Giving his hundred percent in whatever...

“Giving his hundred percent in whatever he did”

This gathering here today (the condolence meet held on February 2, 2019 at the SCMHRD Hall) is an extended family in one sense. Looking at his photo displayed here, I recollect an incident. Usually, I used to buy new clothes for him, especially when he was busy with admissions, placement seasons and company visits. He did not like particular shirt which he is wearing in the photograph, because it had a blue patch under the collar which he thought was too flamboyant. But, as there was no other ironed shirt at that moment, he wore it one against his will.

Ever since my daughter was just over a year old, I hardly remember having dinner with him as a family perhaps not more than 36 times in our 36 years of marriage. He had once told me that there is no need for me to be a Pativrata Naari (devoted or loyal wife) as his life is going to be busy and should wait for dinner till he returns home. So early on, we got into the habit of eating at separate times.

One day, when my daughter, Indrani, was a year old, he asked me, “What are you going to do if I am not there?” I was surprised, as to why he is asking me this now when we are still young. He said that it is the reality of life—I was too young so I neglected it then. But he would repeat the same question to me at regular intervals. He put me in a situation, where I had to manage the household, our finances and a lot more by myself and actually started enjoying it. He was totally devoted to students — we would always have many of them visiting our house, asking for his guidance. Slowly, I too started enjoying their visits.

In the last two years, every day in the morning, he would leave home with a lunchbox, some snacks and fruits. Earlier, he would do the same but bring back it as it is. So after a while, I stopped preparing the lunchbox altogether. He would say, he enjoys having food with his children, by which he meant his students. I too enjoyed having lunch/dinner with his students, sometimes also serving them at home.

Recently, a mall with multiplex cinema halls came up near our house and he told me that we will watch every movie that is screened there. In the last two years, we actually watched many movies. He would go and buy the movie tickets for both of us—this was a striking change in his 60s; whereas in his 30s he neither had the interest or the patience to see movies. In many ways, by the end of his life, he was enjoying himself and was truly relaxed.

There are two things he believed in—one is giving his hundred per cent in whatever he did. And he did the same thing while leaving this world—he didn’t give any chance to the doctors to revive him. I think he had a premonition of his death. As my maiden name was mentioned on his pension paper, last June he took me to the pension office in Delhi. After returning, he wanted me to sit next to him and chat. Such conversations became frequent. When we were young it was the other way round, where I used to ask him to sit with me! Lately, he had also started enjoying farming and cultivating plants and trees. Very recently, he again told me how much he missed his children and his students.

Secondly, he believed in giving in abundance, whether it is love, his time, whatever it may be. And I am happy that he is getting it back in abundance, from all of you today. Thank you everyone for this, and for being here.

Mrs Pushpa Pillai

“I hope we take his dreams and his legacy forward”

I am overwhelmed by the depth of feeling and support, help and affection that my family and I have experienced in the last few days. Thank you for being with my family and thank you for being there in our time of need. Thank you for being here this afternoon and thank you for everything that all of you have done. We didn’t make any sacrifices, this is how my dad brought all of you up and this is how he wanted us to be too. He was all about throwing people into the swimming pool and hoping they rise to the surface; confident that they would learn to swim. And that’s what he did with us. We have lost somebody that we really loved. I hope we take his dreams and his legacy forward, to the best of our abilities.

Indrani Pillai

He taught students innovation, compassion & passion

‘Professor Pillai was a gift to Symbiosis’

In our lives, there are only two days that are very important. One is the day when we are born when our parents give us birth. If it weren’t for our parents, we wouldn’t have been here on this planet. The second most important day in our lives is where we find the reason for our birth.

Dr SB Mujumdar
Founder and Chancellor of Symbiosis
International University

Professor Pillai, after spending three years in Raipur, got the answer, that, he was born to be a teacher. A teacher who would give second birth to his students. If our parents give us biological birth, a teacher gives us rebirth. Professor Pillai realized this was his purpose. And so Professor Pillai was a teacher, a philosopher and a guide to all his students. In fact, he dedicated his life to them. Perhaps, in the bargain, he neglected his family to a small extent, but he never neglected the welfare of his students.

