National Engineer's Day 2021

As a child, Vishwa walked a long way to get to school. As a college student, he tutored two children to make ends meet. And as an engineer, he built dams, bridges and institutions, and the foundation for a modern India. Read this to know how Sir M Visvesvaraya observed the world around him, learnt from it, made bold decisions and never shied away from hard work.

When Visvesvaraya graduated from Central College, Bengaluru, Principal Charles Waters presented him with a dictionary. Visvesvaraya used it for the next 80 years!

A very thrifty person, he once said in a speech: “If you buy what you do not need, you will need what you cannot buy.”

 

Riding to work

 As the university topper, Visvesvaraya was appointed assistant engineer in the Public Works Department of the Government of Bombay. Within months, he built a structure called a syphon to bring water from the Panjra river to a village called Datari.

While there, he came to work from the camp office across Panjra river. How did he travel to work? On horseback of course, since this was in 1884!

One evening it rained so hard that the river was flooded and Visvesvaraya could not ride back to the travellers’ bungalow. For two days, the villagers of Nandwan and Datari offered him food and accommodation. But on the third morning, he had to return to the camp office. What did he do? He just swam back with the help of his Bhil workers. Can you imagine how strong he had become contrary to that early prediction?

Visvesvaraya’s public works, which started then, went on for over seven decades!

 eam clearing sand from the bed of the stream.

Visvesvaraya was passionate about water conservation. He designed many water supply, drainage and irrigation systems across the country.

Visvesvaraya also designed or advised on water supply systems in Aden (now in Yemen), Kolhapur, Indore, Gwalior, Bhopal, Nagpur, Goa, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Baroda, Sangli and across Bihar and Odisha.

 

Education for all

In 1912, the Maharaja offered the post of Dewan to Visvesvaraya. But he was anxious to have opportunities to develop technical education and industries in the State and he did not want any high office. However, the Maharaja insisted, and Visvesvaraya became the Dewan.

As someone who knew the worth of a good education, Visvesvaraya wanted to set up schools and colleges. During his period as Dewan, between 1912 and 1918, the number of educational institutions in the state went up from just 4,568 to 11,294. The Maharani’s College in Mysuru became the first in the state to include degree courses for women.

Visvesvaraya was also responsible for starting technical education colleges, engineering colleges and agriculture education. He introduced compulsory education, which is now a fundamental right in the Indian Constitution.

 

On a visit to his old school in Muddenahalli, he gave a packet of chocolates to the students.

When he was asked to give a speech, Sir MV spoke only for five minutes because he wasn’t prepared. Unhappy with that, he came back a few days later with a well-prepared speech!

When he resigned as chairman of the Mysore Iron Works, which he founded, a large sum of money was due to him. Visvesvaraya wanted it to be used to start a college where boys could learn a profession. So the Sri Jayachamarajendra Occupational Institute was set up in Bengaluru. It is now called Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic.

The first Ganesha made at the Mysore Iron Works, later renamed Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant.

 

Institutions that Sir MV helped to set up

·         Government Engineering College (Renamed University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering), Bengaluru.

·         Hebbal Agricultural School, that led to the formation of University of Agricultural Sciences.

·         Sri Jayachamarajendra Polytechnic College, Bengaluru

·         Mysore University

 

An honour for the genius

 By now, Visvesvaraya was recognised for his work as an engineer and a leader in many parts of the country. In 1915, while he was the Dewan of Mysore, the British government made him a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE). From then on, he was called Sir M.Visvesvaraya.

The visionary that he was, Visvesvaraya visited factories and big construction projects in many countries, not only to provide them with his services, but also to see how he could bring development to India. He felt India’s poverty could only be reduced if education and employment were available to everyone.

He often boldly declared, “Industrialise, or perish!” But, during the same time, Gandhiji used to say, “Industrialise and perish!” Even though the two great men did not have the same views about industrialisation, they respected each other.

 

Love for reading

 Sir MV was always eager to learn. When he was more than a hundred years old, a relative asked him what he wanted from Chennai. “Get me a good, modern dictionary,” he replied.

The dictionary is now in the Muddenahalli museum.

Sir MV helped to set up the Mysore Agricultural Residential School. It later became the University of Agricultural Sciences. The rock on which he liked to sit has been named after him.

Among the books in his personal library were Poems of Kabir, Arabian Nights, Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer Abroad, Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers, Dr. Peter Schmidt’s Don’t Be Tired, Macmillan’s Promotion of Happiness and Rabindranath Tagore’s Stray Birds. Also in the library were books that he wrote: Memoirs of My Working Life, Constructing India, Nation Building: A Five-Year Plan for the Provinces and Prosperity Through Industry.

As an engineer, and a person who valued education and discipline, Sir MV was an inspiration to millions of people. Among them was a boy called Ramu who used to read out to him from the newspapers when Visvesvaraya’s eyesight became weak. He wanted Ramu to come on time, read to him and leave for school on time. For this, Sir MV paid him 10 paise every day. Ramu’s reading improved and he grew up to become a teacher. After he retired, he became a Scoutmaster in Tumakuru and taught physical exercise, memory games, first-aid and sports to children for free.

 

Mangala and Amma had been learning about Visvesvaraya for a week.

“Amma, so Muttajji could get a degree because Sir MV introduced graduate studies in Mysuru?” Mangala asked.

Amma nodded.

“Ajji had an account in Mysore Bank founded by Sir MV?” Amma nodded.

“You worked at the Kannada Sahitya Parishat?” Amma nodded again.

“And now, I want to visit Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum which was set up in his memory,” said Mangala.

“Yes, let’s go there next week, on his birthday!” said Amma.

Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (Photos: Visvesvaraya National Memorial Trust/Pratham Books)

September 15 is celebrated as National Engineers’ Day in honour of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, an outstanding engineer and visionary.

Visvesvaraya helped set up the Karnataka Sahitya Parishat (later renamed Kannada Sahitya Parishat) in Bengaluru to bring together people who spoke different dialects of the language.