I cannot remember my introduction to him but that hardly matters. I remember my first interaction with Jain Sir was on the issue of naming of the centre. It was more like an understated clash which got me to respect him. There was some consideration about renaming the Centre for Women’s Studies as Gender Studies, also the course. In 2010 I joined IIS University for teaching Foundation Course Women’s Studies. Prof N K Jain was Dean Social Sciences and he called me about this naming issue. I was abrupt and told him that I would give my resignation if the name is changed to Gender Studies. In 2022 without knowing the name of the MA course, the Department of Women’s Studies, Bharatidasan University was offering I joined it and I am doing MA Gender Studies as my first regular course in University. I keep remembering Jain Sir and my abruptness. I did not know and had no need to know, who suggested about changing the name but I know he patiently searched and told me that Women’s Studies is valid and the name will be retained. He did not have to call and tell me, and I did not expect it but his simple action raised the respect bar for him quite a few notches in my mind.
After coming to the end of Foundation Course of four months’ Semester I went to see him as I wanted to quit. He patiently asked me what the issue was. I shared that I could not stick to the syllabus within the time limit of class period as Women’s Studies is vast and I meandered a lot. College teaching as per syllabus needs to be completed as examinations depend on what is taught as per the syllabus. As it is I do not believe in giving notes and there were no text books for Women’s Studies (there still are hardly any). He said with a glint of humour in his kind eyes, so the issue was just that I could not stick to the syllabus during the time allotted for class. When I asserted he said, ‘Chanda there are things called index cards’! I still relish after so many years his one line, which resolved the issues I was grappling with, so simply. I ordered a pack of index cards and made notes as I had classes to be taken only alternate semesters. He never spoke about it ever.
Another time I recollect of his time and patience with me. The IIS University was going to bring out its first journal and I like other faculty members received a mail about it. Who else but Jain Sir was overall in-charge for that journal! I had a paper which I had written long back in 2000 so I went to him with it happy with my creation. He made me rewrite almost the whole paper. So subtle was he that I did not come to know about it. It was only while writing the abstract for it that I realized what had happened. He made me rewrite the abstract five times. I was done with it the fifth time completing it after tending to the needs for other department demands. I was up till 4.00 in the morning and past wanting to do anything with it but for some reason he was ok with the paper so he almost wrote the abstract. I still wonder how many people in his position would have the patience to expect and teach perfection the way he had. It was only thanks to his perseverance that the first Social Science Journal of IIS includes a paper of Chanda Asani.
Ten years of working in the University has never given me opportunity to reduce that respect and trust I put in him. He was English Literature background but for me he was a person who understood Women’s Studies and as Dean of Social Sciences I could depend on him for anything. He encouraged buying books for Women’s Studies and never ever questioned the books I selected and ordered (I am sure they went to him for approval). He encouraged the activities I planned and encouraged me to reach beyond me for things I did not like such as making question papers. It is neither his birthday nor his death anniversary nor a memorial day for him. People like him live on in the works of many they inspire to carry on the demands of a structure without getting affected by monotony, and still aspire for heights which are above average as if these are as simple as relishing a hot cup of tea in the cold winter morning.
There have been other instances for interacting with Jain Sir and these have only enhanced the sense of respect for not only as the Dean but also as a human being. Once I was waiting for sometime outside his room and observing the interaction of faculty members, mostly women that day, with him. I was so stuck by his gentle, firm and reachable attitude that I was driven to tell him what I felt. He could not understand what I told him as probably no one ever praised him being in the position he was. I told him that he was a genderless person so it is comfortable for faculty members to interact on any issue with him. I remember distinctly he blushed, saying that it is just being a human being. I did not pursue so as to not embarrass him further but I did want to tell him that human beings were few and far between in a single woman’s life.
