Today marks the completion of a decade with IIM Indore. It was technically my fourth vocation, third job, and second formal job but practically, it can be labeled as the first. Is it too early to look back? Or is it too late? Nonetheless, for someone who lives so much in nostalgia, it is rather strange that I have never looked back at my years at IIMI. Maybe there isn't much. Maybe there isn't much pleasant. Maybe there isn't much to miss. Well, maybe! Let me open this room of memories for once.
The city was sleepy and rustic, mostly beyond reach due to lack of even hyper-priced taxis. The service standards were even worse. After Ahmedabad's luxury of home delivery and punctuality, Indore was a rude shock. Culturally, I was not expecting to meet Lucknow standards but well, let's say there were no standards to meet. So while city and life outside the campus was non-existent, the chances of an escape were even less because the flights and trains connectivity was non-existent.
So when I joined here, I was among the youngest lot, with not to great a difference with the age of students. In fact, many students would be of same or higher age. Particularly at MDPs (executive education for working managers) they were all much elder to me. Despite the apparent lack of authority due to age, I think I managed fine. Some of it was guts, some of it was foolhardiness, and a lot of it was sheer enthusiasm. I started with teaching PGP within a month of joining. In the very first year, I think I taught 3 major courses - Microeconomics, Business Research, and Trade & WTO. I taught many more courses in the years to come. A longish list would be too long but I can recall several variants of microeconomics, game theory, international trade, nature watch, Indian politico-economic history, and contemporary debates. In fact, I got to teach at several IIMs and even abroad.
But what was there beyond tons of classes? The so-called institution building activities? Those always turned into bitter bickering among the many seniors, leading to essentially randomly complicated and negative outcomes. In fact, when I joined here, it was a deadbeat campus. Too full of negative energy and too low on community feel. So pretty soon after joining, I started several activity forums. The first one was the nature walks, which were very enthusiastically joined by many. The second was a poetry club, which always remained small but had a loyal and strong support group. Next came a movie club with some screenings and talks. I also started a Vivekanand study circle. However, the last two didn't last long because of either lack of participation or lack of resources. I think I guided or advised or mentored (choose any word you may) many student activity clubs also - debate and literature and social work and nature club and god-knows-what! Nonetheless, the first two groups - nature walk and poetry - remained my signature for many years before I stopped myself. And why did I? Well...!
So when I was the over-enthusiastic always available extra-curricular God of everything faculty member, I was asked to do a lot many administrative jobs as well. Some small time committees, some coordination, and many big pain-in-the-wrong-places profiles, like hostel warden and so on. As an honest admission and in hindsight, I realize my mistake now. I think was too trusting for a selfish bunch, too eccentric for a bureaucratic structure, and too naive for a conniving system. I had frequent run-ins with the authorities, too many trust issues with students, and frequent tussles with the bureaucracy of the place. I gradually grew unwilling to engage with people, particularly when it could be avoided. I trimmed my portfolio of course offerings, stopped extra-curricular activities, and gave up on administrative roles. My final realization was that I am not a political person and I would drastically fail in diplomacy.
Nonetheless, I am not cribbing. I am happy. Because in the process, I made some good friends, some real good enemies too. While a lot many people left their good or bad imprints on my life, I know I changed at least some lives for good. And to me at least, that is what makes my career choice worthwhile. I am not sure how long will I be here, how long will I remain in the career choice, and given the pandemic, how long will all this world or me in this world would last. But as I complete a decade with mixed feelings - some happiness, some smiles, some gratitude, some complaints, some regrets, and some memories... I am not sure where I stand or where I go from here! It's like those lines from a favorite poem:
The city was sleepy and rustic, mostly beyond reach due to lack of even hyper-priced taxis. The service standards were even worse. After Ahmedabad's luxury of home delivery and punctuality, Indore was a rude shock. Culturally, I was not expecting to meet Lucknow standards but well, let's say there were no standards to meet. So while city and life outside the campus was non-existent, the chances of an escape were even less because the flights and trains connectivity was non-existent.
So when I joined here, I was among the youngest lot, with not to great a difference with the age of students. In fact, many students would be of same or higher age. Particularly at MDPs (executive education for working managers) they were all much elder to me. Despite the apparent lack of authority due to age, I think I managed fine. Some of it was guts, some of it was foolhardiness, and a lot of it was sheer enthusiasm. I started with teaching PGP within a month of joining. In the very first year, I think I taught 3 major courses - Microeconomics, Business Research, and Trade & WTO. I taught many more courses in the years to come. A longish list would be too long but I can recall several variants of microeconomics, game theory, international trade, nature watch, Indian politico-economic history, and contemporary debates. In fact, I got to teach at several IIMs and even abroad.
But what was there beyond tons of classes? The so-called institution building activities? Those always turned into bitter bickering among the many seniors, leading to essentially randomly complicated and negative outcomes. In fact, when I joined here, it was a deadbeat campus. Too full of negative energy and too low on community feel. So pretty soon after joining, I started several activity forums. The first one was the nature walks, which were very enthusiastically joined by many. The second was a poetry club, which always remained small but had a loyal and strong support group. Next came a movie club with some screenings and talks. I also started a Vivekanand study circle. However, the last two didn't last long because of either lack of participation or lack of resources. I think I guided or advised or mentored (choose any word you may) many student activity clubs also - debate and literature and social work and nature club and god-knows-what! Nonetheless, the first two groups - nature walk and poetry - remained my signature for many years before I stopped myself. And why did I? Well...!
So when I was the over-enthusiastic always available extra-curricular God of everything faculty member, I was asked to do a lot many administrative jobs as well. Some small time committees, some coordination, and many big pain-in-the-wrong-places profiles, like hostel warden and so on. As an honest admission and in hindsight, I realize my mistake now. I think was too trusting for a selfish bunch, too eccentric for a bureaucratic structure, and too naive for a conniving system. I had frequent run-ins with the authorities, too many trust issues with students, and frequent tussles with the bureaucracy of the place. I gradually grew unwilling to engage with people, particularly when it could be avoided. I trimmed my portfolio of course offerings, stopped extra-curricular activities, and gave up on administrative roles. My final realization was that I am not a political person and I would drastically fail in diplomacy.
Nonetheless, I am not cribbing. I am happy. Because in the process, I made some good friends, some real good enemies too. While a lot many people left their good or bad imprints on my life, I know I changed at least some lives for good. And to me at least, that is what makes my career choice worthwhile. I am not sure how long will I be here, how long will I remain in the career choice, and given the pandemic, how long will all this world or me in this world would last. But as I complete a decade with mixed feelings - some happiness, some smiles, some gratitude, some complaints, some regrets, and some memories... I am not sure where I stand or where I go from here! It's like those lines from a favorite poem:
न ज़िन्दगी विमुक्त है न मृत्यु का कसाव है
कहाँ पे आ गए हैं हम ये कौन सा पड़ाव है
न हास है न रोष है, न रिक्तता न कोष है
असत्य है न सत्य है, विशिष्ट द्वैतभाव है
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