Those were the days! -Raj Bahadur Yadav

   Those were the days!

                                             -Raj Bahadur Yadav

 I spent the golden period of my life at Kurukshetra University as its student from 1981 to 1983. It has been long 36 years since I delivered my farewell speech  at a select gathering of my classmates and teachers in the Arts Faculty building in which the Department of English was housed then. Before the farewell party took place, there was a fierce debate as to who would thank our worthy teachers[ including eminent scholars like Dr R S Singh, Dr OP Grewal and Dr Bhim S. Dahiya] on behalf of MA[English] final year students. Some of the boys and girls came forward with their written versions,citing different thinkers and poets. But the majority opined," Whosoever wants to address us, should have the  ability and courage to speak extempore." There was a pin-drop silence for a while. Some of the boys darted an impatient look at me and  I had to promptly reply, "O.K., I shall do this job but--".  But there were no takers for my "but" as I had represented the university twice in inter-university literary debates held at Panjab University, Chandigarh. One of them assured me," Don't worry. One of us will keep standing behind the back door and knock lightly at it  to signal you to end up your speech after a gap of 15 minutes. In case, you feel short of words , just leave the stage with a graceful bow,"thank you very much"!
                                                            The KU campus is spread over nearly 400 acres of land. Memories come crowding down into my mind. In those days, the crops of wheat and paddy also grew on it. A small water canal flew  through the campus from west to east-leading to ancient Bramha Sarovar. On both banks of it, stood lovely green trees and bushes. To this day, I have not been able to understand as to how so quickly I and my classmates took bath, finished our breakfast and got ready in the morning to attend our lectures.Having crossed the Narhari Hostel located in south, we would turn towards north and then towards east dawdling along the canal, laughing and talking together. I can still visualize in my mind's eye the yellow,brown and even a few green leaves floating down from trees and falling on the running blue waters of the canal. A whiff of fresh air from the east would enter my nostrils and  intoxicate me with intense pleasure.
                       One day, one of my classmates told me,"Dr R S Singh has called you in his office". Dr Singh  was a renowned expert on Indian fiction. When I entered his august office saying,"May I come in, Sir  !" A gentle smile flitted across his face and he said to me," An inter-university paper reading contest on Fyodor Dostoevsky[1821-1881] , Russian novelist , is going to be held in the Department of English at Panjab University, Chandigarh next month. I recommend your name for the two member-team for this literary event". It was a god-send opportunity for me to prove myself as a budding scholar. In the first week of February, I 1982, I started for Chandigarh, the City Beautiful--full of art,culture,literature and culinary tastes.  I had worked non-stop for almost one month to prepare my paper on Dostoevsky's famous novel,"Crime and Punishment"[1866]. I was really lucky to have read out my paper and answered all the literary questions put to me on part of the audience in the graceful presence of Dr Darshan Singh Maini[ a reputed literary critic and poet  who  contributed for decades middle articles for The Tribune ]. I held my breath when the results were being read out. I felt I had arrived when Dr Maini himself announced from the stage,"The first prize goes to Mr R B Yadav of Kurukshetra University". As a team also, we had cruised to victory and lifted the  literary trophy in the magnificent auditorium hall of the English Department of Panjab University, Chandigarh. I shall always remain greatly indebted to my worthy teachers of Kurukshetra University, my alma mater. Dr RAJ BAHADUR YADAV