REC, Trichy to NIT, Trichy

January 21, 2006 

August 2005, Vivek and I (from the Class of ‘99) went on a maiden trip to REC, Trichy. It took a lot of convincing on my part to ask Vivek to be a guest blogger and post this entry. For I could have never done justice to this entry. Over to the RECTian..

Trichy Central Bus Stand.

“REC Trichy nikkuma?” (read: will you stop at REC Trichy?). I asked the conductor, with a knapsack hanging over my shoulders, dressed in an attire befitting a RECTian. Purani jeans, fati chappal and well, 6 years of work experience :)
The same old dirty harry look, frown on his face and finally a statement “last la eru”. (read:”Board in the end”). Well, what were you expecting!

But things have changed. The dinchuk dinchuk music is now complemented with the tall dark fat hero gyrating to an equally plump heroine. Now, was it my lucky day! I just felt transported to midnight 12 ‘o clock SUN TV. Rain rain don’t go away. Come again tomorrow night ;)

Sure, you must be wondering 6 years out of college, making a trip AGAAAIN? Ok, before you all jump, I cleared all my exams long back :) Bigger and better things have happened. I went to get a DAMNED reco and transcripts (and the priceless look on my HOD’s face). Yeah yeah my next leap to fame.

Tanjore Road. Take me Home. To the place I belong…
Crossing the “grass-y” patches of Thiruverumbur, training centre of BHEL (reminiscent of the Ice Cream), 1st year’s escape route of TREC-STEP,
Association of Genius And Talented Engineers, standing magnificently in the distance reminding me of the golden years, alas! which have passed by…and lo! there stood the “chathurmukhi” ..ClockTower..


The tolling of the iron bells
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic( yeah sure) spells of the great RECTian illuminati (read: my profs)

An event has passed, I have managed a “ceremonious” exit from the already hurrying bus and the conductor and well, THE TIME HAS COME to enter the MAGICAL KINGDOM.
BUT…OH MY LORD


What have they done Maggie(in this case my wife Lakshmi) what have they done
What have they done to RECT
Should I shout should I scream

A Kingdom has been lost. Once where stood the mighty REC, with all its ruggedness, non-chalance and a no-care attitude, now stands a spic and span NIT - smooth, polished and almost feminine.

I stood there glued with half a mind to cross the road, grab a quick tea from Sam Fox (boys, she is still out there getting her young, but more nubile and enchanting) and waive down a passing 128 to get out and get away. I AM STONED IMMACULATE !!!

With lead for my feet, a lump in my throat I chose to take the steps that open up to the infamous A23 Exam Hall. Oh come on! We all have been there. But I am sure you couldn’t have even dreamt of this …”CELL PHONES ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THIS EXAM HALL”.


People are crazy and times are strange
I’m locked in tight, I’m out of range
I used to care but - things have changed.

Almost like a man on fire, I finished the paper work that would get me the coveted transcripts. Now, started the journey to my bete noir - a walk to the Instrumentation and Control Engineering Department. To lay my hands on the piece of paper, for which men and women have toiled and burnt the midnight oil studying - the recommendation letter.

Spent 4 years getting out of this place and his gaze, 6 years later back to where it all started. He was a genius who said, “beta, life is a full circle”. Wish, this wise man existed jab main chota bachcha tha, badi shararat kartha tha…

Time to meet the man himself, KK AK(nothing short than the head of KKK for me), who always encouraged me to “stop wasting my dad’s money”. And here I stood all humbled to ask him to sign my recommendation letter. With a soft knock on his door, I entered where the angels fear to tread. The look on his face, admitting recognition, but his grey cells forcing “Do I know you?”.


The ensuing conversation —-

“Sir, Vivek Nath. Roll No. IC…38. Batch of ‘99″.
(Man O Man. It was a KODAK moment.)

The first words ..”Have you still not cleared REC?”
Sure..learnt one thing today…”Old fame dies hard”.

“Sirrr, I have cleared it all and I am here for something else.”

His next words, “Are you gainfully employed?”

Coming from the world of CTCs, Incentives and Performance Bonuses, it sure was a shocker when he asked “What is your scale?”

Trying to make sense of the question, it took a few seconds to process what he meant. Seeing the puzzled look on my face, he muttered hesitantly, “How much do you earn?”

