Tree planting and memories

I was late today morning for the tree planting ceremony, which the interns perform every year in connection with their graduation at the Pondicherry Institute of Medical sciences. Professor Zile Singh, head of the department of Community Medicine was helping the interns to plant the last tree. Prof. Zile Singh is a popular teacher and a mentor for students. I was glad to be there to witness the interns plant trees, as an expression of their gratefulness for the training they received at PIMS.

Planting trees, is one symbol associated with graduation and convocation ceremonies. Dr. K.M.Cherian, well known cardio-thoracic surgeon and the founder of PIMS, who is a nature enthusiast, once said this in reference to tree planting on graduation day. 'It is one way a student who leaves the institution, can leave a visible token of gratefulness to his or her alma mater. The tree grows, blossoms and bears fruits. That is what every student should wish for the alma mater'.

Every institution needs to think of creative ways of endearing the alumni to it. One alumni, from the first graduating batch of PIMS, when returned for a short visit few mothns back, went to  the three canteens, hostel, and the coffee bar outside the emergency department. He spent a good deal of time meeting with the faculty during the two days. I asked him, while he was returning, 'what was special about the visit'. He said, 'memories, memories, memories' !

What keeps our lives refreshing are our memories. Those who recall and recollect their memories are the way marks for others.    

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)