Monthly Archives: June 2012

OCA UK LUNCHEON REMINDER

NOTICE/REMINDER TO ALL OLD COTTONIANS
THE OCA (UK) LUNCHEON IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE AT :

THE BOMBAY BRASSERIE
GLOUCESTER ROAD TUBE STATION
LONDON, ENGLAND

SATURDAY 30 JUNE 2012 AT 1200 HRS

WE REQUEST YOU ALL TO MAKE A ROARING SUCCESS OF THIS ANNUAL FUNCTION AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING AS MANY OCs WITH THEIR BEAUTIFUL WIVES AND GIRL FRIENDS.

A Very Old Story

Dear All

My name is D(Dick). F.Q. Bas Backer.

After some searching,I found this website and decided I would send you my story.
I am now 76 years old.

On the 29th of December 1945, together with my parents and my sister, I arrived in Shimla. My father had been appointed to the Netherlands consulate general in Shimla.
In March 1946 I became a pupil at the prep school. The headmaster was Mr. Bruce.
In 1947  I moved to the main school. Rivaz was my house and the dormitory was in the headmaster’s house. During my stay in School I spent a great deal of the time in hospital due to several bouts of dysentery. This was mainly due to the fact that, via London , we came straight from occupied Holland. Because of the change of environment, climate and of course the food  I soon became ill and that often interrupted my stay at school. Nevertheless Shimla has had an enduring influence on the rest of my life.  I remember the early morning when the moslem students were transported to Pakistan. On the first of December my sister and I travelled by train via Kalka to Delhi to join our parents. My father was now secretary at the Netherlands Embassy in Delhi and on the 14th of April 1948 my sister and I returned to the Netherlands.

Ten years ago I returned to BCS. I was shown around by the geography teacher and introduced to the headmaster. Saw my classroom, the dining hall and the chapel (where I was christened).

I have included a rather vague photograph  of Rivaz house in 1948. The housemaster was Mr. Papworth. I expect that most of the persons on the photograph are no more, but there might just be one who can recognise himself. You will find me on the top row, fifth from the left.

[CLICK THE PICTURE TO SEE A LARGER VIEW]

Best regards,
D.F.Q. Bas Backer.
Emerson/Rivaz 1946/47

OCA INDIA AGM – on 7th July 2012

Notice is hereby given that the OCA(INDIA) AGM will be held on 7th July 2012 at 2 pm.

VENUE: 

RAUNAQ ROOM, PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry,
PHD House, 4/2 Siri Institutional Area,
August Kranti Marg
New Delhi 110062

AGENDA:

  • Address by President Emeritus.
  • To approve the minutes of the last AGM.
  • To approve and adopt the accounts of 2010-11.
  • President’s Address.
  • Secretary’s report.
  • Discussion and approval of the amended MOA.
  • Elections to all posts including the executive Committee.
  • Any other points with permission of the Chair.

Note:

  • Dress code: Preferable shirt and school tie.
  • Those wishing to stand for elections should send their intention to do so by 25th June 2012 to the OCA office.
  • Those desirous of proposing any points for discussion should use this form to send intimation by 30th June 2012.
  • The AGM shall be followed by tea.

R. Dewan Secretary OCA (INDIA)  /  B.M.SINGH President OCA (INDIA)

 

OCA Welfare visit: Mrs deMellow

Dear All
Last week, B.M. Singh – the initiator and Neel Mehra – the backbone of this project; visited Mrs Coralie DeMello deMellow. A couple of their photographs are shown below, with Mrs DeMello deMellow (she is called Jane by those who know her), Mr I.L. Bhatia and Mrs Breda Dayal.

Neel Mehra with Mrs Coralie DeMello deMellow flanked by Mr. Bhatia and Mrs Breda Dayal ~ BM Singh with Mrs Coralie DeMello deMellow flanked by Mr. Bhatia and Mrs Breda Dayal. Click for larger picture.

Much of what we know about Mrs  DeMello deMellow has come to us from Breda who regularly visits the lady. Mr I L Bhatia was a secretary to Mr Melville DeMello deMellow. A hard working and devoted friend he joined government service and retired after a successful career. He now lives in the same complex as Mrs DeMello deMellow and is a person she trusts. He is there to support her in any manner that he can. Mrs DeMello deMellow has confidence in both these persons and that is a statement in itself when people at that age, 95 years, begin to develop fears and insecurities of their own.

