Lessons learnt from Dr Kurien – 5

- Shekhar Roy

During my service period in NDDB, I had interactions with Dr.V Kurien on many occasions, official, demi-official and also personal.

Most of these interactions have taught some invaluable lessons which had helped in restructuring my personal value system and eventually my character.

There are small incidences which are still in my memory and the lessons learnt that I have imbibed within.

I would like to share yet another incident which influenced my personal life.

Once, at about 4 pm on a Sunday, me and my wife were walking towards the gate to catch a bus (erratically run Khetiwadi bus) for going to a movie.

Dr.Kurien was driving in and he stopped his car near the main gate and asked me to call one French FAO Expert who was staying in the Guest House.

I turned back, went to the Guest House and called the gentleman. Dr. Kurien was to take him in his car to his place in Amul campus .

Dr. Kurien then asked me where we were going? Hesitatingly I told him that we were going to Gopal Talkies. First, he pretended as if he doesn’t know where this Gopal Talkies is (He and Mrs.Kurien were regular goer to this talkies). I politely told where it is and also said that we will catch a bus.

But he just ordered us to get in and then dropped us exactly in front of Gopal Talkies.

On the way he was conversing with the French man and we were going via Purnima Society, Ganesh Chokdi, Amul Road and so on.

Those days, the wide Amul Road was under construction.

The French man was praising him for constructing such a wide road in a small town like Anand. His reply

Dr. Kurien’s reply was “ If you want to do something, you must do it perfectly and better than others, otherwise don’t do it. I am constructing this road to meet the traffic at least for the next 25 years.”

This was sometime in 1975. Another lesson on perfection and vision too.