Posts
Spirited Away..
10 years ago
In the world where the acts are played, by actors galore ,
Acts which soon become parts of folklore;
The vivid dynamism is there for everyone to see,
Actions of the Actors provide dividends of glee..
As the Act unfolds, are brought forth emotions, myriad,
The synchronous fallout reminds me of the flawless ballad;
From joy to sorrow; From today to the morrow;
Experiences and adaptations, from life, they borrow..
The stage seems glorious with the pomp of lavishness;
Even in penury is seen the aspect of clinical finesse,
Ah, but is it not true that the entire carnival is orchestrated?
I still wait to see if the symphony, in real life stands tested..
Transience is the only common thread I find worth recall,
Relativity of time is what makes one take a call;
In reality, the semblance of perfection prompts us to reject,
But pray, how do we know what’s perfect to judge what’s perfect?
Even as the actors get busy in their transitions;
What was played out was indeed a planned representation ,
I am compelled to think of the dynamism of real life manifestations;
A Pause, I take to evaluate this Suspended Animation….
The journey to and through IIM Shillong has been one hell of a roller coaster for me. Having attempted the CAT 5 times with the hope of getting into an IIM, Shillong was truly THE destination that I was destined to be in.
Well, I knew that the going would be tough mainly because we were orphans and had no senior batch to guide us. The infrastructure, the location, and having no precedence are great turn offs for anyone selecting an institute.
But I was looking at 2 years at IIM S more as an investment from. a point of view of leveraging the brand name, which I was sure would gain its equity 10 years thence. We all know that in the world of business, you are either from an IIM or from a non-IIM.. period
“What’s in a name?” said Shakespeare -The catch however was that all we had was a name. We were the assets who had to garner value over our time of stay. I still remember the discussions on pagalguy meant users like acdindian(myself), diablorulz(tripurari), sarvshwet(sarvesh) and mirchikris(kannan) trying to make sure brand IIM S got maximum publicity in the online space. The google docs had inputs pouring in – what we wanted to have @ IIM S, how should we differentiate ourselves and more.
Some of those who had confirmed admits did choose other B schools over IIM S, and I would not be judgmental here – what we’ve achieved is there for everyone to see.
According to me , IIM S has made a solid start as far its reputation goes, over the two years, and the highlight has to be Hari and Neeraj winning at Confluence, IIM Ahmedabad. Nothing gets bigger than beating the mother of all B schools at their own home turf!
From a personal standpoint, Cult Icon at IIM Indore was a nice “boni” to the winning ways of IIM S but more than that I am glad I could contribute by winning Ashwamedha – the best leader among the top 30 B schools of India at IIM Indore, and I look at it more as proving a point to the entire IIM system that kept me waiting at the gates for 5 long years. I never felt this close ever before, in taking pride of being part of the “top brand” – Brand IIM Shillong. Looking at the larger picture, it was more a fitting reply to the critics who were trying to label us as a mockery in the name of an IIM!
Quite ironical, that the “supposed to be mocked at IIM” produced the likes of Gore and Mayank who went to Sydney and New York for presenting papers in conferences of international repute; and in parallel the rest of the institute created differentiators by organizing the country’s first ever inter b school and corporate golf tournament under the aegis of Ram and team, not to forget the PINE initiative by Ankit and team too. Kantha pulled off a cameo in the midst of all this as well.
Even as Niveshak and Markathon (I just loved the healthy competition between Parida and Asit as to whose magazine would come up with a better edition the subsequent month) made it to the list of the most talked about B school magazines, IIM Shillong made its presence felt at various summits (NASSCOM, AIMA and more) and got talked about for its unique attributes - sustainability, sports management and more, from Kiran Karnik to Salman Khursheed and from Rahul Bajaj to Manishankar Aiyar.
One thing that I would mention is that, the wins and collective efforts of the batch of 2010 (and 11) have made it loud and clear to the rest of the fraternity – “We have arrived!, and so, in style”
I would be lying if I were to say that there were no lows in the journey over the two years. We followed all the stages of group dynamics as perfectly as the OB text would have it – form, storm, norm and perform.
Right from the time of the IIM B alum giving us gyan on the IIM way of life to the first difference of opinion we had in week#2 – bitter memories I agree, but we’ve come a long way since then and looking back, I’ve always believed that small skirmishes are essential in reinforcing the bonds of friendship.
Also, realizing that we were not being supported by administration in many initiatives, is something that could have been worked upon.
However, there will always be projects that could have been done better and decisions that could have been better made – the point is that, given the constraints, I think we have pulled off nothing less than a miracle – none of the other IIMs had probably achieved as much in their first 2 years of existence.
My takeaway from IIM Shillong has been in terms of some of the most wonderful people with whom I’ve forged bonds for life. The 3 a.m. case studies, the chronicles of “gurubhai and guddu”, the adrenalin rush during the Kopda Cup, the sustainability trek, the idyllic campus, the snow white night, , dedicating my victory to both batches of IIM S on the podium of IIM I, the earthquake escapades, the celebration with beer in the Ashwamedha crystal trophy, the diwali nights, the GPL ceremonies, the Death by PPTs, the Agnimedha experience (trial by fire :)), the beautiful nights and the starry skies in whose company I dreamt on till dawn broke, the wonderful people of Meghalaya and their love for life and music…… the memories are endless….and the biggest takeaway is that “these have undoubtedly been the best days of my life”; I may or may not have become a better manager, but I’ve definitely become a better “myself” @ IIM Shillong
A famous quote read thus : “History is always and only written by the winners!”
