This is indeed a sad and agonizing moment for me to stand here and speak on MVR. The light that illuminated the department of Biochemistry and indeed the MGIMS campus has suddenly gone out. Sevagram is stunned and shocked, and so am I. Beyond words. I am still unable to figure out why destiny took off one of the nicest souls in Sevagram. What happened was absolutely incredible, and inconceivable. Sevagram is writhing in anguish and pain over the loss of a remarkable human being who lived on campus for almost three and half decades. People are struggling to accept that he will no longer be around. When he died, three generations in Sevagram wept. Most are unable to come to terms that he is gone. His is a loss MGIMS can never replenish.
No one could die a more glorious death than Reddy. He died as he lived; a night before his death, I am told, he had been chatting and laughing away. A moment before, he was here; a moment later, he was gone. And he chose to leave this world exactly the way he would have liked to go- without any fuss, without bothering others, without troubling the caregivers. It was the most remarkable death all aspire for, but few are lucky to be granted. As simple as he was in life, so quietly and modestly he faced death. He left this world without sentimentality and without regret. He was at peace, supported by the family and the loved ones. And when the death came, it took Reddy with it with utmost care and very gently- ensuring that nobody -patient, family and caregivers- suffers prolonged distress and suffering.
This reminds me of what Dr Manu Kothari once famously said, “Those who can’t live well, can’t die well, for dying is the last act that the living perform. Life and death are not absolute experiences belonging to separate categories but are just two sides of the same reality, the seemingly polar opposites that are but parts of a single, larger whole. A good death, a happy one at that, then, is a crowning glory to a good, happy life.” And when destiny to complete Reddy’s journey, it ensured that he gets down at the last station, quietly and quickly.
What an inspiring journey! The journey from his birth to 9 April 2017 is full of creativity, incessant joy, pure friendships and magnificent generosity.
Reddy came from a small village in what was then Andhra Pradesh. He didn’t speak English until he entered college. He came from a vernacular school and when this young man arrived in Sevagram, could hardly speak Hindi or Marathi. Shy and self-effacing, he was also an introvert. He lived in Patel Hostel, migrated to Boy’s hostel, then came to the Kabir Colony, and after a long stay in MLK colony, built his home in the extension MLK colony.
We met for the first time in the summer of 1982 when we stayed together in Kabir Colony. He was a PhD Scholar and I was a senior resident in Medicine. I immediately felt drawn towards a kindly, gentle-looking man. The bond of love and affection grew over the years. We grew together and became neighbours. Over the three-and-half decade long association, I discovered his several qualities.
He gave a lifetime of selfless service to the MGIMS. His devotion to duty was unparalleled. He embodied the spirit of gentleness. His reputation grew, everywhere, and he was seen as the most beloved man in Sevagram. There was no faculty in Sevagram as humble and modest in conduct and behaviour as MVR. A warm and unostentatious person, known for his integrity and purity of life, he was transparently honest, loved not only by the faculty he worked with but also by the students he taught, the department he administered and people he interacted with. Always full of sympathy and understanding with every person he met, in his long career of accomplishment, he never lost the spirit of modesty and humility. It is this, I believe, of all his qualities that make him so widely loved and respected as a great teacher and researcher. The epitome of ethics, integrity and honesty, hard work, simplicity and austerity.
Over the years, he used his non-medical background as an asset and not a liability, Reddy rose to become the head of the department, published hundreds of high quality papers in high impact journals, raised impressive grants from international agencies, and went on to bag the best teacher award from the university and earned numerous accolades. This indeed is a fantastic achievement. Reddy constantly played down all his accomplishments, always giving credit to the colleagues and the destiny for whatever he achieved in his life.
But, posterity shall not remember Reddy by the number of papers he wrote, the medals he collected, the grants that he raised, or the monuments in bronze or the awards he won or the boards that he represented or the committees that he chaired. Posterity shall recall Reddy by the footprints that he left behind on the sands of time: footprints of a man who was so simple, gentle, low profile, soft-spoken, affable, and may I say, generous to a fault. His recent photograph, set against a sea in Bali Island, beautifully describes what Reddy really was- serene and simple, modest and unassuming, gracious and compassionate.
