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Battleground IITKharagpur - Chronicle of Maverick Chopra
The book
“Battleground IIT Kharagpur-Chronicle of Maverick Chopra” tells the readers
about a sensational success similar to public spectacles, but it is not like
those of sports, films or political personalities. It is for special audiences
and that too not the faint hearted.
Before going
further please note some pertinent observations of mine that may help you in
making the best of your valuable time and energy reading it.
I have been
associated with IITKGP from 1973 till today and except for a ten year gap which
ended when KLC was here, I have been living here. So much so I am yet to spend
certain parts of the year outside like my native pongal festival has always
been online or through mail. Except 4 directors, I was familiar in person with
all the rest. About these four, Mechanical Emgineering Professor GL Sinha, one
who needs no introduction among IITians instructed me.
In a way I
am a mini specialist historian but with no official stamp.
My writing
was meant to exhort others to know not only about IITkgp, but all IITs and
about Professor K L Chopra. Here is a small preview.
No battle is
without suspense, scars and unexpected disasters, and the years covered here
were replete with them.
Almost
twenty and five years after his departure, Prof Chopra remains etched in the
minds of residents of even the vicinity of IIT, Kharagpur.
How a
director acts as a Commander-in-chief in the battle of running IIT, wasting no
waking hour, relentlessly plotting and executing his maneuvers you may catch
some glimpses here.
When he took
over IIT, Kharagpur, it was notorious for leftist anarchy and strife to the
harm of all. He solved the problem, but without stopping there and resting, he
prodded on until the last day. In the process he made kgp free of all problems
that are still brushed under the carpet even at IIT’s and lead to regular
firefights that erupt and often make headline news.
My work of
specialization had little connection with him, yet he took more interest in it
than most others directly in mine. We more often argued or disagreed, but never
did we lose mutual respect from carelessness. My liking him or disliking
himhardly mattered to him as it should not any administrator. As mentioned in
Gita, it is your friends and relatives who can betray you and have to be dealt
with.
The
exceptional man that he was like many fellow IITians, he outdid most not from his
genius but by his tenacity, discipline and sometimes even crude ways.
How he came
to be known as a “Man who got things done”, how he could go to any extent to
keep his commitment, how he earned the title “Mr Decisive”, you can learn here.
He was a man
of action, calling a spade a spade. If you feel
uncomfortable already, please do not pick this book up.
Love him or
hate him, you cannot ignore him or the IIT, Kharagpur he made from what it was.
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