We have created history in our existence as the Pioneer batch of 2010 that “built” IIM S in the truest sense of the word. We prayed, we fought, we cried together, but never let the world get the better of us We have won many a battle, silenced many a critic, showed to the world that we cannot just match, but go on and better the standards of brand IIM – and all this was possible because adversity got us together and we were destiny’s children; today as we pass on the legacy to our future generations there’s just one line I’d like to say to them.. “ Whenever someone undermines your ability, it’s time to show them what you’ve got without stooping to the level of your opponent”..It is then that success will truly be the sweetest of tastes you’d have ever experienced…
“Go kiss the world”… The Batch of 2010 shall always be there for you…It’s been great to have lived the IIM ONE (IIM Of North East) experience and we shall soon be IIM ONE in every way that it is meant to be! "ONE love is all we need"..
Jai Mata Di.
Khublei!
-Asmyaham : Ashutosh Dikshit
IIM Shillong, Class of 2010
Into the surround I stand and stare,
Looking at everything's that's in my eyes'glare;
I begin to assess my skills and flair,
But then you do tell me dear that: "You dont have to be everywhere"
In the list of acquaintances I try to obtain membership,
Among the peals of recognized laughter I find my kinship;
At the gates of this castle I wait for warmth and care,
But then you do tell me dear that: "You dont have to be everywhere"
Staring into the starry night, relishing their myriad variety,
I recount my life's experiences from penury to luxury
But your presence is what colors the black sky, so bare
But then you do tell me dear that: "You dont have to be everywhere"
The present is transient and this makes me yelp!
Maybe that's the reason I want all your time for myself:
And when it's divided, it brings in the audacity in me, to dare
But then you do tell me dear that: "You dont have to be everywhere"
I guess the future of this glass castle is to only get levelled,
I may have many equals in your perception; but in mine you are unparalleled;
And even as you tell me dear that : "You dont have to be everywhere",
All I can say is.. "I AM, already everywhere..."
Life is lived, I always believed by the moments laced with happiness:
This journey gets transformed, from nothingness to completeness,
But even as I see others commit acts that are deplorable,
Empathy is what you give them in all ways affordable.
I am not supposed to be like “others” is what I am told,
But behind the façade of strength is my innateness, lo behold;
I have tried to supplement your apprehensions with so much reason,
But from others, reign hard, blows of treason.
Things were so awesome; It was not as the present, before;
And you tell me others have experienced much more,
I beg to differ; in matters of interpretation,
For, I have been on the other side of the fence, in many a situation
You tell me to take strength in my all rounded faculties;
That was flattering; but limited are my emotive capabilities
You set the standards and tell me they are differently graded;
And the same when implemented get variably traded;
The reason you give me is “I should not react so, since I am “me””
And for the first time in my life I am not filled with self envy,
Of what joy are achievements of statesmanship;
When I stand discriminated against in the inherent essence of friendship.
I cannot force you to change your ways;
But whether I deserve this; I wonder in dismay,
All I have left is to add to the numerous assumptions, as life sways;
What had to be this way; will be this way!
The Sufi songs of Kurbaan play back to back on my list even as I type this post. It’s Diwali on the IIM campus, just as it is across the other parts of the nation. Diwali is probably the most solid cultural link between the North and the South of the Vindhyas, in a land as diverse as India – talking of which brings back memories of all the cities I’ve celebrated Diwali in, over the period of my life thus far: Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Mysore and now Shillong.
One attribute of the festival of lights is its unmatched grandeur which is symbolic of the existence of human civilization. Poets and writers alike have written at length about the power of the light to liberate, primary of whom include John Henry Newman (Lead, Kindly Light) and B.M. Sri (Karunaalu Baa Belake – Kannada). The scene from Swades describes the festival of lights in an apt manner – one of sharing, love, contentment and hope : the last two emotions being opposite yet complimentary in nature.
An interesting comment by Sri Sri Sri Ravishankar on the importance of the humble “diya” in today’s Times of India is worth a recall here. He says that it is mandatory for the wick to remain part under oil and part out of it, exposed to the air, so that it can provide light to the surround. So ought to be the balance in all our lives which is most often a roller coaster of emotions. We all have faith, belief and expectation as the three underlying pillars of existence. And then these are both of internal and external dimensions. Managing these two perspectives is what is required of us and can be learnt from the omnipresent diya, the brilliant resonance of which according to me, is seen on the banks of the Ganges at Haridwar.
This flash of the thought brings to me the aspect of the transience of the present. T.S. Elliot rightly mentioned “Where is life lost in the living"...
I still believe that the “Hope of Hope is the reality of life” and I shall leave my readers with a beautiful one liner in the Times of India a few years ago when Ramzan and Diwali coincided on the same day.
“Here’s wishing everyone a very happy diwALI and RAMzaan” – It happens only in India...
Looking forward to this evening which promises to be a cracker of a celebration on the IIM Campus….
Pic below : The rangoli last time in front of the Academic Block..