Prem Ramayan by Atul Satya Koushik
Continuing its centenary celebrations, Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) commemorated Founder’s Day last week, celebrating the founder’s birth anniversary. The evening featured a play by alumnus Atul Satya Koushik at Shridhar Sriram Auditorium, followed by commemorative honours marking the milestone year.
Commemorative stamp issued by India Post to mark 100 years of SRCC
‘Heads turn when I say I’m SRCC graduate’Theatre director Atul Satya Koushik, batch of 2006, brought his play Prem Ramayan to the stage with its emotionally charged performances and layered messaging. Narrating the play himself, he said, “This is a different kind of play, an attempt to present the hidden, small love stories in the Ramayan with a new perspective. I have read them sitting in the Xerox lawns here. All these stories and poems have been with me for the last 20 years, whatever little name I have earned today goes to this college.”
Atul Satya Koushik, batch of 2006
Talking about SRCC’s impact on his journey, he said, “Aaj bhavuk hoon kyunki aaj se theek 20 saal pehle yaani 2006 mein main iss college se pass out hua. Teen saal daba kar theatre kiya. Yahan ka jo dramatics club hai uska main part tha teeno saal. I must say, jahan bhi apne parichay mein sabse pehle maine yeh baat kahi that I’m a graduate from SRCC, heads did turn.”‘Started as a school with 12 students’The college also received a commemorative postal stamp, marking its centenary, issued by India Post along with a centenary medallion. Ajay S Shriram, chairman of SRCC’s governing body, reflected on the institution’s origins and founding vision, “Over a hundred years ago, on Basant Panchami in 1920, what began humbly in Daryaganj with 12 students and four teachers was driven by a simple yet powerful belief that education must serve society and that knowledge must be accompanied by character. That belief remains the enduring force behind SRCC even today.”
(L-R) Principal Simrit Kaur, president of the alumni association Girish Ahuja, retd Justice AK Sikri, chairman Ajay S. Shriram
‘Learning does not end with degrees’Speaking on guiding values such as learning, leadership, relationships and values, Ajay S Shriram drew from the life of founder Shri Ram to underline their continued relevance. “SRCC itself was founded on the idea that learning must be continuous, relevant and purposeful, as Sir Shri Ram believed learning does not end with degrees,” he said.Simrit Kaur, principal of SRCC, said in her vote of thanks, “Ek gaana yaad aata hai ki kabhi kabhi mujhe yeh khayal aata hai. Kabhi kabhi ko har pal kahenge. It goes, ‘Har pal mujhe yeh khayal aata hai ki SRCC ko banaya gaya ho hamare liye. Sau varsh pehle sitaaron mein bas raha tha kahin, SRCC ko banaya gaya hai hamare liye’.”
Prem Ramayan portrayed spiritual characters as deeply human, reinterpreting stories from a fresh lens
