My memory of Dattaram is that he always had my back. In the 1st and 2nd year, we were partners at workshop practicals and he would be the one to do the jobs and I was his willing assistant. He didn’t feel bad that he was doing the job alone.
Next memory is of table tennis. He and I would play TT at H2 late into the night (I was in H5), and though I was quite good at it he would beat me hands down. With all his bulk he could move fast.
Dattaram was always full of life and full of silly jokes which he loved to recite; I remember one particularly risqué joke vividly to this day. After reciting the joke Dattaram burst into a fit of laughter!
He had mentioned starting a fabrication unit in Nasik. Unfortunately, we did not keep in touch though a cousin of his worked with me in GKW. When I contacted him last week, he told me about Dattaram’s passing away.
By Mohandas Pai, Mech E, H5
Dattu (Dattaram Malu Palwe) and I hit it off from day one at IIT, H2. We had nothing in common! I was thin and scrawny while he was thick set. He was a wizard at indoor games whilst I loved outdoor sports. He had great skills in mechanical things like carpentry and smithy while I was petrified at wielding the hammer at the forge shop .He was fluent at Marathi whereas even though from Bombay , I couldn’t speak the language till much later.
What I remember most about him was his sense of humour. We (I think there were 15 of us) at Pune railway station waiting for the bus from Telco to pick us up to take us to the campus for our job interview. The bus was delayed by about an hour. Dattu kept all of us entertained with quite a few jokes. One joke in particular I still remember as particularly raunchy.
Deeply saddened by learning about his passing away. May God Rest His Soul in Peace 🙏
By Bhaskar Ramchandran, Mech E, H2
Dataram Palve was my wing mate in H2 as well as my classmate. He was a friendly, jovial person with a great sense of humour. I had met him first around mid-July 1969, the first day of arriving at Hostel 2. A bunch of us were ragged. It was a catwalk session. Palve was spared from this embarrassment, which he claimed was due to his Sumo wrestler personality.
He was quite a simple person, who enjoyed life. Loved the dry dinner on Fridays. He had left a standing instruction with our Master Chef Nair to keep 2 extra roasted chicken breast pieces reserved for him. It was a very hot selling item.
I remember we both decided to opt for the sports option in the first year. I think the Athletic coach was Pritam Singh. He looked at us and suggested Javelin for me and Shotput for Dattaram. We were practising and Palve just took the javelin and threw it at least twice as far as I could. That day I decided to quit the sports and join NCC.
For his size he was pretty agile. He had taken to table tennis quite well and used to challenge Kumar Ramaiya, a seasoned tennis champ. A bunch of us from H2 decided to learn swimming and frequented a swimming pool in Ghatkopar. Dattaram took to swimming in a couple of lessons and I was struggling to keep afloat. He was pretty good at Carrom also.
I think we were in the first year, second term. All the classes were in the Admin building. One day after classes, he dared me, if I could balance and walk down on the wooden balustrade of the staircase . I took the challenge, almost made it, but slipped and twisted my ankle. Needed a visit to the hospital. He was also very good in Machine drawing, carpentry, workshop etc.
As I recollect, he had done his home project in ergonomic design of hospital furniture. Later I heard he and Kiran were running a manufacturing unit in Nasik to produce Hospital furniture. Since 1974, I had no contact with Palve.
By Hari Haran, Mech E, H2
IIT Bombay 1974 Reunion 