Venki’s classmates recall the time they spent together at school,university

“I was listening to the news on radio when I head his name. I wasn’t sure if he was the same person and the first thing I did in the morning was to rush to our teacher’s house to confirm the news. When we saw his picture,we couldn’t recognise him initially,” said Joseph Lobo (59),Venki’s classmate from Class VI at the convent school. Lobo has preserved the greeting cards sent by his childhood friend from Seattle.

Almost all from the school who are nearly 50 were trying to recall the thin,quiet and studious chap in their class. “For the first few months in Class VI,he was very quiet as he had just retuned from Australia with an accent which no one could understand. But subsequently he mixed up with everyone. He was not only brilliant,but friendly,level- headed and had a good sense of humour,” said Josephine Lobo (67),Venki’s English teacher in class VI.

Venki’s friends recollect the good times they spent together.

“Everyday after school,we used to go to his house at Chamelibaug and read comics and James Bond series till his parents returned from college. In the later years,we used the University’s table tennis room and even did skating there unofficially without attracting any trouble,as the peon knew his parents. Venki had his share of fun but he was also punctual with his studies unlike us,” said Ramesh Mathew,his classmate who recollects how Venki got a double promotion while he and his friends lost a year.

Deepak Thaker,his classmate,takes pride on the photograph he has preserved. “It was a small school then and the only English medium school at that time with a handful of boys. I never knew this old photograph would one day mean so much. After matriculation,we were sure he would do wonders in engineering or medicine. But we were surprised when he took up Pure Science,which was usually the last choice of students. But he had a lot of creativity,” said Thaker.

Former Head of Applied Chemistry Department,MSU,Prof Uma Chudasama,who was his Class VI classmate,said,“The majority in a class of 120 was of girls. Venki always solved our algebra sums.”

Chudasama,who is in her sixties now,recalled the incidents when Venki cried on being teased. But he used to take sweet revenge,she said.

“We studied together till we did Class XI. I also came across him while were in the Preparatory Science at MSU,” she said.

Venki’s success proves that every researcher gets his dues— all may not win Noble Prize,but they are paid for their hard work,said Chudasama.

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Murgank Merchant,said: “My father Dr G V Merchant was founder of the Baroda Medical College Orthopaedic department and Prof C V Ramakrishnan was the founder of Biochemistry department. They were close friends and Ramakrishna’s family visited us when my father died.”

Venkatraman’s achievement emphasizes on fundamentals: Sarabhai
Karitkeya Sarabhai,founder and director of the Centre of Environment and Education (CEE),released the annual issue of magazine Sankalp released by M S University’s BBA Students Association on Saturday. Sankalp highlights various activities of the BBA Students Association.

Sarabhai said,“With MSU alumni Prof Venkatraman Ramakrishnan getting Nobel prize,it is quite evident how sciences are interrelated to one another. Venkatraman was a student of Physics and he did his research in Chemistry. There is a need to know fundamentals,which is done when a person has in-depth knowledge of the subject. It is a craving to know fundamentals which makes you different. Therefore,explore more.”