Ravenshaw University : Documenting history through alumni memories

This news post has been retrieved from here.
"As the camera panned on Narayan Mohan Das and sound recorder went on, the 99-year-old former administrator was transported back in time.

Circa 1926-1930, a young Das moved through the hallowed portals of Ravenshaw College giving a ‘first hand account’ of how the institution was in that period.

‘The whole atmosphere was so calm and serene but full of constructive intellectual activity and excellence. The academics was unmatched with great teachers.

The sense of being part of Ravenshaw was simply overwhelming,’ said Das, with the glint of nostalgia. Like Das, many more are experiencing the time-travel as R a v e n s h a w University, the erstwhile Ravenshaw College , h a s embarked on a mission to trace its glorious past and heritage and preserve it for future.

Christened Ravenshaw 200, the project is reaching out to elderly luminaries and eminent personalities, who once paced through its corridors.

The basic objective is to document the 140-year-old history of Ravenshaw College through the memories of its old students. Ravenshaw College played the pivotal role in shaping modern Orissa.

It was from its very campus that events and movements to bring about socio-cultural and political changes in the State had originated. “But sadly, there has been no record for history. There are no written records on the institution,” said project coordinator and OSD to Vice-Chancellor Devdas Chotray, Dr Sangeeta Rath.

As many as 200 personalities, produced by the college, are slated to be interviewed. Already, 26 interviews through audio-visual medium have been completed and the rest are targeted to be completed by the year-end.

It will result in over 400 hours of recordings that would provide a comprehensive base for defining the history of Ravenshaw.

The interviews are being conducted by Dr Rath accompanied by VC Chotray. There are about 20 to 25 personalities residing outside the State, who will be personally approached while some around 10 NRIs would be contacted through mediums , she added.

While the AV documents would be placed at an independent Audio Visual Centre of the College, efforts are being made to screen them for the public through tieups with television channels and other media . The up coming RavenshawRadio would also broadcast the interviews.

The wealth of information would also be available for research.

Some luminaries already interviewed are former Chief Justice and officiating Governor of Orissa Gatikrushna Mishra (97), freedom fighter and former Union Minister Bibhudendra Mishra (87), former Advocate General Late Gangadhar Rath (85), Poet Jayanta Mohapatra (80), former Chief Secretary of Orissa Ramakanta Mishra (75), eminent cardiologist and painter Dr JP Das (74), former Utkal University VC Dr Devendra Chandra Mishra (87) and economist Dr Baidyanath Mishra (86) etc."

Wow! This is a very good initiative taken by the authorities. So the winds of change are blowing at Ravenshaw.....