Professor Pillai had many qualities. When one passes away from Earth, one leaves nothing but remembrances. I have heard from his students and colleagues, so many stories about him, but according to me, his single most important contribution to his students is that he taught students to create innovation in their brain; to create compassion in their hearts and to create passion in their bellies. This is the greatest contribution a teacher can give to his students. He realized that teaching management alone is not enough. Management must be combined with innovation, compassion, passion and ethical practices.

Professor Pillai tried to the Gandhian principles in his life. He encouraged students to practice those principles without even telling them that they were Gandhian principles. He also felt that students should learn something about spirituality. Only then, he believed, can students become great managers. Not just good managers, mind you, but great ones.

Professor Pillai was a gift to Symbiosis. You don't just get good Professors or Directors; you have to hunt for them, or someone has to recommend them. In this case, Professor Balasubramanian recommended professor Pillai to me. And I must say that Professor Pillai created SCMHRD from scratch. There was a time when we were asking the Pune University to let us create at least one more division for SIBM. But because of University politics, even a second division was denied to us. It was then that our management committee had an idea. Why not start an autonomous institution which is not affiliated to any University; which is not approved by AICTE? An institution which is purely independent. We wanted someone to take up this challenge, and that challenge, my dear friends, was very difficult. Imagine a management institution which has no approval or affiliation to any University. How can such an institute stand on its own feet?

Professor Balasubramanian told me that there is one such person who can take up this challenge. I didn’t take a minute to offer him a job. Professor Pillai was with Symbiosis for 3-4 years. Then after a gap, he again joined a new, vibrant and autonomous institute called SCHMRD. And where was this institute located? In a small, simple hall which had so many constraints. But his devotion, dedication and determination were so strong that howsoever small that venue may be, his spirit was high. Later on, he became the architect of the institute. Very few people know that he not only managed just one but two institutes. When we planned to expand to Nashik, Professor Pillai insisted that the first institute to enter the city should be SCMHRD. In today's age, managing one institute is tough, can you imagine the amount of work he had to do to manage two?

Under him, SCMHRD grew from a small hall to the largest building in Model Colony, Pune. He took up the challenge of shifting the institute even when the new building was not yet ready. He travelled back and forth between Pune and Nashik to establish the new institution. There was no one like him. Therefore, any professor will feel envious when they see the love he received. So many alumni, from all over the world like Dubai, Singapore and hundreds of alumni from different cities have gathered together to pay tributes to their teacher. Here, I realize the importance of education and the importance of a teacher.

If India is to develop, there is no other field other than education which can spur development. I repeatedly say that education is the oxygen for development. But who will deliver this oxygen? It is none other than teachers. Dr Bala rightly said, there should be at least 100 Pillais. I feel there should be at least 50,000 Pillais who will take our higher education to its pinnacle. Is it possible?

His single most important contribution to his students is that he taught students to create innovation in their brain, compassion in their hearts, and passion in their bellies

Professor Pillai has produced managers. The trouble is that there are very few people like Professor Pillai, who produce many managers, but there are even fewer students who join back as teachers. That, I think is the tragedy of the education system in India.

Be that as it may, we must reverie and respect the spirit of Professor Pillai as a teacher. How can we do it? We can do it in many ways. But before that, I want to tell you that I still remember the lecture that he recently delivered when we celebrated the Silver Jubilee of SCMHRD. He was standing where I am today. He delivered such an inspiring lecture. Little did I know that it would be his last lecture in the SCMHRD building.

He was a person who respected the differences. Even after leaving the institute, he never left with or left behind any bitterness. We want to preserve his memory.

According to the Hindu religion, what is death? There can be death of the body, but can there ever be a death of the aatma? Professor Pillai believed in the aatma. And the aatma never dies. He may not be here in person, but his aatma is there in every inch of this campus. His teachings resonate in every nook and cranny here. I am sure his aatma will always hover over this campus. Which is why we in Symbiosis have decided to perpetuate his memory through the means which he liked most. We have decided to introduce the Professor M. S. Pillai Award, which will be awarded to the most outstanding student of SCMHRD every year. That outstanding student selected every year will carry Professor Pillai’s legacy.