Sir,

I am deeply saddened to note the passing of Prof. V.K. Nataraj (VKN) in the city on Dec. 9. During 1961-62, I had the privilege of sharing a room with him — Room 92 (or perhaps 93?) — at the Maharaja’s College Hostel. At that time, I was pursuing my M.Sc. in Statistics, while he had enrolled for a Ph.D in Economics under the guidance of Dr. Devaraj Urs.

I fondly recall these cherished memories of him:

• He was an exceptional English debater and orator, frequently securing the first prize.

• Prof. C.D. Narasimhaiah (CDN), who was the Head of the English Department and Principal, was a guiding presence during those days.

• An ardent devotee of Sri Ganesh, his faith was unwavering.

• He was a habitual late sleeper, often staying awake past 1 am.

• Along with Dr. Urs (an alumnus of Columbia University, NY, I believe), he frequented Ganesh Theatre in Krishnamurthypuram or Gayatri Theatre on 100 Feet Road (as it was called back then).

• Despite being a heavy cigarette smoker, he was fortunate to evade cancer until the age of 85.

• His simplicity and dedication to academics were remarkable.

• He regularly attended rehearsals of ‘The Dumb Wife of Cheapside’ (or Cheepside?), a play directed by Professor Gururaja Rao with the support of Sampath and his team. Prof. Rao also played the role of the dumb wife’s husband.

Though I last saw him in 1962 — exactly 62 years ago — his facial features seem unchanged. The photograph of him published in Star of Mysore today vividly resembles the vibrant and youthful VKN I knew back then.

May his soul rest in peace!

– Dr. Ananda Gubbi (Ph.D), Slippery Rock PA, 9.12.2024

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