was born in Kaputhala Punjab and spent his early years in Shimla, he studied at Bishop Cotton School and then went on to Mumbai to attend St. Xavier’s and then to Knox College in Illinois USA.
Here are a few links to Maynak’s book, Love from the Sidelines. The cover, is Maynak’s art as well.
Enjoy!
Members of the OCA MOA Review Committee:
Mr. Vikram Sodhi
Mr. Jasbir Sawhney
Mr. V K Agarwal
Mr. Jaspal Singh Sawhney (Delhi Chapter)
Mr. Shiv Kapoor (Mumbai Chapter)
Mr. Ajay Thiara (Northern Chapter)
Mr. Narinder Chauhan (Himachal Chapter)
Dear Members,
To help coordinate the efforts of the OCA MOA Review Committee and to kick-start the process of reviewing the Memorandum of Association of OCA, I am appointing Ajay Thiara (Northern Chapter) as Secretary of this Committee.
Ajay will take on the responsibility of convening meetings as per dates and venues mutually acceptable to all of you, keep a record of the Minutes of the Meetings and anything else that needs to be done to ensure that the task at hand is completed by August 2010.
I would appreciate your cooperation.
Best regards,
Deep C. Anand
President – OCA India
Four Pigeons……
This is the story about Four Pigeons.
This is a factual story.
This is what really happened a few days ago.
This is what started in Bishop Cotton School a few days ago…
We made it up to the gates of School; 25th March 2010; 0815 is when chapel started. An Old Cottonian had come back home yet again; this time it was a special journey. To bring his daughter and future son-in-law to his alma mater. That they be blessed within the sanctity of his beautiful chapel. The cool air, the crystal blue skies and the start of spring…
‘’ My children live in Sweden; they were born, brought up and educated there. A blue and green country. Where the air is so pure you can float as you walk, the forests so green and the paths so soft, one can feel how rich the environment is; well preserved, well protected. I know this is the least I can do for them; to make a small connection to my Bishop Cotton School; I hope and pray that the spirit of our founder and the spirit and brother hood of my brother Cottonians will always protect them where ever they will be ‘’
Headmaster Roy Christopher Robinson and Reverend Halder conducted the service and my words above were whispered to the congregation; we were called to the alter and beautiful words delivered; I was deeply touched. All heads bowed, deep in prayer.
03rd April 2010: Four Pigeons were delivered to me. White as snow; red eyes; fluttering…
04th April 2010: Three pigeons made the journey to Neemrana Fort & Palace, Rajasthan. They arrived in a large pink cage and were carefully taken along the high walled entrance and placed in the cool reception. That evening my daughter became a wife; her fiancé became my son-in-law. It was a perfect setting. My daughter looked stunning; my son-in-law felt even taller that his six feet, six inches. My brother, his son, my son and I were in pink raw silk, heavy silver paisleys and purple turbans…..the music rose from the base of the fort and wafted along the walls and floated up the stars. The pigeons slept.
05th April 2010: A small gathering in the morning at Neemrana. A small prayer; a hymn; I tried to say a few words but choked with emotion…..We placed the Pink Cage on the green patch of grass. The first pigeon was handed over to my daughter. She released the beautiful bird…it rose and landed close to her feet…refusing to fly. One by one the other two were released….finally all three white birds soared into the sky. We saw them flying in circles with the other grey pigeons and then no more.
The marriage contingent parted…..some went home and some like us went to search for The Tiger in Ranthambore. We were lucky…the beautiful feline emerged at 0645 hrs and we were silenced in awe! What a magnificent sight!! …The Pigeons still played on my mind.
9th April 2010/1830 hrs : The Swedish contingent were all packed….I gave a call to Roy Christoper Robinson. We exchanged pleasantries …….
’ Vivek’ he said……… ‘ The Three pigeons have come back home to BCS’
…..that was all.
Vivek Bhasin
Lefroy 1961-1970
Dedicated to the Four Pigeons; the Four Spirits of Cottonians. Three Cottonians flew back home.
The fourth: His soul flies over Simla and soars to great heights……he will never descend but continues to protect my children, your children and the future children of Bishop Cotton School.
Thanks to Roy Christoper Robinson: A world authority on Pigeons.
IPL’s chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi [an OC!] talking with Himachali bollywood actress Preity Zinta at the cricket match held at Dharamsala on the 18th April 10.
Many OCs will remember Mr. Matharu who taught craft and clay modelling at BCS.
