It is a belief in our society that whenever you hear the news of the demise of some known person, it will be followed by news of two more people known to you passing away within a couple of days. The latest news of Dr.M.S.Swaminathan passing away at the ripe old age of 98 is the third news of the death of a person known to me this week.
It was in the early 80s that I became a member of the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC, for short), an NGO headquartered in Singapore set up to promote the cause of mass communication in the Asia-Pacific region. Through a force of circumstances in 1984 I took over as the Country Representative of AMIC in India.
As the country representative, I was actively involved in promoting AMIC’s membership among the advertising and public relations fraternity, besides academics. When the Indian chapter steadily grew to be a formidable national organization, we appointed honorary Area Representatives to extend its reach to all parts of the country. To cope with this development, I persuaded AMIC headquarters to let me establish a Secretariat for AMIC India with a full-time Manager to help run its activities on a more professional footing. I had earned a good name, making India numero uno among AMIC’s national chapters. This also led to my being inducted to the board of AMIC in Singapore when (late) K. Kurien of Radius Advertising retired after completing his term of six years on the board. It was a great honour.
After my stepping down as a Board member, my recommendation to form a Trust in the name of AMIC to further boost the activities of AMIC India was accepted. AMIC India Trust was registered in Chennai, with Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, as the Chairman, and me as the Founder Secretary.
Working with Dr. Swaminathan, a busy man traveling 20 days a month was a pleasure. But he always found time to respond to any communication from us immediately. I remember visiting him once, just before the annual meeting of the Trust to brief him on the meeting’s agenda. He was hospitality and humility personified! After our meeting during which he asked relevant questions, he invited me and Suresh the manager of Amic India, to the canteen for a cup of coffee. There he waited in queue like every other staff to get our coffee and after consuming the same, dropped the empty cups at the designated place and then walked with us to the entrance to see us off. For a great man, highly revered by the world, he was such a humble person. He would chair the meetings as if he was totally involved with it the whole year and make everybody feel happy with the outcome. During this period, AMIC India also organized a successful international conference in Chennai..
A few years later, for strategic reasons, it was decided to wind up the Amic India Trust, and my association with AMIC and Dr.MSS was seized. In later years when I had an opportunity to meet him at a seminar, thinking that he may not remember me, I introduced myself before wishing him. He smiled and said, “ I know you. You don`t have to introduce yourself to me". I was happy that he had not forgotten me!
Though it was only a brief association of six years with Dr.MSS it was a memorable experience. May his soul attain Sadgati!
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