A couple of days ago I opened a broken suitcase at my Hyderabad home. This case is opened after almost a decade, manufactured by a company called ‘DELSEY’. I was using this suitcase a lot when I was working with the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF), Manama Bahrain. I lost count as to how many times the luggage handlers at Bahrain and Hyderabad airports threw this suitcase during luggage transfer. This was over 2 decades ago. DELSEY is a famous luggage brand. They make very sturdy luggage. ‘The pricing of this suitcase will always appear to be on the higher side, but few will understand that ‘Quality Comes with Cost’.
M/s Hussain AI Ajmi, Reem AI Motwani, Kadri, Vivek, George, Amal, Suzan White, Ahmed and many other good people all of them are highly learned were my colleagues. BIBF was established in 1981 and in 2006 it celebrated its 25 years of its existence or Silver Jubilee. This DELSEY suitcase today lies cracked, and hence I phased it out from use. In the store room of my Hyderabad house, it lies dusted, stuffed with all those forgotten old clothes and without care. And few days ago, I had opened it.
What I remember most about BIBF is the Monday morning meetings. It had no agenda, no invitation, anybody can attend and can rise any issue. The then director of the BIBF Mr. Khalid and the HOD of leadership training Mr. Darshan Singh were few regular attendees. The BIBF in Juffair Manama was neat well planned compact campus equipped with the then state of art facilities. During the Silver Jubilee celebration in 2006 many gifts and momentous were given to the staff, prominent among them were the beautiful white ‘T-Shirts’ with the logo of BIBF printed on it. Today it lies amidst many old clothes (Photo above). As I held the T-Shirt many memories began to flood my mind. The T-shirt may have become old, not my memories.
I am reproached by many for not changing with times. Somehow, I liked ‘BIBF’s older tag line –‘Where Learning Never Stops’ better than ‘BIBF’s present one i.e., Making Tomorrow’s Leaders Today’. The working atmosphere used to be excellent. All the people and their approach to work used to be positive. I wonder how the BIBF is today! As I write this piece, I am wearing that old but very beautiful ‘T-Shirt’ and feeling every aspect of BIBF life at Juffair of those days. Mr. Hussain Ismail, a nice gentleman and the then Dy. Director who administered BIBF beautifully. These are few of the many who laid the strongest foundation for BIBF.
I wish all my friends well and good health. 18 years later and with the advent of digital revolution much may have changed at BIBF. Wearing this T-Shirt made me 18 years younger; and of course, a thought comes to my mind, more so a prayer: How would it be today if I were given the task of handling a 5-day insurance training program? I do not know if the Almighty grants this wish; I am contended wearing this T-Shirt.
Looking at the website, I feel that the BIBF has changed phenomenally today. It has its own majestic building, more courses and qualified professional faculty. Online classes, Virtual tour of campus, Online payments etc. have transformed learning. In fact it has become a place where learning is fun. I can see a harmonious mix of industry professionals and academicians. I wish you all luck BIBF.
BIBF is a memory today and this T-Shirt has aggravated those memories. What is man? Is he not a bundle of memories? During the past two decades I have learnt the art of waiting for nothing. BIBF is an exception, and hence this spill over. While going for an early morning run on the beach near Juffair in 2005, I had asked myself, if the God were to appear before me to grant a wish, what would I ask for? I would ask Him to bless me with an opportunity of working for few years at BIBF in my next life, if there is one. Am I wrong Sir?
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional.
What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
