Alma mater, alumni and some musings - 1

 

Alma mater is a school, college or university that one has attended or from which one has graduated. Alumni is the plural noun for a group of graduates. Both are descriptions from the dictionary. These words have a much deeper, romantic and even spiritual meaning than what the dictionary says. It goes without saying that this group will be most happy when their rendezvous is their Alma mater. The CMS college celebrates the old students' meet on the 26^th of January every year with the enthusiasm of the old students once again back in the campus, soaring sky high. The function used to start in the evening and the aesthetically illuminated campus was a delight to watch. I am sure that no other campus in Kerala can match this unique elegance. Almost every year there used to be a “Ganamela” led by  Mr Prem Prakash, film producer and actor. I remember the “Pyaar Ka Nagma” duet by him and his highly talented daughter Thankam, which mesmerised the audience. Programmes like this transcended the alumni to nostalgic spots back in space and time. But these days, there are some dark areas in this otherwise beautifully lit campus.

The small playground opposite to the principal’s bungalow serves as the parking place for vehicles and is often poorly lit. But in the sedate moonlight the place is the ideal romantic place for people to assemble on an occasion like this and share old memories. People who were students here during different years forms different groups and “naturally” transforms to “high-spirited” ones. A few years back on such an occasion every parked car was acting like a mini bar. Even in their inebriation they posed no problem to the function probably because of their love for the college. Yet there were many who wondered whether this should happen in the campus. When Prof Korah Mani became the principal he changed the timing of this function from evening to morning. I still remember a very bold statement he made then. “I will not allow this college founded by committed, selfless missionaries with great vision to be converted into a tippler’s haven.

In 2005, I along with my family was in my Alma mater, the St: John’s college Agra. My wife and children were surprised to see me kneeling at the steps of the Physics department and removing my shoes before entering the place to which I owe my life, the place where I met Ghose Sir and Ram Sir who changed my entire concepts of learning and teaching Physics. The place cannot but be so sacrosanct to me.

As I don’t have the eloquence to portray my feelings as to what an Alma mater should be to its alumni, may I invoke the words of the greatest of the children of CMS, the former president of India, Shri K R Narayanan. During one of his visits to the college he made the following statement, “ every visit to the CMS college is a pilgrimage to me”. Isn’t this the ultimate statement regarding one’s love or bhakthi for one’s alma mater? Isn’t it a sin to go against the divine spirit of this ultimate statement and also against the soul embedded in those three magical letters, CMS?