MSD
Mysore S Devaraj or MSD was the other master who left an indelible impression on our minds. In some ways, especially physically and temperamentally, he was the exact antithesis of NRB. MSD taught us Physics and Mathematics. (By the way, it was in MCC that we learnt the habit of addressing people by their initials – NRB, MSD, KB etc. I was to learn that it is something that is practised widely. I am now Cr(NRI), meaning Curator N Ramdas Iyer). In some other ways, like commitment to teaching, professionalism, integrity, mastery of their subjects etc., MSD and NRB were very similar. MSD was a Brahmin and NRB a Lingayat and this is a critical difference in Northern Karnataka.
MSD being from Mysore, did not belong to Shahabad and hence was allotted a quarter in the ABL colony. This was very near MCC and he traveled the distance on foot or bicycle. He was just about five feet tall compared to NRB’s almost six feet. He resembled Sunil Gavaskar. In keeping with the times both masters wore their hair long, a sort of hippy cut, but while NRB sported a pencil line moustache, MSD was clean shaven.
MSD was precise in the lectures on Physics and Maths in the class. He was our class teacher in the 10th Standard. But he had a romantic streak in him as well. Occasionally he would spend a period telling us in graphic detail the story of Julius Caesar. At other times he would launch into a Mukesh number like “Jis gali me tera ghar na ho balma”. Mornings were strictly for serious study both with NRB and MSD. Post lunch sessions saw a lot of story telling and singing.
The way these people taught science brought home the fact that science is human too and that while science itself is rigorous, scientist are human beings. This is something which great scientists like Einstein and Feynman have always understood and advocated and what many pseudo scientists today tend to undermine. That my erstwhile top boss was of the firm belief that a scientist is one who essentially is non vegetarian, atheistic, objective to the extent of being mechanical, devoid of aesthetics and human values and who looked at people as a mixture of amino acids contained in a bag of skin, shows how far ahead of the times were MSD and NRB.
MSD being from Mysore, did not belong to Shahabad and hence was allotted a quarter in the ABL colony. This was very near MCC and he traveled the distance on foot or bicycle. He was just about five feet tall compared to NRB’s almost six feet. He resembled Sunil Gavaskar. In keeping with the times both masters wore their hair long, a sort of hippy cut, but while NRB sported a pencil line moustache, MSD was clean shaven.
MSD was precise in the lectures on Physics and Maths in the class. He was our class teacher in the 10th Standard. But he had a romantic streak in him as well. Occasionally he would spend a period telling us in graphic detail the story of Julius Caesar. At other times he would launch into a Mukesh number like “Jis gali me tera ghar na ho balma”. Mornings were strictly for serious study both with NRB and MSD. Post lunch sessions saw a lot of story telling and singing.
The way these people taught science brought home the fact that science is human too and that while science itself is rigorous, scientist are human beings. This is something which great scientists like Einstein and Feynman have always understood and advocated and what many pseudo scientists today tend to undermine. That my erstwhile top boss was of the firm belief that a scientist is one who essentially is non vegetarian, atheistic, objective to the extent of being mechanical, devoid of aesthetics and human values and who looked at people as a mixture of amino acids contained in a bag of skin, shows how far ahead of the times were MSD and NRB.
posted by Ramdas Iyer at 9:50 PM
2 Comments:
This is Prasad from shahabad.
yes Ramdas I remember NRB used to teach us in tenth std. There was an incident which the great "GEORGE" had triggered which included NRB and a girl student from our class and has pasted their names high on the school wall. I remember NRB had come to our class and menacingly threatened us to destroy our cumulative record books.
Hi Prasad
Gr8 hearing from you and happy to see that you are following my blog. Which batch are you from? I welcome every single reminiscence of MCC from all of you. I am writing from a period when NRB was an icon. I understand that things changed slightly in your time. Do send more of your memories.
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