There is an article by Reetica M Singh published on April 17th 2010 titled “Born to Succeed”
A small quote from the article:
When asked about his life in general, Matharu says he has lived and enjoyed every bit of his existence. Life has been decently kind to him as he got the most wonderful opportunity to make all his dreams come true, from studying Art, to putting One – Man shows and sharing his knowledge by teaching in two of the world’s most prestigious schools, Bishop Cotton School, Shimla and The Lawrence School Sanawar. In his opinion, life is not a problem to be solved, it is a mystery to be lived.
Dear Sir,
As discussed, we are dispatching ceramic plates to the school for the boys & staff to eat from.
With kind regards
Bawa Ceramic
BAWA GROUP OF COMPANIES
Dear Mr. Bawa,
I write to confirm that we have received the plates and would like to thank you immensely for your generosity.
With kind regards.
Yours faithfully,
R.C. Robinson
The Headmaster
OCA UNITED KINGDOM
ANNUAL REUNION LUNCH
At the Bombay Brassiere
Courtfield Close, Courtfield Road, London SW7 4UH
(opposite Gloucester Road Tube Station)
tel: 020 7370 4040
Date: 26th June 2010
Time: 11:00 am
Charges: £ 25 with drink refreshments
Dress: Tie and Blazer or lounge suits are required
Thank you for your very generous support which leaves the Association’s finances stronger than last year.
With great efforts the Chairman and the committee managed to organize the Sesquicentennial Reunion at the very befitting Marlborough College venue. As expected, it turned out to be a great Reunion!
This year again, the committee has negotiated hard to arrange the June Reunion at the much improved Bombay Brasserie at no additional cost. The restaurant’s conservatory has been recently refurbished and we are assured that the meal and the new fitted surroundings will be just right for the special occasion.
We look forward to seeing you all at the REUNION.
Best wishes
Puneet Singh
Curzon (91- 00)
After 10 wonderful years as your Chairman, I feel the time has come to hand over the helm to a new Captain – who better than Captain Vivek Bhasin.
Vivek has served on the Committee all these years and has been a tower of strength. He has introduced OCs from India to jobs here. He has been the person who persuaded John Whitmarsh-Knight to apply for a posting in BCS. – which has undoubtedly produced some spectacular results – academically and spiritually – for the boys. Vivek has been a constant go-between for OCA(UK) – the School and OCA(India); travelling frequently to India and arranging with Arvind Mankotia for the installation of the fine new Irwin Hall doors, donated by us to the School to celebrate its 150th Year – apart from a climbing structure gifted by his school batch.
Our 150th OCA(UK) Appeal account has now been closed and the balance just under £300 is to be converted into Rupees for the purpose of a bench (benches), hopefully to be placed on the 1st Flat – looking out towards Tara Devi – for younger Cottonians with the School behind them to look to the future and us older ones to recall, as the sun sets behind the dark mountain, the greatest and most privileged days of our youth.
Our thanks again to Bob Myers for running the account and to all OCs everywhere who contributed to it.
There is now a new generation of young Indian OCs – with Puneet Singh in the vanguard, joining Raj and
Vinod – who have themselves contributed so much to the success and comradeship which has been built up over the years and to whom we now look to sail us into the coming years.
This year we celebrate the Centenary of the O.C.A. and I hope all the enthusiasm and spirit displayed for our Marlborough College celebrations, will be shown at our Annual OCA(UK) Lunch – which we are holding once more at the Bombay Brasserie in London on Saturday 26th June 2010.
The restaurant has been re-decorated and we have obtained the use of the Conservatory – giving us the place to ourselves. We are maintaining the price at £25 per head, to include the meal, tea, coffee and soft drinks before and after the meal – wine and beer before the meal and at the table. A perfect fitting finale, I feel, to the 150th Year and the 100th of the O.C.A. and a grand start to the new era!
So please contact all your friends here and overseas – encouraging as many to come over from India to join us.
I look forward to seeing a full house and in the meantime wish you continued success and enjoyment in the fraternity of the Old Cottonians Association.
It has been my pleasure and pride to have served you over the years. Thank you for your amazing support and friendship. I will continue to support you and the OCA. Meanwhile I look forward to joining you at the many wonderful OC gatherings held all over the country.
Please know you are always welcome in our home in Mallorca whenever you can get away for a few days.
With my fondest best wishes to you and your families.
Yours ever
Gay Niblett
Chairman OCA(UK)
This is my final NEWSLETTER as Honorary Secretary so I have thought to post it out early. My wish is to give all members an advance-timed opportunity to attend a very important REUNION.
It will enable all members to participate to elect a new Chairman and Hon. Secretary and help guide the direction to take for the future of OCA(UK).
At this stage I would like to thank all members who have already expressed their caring and good wishes for my retirement. In many ways it will be a sad departure from office that has fostered strong friendships and found my kind of people around the world. You have rewarded me with honour and many privileges and much kindness. No matter what members might say or think a secretary’s job is hard work – not for me – it has been inspiring and a fulfilling pleasure. I might add for any member who has not attended or been touched by our Luncheon Reunions over the last 25 years well you have missed out – and we have missed you.
