Articles
Dr Chowdary’s Memories of and Tributes to Lt. Col. S. Paul , Principal , College of Engineering, Guindy
Dt: 27/2/23
Dr Chowdary’s Memories of and Tributes to
Lt. Col. S. Paul , Principal , College of Engineering, Guindy
Dr T.H.Chowdary*
Today 28th Feb 2023 is the 125th Jayanti of the late Lt. Col. S. Paul, Engineering educationist and administrator and moulder of young minds into leaders . He was the first principal of the College of Engineering, Guindy following India’s independence in 1947. I was in the batch 1948-52, the first from Guindy in fully independent India . In 2012, sixty years after I left that college I took the initiative to create an endowment fund to commemorate Col. Paul the principal under whose nurture, I and several others of my batch and a few more batches after me rose to heigh positions, as leaders and persons of eminence in our careers, all over India .
2. Let me quote some lines of the great English poet James Shirley ( 1599-1666) .
The glories of our blood and state
Are shadows, not substantial things
There is no armour against fate
Death lays his icy hands on kings
Sceptre and crown
Must tumble down
And in the dust be equal made
With the poor, crooked scythe and spade…
Only the actions of the just
Smell sweet and blossom in the dust
3. The actions of Col. Paul as educator and principal were just, sweet and generative of initiative and leadership among students. He led students to form societies, associations and clubs to promote cooperative initiatives and actions. These covered not only engineering but also arts dramatics, sports, dance, languages , social service , messes, recreation, NCC and exhibitions.
4. All India Radio , Chennai used to have a program , “Youth Forum” to discuss students and youth affairs. I was invited to talk on 28 Jan 1952 . While discussing about discipline among students I said that, “ discipline would have to be cultivated rather than enforced; that appeals to uphold the fair name of the institutions and seeing that students take pride in belonging to the institutions would serve better to maintain discipline than all the restrictive and punitive rules of colleges. This is the way in which my principal, Col . Paul has been successfully maintaining discipline”. After my talk many principals in Chennai called Col. Paul and congratulated him for eliciting public acclaim from a student leader. I am mentioning this because Col. Paul was apprehensive as to what I as a known communist in the college would say about him. He was of course, happy that I publicly lauded him over the Radio.
5. How Col. Paul defused a sensitive issue is worth mentioning. In the 1952 general elections scores of communists who were under ban until then were elected to the Madras Legislative Assembly. reducing the Congress to minority. I arranged a reception to the communist MLAs in the college campus. Somebody rang up the police. They descended into our gathering. Col. Paul was informed by the police that a communist meeting was going on in the college. Col. Paul came to us, greeted us and admonished us lovingly for not inviting him. The police noticed the bon homie displayed by the Principal towards us and the guests . Col. Paul said that this was part of education and leadership training, he was inculcating in us. The police were dis-armed. They had tea and went away.
6. Col. Paul was not only a teacher and principal. He and his wife were parent -figures to students. After graduation I went to Delhi and joined the AIR. My wife was studying in the Ethiraj College for Women in Chennai. Col & Mrs Paul used to visit her in the hostel, counselled her, inquired of her progress and made the Principal and the warden know that she, my wife was their ward!
7. Col. Paul loved his students. He delighted in their progress after they left the college. He came up to what Arjuna spoke of Krishna in Bhagawad Gita.
Piteva putrasya ( A father to his sons)
sakheya sakyuha ( A friend to companions)
Priyah priyayaha arhasi…. (A lover to the fiancée)
8. I am happy that the Alumni of the famed College of Engineering, Guindy which has a history of more than a century, are organizing these Col. Paul memorial lectures.
9. I thank them, in particular Sri Rupchander and Sri Mathew Paul for organizing this lecture and Sri Suresh for delivering this commemorative lecture. May the children of Col. Paul and Mrs.Paul cherish the memory of their elders. (716 words)