The English Teacher

(  Contributors : Nattu / Aravindakshan / Jairam  )

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Looks like MPW would have done better as a passionate English linguist or teacher or perhaps even a lawyer, where the legal language makes common sense redundant.


Fond regards
Nattu

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On 16 Jan 2016 7:49 p.m., "Aravindakshan V" <aravindv1951@gmail.com> wrote:

When it comes to MPW, I cannot control my temptation to pen down my experience.

When I joined  L&T on 1st January, 1979, MPW was GM-Gr.III.  After hearing about him from my colleagues, my only wish was that I should not be made his Secretary.  Mr Krishnan was his secretary then and Flory (FD) took over from him.

Fortunately or unfortunately, in 2000, when I was secretary to RKG, he told me "Aravind, there is a good news for you", I knew the inevitable has come.  And he told me that MPW has selected me as his next Secretary (There was no interview or test).  I asked, "do I have any option".  He said, "unfortunately no".  If you can survive with RKG for few years, then you can become MPW's secretary.  That was the bench mark then.

My last day at Powai was a Saturday, half day.  When I reached gate No.7 while going home, Swamy called me from behind and told me "Aravind, all the best, few survived with him for more than a month".

Fortunately for me, I had to serve him only for one year as he was retiring.  That one year was more than 20 years of my previous experience as secretary to various people.  I must thank God, that I survived that year and came back to Powai successfully.

My predecessor was to join Powai, HR Dept. and it was her last day with MPW.

She prepared a speech for the farewell and gave him the previous day.  

Farewell was attended by four of us - MPW, FD, SDK and myself, as he never liked big gathering and wasting time.  

He finished his speech in two sentences starting like "thank you very much for tolerating my idiosyncrasies etc. etc....."

Then it was the turn of my friend FD,  She said "since I will become emotional, I prepared my speech and gave it to you".  

MPW, typically with a smile, said "yah, I read it, very good, but there was one spelling mitake"  We all were taken aback.  Such used to be his perfection, that he will not spare you even on a farewell.

People like him are rare to find.

Regards

Aravind

9833972532

 

On Thu, Jan 14, 2016 at 11:48 AM, Jairam Menon <jairam.menon@gmail.com> wrote:

MPW's English was the talk of all of L&T. It had the purity and rigour of an era that is sadly behind us.  

I was once part of a team tasked with producing a corporate brochure for the erstwhile Group III. My language skills must have wilted under MPW's scorching gaze. 

I put in a sloppy preposition. MPW pointed it out, and suggested an alternative. I - with the arrogance (of youth) stiffened by ignorance (on-going) contested the point. 

It was made clear then that MPW's English was as good as his engineering.  

Years passed and some of my articles began appearing in The Times and in our house journals. MPW - gracious as ever - complimented me and acknowledged my evolving skills.

 Fast forward now to 2015 and AMN's 50th Anniversary celebrations at Powai.  MPW introduced me to his wife, saying "Jairam's English is now better than mine'. 

The dear old lady turned to me and said - 'You should tell him it always was!'

They just don't make people like that any more.

Jairam

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Corporate  Culture  :

Perfection /  Love for details  /  Grace  /  Acknowledging Merits in others  /  Complimenting on achievements /