Dr. D. P. Goel - As I knew him

That was 7th August, 1981, my first day in the science block of St. Stephen’s College. Owing to my southern origin and the controversy surrounding my appointment the indifference of the people around me was palpable. This being my first sojourn in North India, with my Hindi halting and broken, the timing of my problems could not have been better! After a few hesitant inquiries I was ushered into the new chemistry laboratory to meet Dr. D.P.Goel. (and also another esteemed friend of mine Dr. Mohan Katyal).During the introductions both of them made me feel at ease….and that was the beginning of a long cherished and invaluable friendship.Dr. D. P. Goel was a very humble man who had seen the harsh realities of life. Having traveled life the hard way, he was ever so forthcoming in sharing his experiences with people who later benefited by them. It was providential that I got to share his room and his cupboard in the department. I might have felt dominated by him at times but on hindsight, I believe this was a product of his elder-brotherly attitude towards me.Having no official accommodation, when my family joined me, he was generous with his advice as to which locality would be cost efficient and where to do the daily purchasing –be it vegetables, groceries, wollens or identifying the localities where there were genuine sales. I must admit that he was amongst the very few colleagues with whom I shared such close intimacy. When my children were young, experiencing the vagaries of seasonal variations, he would make it a point to enquire about them. That kind of empathy, though not of any material help, was a source of immense emotional strength.As a father of Mayank, Medha and Manisha, he was a perfect role model. They shaped up well, owing to his untiring efforts and steadfastness. His commitment to his children was a great inspiration for me. The first thing he advised when my son came to 9th standard was regarding television. He suggested that we watch only the dinner time news and a few epic serials. That indeed turned out to be a boon for our family as we came closer to each other. My children fared better in studies and we started appreciating what a healthy family life really was. As colleagues we were on equal terms and had mutual respect and admiration for each other. We exchanged a lot of notes about our students. At times he appeared harsh towards the students and sometimes to their parents as well, but that was only because of his deep commitment and concern to uphold the traditions and academic standards of the College. He took his practicals very seriously. He would personally monitor the preparation of the solutions, reagents, mixtures made in the lab. He was extremely intolerant of any lapse or any lack of commitment on anybody’s part –be it student, staff or his own colleagues. During examination he would personally prepare and distribute the chemicals whether he was an examiner or an invigilator. That was remarkable commitment indeed. As a teacher he was inimitable. He worked hard and he was never ashamed of admitting his ignorance on certain topics and tried to do justice to them. Once when bio-inorganic chemistry was assigned to him, he took the help of his daughter, a medical student at that time, to prepare excellent notes. As a human being he had his own frailties and complexes but he was outgoing, caring and empathizing. He was a born fighter- be it issues concerning the safety of the students and staff in the laboratories or the evaluation of students in the external examinations or even his own fight against the killer diseasecancer.His forbearance and fortitude in the face of spreading cancer have left strong imprints in my memories of him. A few days before his death I talked to his son Mayank. He told me, ”Sir,even the doctors are amazed at his grit and tough spirit that has helped him survive so long”. He never yielded to the killer disease and fought till the last moment. And this is my tribute to the great man I knew, Dr. D.P. Goel.

Dr. M.S. Frank

Chemistry Department