Celebrating Sir, in life & death
The demise of Prof Vepa Rao has left scores of his students, for whom he was a friend, philosopher, guide and much more, heartbroken. Rao Sir, as he was fondly called by his students, however, ensured that the sense of sorrow would not last long. He has left behind a ‘will’, in which he has asked his students and friends to get together at Ashiana restaurant in Shimla “for a cheerful evening without turning the occasion into a gloomy affair.” And he has left behind Rs 20,000 with his daughter-like student for the purpose!
He would often tell his students, with his characteristic broad smile, that straight after the funeral, “you brats should come to Ashiana for tea and pakoras.”
Like in death, his primary concern when alive was the well-being of his students. His entire life after he chucked away his successful journalistic career — including with The Tribune — and joined the Department of Journalism at Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, revolved around his students. When he was not leveraging his contacts in the media world for the placement of his students, he was busy playing match-maker for those who had landed jobs and had reached marriageable age.
His students cannot forget how Rao Sir would take them to Delhi for internships. While taking them for a walk on the stretch between Himachal Bhavan and Bengali Market, he would talk about life in big cities: how to cross roads, how to travel in trains. This period proved to be an internship in life for most of them.
Another facet was that he never hesitated in using all his contacts for getting his students placed. Once, he sent one of his students with a letter of recommendation straight to the owner of a national daily in New Delhi. His mere reference on the CV was enough for people to take the request seriously. There is perhaps no major media outlet which does not have journalists from HPU, and much of the credit goes to Rao Sir. This job-hunting continued long after he retired from the university, till the time his health permitted.
His teaching methods were equally unique. Even though he classroom lessons were interesting, he delivered his best lessons at Ashiana, where he would take his students in the afternoon. Over chai and roasted toast, he would prepare them for the challenges that journalistic jobs and life in general had in store. Almost on a whim, he would ask them to go and meet the SP or some other top official to discuss an issue. It would be only later that the students would realise that he did this to build their confidence and lift the inhibitions.
As desired by him, the preparations to celebrate his life and departure have begun. Ashiana, the place which he probably liked the most and shaped countless lives sitting there, has been booked for a get-together, where his students and friends would gather on November 5 to bid him a cheerful adieu.
