The juggernaut of art of communication

The auditorium of the Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research (SIMSR) was packed with eager students and teachers and many research scholars to hear what the ' Shweta Hindu' (Whiteman having become a Hindu) was going to speak about communication.

After the preliminary formalities of lighting a lamp and recitation of the campus prayers in Sanskrit, V Rangarajan, the chief administrative officer of the Somaiya group of institutions introduced the guest speaker.

Calling Jeffrey Armstrong a multi-faceted personality, Rangarajan said, "It is difficult to state all the things that Armstrong has been doing.

" Armstrong, also known as Rishi Kavindra, majored in psychology from the United States and has several academic achievements to his credit.

His love for the computer industry and communication saw him at the top positions in the Gulf countries as well as in the Silicon Valley.

He also published a magazine on Local Area Network (LAN) and was one the highest paid executive in the corporate world. An expert at martial art including the tough art of fencing, Armstrong has done extensive reserach in the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Upanishads.

He also was a motivational speaker but then returned to teaching Vedic knowledge which remains his anchor even today. Having studied Vedic astrology, he has written many books on the subject.

Armstrong said that he was very honoured to be at the Somaiya campus. Urging the students to examine in depth all the cultures in the world before communicating to the world, he explained at length how the American author Waldo, too, had studied the Advaita philosophy before he could communicate his own opinions.

"For all the roots of the advancement in science and technology, one has to look to India," he said quoting the example of how surgery and medicine was highly advanced in ancient India.

The present condition of the country, he remarked, was a result of a long era of colonisation. Quoting several examples from the epics to prove his point, Armstrong said, "There is nothing wrong with corporate business as long as it was dharmic and based on the fundamentals of truth.

" The last aspect he said formed the essential basis of communication. "If you wish to change the world, you have to be friends with the world," he advised.

Dr S K Somaiya, president of the Somaiya Trust, praised the manner in which Armstrong had 'communicated' his views to the audience with interaction from time to time.