People- 1

As part of a new "People" series, I have decided to interview a few interesting people that I know. What follows is the interview of my father. He is an aeronautical engineer at HAL, Bangalore and has been my mentor and inspiration since my childhood. Thank you Pa for taking time out for this...



My Father: "I will try to answer them as my true response without any cosmetics to it. It may be raw sometimes."


Q1) Define yourself. What makes you, you?

Basically I am very simple and like to be sincere. I plan every thing. I want quick decisions. I am very straight forward in handling any issue. I am not a good negotiator as I am not a good listener. I am quick in reacting with emotions. I like to maintain a good balance between work and home. I love my family and my children. I like company of my friends. Sometimes I like to be alone. I do not like to boast around about myself, my achievements etc. I give due respect to all my elders. At work I am very supportive to all my colleagues and bosses as long as they are reasonable. I am a strong believer in God and would like to visit more and more temples. I like to listen to carnatic music , Bhajans and discourse in tamil on various epic.


Q2) You are a very deeply religious person, what made you so?

From child hood my mother has built in this habit with regular sloka classes in the morning and daily temple visits etc. Your amma has nurtured it further and given polish and shine to it. For performing religious activities family support is required and I am blessed with it. I feel religion is part and parcel of every individual without which there can be no dynamism in life. It is a lubricant and acts as a good bond to life. All values in life are derived from religion. A creeper requires good support. Religion is similar to that support in life. Creeper can grow without proper support frame also, but it will not be presentable. Likewise people can lead life without religion but to make progress in life religion is required.


Q3) What has been your experience as a devout and religious person? In what way did it change your life?

I strongly believe in God. Every action of ours needs his blessings. My experience is wonderful and you get self confidence and can view all happenings around us in proper perspective.
My level in all religious endeavour is still in ground level but actual requirement is to reach sky level with stars. So in short my position is like having intention to travel but not starting the journey.


Q4) Tell us something about your very interesting and long career.

Yeah. It is truly interesting. I love my job and the line in which I am working. I do not know whether I developed interest after I joined. Because I never aspired for a career in aviation. Even now for any body including me looking at every take off and landing of any aircraft is indeed an enjoyable sight each time and every time. Being near to the civil airport at Ecuador, here also I see a take off and landing every five minutes which is enjoyable whenever I watch. Initially I used to get frustrated with non-functioning individuals and indecisive bosses. But later I realized such people will be there everywhere and reconciled. I used to get frustrated when incompetent people got promotions and bonuses. But later I realised that in their eyes I might look like an incompetent person and I reconciled. Now I have no more frustrations and I realised that in life what ever anybody deserves will automatically fall in line, provided that you continue to do your job at your best and maximum efficiency.


Q5) Leh Ladhak, Thar desert, Ecuador, UK, Tawang and so many other diverse places have been on your travel itinerary. Tell us about what sort of perspective on life all this traveling gave you...

It was the first time I experienced -20 degree Celsius with sleeping bag and one mug of water (If u leave for 5 minutes it will turn in to ice) for all morning requirements etc. Food was good at Army mess. I used to wonder how the locals had been living under those extreme conditions.
Rajasthan another extreme of +48 degree celsius. There also normal activity was going on in scorching heat. Arunachal pradesh was very interesting layout and living on hills.
In UK, I admired their cleanliness of city and their marvelous metro system which they evolved 100 years back. Some metros have 4 levels of underground tracks.
At Ecuador we are in a far away place leaving family .... We are learning a new language- Spanish.


Q6) You allocate a huge amount of importance to the time you spend with your family, tell us something about what sort of a role family has played in your life...

Yes I love my family and my sweet children. Children are so nice to be with and have fun. Nice to be with them and talk to them about small things and play with them etc. Because that is the time parent should pay full attention because, afterwards they grow up and they are on their own. I like to spend time with family. As a parent I have learnt many things from my family. Life is full of learning and continuous and never ending.


Q7) You are a regular practitioner of yoga and you meditate regularly... In what way has this affected your life?

I have spent most of my schooling and college in NCC- for nearly 7 years. Hence that tenure taught me basic discipline in life and orderliness and need for physical fitness. Unless you are physically fit you cannot execute things. That is the basic need in life.

Yoga is one step higher. Other than physical fitness it helps blood circulation to each and every organ in your body and keeps them fit. It keeps the mind balanced and calm. Even Veda emphasises the need to keep the body and mind fit.
Earlier I was simply doing yoga through self learning. Now after I learnt Yoga through a Yoga teacher, Iam able to do it with focal concentration with each part getting exercised. I am getting the benefit of it. That is why I keep telling you guys to practice at least Suryanamaskaram every day along with Pranayamam in daily Sandhyavandan.