Down memory lane, Akhilesh visits alma mater in Mysore

Mangalore Today/DHNS

NEW DELHI, June 14, 2013: For Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, it was like taking a walk down memory lane. He used the opportunity to interact with his old friends. He also recalled some of the little-kn­o­wn facts about his student life.

Akhilesh, accompanied by wife and Kanauj MP Dimple, children Tina (Tin Tin) and twins Aditi and Arjun, said: “I still remember Mysore as a small city. The canteen at the college was also small. I learnt good things during my days at Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, thanks to Swamiji (Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji) and the professors.”

 

Akhilesh recalled that he had to stay outside as he couldn’t find a place in the hostel. “I have many friends here,” he added. He came to Mysore to study engineering, as “Uttar Pradesh did not have good colleges during those days.” “Now, Swamiji has opened a college in UP (JSS ATE at Noida) and there is no need for the youth of UP to go to other places,” he added.

While speaking to students at SJCE, Yadav, who has addressed hundreds of meetings in his short political career, said he was a little nervous to start his speech as he was not ready for one. He gave a familiar smile when he spotted a few of his friends in the crowd, who had arrived at the venue well before the commencement of the event.

“I had failed in six subjects out of seven in the first semester of civil environmental engineering and had to write 15 papers together in the second semester.”

“I was at the cycle stand when the results were displayed on the notice board and there was just one subject mentioned next to my registration number. I thought it was the subject in which I had failed but it did not take time to realise that I had passed in one subject. The first thing I did after that was to look out for best tutors,” he added.

In the second semester, he managed to pass in 11 subjects. “I obtained more than 70 per cent in the final year,” he added.

Akhilesh was disappointed at the colour of the college building. “Everything has changed here, but not the colour of the building,” he said.

He and his family seemed to relish the Mutt’s “prasada (lunch)” earlier. In fact, he still seemed hungry.

The moment he sat down on a specially erected podium, he began to eat, unmindful of the shutterbugs. So did his family members.  The menu comprised soup, channa bathura, Mysore’s own butter Mysore pak, vegetable palaav, raitha, finger chips, sauce, pappad, chutney and raja special, rasam, yoghurt and rice and fruits. Akhilesh was welcomed by a band of Free School when he arrived in Suttur Mutt at the foot of Chamundi Hills.

He was brought to the kuteera, where Suttur Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji meets visitors.

There he exchanged pleasantries with the pontiff.  On his way to Mysore, Yadav visited the petrol bunk of his college friend Srinivas Surendra in Srirangapatna.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Srinivas said: “We are very close. I had even visited Lucknow after he became the chief minister to congratulate him. The minute I got to know that he is visiting Karnataka, I invited him to visit Srirangapatna.” His friends, Mohammed Ashraf, Kiran Hegde, V Mohan Kumar, Hoovanna and Dilip Singh and others had also gathered on the premises to meet him.

Meanwhile, in a sudden change of plans, Akhilesh Yadav will visit Art of Living in Bangalore on Saturday.