Mrs DeMello deMellow, the nonagenarian, exhibits all the signs of physical ageing but is remarkably free from social ageing. Her intelligence and her cognitive processes have not declined. Thin and emaciated, she has her wits about her. Her hand writing is remarkably stable and steady. She writes her own cheques and is aware of the balance in the account, which is now in a precariously depleted state. What is impaired is her hearing. She has a high sense of insecurity (“What do I do when I am alone and frightened? !!” ) She is terribly lonely, alone but concerned at the cost of a presence. “If someone comes to work and stay with me during the day, do I have to make her tea? Who is to feed this person? ” are the kind of questions that draw her attention. She has no near relative around her. A sister, older than her lives in Bangalore in a home for the aged and an even older brother in New Zealand. There is no contact with any of them except that the same genes are healthy and operative in all three cases!

It is fear, the dread that comes with being all by yourself, that afflicts her most. It haunts her constantly inspite of the assurances of those who have made an effort to help her. She feels helpless and that apprehension is a constant theme. Accompanied by penury, it takes on a hue all very dark and with uncomfortable tones. The saving grace is her frequent return to balance when she is assured that she is not isolated and unwanted. To alleviate that sense of dismay is not easy and the care givers make a constant effort. It is loneliness of the night that she dreads the most.

Mrs DeMello deMellow eats twice a day, the breakfast and the lunch are her only meals and they are understandably frugal. She has declined to move into an old age home and is keen to retain her dignity and her independence. Understandable. She has lived an active live and this is apparent when you learn that she was teacher of Russian until 2002.

She remembered Melville telling her about his wonderful years at BCS. He was there from 1925-9. She recalls he would go up to The Ridge to practice his speech with the use of raw eggs. I wonder how he did that!! Well whatever technique he used was superb because his commentary of Gandhiji funeral, the Republic Day parade or a India hockey final are still remembered for the vividness of their description of the event. It left you spell bound for its detailed narration in a voice and language that painted a picture that was animated and eloquent.

Melville DeMello deMellow passed away in 1989. He was not a permanent employee of All India Radio and was therefore paid on an assignment basis. His last employment was with the Sports Authority of India who hired his services for the Asian Games in 1979. After that stint they kept him on until 1989 and he passed away. Out of compassion, an ex-gratia payment was made to him of Rs 1,500 every month until last year when it was discontinued. The absence of this source and the continual dipping into their savings has resulted in Mrs DeMello deMellow facing a financial closure of sorts. She has no savings and no source of income. She is without funds of any kind. What little gold she had was sold. That is hard for any woman but the compulsions of the situation were such with little option available.

To offer Mrs DeMello deMellow immediate relief, B M Singh and Neel Mehra have disbursed an amount of Rs 10,000. Further action is contemplated to ensure that the lady is well settled and offered complete care. Her insecurity and the surrounding uncertainty must be eliminated so that she can pass the rest of her days with a degree of equanimity and comfort. This is what we aim to do.

The contributions are still coming in and more will be welcome. We aim to develop a fund where we can support Mrs DeMello deMellow with a month payout. Currently we estimate this to be approximately Rs 10,000 per month. Given our initiative, it is possible that other organisations may want to assist in taking care of Mrs DeMello deMellow. We will need to assess the need and act suitably.

The time and effort of B M Singh and Neel Mehra must be appreciated. They are patient, dedicated and compassionate individuals whose efforts must be lauded. Their efforts reflect on the rest of us OCs and describe just the kind of people we are and want to be!!

Warmly
Vijay

 

Calling OCs in USA EAST COAST for a REUNION

Dear OCs,

A few weeks ago, some of us gathered in NYC to have a preliminary discussion on a potential OC reunion here in the United States.  As we discussed both the general and specific nature of this reunion our idea evolved into something bigger: creating an OC – East Coast group with a wider objective of forming a platform for social gatherings, networking events, and career talks for all OCs in the area.

The genesis of this reunion is in the thought that what we gained in the 5 – 10 years at Bishop Cotton is being lost each year.   We have an invaluable resource in the network of OCs that a majority of us haven’t yet tapped.  We are losing our sense of affiliation to a legendary institution.  It is our responsibility to seek wisdom from our seniors, connect with our peers, and provide guidance to the youngsters.  The purpose of this initiative is to organize and create a platform for communication amongst OCs and to foster the Cottonian Spirit.

The first step in this process is to put together a list of all OCs on the East Coast. We will achieve this based on your prompt replies with information requested below.  Please note that we are presently limiting the registry to OCs on the East Coast to maintain the focus of the initiative.  A larger geographical area may make logistics difficult at this time.

