Monthly Archives: July 2020

An Old Schoolboy

1943 to 1947 includes 5 years of my school life in Simla.   (Two years in Preparatory School in Chota Simla).   Now an Octogenarian does sum up many years ago.
Strangely enough its indelible imprint on my life leave clusters of fond memories.    Born a Christian of British parentage out in India I have always classed myself as Anglo-Indian.
However, after leaving India in 1956, on an Indian passport to go work for an American company in Iraq. I must begin to tell you the intrigue encounters of my national status. With the name Stringer, introduction to the many ex-pats was an amendment of the first degree to explain my clear English speaking accent.     Explaining my schooling up in the foothills of the Himalayas was at Bishop Cotton School, English founded educated discipline.
But in terror yet hilarious when Iraqi king & government was deposed by Col. Abdul Karim Kasim 1958 and I was detained at an internal checkpoint.      The bumbling guards could not make out from my documents if I was “Hollandee or Hindi.”

Moving on to London December 1958, the Cockney element could not tolerate my spoken English, by far, was clearer & well understood. How come life in old India was easier & better and the sun always shined!  Stone the crows what more could I say?

I seriously began to integrate me with England because of my family British background. Before career reassignments to Libya & Iran, I applied for a British passport and was denied.  Aware of my salary scale undervalued regardless of my well-advanced engineering skills drilling for groundwater.  I had to suffer, to teach drilling practice to other well-paid company fellows. Laughable to listen to some Americans sheer stupidly to ask if I was a US ‘Injun’. Including their wives, more so, taken with my quaint English accent coming from the East.

All throughout my working life and on holiday, countries around the Mediterranean I was forever accepted as local and treated with hospitable kindness.                                                     I say with pride my School motto “Overcome evil with Good” brought me safely where I am today.  You must be proud of dear Patina too.

Peter Stringer Lefroy

BCS 161st Founder’s Day 2020

One hundred and sixty one years  today and my beautiful Alma mater remains steadfast on that spur of Simla looking towards the gap of Tara Devi, whilst the Heavens above look down and Bless our great institution…

The history of Bishop Cotton School is entwined with the history of India and Britain. Our school founded by Reverend Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton is the ground where I grew up from a five year old…. to what I am today.

At an interesting talk at Chatham House London by Mark Tully ( ex.BBC) on life in India, I was sitting amongst the rows of invitees and put my hand up when the Q&A* session started.

I must have asked something terribly relevant.. as Mr Tully started with “that’s a great question…!”

At the end of the event, someone tapped me very gently on my left shoulder. I turned to that side and saw a gentle hand with beautifully manicured nails, delicate long fingers that lead to a gorgeous arm and on to a very aristocratic Lady with coiffured silver-grey hair, a gorgeous face, a string of Mallorca pink pearls and a divine smile ….a whiff of Chanel No 5 and Pure Radiance!

“Excuse me“ she whispered coming closer …”are you the India High Commissioner?”….

I turned around towards her and stood up….we both smiling looking deep into each other’s eyes..

“ No Ma’am” I whispered back ..

“ I am not the High Commissioner, but I am an Ambassador …”

… she raised her well groomed eyebrow questioningly with an even bigger smile..

“ indeed I am an Ambassador Ma’am, an Ambassador of Bishop Cotton School**Simla” 

And that for us was said enough.

Wishing The Director,the Staff and All We Ambassadors** of Bishop Cotton School, felicitations on our 161st Founder’s Day.

God Bless our great institution; may it continue from strength to strength.

*Q&A session : When my class of 1970 sits on the stage in the Irwin Hall with the senior boys throwing questions at us like freebies ….. we will answer… “about the roads we took, the paths we chose, our lives experiences and whether we have reached our destination..

** Every week day at Chapel Service, just after the hymn was sung, the last prayer recited, we used to wait expectantly for Heady Goldie ( Head Master R. K. von Goldstein) to walk up to the alter to end the service with a very brief talk …..he always did… immaculately, striding forward in his three piece suit, oxfords and Head Master’s gown, he never failed us as we listened to his three minutes that consisted of a spectrum of thoughts, stories and events. The Brass hand grip on the Chapel door and more. What he ingrained in me was one of his impeccable sayings that resound in me every single day….. “ never ever forget young gentlemen… when you walk out of the gates of this great institution, always remember…You Are Ambassadors of Bishop Cotton School…”.

