Mangalore: Reunion of SDM College of Business Management, 1983 Batch
News: Dinesh Rao
Pics by Daynanad Kukkaje/Ashley D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Dec 22: 27 years is quite a long period in one's lifetime. But for a family, it never is. Students of SDM College of Business Management, Mangalore, 1983 batch, met for their first ever reunion on December 19, 2010 on a beachfront at Sasihitlu, New Mangalore, away from the madding crowd of the bustling city. A number of them had never met each other in years.
Getting together for a post-breakfast meeting in the very classroom they sat in ages ago, they listened with great interest to Devaraj, who happened to be their lecturer in personnel and financial management, and presently, the principal of the college for the past several years, as he narrated how the college had made strides to achieve the remarkable feat of being recognised by the UGC and the NACC, as well as about the likelihood of it being certified by the authorities as an 'autonomous' institution. This is quite a heartening achievement, taking into account the fact that it had faced the threat of closure in the past due to the dearth of both faculty and students. The hard work put in by Devaraj to improve the status of the college to its present level was well-appreciated by the old students, most of whom were overawed by the infrastructure ( the conference hall, in particular) that is now available to the students, many of whom would be as old as their own offspring.
The time in the beach resort was well spent by the class of ‘83, many of whom had brought their families along, meeting and discussing about their lives and their children, eating and drinking, dancing and merry making, with wives and children and the college principal joining the games.
Only the setting sun reminded the participants of the reunion that they were no more the 'boys' and the 'girls' that they were nearly three decades ago. What remained was the memory of this reunion and the resolve to keep this 'family' together.
Out of the total 45, 25 could attend the reunion. The passed away students, Ibrahim Khaleel and Suresh Shenoy were remembered during the occasion.