HH Priya Nathji's classmate - Shri Ashok Kumar Gupta

This is the latest photograph of Shri Ashok Kumar Gupta, who was a friend and classmate of HH Priya Nathji as well as HH Pran Nathji at Allahabad University,  when they studied there in the years,1958 to 1962. HH Pran Nathji, HH Priya Nathji and Shri Ashok Guptaji were to gether in  B.Sc.  In 1960, HH Pran Nathji  left for UK.  then Ashok Kumarji and HH Priya Nathji were classmates in M.Sc. Physics.

HH Priya Nathji had made a drama called the "Atom Bomb" at Allahabad University in December 1961 which was the greatest hit and the first ever drama produced by the Physics Department in the History of Allahabad University. Priya Nathji  had written and produced the Drama and had acted as Einstein as well as the German scientist Ottohan, and Ashok Gupta had played the role of the Italian scientist Fenrico Fermi. In that drama. It was a big comedy entirely produced and directed and written by Priya Nathji.  HH Shri Mahaprabhuji had also come to see it and his light was powering all the actors onstage so that the entire audience rushed to the stage at the end to congratulate them.Shri Nathji was sitting  in the front row of the dramatic hall of Allahabad university  on that exceptionally  coldest night of 21st December 1961, and laughing all the way at every joke which in the drama.  The drama was a great welding agent which brought many of students of the physics department very close to each other. HH Priyanathji  was very fond of violin in those days.

Shri Nathji always remembered and recalled Ashok Kumarji every time He saw him. Even when Ashok Kumarji met Him last after several years in the late 1980’s.

Quite often in the evenings, when Ashok Guptaji and other classmates, could find time to visit HH Priyanathji , they would find Shri Nathji going out for an evening stroll in the lane close to CY Chintamani Road. On reaching their residence at Darbhaga Castle, Mahamateshwariji used to open the door for then. They would invariably move to HH Priyanath's room whenever he used to appear to greet them, fully dressed, as was his nature. Ashok Guptaji recalls that he had never seen HH Priya Nathji without a necktie and full sleeve shirt in his home. He says that those visits to HH Priyanathji's home  would bring Shri Nathji and Mahamateshwari in childish delight. He remembers Mahamateshwari bringing them something to eat on each visit and imploring thems to be a good influence on Priyanathji.  They would be singing songs of yesteryears and practicing "Confusion in hand shakes" on the gates of Alfred Park in the nights before departing.

HH Priya Nathji says about Ashok Kumar Gupta, that he is probably the ablest Physics Student and scientist to come out of Allahabad University. Ashok Kumar Guptaji was born in the town of Sambal which is 38Kms. from Muradabad city (U.P.) He did his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Allahabad University, from 1958-1962. He started teaching in Allahabad University, Physics Department from 1963. Visited Italy, UK and USA from 1972-1977 and taught at Northwestern University, Evanston, from 1974-1977. He has been a Professor since 1985, first at Avadh University, then in Computer Science at J.K.Institute, Allahabad University, since 1988.  He was Head of the Department since 1999, Dean of the Faculty from 2002-2005 and Member of University Grants Commission (U.G.C.)

He started the Centre of Bioinformatics in 2002 and associated with the Centre of Cognitive Science since 2002. He helped establish the Indian Institute of Information Technology at Allahabad, worked as member of its Board of Governors and Society. He  is now retired and at Allahabad, where he has his own home.