Vivek ( Bonnie ) Bhasin

Lefroy 

1961-1970

.. hurting deep and hard that my Class of 1970 will not make it to School this year to celebrate our Golden Anniversary. Deep and hard and heart breaking…

The Missing Sibling & The Saga Of Kartoo – two writings by Gurrinder [Indi] Khanna

  • The Missing Sibling

While born in Simla, the entire formative years of our son Madhav till he went off to a boarding school, were on an estate in Upper Assam. The  upshot was that Madhav naturally grew up with and  adopted the ‘garden Hindi’ as his mother tongue.
A  language which I describe as the ‘estate lingua franca’. A beautiful amalgamation of Hindi, Assamese, Bhojpuri, Bengali and a bit of ‘huh?’ to end up with the lilt and cadence of a ‘musical composition’ almost akin to the  sweet sound of Swahili.

There being no access to either a nursery or a kindergarten, as is the case on all tea estates regardless of North East or South India, home schooling was the norm. Practically 24×7 my wife Kitty would, while not educating me on what the idiot Dr Spock had to say about bringing up kids, spend her time reading fairy tales and singing nursery rhymes to Madhav. Nursery rhymes which were Madhav’s only window to the world outside the estate.

Having done the trip many times after the kinds grew up, the first time we did our five day odyssey from Delhi to Upper Assam was when Madhav was all of two years old which is when we purchased our first second hand Ambassador in Delhi. Those were the days when roads, after one had emerged out of the ‘big’ city, used to be almost like a figment of one’s imagination. In Eastern UP and extending into Bihar the ‘highway’ used to be liberally peppered with what were, for lack of a better word called ‘pot holes’, but were in fact craters from the surface of the moon magically transplanted on the highway. Pot holes so generously expansive that when one dove ones car into one (there was no way one could circumnavigate the monstrosities) the roof of the car was well below the rim of the crater. But I digress, so let me get back to the main plot. On the third day out of  Delhi as we were getting close to Siliguri, the car had a flat. Just the fact that the tyres had brought us all this way having actually survived the UP/Bihar experience was in itself a miracle. Got the car to the side of the road, emptied out the boot and pulled out the jack. Once the car was jacked up, this being a part of his ongoing education, his mother informed Madhav that what ‘Dada’ had brought out from the boot and had put under the chassis was a ‘jack’. While I was busy removing the wheel, we noticed Madhav going around the car in circles, every now and then bending down to peer underneath the car. His search having yielded no results, he finally came up to his mother and in his most educated good garden lingo and with a very serious look on his face asked ‘agar Jack waha hai, to Jill kaha hai?’ (If Jack is here under the car, where is Jill?) Took us quite some time to stop rolling around in laughter and for the tears to dry up so that I could get back to changing the wheel and put Jill’s brother back in the boot to drive on to Siliguri.

The pleasures of growing up on an estate!

Another ramble from my planting days

  • THE SAGA OF KARTOO

In 1987 when I was the manager of Limbuguri Estate(↓) in Upper Assam our docile and beautiful Labrador Lady (thats her →) probably got out of the bungalow compound one day and managed to get knocked up by one of the many dogs from the labour lines  who would hopefully be hanging around the fencing whenever Lady was on heat.

Two months later with Kitty and the kids away on holiday to Simla, preparations had been made in the kids room for the day when I was to become a grandfather. The day arrived  and our bearer Japan and I watched in wonder while Lady worked her way around delivering eight beautiful Lab pups, five of them a lovely golden colour like Lady’s and three black one. And then with a final push, out came a rather strange looking animal. My immediate reaction was that this one was a runt which we would probably have to put down, however barring the fact that he was very different from his siblings, the fellow seemed to be perfectly healthy. A couple of days later after the pups had opened their eyes and had started moving around, I had a good look at the last arrival and decided that this was the one from the litter which the children would love and the one we’d keep.

He was just about the strangest looking dog one would ever see. His coat was reddish brown. Four legs which ended in white, dappled with black spotted socked paws. A tail which was thinner than a Labs but which ended in a white speckled tuft much like a lion’s tail. One ear which stood erect while the other was lazily bent over double. A muzzle which, like his tail and paws, ended in black speckled white and eyes which had a strange and beautiful golden hue.

