A colleague and a good friend
Dr. K.V.Sridharan, whom I used to call Shree, was a conversationalist, non-conventionalist and a person with great untapped potential. Born to a school teacher of Mangalore origin he had his early education in Kodungalloor, Kerala, where they lived since their forefathers migrated along with several Konkani Brahmins during the invasion by Tippu Sultan of Mysore. For his Intermediate studies he moved to Palghat. Thereafter he came over to Madres and joined the Presidency College for B A Hons in Economics. After graduation he joined the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bombay, for Professional Social Work Training and completed the training in June 1953, with specialization in Labour Welfare and Personnel Management.
Professional life - Life at MSSW
It was July 1953 that he came and met me at the madras School of Social Work, looking for a job. Those were the early days of the Madras School of Social Work and therefore we had a few vacancies. I advised him to meet Mrs. Mary Clubwala Jadhav, Hon. secretary, which he did. Dr. K.V.Sridharan was selected as an Assistant Lecturer and we three – one from the Delhi School of Social work (Mr M Vishwanathan), one from the University of Baroda (myself) and one from the TISS (Dr. K.V.Sridharan) worked very closely to build up the MSSW in conducting Diploma training programmes effectively.
This was a period I got to know more about him. I found Shree a very intelligent person and also a good sportsman. I got used to playing with him in the field and found him to be good at games and will beat me in table tennis and Shuttle Cock even though I was known as a good player in these. I found him to be a good writer and an eloquent speaker on the subjects pertaining to Social Work.
After three years of working in the Madras School of Social Work, Dr. K.V.Sridharan applied to the US Education Foundation for a Fulbright Scholarship to go for higher studies in USA in the year 1956, he was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to join the Ohio State University in Columbus, USA, to do his graduate studies. Later, instead of his master's degree, he got admitted directly for his PhD. With about 4 years of work he got his doctoral degree in social administration. He worked for one more year to get work experience in USA.
After MSSW
He came back to Madras and as his contract with the Madras School of Social Work was over in 1957, he was without a job and was hunting for a good job. Those were days when the community or the public not having any knowledge of Social Work as a profession.
With my contacts in the USEFI (US Education Foundation in India) in Delhi, I talked to the director Dr (Ms)Olive Riddick to see whether Dr. Sridharan could be placed in her office. Dr. Sridharan was given a small assignment and he later got into the Cleveland International Youth Exchange Programme as its organizing secretary. He worked there for two years and when that job was over, he was again unemployed.
He joined the National Institute of Social Sciences in Bangalore – a Postgraduate School of Social Sciences, as its Director. After working for a few years he had some difference of opinion with the founder of that organization and he had to leave that position too. Since then Dr. Sridharan was unemployed and was doing consultancy work.
Later Dr. Sridharan joined the Viswa Yuvak Kendra, New Delhi, as its Director / Secretary where he worked for three years. After leaving that he settled in Bangalore and was mostly doing voluntary and consultancy work.
Awards
Dr. Sridharan was very popular among foreign students in Columbus in Ohio University. There he was awarded the prestigious "Sphinx" (Inscrutable person) award as a popular student. I understood he was also the recipient of an award by the Rotary Club in Bangalore.
My Impression about his
performance
Dr. Sridharan could get along with anybody and was a good conversationalist. He created a good impression of himself with anyone who met him. As a good friend, I advised him several times to be more serious minded and regular in his work as he is very casual at work.
Another example of his lethargy is that he submitted his M.Lit thesis at the last minute after five years to the University of Madras. He was not very organized in his personal life and that was reflected in all the jobs he was engaged. Hence all the employers remarked of his lethargy and lack of seriousness.
While he was working in Bangalore, he found his companion Dr.Uma and since then he was completely dependent on her for all his activities. I used to wonder whether he did the right thing with the choice of Dr Uma, who was a dominating person and possessive too. But they were a happy couple.
Dr. Uma was a medical doctor and she had many talents. She gave up her medical practice after her marriage. She could write short stories in Telugu on current topics including social problems and social illness. She was an artist and could make artistic clay models. Together they could have been ideal couple for the growth of the social work profession.
Dr.Sridharan was a non-conventionalist. He and Dr.Uma had a live-in relationship. I advised him to go to a Priest and get a simple marriage conducted in temple which I believe he refused. He could speak many languages – English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Konkani (no Script). Hence he was a versatile person. He could have shined in India as an eminent educationalist. I am very sorry to mention this in my remarks about Sridharan that he didn't make a good impression of himself on any of his employment. He used to complete the tasks assigned to him only in the last minute, under pressure and persuasion. I advised him from time to time to complete his work in time so that his employers will be satisfied and people who recommended him will not be blamed. He did not prove effective as an Executive.
If I have been too critical of my friend i am sorry for myself. I didn't want to flatter a friend who could not use his potential for the benefit of mankind. In spite of all the weakness of Dr.K.V.Sridharan, I continued to be his best friend. May his sole rest in peace!
My last meeting with him
Two weeks prior to his death I visited him at Bangalore and spent considerable time with him talking about various things. He was repenting for many of his inadequacies and inability of not living up to the expectation of people. When I visited him last he was bedridden and I asked him what was really wrong with him as he was two or three years younger than me. When I talked to him I found that his days were numbered and later when I visited Dr.Uma, who was also sick and bedridden, she told me that his end was near. I am really sorry that a person of good talents could not do justice to his profession or the posts he held. In his passing away I lost a very close and dear friend.
Dr.K.V.Sridharan had no worldly possessions. He never aimed for anything. The couple decided not to have any children. He had one acre pricey land in Kodungallur in Kerala which he donated for the Ramakrishna Mission and when I asked why he did not keep the land for a house of his own, he said that he did not want to leave any worldly possession in his native place.
After donating the land to Ramakrishna Mission he lived the rest of his life in Bangalore in a rented house.
After His death, within a couple of months, Dr.Uma also passed away. This sad news was conveyed to me very late and so I could not attend the funeral.
Dr.K.V.Sridharan did not leave any foot prints behind in spite of his versatile abilities and talents. Very sad!
" I shall pass thru this World but once; any good thing therefore I can do, or any kindness. I can show to any human being, let me do it now, let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again"
-Stephen Grellet
Prof K.N. George
Formar Director and Hon secretary, The Madras
School of Social Work, Chennai – 600008
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