40 Memories of another close friend – Dr.M.N.Neelakantan

In a previous note in these memoirs of my life in REC campus, I have  paid my tributes to  many friends who have  helped  me and family  for our  comfortable stay here. But, today, I would like to remember a real friend and colleague of mine who left   for Australia for his higher studies just a few days after my joining REC and returned after three years. Our acquaintance   therefore started only after his return from Adelaide. His name is M N Neelakandan, the   person who almost single headedly set up the  computing facilities and Computer Science department in REC Calicut.

We used  to address Dr.M.N.Neelakantan as MNN. Just like  Dr.Y.Venakataramani(YV)  , MNN has helped me a lot in many ways. After passing out from College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram, MNN   joined Baroda University to do his Masters in Control Systems and then joined REC  Calicut.  He was senior to me by about 3 years  or more. He was a real gem of a person and a typical Malayali priest (Namboodiri)  hailing from an ancient family in Kaduthuruthy near Vaikom in Ernakulam district. Members of his family (Marangat illam) were the traditional priests of a rare Sun temple in Kaduthuruthy. Once he told me casually that even after going to Australia, he used to conduct special   pooja  for the Sun god at least  once in a week. After a few months of his return  from Australia,  myself and MNN appeared for the post of Assistant Professor (Instrumentation & Control Systems) and he had promised me a treat  for appearing  for the interview. As the only external candidate called for interview did not turn up for the interview he was doubtful whether the post will be re-advertised if I also did not appear for the interview. Naturally, as he richly deserved the post, he was promoted and I enjoyed his treat several times on his promise. 

    

Dr.MNN’s most significant contribution to the institution was the setting up the computing facilities in the college and the department of computer science. We all belonged to the Department of Electrical Engineering till 1996 and the B Tech course  in Electronics Engineering and Computer Engineering were proposed and  initiated by the department of Electrical Engineering. Later as the EE department grew too large, the departments of Electronics and Communication Engg (ECE) and Computer Science and Engineering(CSE)  were  separated from the parent EE department. Just as Dr.YV was the heart and soul of ECE  department, Dr.MNN  became the  heart and soul of  CSE department.  Even after trifurcation, many of we, senior colleagues lived as members of the same family. For the two courses in ECE and CSE,  Dr.YV and Dr.MNN were totally involved from the  B Tech course proposal stage to setting up of the  laboratories in the two departments. Dr.MNN  was also  instrumental in setting up the Computer  Centre as a central computing facility  for the whole  college.

In the beginning, as very few Computer Science graduates were available, many members of faculty    with basic degree in allied areas and specialization at Masters or even PhD level were appointed to the CSE department. This way, Dr.MNN has helped  many of his students from EED to migrate into CSE  department as lecturers, Assistant professors and later as professors.  Naturally   Dr.MNN became the Head of CSE department and Dr.YV the Head of ECE Department. Subsequently when   REC became National  Institute of Technology, Dr MNN  became the  Dean Planning & Development  for a few years. As trifurcation of the parent EED  was  done  in 1995   before I became Head of EED,  I could not  become Head of the department with YV and MNN  in my department.

The very first computer to be bought in REC Calicut was an IBM PC of Hindustan Computers Ltd (HCL Workhorse) which was installed in a small room on the first floor of Departmental building in 1982.  Fortunately, I was also associated with this from the beginning by virtue of my experience in working on several computer systems in I.I.T.Delhi, Indian Meteorology Department and  Institute of Petroleum Exploration,ONGC. HCL Workhorse was a small PC  with a  single  terminal and floppy  drives. Even with that, we could conduct several Computer Programming courses for the public for generating some income. Theory classes were held in schools like Providence Girls’ High School in Calicut city and practical classes in the campus  in the week ends. As most of us had studied only  FORTRAN  for our computing work,  along with DR.MNN, Dr.YV,  Dr. Robert Samuels(MED) and myself  took pains to study COBOL  which was of interest to the  public along with BASIC.   We used to come to Calicut after regular work in the department by college vehicle, if available, take classes  from 6PM – 8 PM and return to the campus by about 9 or 930PM. If the college vehicle was  not available, we had to travel by the  line bus in which case, reaching the  campus used to be by 10PM or later. Of course there was some additional remuneration for taking classes but this was not the main consideration for our involvement. It was unfortunate that many of the youngsters who got the benefit of a promotion to the new departments were rarely associated with such programmes. We had conducted nearly 20 or more courses like this over a period of 7-8 years and generated a reasonably good amount as revenue to the college. Dr.MNN and Dr.YV were integral part of these courses. Incidentally Dr.MNN was also helpful to me in executing my work  in connection with the government of India project for Computer Literacy and Studies in Schools (CLASS)  in our  college.

Dr.MNN was very helpful tome personally. When  I started applying for  admission to some  universities abroad, he was kind enough to  give me any number of  recommendations. In fact  both YV and MNN gave me a set of  20 or more  recommendations typed and signed on their letter heads together. Unfortunately I could not get any opportunity, which was probably my misfortune, in spite of their generosity. 

Dr.MNN was  staying in REC campus  in  the quarters but later  moved to 12^th mile  where he  constructed his own house. It was after that the Sree Krishna  temple  was constructed  with help from Chinmaya Mission. Dr.MNN was very helpful to Mr.C.V.C.Varrier  who took the initiative for constructing this temple. Only after his moving to his own house, many of our REC employees purchased land in that area and in a few years this area became almost like a New campus of REC, on the opposite side of   the college playground at 12^th mile. In fact, when I was looking for some plot at a reasonable price to build a house, he said he will help me and we had planned to meet the land owner in the evening. But when he returned after lunch, he said, sorry as some unscrupulous brokers have already seen in that area and offered a highly unrealistic price and there is no hope. The price of land which was around Rs.1000 - 1500 per cent suddenly jumped to Rs.4000/ per cent almost overnight. It is then that I decided to buy a plot in the Calicut city which was not a bad decision in retrospect.

After a few years, our dear MNN had  some  skin trouble  which  could not  be treated and finally he got some relief from Ayurvedic treatment at an ancient treatment centre near Shoranur. He had to take up the follow up treatment every year during one specified month. After retirement, Dr.MNN  moved to Bangalore to stay with his  two sons who were working there. His elder son had done his B.Tech(ECE)  from REC Calicut and was working in a Software firm whereas  his younger son was  working in  an automobile firm. Our Dr.MNN  was working in M.S.Ramaiah College  of Engg in Bangalore. During one of his annual visit to the ayurvedic centre  for treatment, he had a  massive  heart attack and succumbed  to it. Only his wife was with him during that time.

We take this opportunity to pay our   gratitude and shed a few respectful and loving tears in his memory and wish his  children and grand children  everything bright  in life and of course  his wife  health and peaceful life with her children.