There simply was no way that I could have named him other than CARTOON (this fellow ← with Muskan is not Cartoon though of the same size). And to the workers he became Kartoo. Much like Jacks beanstalk, Cartoon grew by the day. He ended up a very tall and large handsome specimen, living up to his name. He loved to wander and would disappear from the bungalow compound for hours on end, likely fathering cartoons all over Limbuguri, but would always magically appear in the dining room in time for our dinner. He loved to ride in my Gypsy and would accompany me on my garden rounds sitting proud and erect on the front seat. Driving through any of the labour lines, should he spot a chicken anywhere, he’d be off the seat in a flash and then would dart off with  the bird in his mouth only to be seen in the bungalow after hours.

I of course had to pay for the victims of Cartoons hunting expeditions, not just for the bird but also for the many eggs she would have laid. In addition to the hunting on wheels, fairly regularly I’d have workers coming to my office complaining about Kartoo having visited one of the six labour lines on the estate and having made off with a chicken. Always a chicken which was supposedly the ultimate egg-layer in the lines.  Went on for ages with the hole in my pocket becoming ever deeper , but try as I might I was unable to control Cartoons hunting expeditions. In Limbuguri labour lines Cartoon became something of a legend being famously known as ‘burra sahib ka murghi chor’ (the Managers chicken thief).

And then that day while walking out of my bungalow gate next to which was the bungalow staff houses, I spotted Cartoon sitting erect and very alert in front of Gokulchand, our rather lovable and regularly drunk house boy. I was taken aback to see the gentleman busy plucking the feathers off a chicken. It being almost the fag end of a month by which time most workers would normally have exhausted their salaries and would be scrounging, that scene stopped me in my tracks. The penny having dropped, I called Gokulchand and in my most stern voice asked him how on earth at the end of the month did he have money for buying a chicken? After much humming and hawing and shuffling of feet it was explained to me that on a regular basis Kartoo would bring a chicken for Gokulchand and that the bird would be cooked and shared between the two.

Other than glaring at the duo, both looking at me most innocently, there really was not much else that I could do. The bottom line was that Gokulchand kept getting his regular supply of protein and hapless me had no option but to keep paying for it. When we finally left Limbuguri in 1990, since there was no way that we could take Cartoon with us, we very reluctantly had to leave him behind to be adopted by his hunting buddy. With Gokulchand being of a ripe age, he and Kartoo must have carried on with their expeditions long after we had left Assam and would, I am sure be still at it in their happy hunting ground wherever that may be.

Thoughts on a Cottonians Assistance Scheme / Update on OC Ramesh David Sihna’s situation

Old Cottonian Ramesh David Sihna recently suffered a stroke at his home in Noida, needed immediate assistance which came forth swiftly and without delay via a network of OCs who have always been at the forefront in situations like this. Quick thinking, immediate collection and disbursement of funds, a personal touch, caring for the brotherhood are the hallmark of these dedicated OCs. 

“This is the fourth time I have worked on something like this. The first was DeMellow…

However we need to institutionalize this effort.”
Vijay [Khurana]

The exchange of SOME emails between this network of OCs, who reacted immediately and reached into their pockets for the cause, are reproduced below. 

Vijay has spear-headed several such assistance programs at a moments notice and succeeded each time, and several OCs who are in discussion to solidify / formalize / institutionalize such a scheme. Any suggestions and willingness to be a part of a support group are welcomed. The intent is to eventually formalize a Cottonians Contributory Assistance Scheme.    

Here are some relevant emails reproduced, verbatim [in reverse chronological order]:
[OCA Webmaster/Editor]

On Sat, 11 Jul 2020 at 13:36, Vijay Khurana wrote:

Dear All,

I received a phone call this morning from Kanwar (Kuttu) Vijay Singh informing me that Ramesh Sinha suffered a stroke. Incidentally Kuttu Singh and Ramesh’s respective wives are sisters.

Ramesh is lying at home. It is difficult to shift him to a hospital unless he is tested for the coronavirus but more importantly the family has no funds. They have not paid the rent for the last few months in the Sector 108, Noida apartment that they currently  occupy. Distress all over.

