Percussive Sublimation

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From : Peter Principle:

"Percussive Sublimation":

Def: When someone is kicked upstairs to get him out of the road and unblock other promotions.

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From the day I joined the Physics Dept at IIT KGP  to the day I retired forty years later, I was a fixture in our 4th year lab. The reason was simple: "that" lab was an Electronics Lab, and Electronics was my Special Paper in my MSc, and I had hands-on experience in electronics over the two lazy years I spent in Waltair thereafter. So I took to it like a duckling takes to water.

But I was never made its Lab-in-Charge since "that" post was the preserve of experimental researchers while I turned out to be a theoretical researcher. 

No problem...I was always happy...

Then Prof M became HoD. And he didn't know much except that he wanted perhaps to prove that a theoretical physicist is no good at lab. 

So he made me its Lab-in-Charge.

"That" was the opportunity I was waiting for...

Within a semester, with the valuable help of Dr B, I replaced soldering irons with breadboards, single beam oscilloscopes with dual-beam ones, transistors with chips, analog frequency meters with digital ones, old interferometers with new ones, laser diffraction etc etc.

The lab became popular, and Prof M fell in love with me since the credit goes to the HoD who alone represents the Dept in meetings with the Director.

Fine, no problem, since I was already a Professor by virtue of my donkey seniority if nothing else.

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Then Prof M  wanted one of my own earlier students Dr S to be promoted as a Professor. 

Dr S was the one who wrote this about me in my late lamented sixtieth year Tribute:

"A hundred moons may be born

A thousand suns may blaze

In this intense brilliance

Without my teacher, There is pitch darkness"

Dr S

Dept of Physics, IIT KGP"

http://gpsastry.blogspot.com/2011/09/sweet-sixty.html

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"Hey! Sastry! I want Dr S to be promoted as Professor. Can I please make him the 4th year Lab-in-Charge since it will be a prime extra qualification?"

"Sure, why not? He is an experimental physicist, and most suited and I love him"

"But I want YOU to stay in that Lab"

"Sure I will stay and work under him"

"No...no...You are much senior and I will be criticized if I make you work under him. I thought of creating a new position called "Guide & Advisor" for you as a special case. Will that be ok with you?"

"Wonderful! Wonderful!!Wonderful!!!"

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Twenty years later, here is the e-mail I got from Prof M:

Dear Sastry,

It is more than a decade we had met last in IIT. Your writings in the souvenir are the excellent ones. Perhaps you don't know that I happen to be one of your admirers because of your caliber, simplicity, aloofness and helpful attitude towards all. I understand that you are now staying at Hyderabad.

How are your wife and your son? Regards and best wishes for all of you,

Yours sincerely,

Prof M

Please respond. I like to keep contact with you.....

😊

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