Dr. CS Venkat Ratnam passed away on April 16, 2010. I feel a personal loss.

I met Dr. Venkat Ratnam much after I started corresponding with him. I had read his books, particularly one called ‘Unusual Collective Agreements’, which gave a reader the assurance that anything was possible, anything could be negotiated in industrial relations.

He brought out books with such regularity that I had learned to expect two books from him in a year. Some of those are still sitting on my book shelf.

I met him at Chennai where both of us were invited to address a conference. I was expecting to meet an old ‘Tam-bram’ with heavy accent and a perfectionist. I was wrong. In Dr. CSV I met a very practical person, a researcher and educationist who knew that the world was not a perfect place, a very soft spoken person who encouraged people around him. It took just one meeting to become friends.

Unlike other educationists he was aware of the HR and IR practices in many industries and had a very balanced view. He had a very persuasive way of explaining his point of view. At Gitam Institute in Vizag, where he had invited me to address a seminar, we once again spent time together discussing trends in Industrial relations. He was moving to IMI at Delhi, he said.

In Dr CSV we have lost a thinker, and a researcher of international repute, not just a friend. May his soul rest in peace.

Vivek