Ramesh initially refused to accept my call and when he did the conversation was brief. I would prefer not to dwell on other aspects but the fundamental fact that the man is hugely unwell. He is also asthmatic. He needs all the help we can deliver – and more. I would not venture to make any judgements on any other aspect except that we have a friend who is now in dire straits.

This is not a request to reconstruct his life but to restore his health. It is, to be plain, a humanitarian effort that I make an appeal for someone we have known for all our lives.

May I please request you all to contribute in any measure that you can. The funds collected will be handled by us directly in coordination with the OCA and accounts will be rendered.

Right now all we want to do is get Ramesh back on his feet. Please respond immediately so that we can then appropriate measures.

I look forward to your response indicating what you can contribute while I work out where the funds should be deposited and ensure their proper utilisation. It would be easiest to deposit it into his wife’s account but I think we need to monitor this more closely and ensure  that the monies are employed for the purpose intended. I trust you concur.

Meanwhile, I look forward to hearing from you.

My thanks

Kind regards & Stay Safe

Sincerely

Vijay

On Sat, 11 Jul 2020 at 16:15, Vijay Khurana wrote:

Dear All,

You guys are terrific!! Thank you.

Neel Mehra who is coordinating this effort with me has witnessed a spontaneous response to the people he has approached. Several of you have called and would like to know where the funds should be sent.

Ramesh Sinha is currently stable after a doctor visited him this morning. We are not aware of the gravity of the stroke, whether it is major or minor, and until then no funds need be sent but thank you for responding with such alacrity. Truly appreciated.

The way this will work is that we will pay Ramesh’s medical bills directly when the need arises. The funds will be handled by two of three of us and I will be happy to render the accounts when that happens.

So, for the moment, please keep your funds on hold. I will be glad to request for them when the need arises.

Finally, you guys are truly amazing and I say “thank you”, “thank you” and “thank you” !!!

My thanks, yet again.

Warm regards

Sincerely,

Vijay

On Mon, 20 Jul 2020 at 11:14 AM, Vijay Khurana wrote:

Dear All,

This is further to my mail below.

First, Ramesh Sinha was examined by Dr Pandey at Prayag Hospital in Noida. The initial diagnosis indicates issues of blood pressure, blood sugar, rheumatism and asthma. A brain scan also indicates “blemishes”. This was expected since he continues to slur a bit. No hospitalisation is required at present and the patient is, in medical parlance, ambulatory. I am also unable to establish direct contact with Ramesh’s wife. Her phone is shut and their son has not responded. Whatever information I have obtained is from Kr Vijay Singh.

Meanwhile, I have a message from Partap Grewal informing me that he has remitted Can$ 1,000 for “Ramesh or any other OC” I am not sure whether we need these funds but I am not able to access them since the payment link is not hooked to any of the Indian Banks. Besides, no one needs these funds more than Partap himself. He is being most magnanimous.

Apart from Partap I have had direct interaction or third party inputs informing me that the following have indicated a desire to come forward with assistance:

RLV Nath
Ramesh Suthoo
Mohit Goyal
C M Kohli
Brandy Gill
Paraminder Singh
K S Dugal
Vinod Pawa
Arun Jolly
Bittu Sahgal
Inderjit Singh Badal
Govinder Singh
Davinder Singh Jaaj
Anupam Sachdev

& apologies if I have missed out any name!!

The following have sent funds directly to Ramesh’s account

Rocky Chopra (Curzon, 1963)
Pranav Roach (Curzon,1980 )
Ashwani Nanda ( Ibbetson,1974 )
Narendra Nanda Yadav (Rivaz,1982)
Anil Puri (Ibbetson, 1975)
Sanjive Sood, (Lefroy, 1978)

It is obvious that OC’s are open handed, generous and compassionate. I am also aware that the list above is not exhaustive and many more will come forward to contribute.

It would appear that there is currently not a situation that requires any further intervention since some funds have been placed at the disposal of the family. Should the situation change in any way and assistance is necessary, I trust, I can take the liberty and approach our friends again.

My deepest thanks for such a lovely response. Most heart warming and most affectionate. My thanks, again.

Warm regards

Sincerely

Vijay

PS. I have just spoken to Ramesh’s wife, Deepali, who confirms that he is stable and the diagnosis indicated is correct.

