The Spirit Of Galaxy
I am emotional ... somehow I have a feeling that this mail of mine would not
be appreciated. But I feel that before passing out (graduating) from this institute, I must
try to give back to it, what it gave to me. This mail is about belonging to this place, this place which has been my home. Nothing less and nothing more. I have been very disturbed at the recent developments...but the one event that took something away that was dearest to me was the scrapping of two successive Galaxies. I and a few others were together, a little while ago and nostalgia took hold of us. We recounted all that Galaxy took away from us. The classes we bunked, the grades that fell, to be true, we all suffered. But then It gave us something, that is so great in magnitude, that nothing ... I repeat nothing would be comparable to it. The camaraderie, the team spirit that developed in us, which we felt and still feel, is unbelievably strong.
The Galaxy was one event which brought people out at the same platform, whomsoever they maybe. The Galaxy was one event which brought people who had differences, who had bitter feelings towards each other, for a supposedly foolish goal. Winning the Galaxy. To people like me, it meant the world. We worked nights, we worked days. Those were the days when people were made. I saw people grow up, saw people mature, saw people falling down and standing back again. Kids grew and became men. We fought and rejoiced together. This is hard to explain. Because the trophy for which we "fought"
was just another trophy. A false thing. But think, just for a second, if the false pride and vanity in us makes us do things, we never thought we were capable of, then that is great. No matter what...It lives and should live. The first year Galaxy was an experience hard to forget. We fought for the smallest things, yelling abuses at each other (hall 3 and hall 2). We had MKB parades and we fought. So what??... If people with warm blood flowing in
their veins do not get emotional and sometimes cross the lines, who would. I do not have any recollection of what Hall 2 people did, because I never got round to be in Hall 2 during that time, but their Aquilla city was something I missed. From the talk of people who had seen it, I believe I missed “something”, something which I would miss forever. We had our "bridge". Waking up in the morning, Orders were issued and we got down to building the bridge. "Tau", Naval Da, Vimal Da, Puneet ji were the men. We bruised our
bodies pulling those "thick" ropes, hands, feet and what not, but the feeling of having created something that mattered has still not sunk in. The three dimensional backdrop that Tau and lots of others built was "superlative" and so was the Backdrop from Hall 2 that overshadowed it.
The second year Galaxy was something else. The Big Bang... the heroics of meena, visen and countless others was amazing. The Backdrops were superlative again. The "Deva" heroics were impossible to believe. I sincerely do not know anything about Hall 2, but in hall 3, it was the maniacs in us that went to work. We stole, we begged for Bamboo and Bricks. There were people like Naval Da, Gairola, Ajeet ji, Anshu, Fiji and several others of whom I never knew the names but they gelled like a team building the structures. Bruised from top to bottom, we worked and we sweated. But the false pride and vanity, was something that had a hold on us that stopped us at nothing.
I will recall an incident which brings me close to tears. The Spardha was part of Galaxy and we had a 5.5 Km cross country race. Never before in history of IITK had so many people turned up. There were 63 in all. Nearly all from hall 2 and hall 3. We even had a participant from army whom I just remember as "Major Sir". There were people whom I had not in my wildest dreams imagined would be able to complete a full lap of the main field. The only criterion was that they had the willingness to do something for the Hall. Never had I seen so unfit a group of men, getting ready for the cross country. I swear to god, if ever I have to do this again, that is asking men to commit "harakiri", I would have no hesitation, because this was the limit. I asked myself what was the fun in running, because i never enjoyed it and the only answer that came was that we want to win Galaxy. I had tears in my eyes. I was on a cycle cycling behind people, running their hearts out. 36 men finished. But all of them were winners. Third year, Second year, First year...running and when unable walking because every finisher counted... there was this line which was obliterated by the laying of new roads, just in front of the tennis courts. That line used to be my inspiration. I salute all those heroes; you are heroes in my book. I have not been able to name all of them, but I remember them. There have been people who worked silently and quietly, and contributed as much but sorry, I know only a few.
I know very little of galaxy. Because no matter whom you were, there was no way you could know everything about it. When an event was going on, you had to prepare for another. I just wish, I could tell you how it felt, how it feels, but no matter what I write and whoever I name, it is never ever going to be enough.
I have my memories and I want you all to have yours. There are people who feel that Galaxy ruined students. True, but did it not succeed in making men out of us. Those sleepless nights and days are a treasure. Most people feel that it can never be revived. I have a belief that It can be. The people, who say that galaxy is/was not right, are wrong. Absolutely wrong. Whatever they say, may be true in their books, but I say what I believe is true in my book. I thank all who worked with us and against us (opposition teams) for being the part of an event that is unsurpassable. Get the Galaxy back, not for me, not for us, But for yourselves, so you can have what thirty passing out batches of IITK had. A tradition, which has no other equal other than the Oxford-Cambridge duel.