Seldom, I think, campus history records of one individual who was at once a teacher, researcher, administrator and yet deeply humble and intensely human. In the past, professors in the medical schools and department heads were notorious for being domineering and demanding, with little respect for students, few social graces, and almost no rapport with staff or colleagues. Reddy was an exception. He stood out like an oasis in the desert. He had the gift of being on the same plane as the person with whom he conversed––be that individual a child, a humble staff member or an exalted academic.
As Anshu wrote about Reddy soon after he passed away, “You would not have known a gentler soul. You would not have seen a more meticulous, silent and hard working person. Life is unfair. He snatches the purest of souls away from us too early.”
In fact, nobody hesitated to approach him in times of trouble because he invariably looked for a solution as best as he could. He was quick to notice the special talents of each individual and tapped them when necessary. This generated a feeling of ‘family’ in his department, so that, for example, the entire hospital staff would chip in when a conference was being organized, regardless of the specialty concerned.
He would rejoice in the success of his students and would do anything to help them in their professional and personal lives. He felt for them like a friend and cared for them like a father. A perfect role model of the ideal teacher researcher, he instilled priceless values, along with professional skills, in his mentees. The name Reddy has become synonymous with humanity and simplicity; his name would continue to inspire hundreds of medical students and PhD students and would continue to kindle the light of knowledge and wisdom. No student loved a teacher more than MVR. He was undoubtedly the most unselfish human being I met in my life. Asha (from 1989 batch) aptly summed up his qualities when she wrote yesterday, “A Teacher takes a hand; Opens a mind and Touches a heart.” And that is what Reddy did all through his life- shaping the careers of hundreds of students he taught.
Reddy was child-like in his innocence and affection. He had no trace of malice in him and treated even his occasional critics with genuine warmth that melted their adversity. I think the most appropriate word that would describe Reddy’s persona is Ajatshatru– he created no enemies, there was no air of jealousy around him. He was more inclined to serve than to lead.
MVR carried on his broad shoulders a great deal of burden, almost nonchalantly. Heading a full department, writing new grants, maintaining the research standards of the lab, responding to the never-satisfied clinicians in the clinical Biochemistry lab, keeping his clinical biochemistry running 24/7 and ensuring that all stakeholders in the central store that he led, was no easy task. Yet, he was politeness personified in whatever section of the institute he worked. His courtesy, generosity and an eye for perfection made him a perfect team member and often people exploited him for his inability to say no.
Thousands of his former students, practising modern medicine around the globe, not only adored him but also respected his genius. Close to 300 of his former students have expressed their sorrow on his passing away- describing him as one of the best teachers who taught them in MGIMS.
As a post on the Facebook reads, “The gentle mentor, never for once raising his voice, meticulous in each document he made, positive in each sentence he uttered, wise in each stand he supported. They don’t make the likes of him anymore. I remember turning to him in my most vulnerable moments where he calmed me down saying, ‘I understand what you are going through. I have been through this too.’ I didn’t get a chance to thank him for every time he simply accepted whatever we asked of him. “
For even though his mortal frame turned into ashes today morning, his imperishable teachings and selfless love will abide with us. He would continue to live in the hearts of every student who tapped the portals of the department of Biochemistry and he will live for immortal ages.
I salute this great man: an outstanding scientist, a brilliant teacher, a loving husband and father, but above all, a beautiful human being. Reddy, we will miss you. You were Tata to my granddaughter and Nanna to Chinu and Sridhar, Pooja and Sakshi. Our colony will miss your benevolent presence. But rest assured, your words, your deeds and memories will live on. Reddy -you will live in our hearts forever. The power of love and positivity is indelible. You shall always be remembered by respect and reverence.
May his soul rest in peace.