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Mulling over the choice of a theme for this souvenir, my colleagues and I thought of inviting articles that would reflect the many facets of College, which make it a special place. I realise, and the reader too may have noticed, the ease with which I refer to St. Stephens as College. I do not even recall the exact period in my life when I began to think of College as College. All Stephanians attain, effortlessly, this state of nirvana sooner or later. Certainly, it came naturally and without conscious effort to me and I do know that I cannot possibly call it anything else. Most of us, whose lives have been touched by College in some fashion or the other, tend to bond in an almost irrational and at times seemingly juvenile way with it. For my part, I spent some of the best years of my life in College while a student. I also know that such a sentiment stems from the extraordinarily congenial and convivial environment that I found myself in when I enrolled as a student. I still recall my first visit to College when I was seeking admission. The layout of the campus seemed vastly different from most other campuses that I had encountered. There are less than a handful of institutions in India, educational or otherwise, whose architectural design beckons a first time visitor with a similar dignity and ease. Ones identity is not overwhelmed; not even by the stately bearing. Any visitor to College, after a cursory familiarisation, will sense a purpose in the planning that transcends the immediate and mundane needs of space. Gradually, with time, one realises that the architecture, by conscious design, induces the right balance between ascetic austerity and the good cheer that is so vital for the growth of knowledge. This is as good a time and place as any to express ones admiration of Walter George for such farsighted and aesthetic planning and execution of a timeless monument. The admiration increases when one realises the scarcity of building materials at that time due to the war. There are other things that I recall fondly such as the valuable collection of books in the library and its orderliness, the high standards of student humour and the level of interaction between the faculty and the students. With time, I also sensed the importance of some of the traditions and mores. But, the extraordinary universality and elevated quality of values, tastes and predilections that cut across all barriers and restrictions of time, religion, caste and geography amongst the students is what, well and truly, stands out. This generated a great deal of vibrant humour, bonhomie and a fair amount of irreverent intellectual vigour, which was hard to find anywhere else. All this was as evident on the cricketing field when we used to be regularly pitted against our rivals across the road as it was during the Mukherji debates. It was just as visible in the college café as it was on the pages of Katy and Spice. The corridors of residence would resound with it during cricketing sessions with assorted equipment that ranged from wine bottles (I actually used to bat with one!) to squash balls or during voluble debates about the attributes of the leading ladies of the latest in cinematic releases. The Winter Fest would also amply demonstrate these qualities through the soap box oratory and other events. The Wodehouse Society would keep us on tenterhooks till the unannounced launch of the practical joke week when once again some of the finer qualities of life in the college would come to the fore. The activities of the Social Service League would do anyone proud. These qualities were also evident in the highly acclaimed productions of Shakesoc. There have been other worthy reasons expressed almost through a collective consciousness, which endear College to us. To me, College was blessed from almost its very inception by a healthy collection of fine traditions and mores. For, I have noticed a sense of dedication and purpose coupled with the right degree of liberalism all along its history. How else does one explain the reconciliation between the underpinnings of an institution that was deemed an extension of the Raj and the sacrifices of some of its students who were martyred during the freedom struggle. Above all else, how will one rationalise the dominance and appreciation of luminaries such as C. F. Andrews and S. K. Rudra who openly aided and abetted Gandhijis efforts during the freedom struggle. Why else would the Mahatma choose to stay in College during the early years of his struggle for freedom while visiting Delhi? Why is the group photograph of the Mahatma and Kasturba with the faculty displayed so prominently in the office of the Principal? I think Ram Guha's article will extol all that I am trying to say in a more accomplished fashion. There is something else that I recall with amusement. In my time it was fashionable not to be seen studying. This may perhaps have bred a certain laid back attitude in so many of us with sometimes disastrous consequences when we first confronted the real world. Doing well in the examinations was no major reflection on the effort put into studying. Most of my fellow students who did remarkably well in the examinations seemed to have all the time on earth for myriad activities almost till the last few weeks of the third term. Two major changes that marked my time were I think the crucial phase of transition in the mindsets of the students from thinking of themselves as potential bureaucrats to perceiving themselves as potential managers and the induction of the livelier sex. Rajendra Bhatia's article will mention some of the above things with good insight and in a more amusing and pointed manner.
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