Today on 28th Febrary, 2019, we complete forty years of togetherness and support and helping each other grow. Depending on each other under a roof and yet having our own spaces and fiercely guarding our independence. I think that is all what marriage is about. Children are a bonus and thanking God for all the blessings in this journey of life.
All the girls in the National Seminar came dressed in sarees at Berhampur University and they looked so beautiful. I enquired if the girls were instructed to wear sarees and what do they normally wear for the daily class and I was informed that the girls would wear the regular salwar kameej or Jeans for their daily wear but for special occasions they themselves come in a saree and there were no such instructions. It is really very nice to see that when the saree is no longer the preferred dress in many matripolitans cities and especially amongst the youngsters who find it very cumbersome and unmanageable, here the girls are wearing it with so much elan, pride and grace.
On 26th Febrauary, 2019, invited to deliver the Key note address in the National Seminar on Culture of India through the ages at Berhampur University. The seminar is well organised and they were able to get a large number of participants from Hyderabad, Delhi, Bengal and of course a large number of colleges from Odhisa. I also chaired two sessions and was very happy to see the wide variety of themes on which history students are working. There were a large number of papers on culture of Odhisa, on temples, tribals , women, folk songs, folk theatre, literature and art. The scholars are speaking with a lot of confidence and I was surprised to know that all over Odhisa the medium of instruction and examination is only in English medium. Very happy to be part of this seminar and thanks a lot Sadanand Nayak and Sankarsan Mallik for all your efforts in making this seminar such a big success and bringing in so many good quality papers at one forum. The very fact that they had more than eighty papers and they were able to release a book with some of these papers and bring out a publication of high quality seminar abstract speaks volumes about your hard work and efforts.
On 23rd Febryuary, 2019, I was at Kasaragod, Central University of Kerala to give the inaugural address on Women's Rights a program organised by the Politcal Science and Public Administration Department . I also took a session on Violence against women. As usual it was fun to interact with the students who were so full of questions. With so many questions on the freedom of girls and restrictions on their movements, the discussion reminded me of a time when our University in its earlier days was making special rules for the hostels and all the girls were agitating. Most of the discussion here focused on Women's entry into Sabarimala and the restrictions now being imposed by the University on girls hostels. I also met a history student from my University who is now working here and came to meet me. This is a new and upcoming University. The program was well organised and they had a medical doctor too, to take a session on Women's health besides discussing about Human rights framework, Women's rights and the CEDAW provisions. Thanks Asha Lekshmi for inviting me. A very well organised programme and like elsewhere you have such a good lot of students.
The South Indian History Congress came to an end on the third day, 10th February, with today's Validectory program. Congratulations Osmania University, History Department for organising this program so well. Every one was happy and I am indeed proud of you both Lavanya and Aruna for all the hard work. Your whole department deserves an applause. Catering to two thousand people and managing every thing in a, smooth way requires lot of leadership skills and Prof. Arjun Rao, the Head really showed this. Again I met many of my old students and unfortunately our pictures did not come clear for the hall and veranda were dark. When we attend Congress like these ones, as a teacher it is so satisfying for we meet so many of our students who come and introduce and tell us, Mam, I am so and so and you taught me this course or I was your student in such an such a year and I met so many of these students. The chief guest for the Validectory was Prof. Lavanya Vemsani from Shawnee State University, Ohio, and I thought to my self, she is looking young and what I really liked about the Chief Guest was that she understood the mood of the last day and late evening of the Congress and cut her talk really short though she had a very good paper. This has been published in the souvenir and I can read it at leasure. The best part was when, I was also called to the stage to felicitate Prof Arjun Rao, Lavanya Vemsani told me Mam you do not remember me but I was your student. The world is indeed very small especially when we are all historians meeting under a common roof.
The thirty ninth, South Indian History Congress is meeting in Osmania University from 8th to 10th February, 2019. This period is coinciding with the History Department at Osmania completing hundred years. It was great to be here and meet so many of my old students from the 1980's and 1990's now working in different Universities and Colleges across South and other parts of India. It was really nice to see all my old students introducing me to their students who are now working with them for their Ph. D. Lavanya and Aruna are now faculty in Osmania University and they were one of the organisers of the Congress. I met Harish Srinivas, Sandeep, Sasikant Das, Ramdhan, Ishwar, Vijay Laxmi, Srinivas, Raja and many many other students whom I have taught down the line. Three of my own students are presenting papers and I could attend a paper presented by Pavithra Molugu. Rizwan AHMAD, Akruti Suresh will be presenting their papers tomorrow. It is such a great feeling to be connected to your earlier students. I met Raja, who was my second Ph. D student, back then in late 1980's and now teaching in Annamalai University after ages. My daughter in law Nidhi Pande also attended the Congress with me and like any one seeing the arts College for the first time, she WAS awe struck and fascinated with the building and its ambience.The Congress is well organised and I am indeed happy to see so many faces, friends from other Universities, young scholars, and my own students all teaching and reading history. I am very proud of the fact that seven of the students who did Ph D with me are working in different Universities across India and many others whom I taught in MA or who did M. Phil with me are working in different colleges in South India and other parts of India.
