Down the memory lane - M. M. Dandekar

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( Late Prof. M. M. Dandekar* Senior Prof, of Civil Engineering M. R, Engineering College, Jaipur-302004.
Taken from Silver Jubilee Souvenir)

My association with Walchand College of Engineering dates back to year 1951 when the College was not even five years old and was called New Engineering College, Sangli. It was in that year that I was admitted in the First Year Engineering. It was rather a small college of about four hundred students and we developed a sort of family-feeling in no time. The college was being run on a shoe-string budget and no wonder there were many makeshift arrangements for housing students and staff, as well as for holding classes. I remember, the first day when I was allotted a room in the hostel. I entered my room together with my partner and saw to our horror that it was a very small room. We planned to register our protest in a unique way. Just as the Rector ( Prof. Barve) was taking his round, we piled our furniture one on top of other. Chair on top of table and table on top bed and we mounted solemnly on the chairs. As soon as Professor Barve entered the room, he enquired, 'What is the matter ?' I replied in an innocent tone, "This, Sir, is the only way in which we could arrange our furniture in this small room". He immediately joined in the general laughter and put us at ease. He also helped us in arranging the furniture and showed us how it could be done. We learnt our first lesson. The smallness of the space does not matter, as long as the hearts are big.


Some of our teachers had some physical handicaps, like for instance, Prof. Kukade of Electrical Engineering was stone-deaf and Prof. Joshi of Structural Engineering used to limp a little. But because of the excellent family atmosphere of the college and also because of the excellent quality of their teaching, most of the students never even thought of mentioning such handicaps let alone ridicule them. Students, of course, had to indicate by signs to Prof. Kukade that the period bell had rung and only then he would leave the class. Once after half the period was over, I indicated by gesture that the bell had gone. He immediately caught me out and smiling broadly said ' I may not be able to hear, but I certainly can smell mischief'.

I had the singular fortune of serving on the staff of this institution of mine for quite some time. Under the stewardship of Principal Kelkar, the College was now getting firmly established as one of the leading College in Maharashtra. I learnet the art and science of teaching in these early days of my teaching career.

To day at the time of the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the College, I am sure everybody who has been associated with this College must be looking down the memory lane to revoke at least in memory his attachment with the College and be proud of the fact.

Stone walls may not make a prison, but they do make a treasure house of memories.