Divine Grace 2: Fianancial Aid in the Last Minute

The desire - almost an obsession - to go abroad got into me.  In that process the actions I undertook  - sound really foolhardy when I look back - and how I got saved from financial ruin in the last minute is an important and unforgettable event in my life. 

The seed for this obsession got implanted in me surprisingly by the casual remark made by a watchman!  I was in my school final class (High School Senior).  My father was building our new house at Jagathambal Colony, Chennai.  I along with my younger  brother used to visit the construction site to watch the activities and have fun.  On one of those evenings I overheard the watchman say "Junior will do well to go abroad and return."

College of Engineering, Guindy

Then several years later, as the third year student in Guindy Engineering College, I came to know about two of our seniors who went to Australia for Summer work.  It was fairly easy those days to go to Australia and get employed.  So, I started gathering information and working towards this.  Our class mate S. Venkatesan joined me and we were making plans to go to Australia by ship.  In the meanwhile I got a job with the Directorate of Town Planning, Chennai, and was sent for higher studies in IIT, Kharagpur. Upon successful completion of my M. Tech and return, got deputed as the Head of Post Licentiate Department of Town and Country Planning at the Central Polytechnic, got married, and fairly well settled. The idea of going abroad was forgotten.  Venkatesan went a different route in his career.  My obsession stayed buried only to come to surface with much greater force when I was an Assistant Professor at the School of Architecture and Planning, Madras University.

It dawned on me that there was no scope for me to advance at the School of Architecture and Planning (SOAP). I was overlooked time and again and persons younger and less experienced got promoted above me. Besides that,  there was no job satisfaction at SOAP.  My obsession got rekindled and surfaced with much greater force.  I applied and got my passport, cleared GRE and TOEFL and started sending applications to several universities in the US.

Technological Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA

I got admission from the Northwestern University (NU), Evanston, Illinois.  It was at this juncture I took what is really foolhardy.  I used my Life Insurance and our house as collateral to get loan from the Indian Bank and booked for my flight to Chicago.  I was under the wrong impression that it is easy and certain to get financial support/part-time work soon after landing in the University.

Thank God!

By God's grace, just 2 days before leaving for the States, I got a total surprise in the form of a cable from the Chairman, Civil Engineering Department, NU.  I was given $350 for 20 hours a week work as Research Assistant, besides tuition waiver.

It was as if the Divine Power said "Your attempts at going abroad failed time and time again by way of warning you.  What audacity you have to be so adamant on going abroad forgetting your wife, two young children, a sister yet to be married, a brother yet to finish his education, parents in village after your father retired from service, accepting 6-months leave with half pay (Rs. 450), just $80 cash in hand?  You fool, take this $350 monthly assistant-ship and make good use of it"

To Reflect Upon:

At one time or another the tide of fortune rises for every one.  All that one ought to do is to discharge one's duty as best as one can.  It is like taking the boat up the river, overcoming the downward flow of water.  While steadfastly and devotedly doing his duty, a favorable time comes to bless the man with all prosperity"  - Swami Chidbhavananda:  The Bagavad Gita; Commentary on ch2: verse 32