Tributes to AGK/Gopal (uncle)
I was very moved by the hearfelt messages I received from people who wrote to express their condolences on my fathers' passing. I have created this blog to gather remembrances from people who knew him as a friend, colleague, or family member--stories/ anecdotes/ ideas you may want to share from your interactions with my father Dr. A. Gopalakrishnan. Kindly share this with whomsoever you feel would like to contribute, thanks. May his soul rest in peace. Om Shantih.
Dr A Gopalakrishnan lived as an Ace personality caring for only technology development. He always worked towards his goal selecting appropriate resources and never hesitated to have direct interactions with work force. Many deserving scientists and engineers were benefitted with his administrative support and encouragement received as from their big brother.
ReplyDeleteHis demise is a loss to scientific community.
OM SHANTI
Y v l Narasimhaurthy
Ex BHELRND
I totally agree with the comments of our senior colleagues. He was a true R&D person, fully devoted to technical excellence. He was always supportive to the colleagues & believed in direct interaction with the
ReplyDeleteI was working in a govt organization (elecy board)
ReplyDeleteWhen I applied for a position in BHEL R&D I was interviewed by Dr. A.G.K. Actually I wanted to work in a lab in R&D but in the interview I was surprised that he asked questions relating to my field that is Hydro power. When other interviewers were not keen to select he overruled them and argued with them that product specialist also should be there in research labs. I got selected and allotted me to Failure analysis group which he created in the mold of failure prevention group in NASA.
Later when I created a failure data base using Fortran IV language and demonstrated how it works he was delighted and he felt it can work faster in a cobol language. As I was not knowing that language he sent me to CMC Madras for a 4 week course in cobol programming. Later it was followed by a training in Data base management in CMC Delhi.
Such was his zeal to train raw hands to suit his requirements.
Today after I have retired from bhel and had established myself in product development
I became a teacher and pursued a further career. He never observed hierarchy and used to interact directly.
I am deeply pained to know that he is no more. My heart felt condolences to his family members. May his soul rest in peace.
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ReplyDeleteBesides his brilliance and technical competence as narrated by the technical folks, Dr AGK was a simpleton to the core. To cite an instance I go back to 1975 end when he visited Delhi from the US to fix a residential accommodation before joining BHEL in April 1976. The then ESNP personnel officer took Dr AGK in his personal old Ambassador car which stopped at one of the traffic signal s in South Delhi. The PO's effort to self start the engine having failed he requested Dr AGK to get down and push the car which he is did and the engine came to life . When he came back to BHEL office Dr AGK narrated to me the incident with a hearty laugh and added that when you are in India you should be willing to travel by Bullock cart. At that i too had a hearty laugh. Another instance is when Dr AGK, Kamlesh Pande and i happened to work on a weekend holiday when Kamlesh's and my family had gone to our native place during school vacation and Dr 's family was in Hyderabad. Towards the evening Dr asked both of us what are our plans for the evening and i said that I would go home and prepare some food and retire for the day. Kamlesh also said something similar.Then Dr said that let us all go to Kuttappan's house and prepare some food and have dinner together. The deal was i would make rice and sambar Dr make vegetable dishes. On reaching my house i started cutting vegetables for sambhar and Dr started cutting vegetables for the dish. I requested Kamlesh to help Dr in cutting vegetables and Dr responded that Kamlesh didn't know how to get vegetables and he knew only heat transfer. We had a good laugh at it. However the food turned out to be delicious and we spent a nice evening. That's Dr AGK!
ReplyDeleteDr AGK, under whom me & my wife had the privilege of working while our stay in BHEL R&D, was a man with an exemplary vision. It was our good luck that we got to work under him very early in our career. And we have no hesitation in attributing our success in our career to a large extent to Dr. AGK. A people's man!! He would not make you feel that you are working under him. He made you feel that you were working with him!! We were very junior to him. He was General Manager when we worked under him as mere "Engineer" designation. But we never felt that there was so much difference between our levels in the hierarchy. There are so many great decisions that he took while we worked with him that it is very difficult to single out any one. He was a man for All Seasons! Will surely miss him!! May his soul rest in peace! Our deepest condolences to Anu & Anjali -his daughters -and his near & dear ones. JK Dhar / Anjana Dhar
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