This is indeed a sad and agonizing moment for me to write on MVR. The light that illuminated the department of Biochemistry and indeed the MGIMS campus has suddenly gone out. What happened was absolutely incredible and inconceivable. Sevagram is stunned and shocked, and so am I. Beyond words. I am still unable to fathom what made destiny snatch one of the nicest souls in Sevagram. 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.
No one could die a more glorious death then Reddy. He died as he lived; a night before his death, he had been chattering with his family and was cracking jokes. On that fateful Sunday morning, a moment before, he was here; a moment later, he left us. And he chose 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, when the death come, and gently tiptoed in his dining room, it must have softly asked Reddy,” Sir, your time is up. Shall we go?” And Reddy would have simply looked at his death with imperturbable equanimity, and serene bonhomie and could have given an approving nod. Reddy close his own parting act. He did not spend years struggling with incurable cancer and putting up with toxic chemotherapies. He did not spend months in the hospital trying to come to terms with angina, breathlessness, heart failure or arrhythmia. He did not live long enough to develop dementia. As simple as he was in life, so quietly and modestly he faced death. And when the death came, it too 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 decided to complete Reddy’s journey, it ensured that he gets down at the last station, a bit before time, quietly and quickly. What an inspiring journey is was! The journey from his birth to 9 April 2017 is full of creativity, series of accomplishments, professional and academic excellence, incessant joy-colored by pure friendships and magnificent generosity.
Reddy came form as small village in what was then Andhra Pradesh. He came from vernacular school and didn’t speak English until he entered the middle school. When this young man arrived in Sevagram, he could hardly speak Hindi or Marathi- the local languages. Shy and self-effacing, he was also introvert, preferring to spend his time in the Biochemistry lab. He lived in the Patel Hostel, migrated to Boy’s hostel, set up his home in 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 at Sevagram. He had just obtained his MSc (Biochemistry) from SV University, Tirupati and was a PhD Scholar; I was senior resident in Medicine. I immediately felt drawn towards a kindly, gentle-looking bonhomous man. The bond of love and affection grew over the years. We grew together and became neighbours. We wrote a couple of papers together and over the three – and half decade-long association, I discovered his several qualities.
He spent almost his entire professional career at MGIMS-joining the Institute in its formative years and steadily rose to head one of the most widely recognized department of the institution, which he served for 36 years in various capacities. 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, Reddy used his non-medical background as an asset and not a liability. He rose to become the head of the department, published hundreds of high-quality papers in high impact journals, raised impressive grants from international agencies, chaired the board of studies at Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, and went on to beg numerous accolades and awards. The best teacher award from the medical University was the icing on the cake. He received research training on hybridoma technique, IRMS and molecular biology methods from Harvard School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and University Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford. This indeed is a fantastic achievement. Quintessentially, a man who loathed publicity, Reddy always ensured that his feet were on terra firms.
He constantly played down all his accomplishments, always giving credit to his mentors, 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, the monuments in bronze he received, the awards he won, the boards that he represented or the committees that he chaired. Posterity shall recall Reddy by the footprints that he life 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, calm and composed, modest and unassuming, gracious and compassionate.
Seldom, I think, the Sevagram campus had seen one individual who was at once a brilliant teacher, meticulous researcher, an able administrator and yet deeply humble and intensely human. In the past, professors in the medical schools and department heads were ill-famed for being intimidating and bullying – 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.
The first MBBS students in medical schools often face an uneasy time as they tread the metabolic pathways and saddle the Krebs cycle. Overwhelmed by the course, daunted by the size of the books, and intimidated by the complexity of the subjects, they start pressing the panic buttons with alarming regularity. The tryst with Anatomy and Biochemistry often turns out to be a traumatic tragedy for medical students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Reddy knew the art of nursing their wounds and lent a soothing and healing environment in his department. He helped low-achievers overcome the perceived threat of failure and would make them understand what they are afraid of. He knew that some students are overly shy and are terrified of being singled out in the class. He would boost their confidence and take off examination phobia from their minds. Reddy 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 exquisite 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. He was the epitome of a good mentor- kindling a fire in his students, helping them to find new career path, or found greater fulfilment in their chosen direction.
Often, he introduced his protégé to opportunities and people that he/she would not otherwise have access to he provided his mentee guidance and inspiration and was perceived in the international labs as a highly credible reference for grants, awards and professional positions. No student loved a teacher more than MVR. He was undoubtedly the most unselfish human being I met in my life. Shalala Srinivasan (from MGIMS 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 had the gift of being on the same plane as the person with whom he conversed-be that individual a medical student, a staff member or an eminent academic. As Anshu wrote on his in her Facebook post, “You would not have known a gentler soul. You would not have seen a more meticulous, silent and hard working person. Life is unfair. It 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 always eager to lend a helping hand to the colleagues. He emerged as dependable them member who could bat at any position, field at any spot, and bowl whenever his captain turned to him. Reddy helped his colleagues in the institute design, plan and execute workshops and conferences-giving them tips and tricks that would iron the flaws ill planned conferences are associated with. Reddy was childlike 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 has clinical biochemistry running 24/7 and ensuring that all stakeholders in the central store that he led remained satisfied, 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, practicing modern medicine around the globe, not only adored him but also respected his teaching skills. Close to 300 of his former students posted their condolences and 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 on Monday 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 immoral ages.
I salute this great man: an outstanding scientist, a brilliant teacher, a loving husband, father and friend, but above all, a beautiful human being. Reddy, we will miss you. You were Tata to my granddaughter and Nanna to Chinu, Sridhar, Pooja and Sakshi. Our colony will miss your benevolent presence. But rest assured: your words, your deeds and your memories will live on in our hearts forever. You shall always be remembered by respect and reverence.