Before I move on I must sincerely thank all members of the committee both past and present for their unselfish and loyal support. Chairmen, Treasurers and Committee Members I have relied on through the passing years has been beneficial to our fraternal association. OCA(UK) has influenced our lives – to some in a small way for me it has swept me along. We have not made any profound changes to the original formation of our OCA here in1928. The simple innocent reasons was for Old BCS boys to meet and enjoy exchanges and good company and so keep in touch with our past and dear PATINA. From earlier years Vinod Nanda and Raja Lamba have been wonderful younger soul mates and I salute them.
Selected at the Merlin Caves pub Reunion as Honorary Secretary & Treasurer in the autumn of 1983 led by Chairman, Dick Bayliss and cheered on by members. We moved forward hesitantly as Maggie helped me with accounting, slowly I gained your support and we made progress with confidence. Reaching out we increased our membership and dear Henry Lincoln volunteered and became Treasurer. Dick decided we form a balanced committee so Vinod Nanda, Tony Verma and Raj Lamba were chosen. In all fairness from then on our Association really grew in strength and contact with OCs around the world. I know there are many more who are still to be found and the search will still go on.
In the background Anil Bhasin rendered good assistance and offered us the use of his Green Park Hotel banqueting rooms for Reunions. From this stage we moved out of City pub Autumn Meetings and through his services he placed advertisement invitations in some national newspapers for OCA(UK).
Gaining success and after much thoughtful consideration we settled finally to hold our Annual Luncheon date on the last Saturday in June. We enjoyed some handsome occasions with Anil’s facilities saving our expenditure and encouraging attendance. We commemorated countless events and shared memories of school stories, the distant past and of our love and lives out in India. After Henry Lincoln stepped down we welcomed Kamal Behal as our new Treasurer and Tony Sinha as a committee member. The committee did enjoy some very memorable committee meetings (some in Southall). We then sadly lost Dick Bayliss and thankfully Tony Sinha accepted the Chair and Luncheon Reunions moved to the Cumberland Hotel for a few years. Kamal with his young family relocated to the USA and we signaled up Arthur Jones with dear Shirley’s help to hold the purse. In our midst Gay Niblett stepped up when Tony Sinha relinquished the Chairmanship after moving from the Metropolitan area after his retirement from Scotland Yard. On from hereto the Regency Hotel for a year and then onto the Bombay Brasserie. We shall again return here after a break of two years to indulge in the cuisine by a new head chef and the refurbishments as well. Previous to all this Tony Verma left the committee to attend his lovely Laguna Tandoori restaurant in Nottingham. At Tony’s invitation we have gathered at his restaurant and enjoyed several yearly free unions and feasted on excellent khana. Vivek Bhasin moved base from his home in Sweden to the leafy suburb of Weybridge and joined the committee. Arthur and Shirley’s ailments decided them to hand over to our youngest Treasurer Puneet Singh – lucky for us he is a real banker and going places. I appeal to his influence to encourage the circle of younger OCs in the UK to come in from the cold and warm all our hearts.
I too would like to put in words of thanks to Bobby Myers for personally handling and overseer the Appeal Fund. To John Phillips for coordinating the OCA Whiskey Galore that raised funds and all other generous OC donators. It is also timely to thank, on behalf of all OCs who attended the celebrations in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Simla at the School, all the superb planning, organization and the wonderful SPIRIT OF BCS extended to each one of us and our wives and partners. Many, many THANKS!
I shall now look forward to meeting you there and wholeheartedly supporting the Fraternity and the new postings and increase its reach. Please remind yourselves that OCA(UK) is at crossroads, without you there can be no Fellowship or only just a marker in its history book.. The Old Cottonian Association will be celebrating its Centenary in India this year. I know our friendship will continue as always and I will follow the lead. As we have all passed through the corridors of dear Patina forgive me if I sound too much of a tiresome sentimentalist – stand we must….foursquare!
Farewell! Salaam! Adios! & Cheerio.
Peter Stringer
(Lefroy 43-47)
The Himalayan Hill Schools’ Reunion Luncheon 2010
Date: Wednesday 26th May 2010
Time: Noon till 6:00 p.m.
Venue: The Clay Oven Banqueting suites
197 Ealing Road, Wembley. LONDON HA0 4LW
Directly opposite Alperton Tube Station – Piccadilly Line.
Cost £29.50 per person.
This will cover pre-lunch drinks, 3 course Indian Lunch, Table Wine, Waiter Service
Background music and live music for dancing.
