Renaming without purpose
I joined Bombay Labour Institute in 1971 and graduated in 1973. I remember my very first visit to the Institute in 1971. A neglected institution, I thought.
It looked like a typical government office with bad floor tiles, yellow fading distemper on walls some of them bore marks of water seepage and sparsely badly furnished Director’s office. A wide [by Mumbai standard] staircase took you to the first floor where one classroom and some faculty offices were located. The faculty offices were just about functional, with a table and two chairs. Overall a very gloomy environment!
We used to stay in hostel, which was maintained clean but had bare minimum not-so-well-maintained facilities. A recreation room in which some weights were kept for exercise, and it had a table tennis table which was bent on one side. It took great skill for the player on that side to keep the ball in play because it would bounce and move in unpredictable direction.
The plot of land in front of the Institute grew vegetables [even in 1971 it was an odd place in the heart of the city] so it looked green and provided some welcome relief. At the end of the road was Cardio Vascular Thoracic centre of KEM Hospital. At another end was a series of chawls, and after reading ‘Romancing with Life’ I realised that Dev Anand stayed there once. But that did not make it any better place to live. Parel, where the institute is situated was essentially a place where textile workers lived. One observed the working class and its ways of life and, in that sense, a good place to locate the institute.
This Institute was renamed Maharashtra Institute of Labour Studies, a deliberate attempt of abbreviation indicating clearly the objects of its focus. The students wanted the word ‘Management’ included but the Ministry wanted it to be ‘Labour’ oriented according to some gossip.
And that brings us to the Ministry’s role, or to be precise, the lack of it. The Institute the alumni of which include some big names among HR professionals continues to remain neglected. This Institute has produced even a Labour Minister! But it remains where it was. The facilities are grossly inadequate, the faculty comes only for its love of the institute and alumni visit to repay the ‘debt’ of that institute. The Institute has little ability to draw the best faculty to teach the students. This institute that once posed a formidable alternative to Tata Institute of Social Sciences is unfortunately no match even to its lesser known counterparts today. The fact is that the institute lacks some of the facilities which are seen so commonly among the run-of-the-mill institutes that are found in every other building in Pune! And of course, adequate funds!!
The Institute invited Mr. Bhujbal, Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Nawab Malik, Minister for Labour, M/s. Handore, Suresh Shetty, Dr. Nitin Raut and Special invitees are Mr. Mohan Rawale, MP, and Mr. Dagdoo Sakpal, MLA to participate in renaming [yes, yet again!] it as ‘Kai. Narayan Maghaji Lokhande Maharashtra Institute of Labour Studies’.
I hope that the dignitaries have noticed the state of neglect this institute is in [notwithstanding valiant efforts of Dr. Rajan Tungare, the current Director] and the need to upgrade it. We alumni of the Institute expect greater interest and support of the Government of Maharashtra which has so far retained interest for namesake [pun intended].
Vivek
Vivek
It seems that educational institutions are neglected all over the world. Hope you get some support of the government.
Dear Lilly’s Life
I agree.
Vivek
That is some branding sir !! Some branding !
🙂
*sigh* Some say, “It’s all in the name” but in this situation (as many), it’s not in the name, because the name is just giving it another hope to cover the obvious. It’s easier to rename it than to fix it. How sad indeed.
hi vivek,
i agree with u here … u should see our alld univ even after acquiring central status..
and thnx for the link
i followed jane’s links too on the tiger story …i m so shocked….what facades!i’ll do something about that post soon.
and were u there in one of the shows hosted by shekhar suman?
Vivek, just to let you know they think only one of the six fires was deliberately lit. somehow it makes it better knowing they could have doen nothing to stop it.
Very shortly, I suppose it will be constantly referred to as KNMLMILS…as is the queationable habit followed everywhere these days, when everyone is pushed for time; and so many wont know what the acronym stands for.
I think the only way to get someone to pay attention to it and upgrade the facilities, is to name it after one of the various worthies that attended .
When the government wants to cover-up its ineptitude, it gives things a new name. And, the more things change (as in name-change) the more they remain the same (as in detoriating condition).
Well written sir…guess we should connect since we seem to have a common concern and we can do more than a blog if we combine!