“Sir, enough to sustain myself.” (though I felt like saing I’ve stopped wasting my dad’s money. I waste my own)

<>>

Not to break your hearts..REC still exists.

This was more than a mere name change from REC to NIT. On a closing note,

The sun is the same in a relative way, but you’re older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

The time is gone
The song is over
Thought I’d something more to say

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Comments

9 Responses to “REC, Trichy to NIT, Trichy”

  1. Manivannan on June 7th, 2009 2:51 pm

    Dear Vivek,

    Thanks for this post. Felt Nostalgic. I am from 94 batch (chem). Yes, things must have changed. I also feel that the rustic look it had has given way to the changing times, more cosmetic and less stuff.

    Whatever, still it evokes unexplicable feelings. A part of all of us stays there, still, and always.

  2. M.Fernandopulle. (FERNI) Sri Lanka on July 20th, 2009 5:20 pm

    Just a note. I belong to 1977 -1982 B.Tech Chem Engg group. two years ago we had our 25th year celebrations in RECT. Lot of changes in the out look, still brings a lot of nostalgic feelings nearly 75 or oue batch mates met together.
    Regards
    FERNI

  3. Manickam Manickam (Manix) 1984/5 Mech Engg on August 3rd, 2009 7:18 pm

    Drove by the campus (in the middle of the night) sometime in Feb 2009. Couldn’t recognize the staff entrance. Main entrance looks totally different. My batch’s 25th year reunion is coming up in December 2009. Looking forward to it.

    Regards from a RECTian,

    Manickam

  4. K. Manikandan on January 1st, 2010 5:38 pm

    Dear Vivek,

    Nice to see your blog and recall things. Is BHELEC cinema is still there?

    ONCE A RECTian IS ALWAYS A RECTian.

    Unfortunately, I could not make it to our batch reunion meet on 26/27 Dec.09.

    Regards
    K.Manikandan
    Chemical engg. batch ( 1980-84) & presently working in Bahrain.

  5. M R Krishnan on July 13th, 2010 7:39 am

    Hi vivek

    Iam from the 1972- 77 batch when thuvakkudy was still unexpurgated and RECT was as wild as the wild west can get.

    There was nothing betwixt the sapphire hostel and the thondamanpatti meter gauge rly station.

    Grass was a weed that was smoked and none anyway grew on the parched land. Trees were a few and far in between.

    Do you know the acronym “RECTUMS” stood for REC trichy University of Madras

    of course now it is wrecked tums

  6. sridar .k on September 1st, 2011 3:53 pm

    Dear Vivek, I am 78 passed out civil .You have really re captured the scenes we enjoyed.Thanks a
    lot.

  7. Jishnu on October 28th, 2011 11:40 pm

    Real sentimental stuff, Vivek’s blog. Even more sentimental were the comments that follow.. I m a recent pass out and like many of my colleagues, had plans of never setting foot on that campus again.
    Reading this blog , with the vivid imagery created rite from the bus journey to the admin… just gave me the feeling that I am visiting that place again to re-live all thet good times and in traditional ways, re- live the memories of the bad . Kudos to all of you sirs for keeping the nostalgia alive through these years.. Great reading ..

    Jishnu
    2011

  8. Selvyn on April 14th, 2012 1:45 am

    Well written ,brought back so many memories.

    Selvyn
    Class of ‘79

  9. Sridhar aka THANJU on May 11th, 2012 5:43 pm

    I am from 1981-85 batch. I visited RECT in Dec 2010 for our 25th year alumni meet. We had 250 students in the whole batch then. Of which more than 150 mates turned up for the event. Many with their families. We had invited our good old friend and Prici Prof.S.Manisundaram - well, let me refer to him as Mani Mama, as we always used to in the good old days. he was great as ever. The professors were still sounding as energetic as they used to be. One of my professors even remembered me with a clean shaven look of early 80s but now sporting a moustache now!

    I was not very happy to see the campus - the unkempt basket ball court, the haphazardly laid fences, poorly maintained Hostels, etc. I am very proud of my College though. Hope they would do something about the premises.

    I enjoyed the experience of most of my batchmates after 25 long years.

    - Thanju Sridhar, BE(Mech)

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