To purchase tickets and any further details contact Paul Dickson 01753 865 972 e-mail dicksonp@btinternet.com
Chairman:
Gay Niblett
Carrer Xesc Forteza, 5 Ubr. S’Arxiduc. Valldemossa 07170 MALLORCA
Secretary:
Peter A Stringer
Fairlands, 375 Godstone Road. Whyteleafe SURREY CR3 OBF Tel. 01883 624 540 Fax. 01883 625 158
Treasurer:
Puneet Singh
34 Pursewarden Close. Ealing LONDON W13 9PN mo: 07841 590 990
Members :
Vinod Nanda
37 Melbury Avenue. Norwood Green, Southall. MIDDX UB2 4HS Tel 0208 843 0027.
Raj Lamba
12 Western Court, Huntley Drive. LONDON N3 1NX . Tel 0208 349 1041.
Vivek Bhasin
Flat 4 Southlands, 40 Queens Road. Weybridge. SURREY KT13 0AR Tel: 01932 841 614 Mobile 07887 98 3333.
The Hindi daily Dainik Jagrancarried an article on Mr. Roshan Lal Vashisht – a cutting of which was sent in by Karan Sarin. We hope tohave an english translation of the article posted here soon [Editor: See below for the translation].
Dear Brother Cottonians,
For all those who missed the article, please find attached herewith the scanned image. Since I have limited copies of the same, I am sending one to Mr Gill, Mr Narinder Chauhan and Mr Arun Sawhney who I request may please pass them on.
I also request all who receive this mail , to please foreward this to others. This is thanks to all who have joint hands to make it possible.
Warm regards
Karan Sarin
Click for a full view
” A GURU GETS A SECOND LIFE THANKS TO HIS STUDENTS“
By Amar Singh, Dainik Jagran, Palampur
As narrated in the ancient books and mythological scripts about the GURU SHISHYA relationship, in this modern age as well, history repeats itself. The example of Eklavea paying back his guru Dronacharya for the education received by him in the form of sacrificing his thumb have not faded away till date.
A similar example can be seen in a village near Palampur called Khalet. A teacher whose food and living is being looked after by his students who are at high designated posts. After lighting the lamps of knowledge in very well known institutions of the country, this teacher got lost in the dark, another example of Eklavea was set by his students. Apart from this teacher his only child , his son living with him has got a second life. Near Palampur , a village called Khalet , which had old eyes pleading for help for two square meals has now his eyes glowing back. After ages , Mr Roshan Lal Vashisht is now once again seeing the blossoms of spring in his ancesteral house. He is THE ROSHAN LAL VASHISHT who has taught at ST. PAULS SCHOOL PALAMPUR, BISHOP COTTON SCHOOL, SHIMLA, SAINIK SCHOOL KAPURTHALA and DAV SCHOOL in DELHI. His command over three major languages”ENGLISH, HINDI & SANSKRIT” has resulted in the making of laurels in every institution.
Vashisht was responsible for educating film stars like Kumar Gaurav . Stars like RAJ KUMAR (JANI) are also fans of the revered teacher. What we write of him is much less than the introduction that he deserves.
Some of his students who have had the oppertunity of being blessed by him are MR GS GILL IPS DGP Himachal Pradesh , Mr Narinder Chauhan IAS, Mr TC Janartha, Mr Dharminder Goel, Mr Arun Sawhney, Mr D M Sud, Mr Sandeep Kakkar, Mr Karan Sarin. Others who have been associated to resettle Mr RLV are Mr Gopal Sood, Dr Ram. Prominent social workers in Palampur.
Mr Vashisht retired in 1986 from Bishop Cotton School after which he, in-spite of having taught in various prominent institutions did not receive any help, or aid from any of the institutions that he had taught. That was when the dark days begun for him.
His wife abandoned him leaving behind a son who was not stable. Mr Roshanlal at this age had to face the challenge of the survival of himself with his ill son. A totally abandoned ROSHAN LAL VASHISHT was surviving at the mercy of his neighbours.
This is when OLD COTTONIANS ASSOCIATION & OCA (HIMACHAL CHAPTER) came to his rescue and refurbished his living. This step changed his life standard.
OCA has organised not only his regular medical checkups but also a care taker who does his cleaning , washing and cooking.
As of now Roshan Lal Vashisht lives in a house renovated by the OLD COTTONIANS ASSOCIATION, healthy and happily as an example has been set by OCA of the GURU SHISHYA RELATIONSHIP. “
The above is the literal translation of the article, word by word. !!!!! FOR CONVENIENCE OF ALL!!!!!
Warm regards
Karan Sarin
9816047047
(Ibbetson)
Editor: take a look at Karin Sarin’s lovely resort in the mountains.
