Sunday, April 11, 2021

Professor STH Abidi - A flood of Pleasant Memories

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Professor Abidi was the first member of our Physics Faculty I met with, as soon as I joined IIT KGP on May 1st 1965 (May Day was not a holiday then).

After giving my Joining Report, I was in the Physics Office to get to know  my duties.

And a fair, thin, handsome, spectacled gent of medium height arrived there to check his mails. 

And our Office Secretary, Sri Dulal Ghoshal, introduced him to me as Professor Abidi from Lucknow.

After shaking hands, Professor Abidi led me to the Co-Operative Canteen (then housed under the Netaji Auditorium) for the customary celebratory cup of tea.

There I found half a dozen of my future colleagues under the mango tree outside the Canteen; some standing, some sitting...all immersed in a group discussion of a paradox relating to the Archimedes Principle. 

That was a strange sight to me. I never saw any such thing at my university.

Professor Abidi introduced me to the group; and I came to know that it is the 'Canteen Physics Society' chaired unofficially by Professor Mohinder Singh Sikand.

And for the next 30 years till Professor Sikand retired, Professor Abidi and I were fixtures there. Just listening in would teach me the physics that is not easily found in books.

Pretty soon, I found that Professor Abidi was blessed with a charming personality. I never saw a frown on his face.

His lectures were most popular. Whether the class had 12 students or 120, he held them all spellbound. He was a most willing teacher. I guess during his 40 years there he must have taught all physics courses at all levels, except perhaps Electronics.

Professor Abidi was a silver-tongued orator. In every Farewell Function of the Department, he would be the lead-speaker, starting his speech with an Urdu Couplet composed by himself.

He was a born leader of men. When, in 1990, six of us were assigned to teach an inaugural Quantum Mechanics Course for the six  B Tech Sections, we elected Professor Abidi unanimously as our Course Coordinator for the next 3 years.

When the Old Building was renovated and turned into the Nehru Museum of Science and Technology, Professor Abidi was picked up as its Chairman. With Professor Mandakini Majumdar as the Secretary, the Museum  sparkled within a year. Numerous Working Models got housed in each and every room of that building. And a Steam Loco was brought from SE Railways as a gift. Also a Hunter plane from the Air Force Station in Kalaikunda. I specially loved an outdoor exhibit of two swings acting as Coupled Pendulums.

Monthly Exhibitions and Contests were held in which the Campus Community delighted.

Professor Abidi and Professor Mandakini Majumdar did me the greatest honor by publishing a writeup I had made for Professor GS Sanyal as the first Publication of NMST.

Professor Abidi had laudable administrative skills. Together with the legendary Professor Bhola Avasthi, his neighbor, Professor Abidi acted as Warden of several Halls of Residence. He had a way with students.

At one time the Technology Students Gymkhana used to publish two prestigious periodicals, Alankar (English) and वातायन (Hindi). I found Professor Abidi's articles and poems there once in a while.

Professor Abidi had amazing social skills. On every Diwali he would visit his friends' homes along with his wife (herself a published Urdu poet). And their friends would reciprocate their visits on every Eid. Once, Professor RS Saraswat took me to Professor Abidi's Quarters where we were fed sumptuously.

Professor Abidi's sense of humor is memorable.

Once, he was returning from the Canteen while I was heading there. He stopped me and asked me this question:

"Professor Sastry! One who has read four Vedas is called 'Chaturvedi'. Three Vedas 'Trivedi'. Two Vedas 'Dwivedi'. What about one who read zero Vedas?"

I said I didn't know. And he revealed his answer:

"A-bedi (Abidi STH)"

And then I asked him:

"What about the one who read only one Veda?"

He said he couldn't guess.

And I gave my impromptu answer:

"Bedi (Bhishen Singh)"


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14 comments:

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Zilebi said...



కుశలమేనాండీ ?

మీరీ మధ్య శంకరాభరణములో కనిపించటం లేదేమిటి ?


జిలేబి

Anonymous said...

happy

Anonymous said...

i am feeling good. What a blissful surprise hearing frrom you! 🙏

varshakush said...

"What an incredible first impression of Professor Abidi! It's amazing how he made you feel welcomed and instantly immersed in the academic environment at IIT KGP."
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abhay said...

"I love how the introduction to the Canteen Physics Society was so informal yet intellectually stimulating. It must have been an unforgettable experience."
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Akanksha said...

"This brought back such fond memories of my time at IIT KGP. The camaraderie among faculty members and the passion for physics was always palpable."
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Bhanu said...

"Professor Abidi’s approach to welcoming new faculty shows how important it is to foster a sense of belonging right from the start. Such a thoughtful gesture."
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gautam said...

"The image of Professor Abidi leading you to the Canteen for tea, and introducing you to future colleagues, paints such a vivid picture of warmth and academic engagement."
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getindustrialproducts said...

"The concept of the 'Canteen Physics Society' sounds fascinating! It’s great to see how students and faculty could have such lively discussions outside the classroom."
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kajal said...

"It’s interesting how the first impression of the place and the people shaped your experience at IIT KGP. A welcoming environment can make all the difference."
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karishma said...

"The description of the group discussion on Archimedes’ Principle is so intriguing. It’s a perfect example of how physics can be a fun and thought-provoking topic, even in casual settings."
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Naina said...

"I’ve always admired Professor Abidi’s teaching style, and this story is a great example of his influence on students and colleagues alike."
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