56 Years Later, Laughter Echoes Through Time
Fifty-six years have passed, yet the memories of IITM cling to the ‘68 batch like inseparable covalent bonds. The trees, silent sentinels, whisper tales of two eras. They saw them arrive, fresh-faced and full of dreams, leaves rustling promises beneath their eager steps. Now, decades later, those same branches offer shade to weathered faces etched with stories, their laughter echoing a familiar tune amidst the changing seasons.
The Heritage Centre became a time machine, each picture a portal to a shared past, sparked anecdotes and ignited forgotten chapters. Engineering instruments, once wielded with youthful curiosity, whispered tales of triumphs and near-disasters, their explanations seasoned with the wisdom of years.
This meet-up sparked Mr. Sivakumar from the batch 1968 to share a Tamil poem he penned during his retirement, reflecting on the days spent at Insti. Without further ado, here is the poem along with its preface.
“In the initial years after my retirement in 2005, when I used to travel often in connection with the Moringa Leaf Project, I dabbled in writing Tamil poems during train or bus journeys. The modern Tamil poem referred to as "Pudu Kavithai," does not conform to the rules of grammar but conveys the message in a simple way. I am enclosing the poem in Tamil along with a rough English translation below. I hope it will take you to the pleasant days of your stay at IIT.” - Mr. A.Sivakumar, (’68 B.Tech.Mech Engg.IITM.)
For Tamil version of the poem, click here
Five Years of Life at IIT
Who knew in sixties that
IIT would blossom into giant institution later
At young age we faced JEE
Then we had no fear and no coaching
Pride of getting through JEE did not last long
If asked where we were studying
None would recognize the answer of IIT
Some interpreted as ITI or MIT
Some more would take it as Guindy Engg College
Cauvery Krishna, Narmada, Tapti
Static Hostels named after running rivers
Outsiders made fun of this strange practice
Knowledgeable people knew the reason
River never moves, only the water in it moves
Hostel is static, only students move in and go out
Running Buses bear Mountain Names
For this too, there is an explanation
Mountain as part of earth revolves but none there feels the speed
Likewise IIT Buses ran fast but gave comfortable ride to occupants
Class Room in first week, Workshop in next
That’s how life started at IIT
Khaki uniform turned us into factory Avatar
Never was there any dull period in five years
Happy and tough Moments appear inevitably in life
Learnt this truth during stay at IIT itself
Looked forward to Movies on Sunday nights
Periodicals would encounter us on Saturday Mornings
Others elsewhere would speculate questions from announced subjects
We at IIT would wonder which subjects we would face
To overcome tense moments, Common Room was great Relief
Music to listen, Magazines and Newspapers to read
Hostel Food and Hard Study, We overcame All
Finally Felt Proud during Convocation while receiving Degree
Despite Notable career in diverse fields by IIT Alumni
IIT became Global Brand only after IT Revolution in USA
Study in IIT was helpful then to excel in life
Entering IIT itself is looked at as an excellent achievement now
