Having arrived at MIT the fall of 1975, I soon found Sangam, the local Indian student association, and many of their members became my early tutors for many of life’s lessons like cooking (don’t let the Sahara bread sit in the oven till they become like papad), clothing (standard issue Army Navy surplus parka and winter lace up boots), liquor (drink anything with alcohol in it) and entertainment (don’t miss the start of semester XXX 26-100 show). Continue reading “How Sangam helped me see my first and only Olympic final”→
Organized by SANGAM, The Association of Indian Students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (This article is from an original piece written by Waris E. Warsi 10/6/2105)
On January 10, 1976, Sangam, the Association of Indian students at MIT hosted a sitar concert by Pundit Ravi Shankar at the Kresge Auditorium at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. This concert by a world-renowned maestro was truly a major undertaking for our club. A large section of the MIT Indian student body was involved in organizing of the concert. Amazingly various arrangements for the concert were accomplished like a clock-work.
Advertisement of the concert in The Tech (Vol. 95, No. 55, Friday, Jan 9 1976)
Pandit Ravi Shankar’s party arrived a day before the concert from Maine and was welcomed at the Logan Airport. The next day Panditji with his party arrived early in the afternoon at Kresge. He was very particular about the stage arrangements. In fact, he had provided written instructions to Sangam about the types of microphones, their locations and volume settings to be used for his concert. Being satisfied with the arrangements, Panditji jokingly remarked, “these boys know their stuff!”. Following the stage inspection, the MIT CCTV team arrived for an interview and Punditji obliged.
I finally reached New York, after starting my journey at Chennai, a long train ride to Mumbai which was delayed – which is a story in itself! – hence the missed plane schedule at Mumbai. I landed at NYC on Sep. 4th 1972 at JFK airport. My friend who was expecting me there 2 days ago, did not know that I was arriving on this day and at this time! I had landed at NY, alone and without the knowledge of where to go or what to do next? I called the Indian consulate at NYC, my only logical contact point. It was late in the evening and the office was closed. Luckily some one answered and suggested that I find my way to the YMCA building and get a place to stay. “Then come back and call us tomorrow morning” was the final advice! Continue reading “Subbu’s First Day in the US”→
Dr. Krishnamoorthy Subramanian arrived in Boston on Sept 6, 1972 after landing in New York and taking a Greyhound bus to Boston. He had received admission to MIT for his graduate work and came carrying the address of MIT in his pocket. “When the taxi driver dropped me on that fall evening after sunset at the main building of MIT (77 Mass Ave) with my luggage in hand I had no idea where to go next” says Subbu (as he is known to his friends). Another Indian student who saw him, asked “What are you doing?” to which he answered “I have come to study at MIT”. ”Yes” said the stranger, “but what are you doing here?” He repeated the answer that he had come to study at MIT. The stranger, realizing that this newcomer may not have a place to stay, took him to his apartment where he stayed for a couple of days before finding an apartment of his own. Now after forty five years, he laughs at that answer he gave on his first day. Continue reading “Subbu remembers early days with Sangam”→
“Fifty years ago I came to MIT from a distant land with a dream to change the world. I am still trying. I made many friends from different backgrounds and grew up. Really! Many of my friends were from India (while Pakistan and India were at war). I came late to MIT because there were no planes flying out of Lahore (1965 war), and I had to take a train to Karachi to fly. When the sirens turned on, the train stopped, turned off lights, and waited. The 24-hour journey took 72 hours. The train had bunk beds. There was a holy man on the upper berth. When the bombing-raid siren went off, he would come down and curl up under my berth. His explanation was that there would be a little more protection. And he used to give sermons about war!
In the final program for September 2, you have suggested the possibility of a “share and cherish” session. This is an excellent, but a bit intriguing idea, especially because this group certainly has a collection of wonderful life stories to tell. I would very much like to know about the journey of all our friends. However, wise men have said that the idea of self-expression is somewhat romantic, and therefore, it might not be easy to accommodate all the stories! Continue reading “Reflections and inputs from Dr. Jagdish Shukla”→
MIT Sangam Reunion 