Once the registry is set up we will begin working on putting together the first event.  This event will most likely be a semi-formal gathering in NYC this summer.  Again, the specifics of the event will be determined based on the number of replies and level of interest.  We will most probably create a Google group to keep everyone up to date.

This email is to request you to provide contact information so we can take account of all OCs who are living on the East Coast and who are willing to come to New York for a reunion sometime this summer.

Ricky Soin (Rivaz 2000), Karma Tenzing Nyangmi (Curzon 1998), and Kunal Moudgil (Lefroy 2002) are leading this effort.

Following the event and based on its success we will start exploring the option of creating a formal or an informal OC Group.

The following instructions are vital in order to begin this process:

  1. Please email Kunal Moudgil at moudgil.k@gmail.com with the following information: Mark your email subject as: OC–Reunion (East Coast).
    • Name
    • Region / City
    • BCS Batch Year
    • BCS House
    • Occupation
    • Email address / contact number
    • Confirm if you attend event this Summer  and give your Preferred Dates (3 dates – preferably weekends) July 21; July 28, August 4
  2. Please respond by June 30, 2012 with all information so we can keep the process rolling
  3. Please feel free to email this to other OCs on the East Coast (we are not working with an extensive email list)
  4. Look out for an email inviting you to a Google group

Gentlemen, several attempts have been made in the past to gather OCs in the United States with a lackluster outcome.  One of us remembered only one time in the past decade when such an OC gathering really occurred: when former Headmaster Mr. Kabir Mustafi visited New York for a fundraising event.  Other schools such as St. Paul and Sindhia have regular alumni gatherings in the United States, this should be motivation enough to get our sleeves rolling.

We want to create something here, miles away from our alma mater, to carry our motto, our principles and our objectives from the hills of Simla to Metropolitans like New York, Boston and Philadelphia.  This is a call to all OCs who live in the area: your support is essential in making this initiative a success.

We eagerly await your reply.
Best Regards,

Kunal Moudgil (Lefroy 2002)
Ricky Soin (Rivaz 2000)
Karma Tenzin (Curzon 1998)

Assistance Updates for Mrs DeMellow

Dear All,
The appeal from BM Singh has elicited a very quick, spontaneous and heart warming response. Here they are, in reverse chronological order [and the list will continue to be updated on a regular basis, so do check back]:

June 28th Update
Contributions for the benefit of Mrs Coralie deMellow continue to arrive.

  • A generous contribution was made by Pradeep S Bakshi (Rivaz 1966) who wrote as follows:
    Dear BM/NK/Vijay: I wire transferred the funds about 10 days ago. Please let me know if you have received them. I graduated in 1966. Was at BCS from 1960 to 1966. House – Rivaz. Did my B.E. From Thapar Engineering College in Patiala. Came to U.S. in 1974 to do my M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Presently residing in Los Angeles and recently connected with Arun Bhumitra (same class) who also lives in LA.. I would love to meet up with other OC’s living in Southern California!A reply promptly went to him:
    Dear Pradeep, Thank you for your message. We confirm that the amount you sent has hit the account with a whole lot of gratitude and thanks.
    We will formally acknowledge this remittance separately but your goodness will go a long way in helping a person who suffers all the disadvantages that come with age. Her sense of relief was immense when she got to hear that boys from her husband’s old school were walking in to assist and help her.
    Thank you, again.
    Kind regards
    Sincerely
    BM Singh / N K Mehra / Vijay Khurana

(Editor: Pradeep has done exceedingly well for himself in the US where he resides as a prosperous business person. Well done, Pardeep!!)
We have employed the word staggered before but that is what such contributions do to the state of a grateful mind. Amazing. Thank you.

  • We received two other contributions and I am not sure if Mr David Murray who sent Aus $100 is an Old Cottonian. He sent a cheque accompanied by a simple message in his hand.

We have no way of formally acknowledging Mr Murray’s contribution since what arrived was his hand written note and the accompanying cheque. However, we express our warm thanks to him. Yes, there are a lot of good and loving people in India and their numbers grow as evidenced by the willing contributors to this cause !!
The other message was from Mr Saibal Ghosh, who works for Ericssons in Kolkatta. His note, also reproduced below, was accompanied by a cheque for Rs 1,000 which was a contribution from his father, Mr Kamal Ghosh, aged 84 and a former official with the Ministry of Planning. The senior Mr Ghosh had read about Mrs Melville deMellow’s condition and was touched by the situation. His son found us from the net and his father has contributed the amount from his pension fund !! The Ghosh family has no OC connection. We gratefully accept the amount and will put it to use for the benefit of the lady. In fact when we spoke to Mr Kamal Ghosh he offered to send more funds, if required ! “Just let me know,” he said!!

