The Hindu Business Line : `Present director would have to go'

DR V. Kurien on Friday vociferously defended his position as the chief of IRMA, an institution he had built 25 years ago. Instead of buckling under pressure, he said that the incumbent Director, Prof K. Prathap Reddy, would have to go. Excerpts of his statement on IRMA and his role in the institute:

The story behind the setting up of IRMA needs to be understood. The former Director of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and my cousin Ravi Mathai used to visit me on weekends here in Anand. I once told him that he was not able to inspire graduates to look at areas where their talents were appreciated instead of getting rewarded solely in terms of cash. Mathai asked me to join the IIM-A board and give this lecture there. I did, and a leading businessman of Ahmedabad, who shall not be named, with great difficulty, pulled out his cigar from his mouth and told me: "So, Dr Kurien, you want our graduates to go and milk your bloody cows". At that, I resigned from IIM-A. During his next visit, Mathai told me that I will never be satisfied till I built my own institution. I am an institution builder. I built IRMA and invited Mathai to be on my board.

In the last 25 years, we have grown to be a great institute that attracts over 10,000 applications for 70 seats. Before I interview the candidates, I make them stay in a village for four days. Only when they are convinced that they want to join for satisfaction, they are allowed admission. It is a great institution and obviously, there would be people who want to grab it. They do not want to wait till I go. But that is not going to happen. Pushing me is not the way to get rid of me. As regards the Institute Director (Dr Reddy), we could not find a suitable candidate, so the board did the second best thing. Being senior-most, he was made the director. Now, he has wished that he wants to retire after the Convocation on April 15. I am not going to stand in his way.

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