The AECian Reverie

The AECian Reverie

BANGALORE DIARIES:

Indrani Medhi

I could not have imagined a better experience than what I had of late at the Bangalore Chapter of the 4th Alumni Meet of the AECians. Yes! The thriving engineers of Assam Engineering College foregathered at the IT hub of Bangalore.

It was a sunny Sunday morning. And as I reached the venue, the Country Club resort, located near the towering buildings of the tech parks, I witnessed a mild gathering of people in the resort auditorium. Gradually, the crowd increased by the fulgent light of high-noon. The close knit atmosphere of the alumni created an environment no lesser than a big family rendezvous. I felt rather queer to be the odd one out among all engineers, as I wasn't one! However, the entire caucus made me cherish my memories too, down memory lanes of Gauhati University, famous for its lush green ornamental trees and hillocks, as I studied in the same vicinity (Jalukbar), famous for its grove of Gulmohars, not too far from the AECians. But I also felt proud to be invited as a special guest and to be a part of such a wonderful event in the dignified presence of all engineers of Assam Engineering College.

Just as I was deep drown in my musings, staring at the laughter and chatter of the people gathered, two ladies - vivacious, gorgeous and vibrant, dressed in the traditional Assamese 'mekhelaa chaadar' grabbed all the attention as they took over the microphones and geared up with an interactive session to which all were eagerly looking forward. While some were still indulged in nostalgic conversations amongst themselves, some were engrossed watching and listening to the charming anchors, some beautifully decked up ladies were busy complementing each other's multi-hued attires, while the rest just stood behind, trying to hobnob with the great and good, munching on the crispy, hot and savoury starters that were served with cold and coloured soft drinks.

In December 2008, few of the alumni of Assam Engineering College (AEC), residing in Bangalore came up with an idea of organizing an alumni meet of their alma-mater. With further brain storming, everyone agreed that an 'AEC Alumni Family Meet' would be a better idea than an exclusive 'alumni meet' and thus the first feat was organized in January 2009. Post 2009, there was a null period for the next few years. The second coup of the same took place in February 2015. It was almost the same set of people but with a few more enthusiastic AECians joining this time. The organizers started identifying SPOCs (Single Point of Contact), basically a representative of every batch, residing in Bangalore. The duty of the SPOCs is to ensure that all their batch mates were supposedly aware of the meetings and get-togethers and also attend the same. The passion and fervor of all the AECians residing in Bangalore led to a hugely successful 3rd AEC Alumni Family Meet held in February, 2017. And as the New Year set in, the AECians in Bangalore decided to retrace their campus memories yet again, for the fourth time.

The best and the most encouraging part of the event was that there were alumni of the 1968 batch too, who were keen to complement and team with the younger batches. Their zest and fervour never dwindled even for a moment in bringing alive a miniature AEC, away from home. There was an interactive session across different batches of the AECians, cultural programmes, quiz sessions and fun games for both young and old and the cutting of the cake conducted as part of the event. From the cultural programmes to a sumptuous buffet lunch, everything was meticulously planned. Everyone was in high spirits throughout, right from the alumni batch of 1968 to 2018. Around more than 200 people attended the event to relive their bygone days spent in their almamater.

With joy, willingness to help and partner with each other in various ways, the AECians look forward with a sense of purpose and anticipation through their alumni meets. Reviving memories of a place that shaped the trajectory of one’s own life is a priceless and unexplainable experience. Smiles, hugs, togetherness and meeting old friends who travelled in different directions and sharing the life experiences with them makes this coming back an unforgettable event everytime. In a place, far away from homeland, the AECians remember and reflect their good old times and memories while taking a walk down memory lane. It is a time for old bondings to be cherished and celebrated and new ones to be formed along the alleys of nostalgia. The day was nothing less than a reverie, a daydream. Rightly did they name it - 'Anuxanga', the AECian Reverie.

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