We offer our profuse thanks to all these and other previous contributors. Each one’s contribution has been delivered with a goodness of their hearts and we respect their feelings.

 

Thank you all, once again.

 

B M Singh, capable man that he is, passionately directed by N K Mehra, have spent considerable time and effort in making arrangements for Mrs DeMellow. We disbursed an initial amount of Rs 10,000 and sent another similar amount today. We will send this figure into her account every month from the corpus of approximately Rs 3 lakh that we currently hold. This should cover her needs sufficiently and the amount was arrived at after a detailed discussion with her care givers, Mr I K Bhatia and Ms Breda Dayal.

 

Further updates will follow.
Sincerely,
OCA India

 

June 16th Update New contributions received:

  • Param Singh – US $2000.00

Dear Vijay, Thanks to you, NK and BM Singh for doing this. Attached is a pdf file of a wire transfer that I initiated yesterday, June 14th. I just checked and the money has been withdrawn from my account. Param

My dear Param, Thank you for your mail, which I first saw on my BlackBerry. I knew it deserved a quick response.

Sometimes you get an eye popping mail and this was one of those. You have no idea of what this means to the effort. I know there is an abundance of good people out there but it strikes you when a person does it in the manner that you did it. Quietly and unobtrusively but in a most meaningful way for an effort that has brought so many of us together. I recognise and thank you for your contribution. I am simply delighted. It would be nice to see Mrs Coralie deMellow pass her days with relative comfort and it feels nicer that we have been in some way instrumental to help that life ease through this passage with less tension – and, hopefully, less pain. Thank you, again.

Actually, I have been meaning to write and get you to come over with the family for your 1962 reunion. The guys would love it. I also have plans to get C M Kohli over. You and he are the prominent ones from your year who live outside the country but do visit from time to time. This year would be special for all of you. Please give it a good hard try and you will have a lot of happy people to meet !!

I will, naturally, place updates on our efforts with Mrs Coralie deMellow. She is a tough bird, I might add but deserving of the attention that she is getting.

Warm regards

Sincerely

Vijay

Param was always the brainy one, really good at math/science which I was not (turned out decades later I am learning disabled). Very quiet and dignified, said as little as possible which is a key trait for success in life! I am so glad he made it to the States: he did it on merit, I made it here because of family, nothing I did. Like Vijay, I am very impressed by Param and Anne’s generosity.
 
Umesh Dutta, the other Class 1962 geek, refused to the States: he told me all but three of his ITT class left for overseas. He was proud to be Indian and felt his place was India. I admired Umesh’s stance, yet I am happy today it is widely accepted you can be a true Indian even if you work/live overseas.
 
Re. Mrs deMellow: none of this would have been possible without Vijay’s efforts to mobilize us for the cause. I’d be interested to know how many contributors are doing their good deed because its Vijay that’s asking. Would I be wrong if I said I believe its 100%?

Ravi [Rikhye]

 

June 11th Update

  • Arun Basak (Lefroy 1961) – Rs 10,737
  • Justice R S Sodhi (Curzon 1962) – Rs 10,000
  • Rear Admiral Rakesh Chopra (Curzon 1963) – Rs 5,000


June 7th Update

I received the following touching and simple message from one of the recipients on the mailing list !!. I am unable to name the person since he would like to remain anonymous and I am obliged to respect his wishes.

 

Dear Vijay :

Thanks for the details .

I have sent Rs 10000/- now and then a monthly Rs 1500/-. You should have this amount in your account by Friday maximum. This is only to inform you but I will appreciate if you will keep this to yourself and do not disclose. I would like to be remain anonymous. Further if ever you are restrained for fund for Mrs DeMello pls do not hesitate to let me know With Gods help we will try to do our best.

Warm rgds 

(Note: suitable editing effected to text above)

 

I am personally touched by his contribution and the wishes that he expressed in his phone call yesterday. Super guy, absolutely perfect as can be!!

 

To the donor, I wish to inform him that the funds will be traced since I have his credit advice. He has our profuse thanks and gratitude.

 

Warm regards.

