■ How do you react to allegations of Ravenshaw administration’s failure to tackle the Afghan students’ issue?

You cannot judge the administration by a stray incident. The Afghan issue was similar to a “mountain made out of a molehill” situation. It was an abrupt incident. People of Cuttack treat them as their own and have never harmed them.

■ Wasn’t it only after they decided to leave the campus that you sprung into action?

■ Do you regret having invited applications from foreign students to study here?

The concept of international students at Ravenshaw and in Orissa is a totally new concept. The big brand of Ravenshaw was going downhill since the last three or four decades. To resurrect the situation, I tried adventurous steps like bringing in foreign students. But when you start a trend, things take time to settle down. We are planning to set up an International Students’ Hostel soon.

■ How would you define your journey from a student of Ravenshaw College to the vice-chancellor (VC) of this university?

It has been an incredible journey. It does not usually happen that you get an opportunity to go back to the place you had started from. I had not even imagined myself to be fit enough to become a lecturer here. I feel honoured to have got a chance to head this university.

■ Ravenshaw has been in news for wrong reasons — from the East Hostel controversy to the Afghan students’ issue. Do you regret becoming the VC?

No. Ravenshaw is as sacred as Jagannath temple. When I joined as its first VC, there was a lot of old baggage to change without offending or humiliating people. We attempted changes at three levels — structural, academic and cultural and we have also faced resistance.

■ Are you looking forward to a third term as VC?

Not at all! I took up the responsibility because I belong to Cuttack and was a student of Ravenshaw. I have realised that I am not an educationist. I’ll be very harassed if I have to repeat the job (laughs).

■ You are a distinguished lyricist, poet and writer. What are your views on the current trends of writing?

When I started off, competition was less and institutions to propagate them were fewer. Although writing was sparse then, it was clearer. Today, there is a lot of good writing but they are disorganised, making it difficult to spot talent. Nobody knows what to read. The emphasis is more on song, dance and films. Moreover, literary criticism, which used to be singularly absent then, is conspicuously absent now.

■ You have not been writing as much in comparison to your contemporaries. Is it your busy schedule that is preventing you to be involved in literary activities?

I am a reluctant writer. I don’t write for a cause or to propagate an ideology. I am in a touch-me-not relationship with writing. I write mostly for myself and for my friends, that too only when it becomes impossible to control my feelings. But I have not been able to publish my work as much as I would have liked to.

■ Although you have received several prestigious awards, you have not been considered for the Orissa Sahitya Academy award? Do you feel the judging process is unfair?

Awards are not the apt measures of a good writer. I am not saying this out of disappointment but because I never considered myself to be in the race for awards. I feel I am overrated. Instead of judging me by my writing skills, people tend to appreciate me more out of love and affection, which really embarrasses me.

 

■ You are known as a romantic poet. What are your views on relationships?

Human behaviour, particularly love and physical relationship, is something like preference for food, books or music. It cannot be typified. It is very interesting to watch but impolite and unethical to pass judgments. Love is a different thing; sex is a cheap substitute for love.

■ Have you fallen in love? Have you betrayed or been betrayed in love?

I have been in love with many women, both intelligent and beautiful. There have been promises which I have not been able to fulfil.

Writer par excellence

■ Devdas Chhotray, son of legendary Oriya playwright Gopal Chhotray, is widely acclaimed as a writer, poet and lyricist. He has been honoured with many awards for excellence in Oriya poetry.

■ Chhotray has composed lyrics for over 75 Oriya films, immortalised by the voice of celebrated Oriya singer Akshaya Mohanty. He has won the Best Lyricist award more than five times. He has also written scripts for feature films in Oriya such as Vasudha, Gayaka (Singer) and others like Viswaprakash (The Young Rebel), Indradhanura Chhai (Shadows of the Rainbow).

■ A regular artiste of All India Radio, Cuttack, he also worked as director of Orissa Film Development Corporation, chairman of publication committee in Fifth International Children’s Film Festival and later as vice-president of governing council of Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. He is also chairman of the governing body of Biju Patnaik Film and Television Institute in Cuttack.

■ He graduated from Ravenshaw College and pursued his master’s degree in political science from Utkal University. Then he moved to Cornell University in the USA to study development economics.

■ Chhotray entered Indian Administrative Service and worked in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, as well as at the Centre for more than a decade.

■ In 2006, he took voluntary retirement to become the first vice-chancellor of Ravenshaw University.

What would you have been had you not been an IAS officer?

I would have been a vagrant. I had no fixed ambitions. After completing college, I wanted to become an actor because my father was a playwright. Everyone wants to imitate his/her parents. Getting into the services was a stroke of luck; I had never expected I would clear the exams. Right now, I am under a lot of pressure as Ravenshaw VC — for introducing changes and then facing resistance to the reforms. If things go well, I should get credit and if not, I would claim full responsibility. I want to finish my term at the university soon and enjoy a carefree life as a poultry farmer.