai, don’t worry…you will become an excellent architect…I am here to take care of you, if you have any problem any time, come to me… okay? I am proud of my boys, specially my brilliant boys who keep the tempo of the department high…’
He patted me two three times on my back and blinked behind his specs, smiling. Suffice to say I fell for his charm!
When I stepped out of the room, I heard him calling out my name, ‘Pillaaai, come here…’
I peeped from the door and entered. There he stood behind his desk holding the blank white paper with my signature on it held high with a smile on his lips…
He said in his characteristic giggle filled voice, ‘Here is your NOC to me that you will never leave the department of architecture… Remember this…’
“NEVER PUT YOUR SIGNATURE ON A BLANK PAPER EVER…”
I stood shell shocked! But got the humor and truth behind his statement and smiled to say, ‘Yes sir…’
Prof. Muni Chakroborty remained my guide, philosopher, guardian and friend for life in IIT and after. 37 years later when I got my PhD from IIT KGP the first thing I did was to visit his house in Salt Lake in Kolkata and place a copy of my PhD work at his feet.
He hugged me and said, ‘Bah!’
~ P. S. Harimohan Pillai (AR.73.271)
