Released on: October 19, 2007, 4:51 am

Press Release Author: Dr BR Natarajan

Industry: Entertainment

Press Release Summary: It looks as if Henry David Thoreau\'s quote "Good poetry seems
too simple and natural a thing that when we meet it we wonder that all men are not
always poets. Poetry is nothing but healthy speech" was meant just for this
occasion.

Press Release Body: The Chief Guest for this year cultural festival Oasis 2007 with
the theme Psychedelia at Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani
Rajasthan was proud to be a BITSian Sunit Rikhi, Vice President Technology &
Manufacturing Group and Director Advanced Design Logic Technology Development Intel
Ronler Acres campus Hillsboro Oregon USA.

After lighting the ceremonial lamp and the customary protocols, Sunit Rikhi's
unforgettable speech went as follows:

There are two words that are being used for me tonight. I only like one of them -
Chief. I am not a guest. I am a thoroughbred Bitsian and I have come home. And just
to show you how at home I feel let me remove my jacket off.

Ladies and gentlemen, I notice there are a lot more girls now than there were in my
days. This is good for both boys and girls.

Today, I bring to you warm hugs, love and good wishes from the BITS Pilani batch of
nineteen seventy four through nineteen seventy nine. Back then, when we roamed these
streets of Pilani, an overwhelming majority of you were not even conceived.

You and my batchmates may be disconnected by time, but we are joined together by the
OASIS experience. My batchmates are not here, but they sense your excitement enough
to have their own hearts race, as you begin your psychedelic exploration of the king
of all cultural festivals - OASIS 2007.

It is an honor for me to be amongst you at this moment. I want to take a moment to
express my sincere thanks and appreciation to those who made this day possible and
also provided me with this opportunity. I want to thank the president and general
secretary of BITS students' Union, people with the strange label of Stuccans, our
Vice Chancellor, the President and Vice President of BITSAA, the entire faculty, my
fellow Bitsians and all guests who have come from all parts of India. Thank you.

Oasis has always been the force that brings together young and talented students
from all over India for a week of new excitement, new experiences and new
relationships. It is a complex phenomenon that exceeds one\'s wildest expectations
because of a very simple reason - the organizers and the participants put their
heart and souls into it.

Back in my days of three decades ago, I remember the seriousness with which I took
my responsibilities that ranged from welcoming guests, to bringing electricity to
sand dune parties outside the campus. It was useful to see who was dancing on the
dunes and what we were drinking.

I also remember the vibrant display of talent that brought both the souls of
performers and the audiences together into a psychedelic experience like none other.


That word - psychedelic - the theme for Oasis 2007. Just pondering over its meaning
is a psychedelic experience. On my way to this function today, I thought about how
my life after Pilani has been nothing but a psychedelic experience. Somewhere
between Ringus and Chirawa, I captured that thought in the form of a poem. It is in
hindi and it goes like this.

Hur hava ke jhonke mein Pilani ki khushboo dhoondhta hoon

Hur bus-stop pe Nutan dhoondhta hoon

Hur talaab mein shiv ganga dhoondhta hoon

Hur shamshaan mein shiv mandir dhoondhta hoon

Hur mandir ke aangan mein ghaas dhoondhta hoon

Hur ghaas par naachta mor dhoondhta hoon

Hur nayee seekh mein funda dhoondhta hoon

Hur paronthe ke aas paas anda dhoondhta hoon

Hur kursi mein BITS style cricket ki wicket dhoondhta hoon

Hur oonchi deevar ke peechae Meera bhavan dhoondhta hoon

Wait...There is one more stanza left in this poem

Hur baat mein laccha dhoondhta hoon

Hur mauke pe velagiri dhoondtha hoon

Hur vartmaan pal mein apna ateet dhoondhta hoon

Tum subke khoobsoorat chehroan mein, mai apna chehra dhoondhta hoon

Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations on being here this week and my very best
wishes for the invaluable memories you are about to create for yourselves. May you
return from Oasis enriched and may you never come out of this trance. Thank you very
much

When he finished his speech with the poem linking every aspect of BITS Pilani, the
Richter scale measured over 8 in the jam packed auditorium of the Institute to
trigger a well deserved tsunami of applause.

About BITS Pilani: Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani
Rajasthan which has set a bench mark in industry university collaboration is one
among the top ranking universities in India today offering degrees in various
disciplines presently at Pilani, Dubai, Goa campuses and in the near future at
Hyderabad campus apart from an array of work integrated learning programmes for HRD
of a vast spectrum of Indian corporates.


Web Site: http://www.bits-pilani.ac.in

Contact Details: Dr BR Natarajan
Professor & Dean
BITS Pilani (Rajasthan) 333031 India
Phone office 91-1596-242210
Fax 91-1596-244183
Email brnt@bits-pilani.ac.in