Gulabji, the owner of the Vyas Redi, is a long-time resident of BITS Pilani. As a redi worker and later owner, he has been intimately connected with student life over the years. The English Press Club sat down with him over a hot plate of Maggi to discuss his life at BITS, the changes he has seen on campus, and his experiences with students over the years.

Gulabji has been associated with the campus since the 70s. His father used to have his own redi at the Ram-Budh Bhavans. It was at a time when samosas used to cost 25 paise and when now-famous people like Baba Kalyani were on campus. Gulabji briefly moved out to pursue a job but had to come back to Pilani in ’86 because his father had an accident; it was around this time that he started working at Vyas Redi.

Gulabji has always had a close relationship with students. In the course of the conversation, he brought out old notebooks, duly covered and preserved, filled with phone numbers and addresses of students from batches long since graduated. He fondly talked about certain students with whom he keeps in touch even today, calling them on their birthdays and them calling him in turn. ‘Whenever passed-out students return, there are usually one or two who used to remember me; they visit me and talk about their lives.’

Gulabji shared his thoughts on the change in the fee amount over the years. He remembered how it once used to be around ₹8,000, while it threatens to eclipse the two lakh mark in current years. He has also witnessed a change in the food habits of students over the years. Nowadays, because of the increase in mess facilities, people do not come to the redi often. ‘People prefer packaged foods over fresh food. They go for instant cup noodles because it is convenient for them. This has led to a decline in the business at redis across campus,’ he lamented.

He also talked about the overall change in the concept of what a redi actually is. In the past, the redi was a four-wheeled cart that was pushed around and provided refreshments to all the people in Pilani. The current stationary redis came into existence on the grounds of providing more hygienic facilities to the students. This, however, meant that redi owners now had to pay rent for the space that they were taking up on campus. Gulabji said that new rules and regulations are being formulated with respect to the current scenario of business at the redis. He hinted at a committee of redi owners taking shape to keep a check on the rates, the facilities provided, and the hygiene conditions of the redi.

Gulabji went on to comment on how students these days seem to be focused more on grades than on the overall learning experience. Using the quality of his food as a metaphor, he said that the quality of teaching should be maintained, irrespective of the experience of the professors. According to him, the changes in the infrastructure to attract more students and increase the seats available for admission are steps in the right direction for the campus. The admission process for BITS, he opined, is merit-based and therefore fair, with the chances of fraud being negligible. 

Finally, Gulabji talked about how fests have changed over time. Due to a change in the campus landscape, the location of the fests, especially Oasis, has changed. In the past, everybody used to have a lot of fun and the fest was accident-free. In recent times, however, Gulabji said that people have used the fest as an excuse for nefarious activities. This has led to a ban on several colleges, which he believes is the correct step. 

Gulabji believes that the campus is a better place now, with several improvements in infrastructure, faculty, and student pool. However, he is certain that there are changes yet to come which will make college life for students, teachers, and redi-owners like him even more memorable.