Sincerely

Vijay

 

  • Anonymous Rs 10,000
  • Fred Bourne (Australia) sent in Rs 26,865

Click here to see the spreadsheet updated

June 6th Update

Dear All,
The fund for the care and benefit of Mrs DeMello keeps building up and that process seems to be gaining momentum. What is most exhilirating, and I use the word deliberately, is the manner in which these donations have been made. Some of the amounts may seem small but I believe that they were made with the biggest hearts and that is what is so thrilling. The larger amounts were received with the same degree of gratefulness and reverence. We recognise the capacity of the person making that donation but more importantly we salute them for their large hearts. Thank you, guys.

New contributions received:

Ravi Rikhye:  Rs 2074
Anonymous:  sent in another Rs 1620
Tippakorn Krit:  US$ 200
Ranbir Brar: Rs 10,000


An account has been opened and is being operated (any two signatories) by:
B M Singh
N K Mehra
Vijay Khurana

The details of the account are:
Account number: 130 20 100 25 1233
Federal Bank Ltd,
Nehru Place Branch
New Delhi 110 019 India

The Swift code for those sending payments from abroad in US $ for the account is:
Credit USD
To Standard Chartered Bank , New York 
Swift code SCBLUS33
a/c no 3582021646001
Fedwire routing 026002561
With Federal Bank, Cochin, Swift code – FDRLINBBNDD.
For final credit to a/c no13020100251233 of Mr. B M Singh / N K Mehra / Vijay Khurana.
(It is a bit of a circuitous pathway for the money to move but the Federal Bank has its US$ account in New York and collects it $ funds from there most smoothly. Just instruct your banker to follow the route indicated above.)

A special request to those sending payments from abroad. Please send us your name, address details and a copy of the mail transfer so that we can locate the payment and also acknowledge your contribution. This is important.
Meanwhile we will update you on the efforts being made to offer Mrs DeMello care and comfort. We will revert.

Warm regards
Sincerely
Vijay Khurana

 

May 31st Update
The following contributions received and gratefully acknowledged: 

  • Rs 10,000 from JMS Aulakh [Rivaz 1958-66]
  • Rs 10,000 from KMS Aulakh [Rivaz 1960-68]
  • Rs 30,000 from Ashni [and Nutan] Behal [Ibbetson 1958-65]
  • Rs 3,000 from NK Akers [Lefroy 1962-65]
  • Rs 1,000 RLV Nath [Rivaz 1954-62]
  • Rs 5,000 Narinder Yadav [Rivaz 1978-82]
  • Anonymous  Rs 1,620
May 25th Update 
  • VIJAY KHURANA: Here is some more news. The OCA network is fabulous and it does work. Sukhinder Singh (Lefroy 1961) used his considerable and solid skills of appeal to move the people who could assist Mrs DeMello. This resulted in Mrs Ambika Soni restoring the small pension of Rs 1500 per month for Mrs DeMello. Incidentally, Mrs Soni’s husband is an OC but that was not the person Sukhi tapped for the good cause!! This amount, welcome as it is, is still likely to be insufficient to cover the needs of Mrs DeMello and contributions are still invited and welcome.
  • N K Akers (Lefroy 1962-65) called last evening from Cairo and he has arranged to send Rs 3,000 for the support of Mrs DeMello. These wonderful gestures keep pouring in and are an endorsement for the cause. In his conversation, NK Akers was warm and effusive in his support for the cause at hand. Heart warming words, genuine and sincere. Thank you, NK.

May 22nd update

  • Shiv Kapoor (Lefroy ) who is sending a cheque for Rs 5,000 immediately.
  • Manjit Dayal [Curzon 1962 batch] and his wife Breda are lending a lot of support to Mrs DeMello. Our grateful thanks.
  • Arun Kochhar (Curzon, 1958-1963) wrote :
  • Dear BM, Have seen your appeal on the website. Wilco. Cheque in post to Vijay. Take care. Arun
  • Anonymous: The most interesting response has been from an OC who currently lives on government support of approximately $ 500 a month but is willing to send in US $30 a month on a regular basis. His first payment through PayPal was sent even before we sent out a formal appeal, with the following message:
    “I just sent you (see below) a few dollars – please, give the converted Indian Rupees to Coralie, Mr. De Mello’s widow. Please, (anonymously) do not use my name – just say ‘a blessed and grateful OC’. Let us see how the OCs respond. If need be, I am prepared to send $30 every month to her for the rest of her life. Please, keep me updated on this issue.”
    We know for sure that this OC needs that money as much as Mrs DeMello does but is willing to part with what he can without any hesitation or reluctance but with feeling and emotion. He is to be applauded and loudly thanked!!
  • KS Dugal (Ibbetson 1961): “I will be glad to subscribe to a support fund for his widow“.