Just Do It.
I am emotional ... somehow I have a feeling that this mail of mine would not
be appreciated. But I feel that before passing out (graduating) from this institute, I must
try to give back to it, what it gave to me. This mail is about belonging to this place, this place which has been my home. Nothing less and nothing more. I have been very disturbed at the recent developments...but the one event that took something away that was dearest to me was the scrapping of two successive Galaxies. I and a few others were together, a little while ago and nostalgia took hold of us. We recounted all that Galaxy took away from us. The classes we bunked, the grades that fell, to be true, we all suffered. But then It gave us something, that is so great in magnitude, that nothing ... I repeat nothing would be comparable to it. The camaraderie, the team spirit that developed in us, which we felt and still feel, is unbelievably strong.
The Galaxy was one event which brought people out at the same platform, whomsoever they maybe. The Galaxy was one event which brought people who had differences, who had bitter feelings towards each other, for a supposedly foolish goal. Winning the Galaxy. To people like me, it meant the world. We worked nights, we worked days. Those were the days when people were made. I saw people grow up, saw people mature, saw people falling down and standing back again. Kids grew and became men. We fought and rejoiced together. This is hard to explain. Because the trophy for which we "fought"
was just another trophy. A false thing. But think, just for a second, if the false pride and vanity in us makes us do things, we never thought we were capable of, then that is great. No matter what...It lives and should live. The first year Galaxy was an experience hard to forget. We fought for the smallest things, yelling abuses at each other (hall 3 and hall 2). We had MKB parades and we fought. So what??... If people with warm blood flowing in
their veins do not get emotional and sometimes cross the lines, who would. I do not have any recollection of what Hall 2 people did, because I never got round to be in Hall 2 during that time, but their Aquilla city was something I missed. From the talk of people who had seen it, I believe I missed “something”, something which I would miss forever. We had our "bridge". Waking up in the morning, Orders were issued and we got down to building the bridge. "Tau", Naval Da, Vimal Da, Puneet ji were the men. We bruised our
bodies pulling those "thick" ropes, hands, feet and what not, but the feeling of having created something that mattered has still not sunk in. The three dimensional backdrop that Tau and lots of others built was "superlative" and so was the Backdrop from Hall 2 that overshadowed it.
The second year Galaxy was something else. The Big Bang... the heroics of meena, visen and countless others was amazing. The Backdrops were superlative again. The "Deva" heroics were impossible to believe. I sincerely do not know anything about Hall 2, but in hall 3, it was the maniacs in us that went to work. We stole, we begged for Bamboo and Bricks. There were people like Naval Da, Gairola, Ajeet ji, Anshu, Fiji and several others of whom I never knew the names but they gelled like a team building the structures. Bruised from top to bottom, we worked and we sweated. But the false pride and vanity, was something that had a hold on us that stopped us at nothing.
I will recall an incident which brings me close to tears. The Spardha was part of Galaxy and we had a 5.5 Km cross country race. Never before in history of IITK had so many people turned up. There were 63 in all. Nearly all from hall 2 and hall 3. We even had a participant from army whom I just remember as "Major Sir". There were people whom I had not in my wildest dreams imagined would be able to complete a full lap of the main field. The only criterion was that they had the willingness to do something for the Hall. Never had I seen so unfit a group of men, getting ready for the cross country. I swear to god, if ever I have to do this again, that is asking men to commit "harakiri", I would have no hesitation, because this was the limit. I asked myself what was the fun in running, because i never enjoyed it and the only answer that came was that we want to win Galaxy. I had tears in my eyes. I was on a cycle cycling behind people, running their hearts out. 36 men finished. But all of them were winners. Third year, Second year, First year...running and when unable walking because every finisher counted... there was this line which was obliterated by the laying of new roads, just in front of the tennis courts. That line used to be my inspiration. I salute all those heroes; you are heroes in my book. I have not been able to name all of them, but I remember them. There have been people who worked silently and quietly, and contributed as much but sorry, I know only a few.
I know very little of galaxy. Because no matter whom you were, there was no way you could know everything about it. When an event was going on, you had to prepare for another. I just wish, I could tell you how it felt, how it feels, but no matter what I write and whoever I name, it is never ever going to be enough.
I have my memories and I want you all to have yours. There are people who feel that Galaxy ruined students. True, but did it not succeed in making men out of us. Those sleepless nights and days are a treasure. Most people feel that it can never be revived. I have a belief that It can be. The people, who say that galaxy is/was not right, are wrong. Absolutely wrong. Whatever they say, may be true in their books, but I say what I believe is true in my book. I thank all who worked with us and against us (opposition teams) for being the part of an event that is unsurpassable. Get the Galaxy back, not for me, not for us, But for yourselves, so you can have what thirty passing out batches of IITK had. A tradition, which has no other equal other than the Oxford-Cambridge duel.
Just Do It.
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