Rinil Khatri
B.Com, 2014-17, Brindavan
Graduating from high school and moving on to college is a unique phase in a student’s life. The move is all the more significant when one has to join a place like Brindavan. The level of discipline one has to conform to, getting used to wearing formals almost all the time (an age old Brindavan custom that is followed even to this date), and the feeling of having “grown up” all of a sudden is daunting and takes a while to get used to.
It was in this period “getting used to Brindavan”, that I encountered Ruchir sir in the Stores. Being a Gujarati, I had the natural proclivity to talk to someone who spoke in my mother tongue, only to realize on speaking with him that he was conversant in several other Indian languages! Seeing him hustle around the stores, I strongly felt the innate Gujarati spirit in the way he carried himself. The manner in which he clearly articulated his ideas and the professionalism with which he handled affairs at the Stores were deeply infectious and within a year of joining Brindavan, I became a part of the Stores team under his supervision.
As a professor, he did what an accomplished teacher would do – simplify the subject and give the student a taste of what it would mean to choose the subject as their profession. He spared no efforts and left no stone unturned to ensure that his students experienced holistic growth during their stay in Swami’s university. Of the many things he was, he was a stickler for punctuality, whether it was attending classes, going for his daily walks straight after Suprabhatam or opening and closing of the Stores. It was precise like clockwork. He always lived in the moment. I remember once asking him a question relating to an academic subject while working at the Stores. His response was, “Are you studying now? Then why is your mind still in college?”
The way he ran the Stores is an excellent case study in cost management. Products were procured from optimal locations across the country, even internationally in some cases, to ensure that Swami’s students got the best deal. Pricing was done so that prices on items most commonly used like pens, books, personal care products, etc. were subsidized by items that were more discretionary in nature. The idea was never to make a profit but only to serve. He taught me dignity of labour. Working in the Stores warehouse for hours on a Sunday afternoon is one of my fondest memories of Brindavan. We celebrated the birthdays of the Stores’ boys with cakes and there were moving farewells. There were instances when he would chide students and there were times when he would become emotional while talking about Bhagawan. Ruchir sir was the centre around which all activities in the Stores revolved. While there are many capable teachers who will handle the operations of the Stores at Brindavan, Ruchir sir’s absence will surely be felt.
These few words are insufficient to describe his stellar qualities. Sir lived a life of contentment and happiness living up to Bhagawan’s principles. Bhagawan hand-picked him to serve as an ideal to the students. And sir played his role really well.