Ramesh Sinha suffered possibly a mild stroke. His left arm movement was impaired and he was slurring his words. An army doctor and family friend attended to him and she has stabilised him.

We have had some funds deposited into his account, Rs 35,000 and that should cover his immediate needs. An amazing number of guys have come forward to contribute but we are putting those funds on hold in the event he needs hospitalisation. We will, when that is necessary, disburse those monies directly to the medical facilitator.

I have also responded to some of you individually.

Ramesh Sinha is being taken to a neurologist this morning. Will keep you informed as I receive more inputs.

Cheers

Vijay

On 12 Jul 2020, at 1:40 pm, Vijay Khurana wrote:

Dear All,

Several of you have come forward offering assistance with Ramesh’s medical treatment.

The OCA Delhi Chapter has responded with approximately Rs 35,000 having been deposited directly into Ramesh’s account. This amount is currently sufficient to meet any emergency expenses.

We are happy to learn that Ramesh’s condition is currently stable and he seems to be doing well. In the event that he needs to be hospitalised or any other emergency occurs, I will come back to seek your assistance. We intend to pay all such expenses, when they arise, directly to the medical institution for his treatment. Account details will be indicated at that time. Naturally an account of expenses incurred will be shared with every one and certainly with the donors.

So for the moment, just hold on and I will come back.

Thank you, again, for your quick and spontaneous responses. I am always overwhelmed by the caring attitude of this lovely fraternity. It adds meaning to being an OC and that is what this is all about.

It is our response to situations like these that will add value to the OCA (India) as well. We certainly need to institutionalise this effort and it will be one good reason why any one should want to be a part of the OCA!! It cannot be a limited effort based on any parameter whether the year you left School or to the House you belonged to. It has to be a fraternal effort. It has to be inclusive. I trust you concur.

My warm regards

Sincerely

Vijay

AND HERE ARE SOME OF THE MESSAGES IN RESPONSE DURING THE COURSE OF THE EMAIL EXCHANGES:

On Sun, 12 Jul 2020 at 22:42, Ramesh Suthoo wrote:

Vijay , any further developments on the payment front? Grateful for your feedback,

Cheers

Ramesh Suthoo

Please let me know when and where the funds are required .
Moni Kohli

Vijay you do us all proud.

Both Madhu and I have been through a tumble drier for the past two months. She had a severe heart attack, but is now well recovered. But in the time of COVID19 believe me we went through hell and I can only begin to imagine what Ramesh is going through now.
Bittu [Sahgal]

On 12-Jul-2020, at 8:36 PM, Badal Singh wrote:

Hiya Vijay

Thanks for Informing us  .

Pls let us all know , As and when the need arises …..

I’m sure everyone will be more than willing to chip in with whatever they can spare …..

My regards to everyone .

Lots of Love , Good wishes & the Best of luck …..

Sincerely .

The 3rd Div gang 🤣

On Sat, Jul 11, 2020 at 17:46, Berizis Eng wrote:
I last met Ramesh long ago along with late  GIrish  Ghai when he was a reporter  with Free Press  Journal and got pissed left him to catch a local train unfortunately past midnight and poor guy had to pass the  night on a bench  kindly let me know where to donate towards his recovery  if u talk to him say hi

Hi Vijay,

I have already transferred 5k to Ramesh’s bank account details of which were sent by Kuttu.
You could access it if you can.
Warm regards,
Rocky

Rohit Sachdeva

We are deeply saddened on the untimely passing away of Old Cottonian Rohit Sachdeva  [Curzon Batch 2003] on 19th July.

Our condolences to Mr Sachdeva’s family.

 

23rd July 2020 message from Mr. Mustafi added:

For The Late Rohit Sachdeva (C/ ’03)
Today, 23rd July, is about 6 weeks from that last exchange of messaging between Rohit and us. He passed away on Sunday, 19th July at home …. erratic bp from a chronic heart condition for which he had been operated upon as a boy in school….leaving behind a young wife and their year and a half old daughter and his younger twin brothers, Rishab and Rishi, both OCs.

Yesterday was his antim ardaas.

Harmanpreet Walia arranged a Zoom collective and there must have been almost the whole batch present on Zoom as well as those who were able to attend in person.

In God we trust. With thanks for Rohit’s life among us as friends and brothers, husband and father.

Kabir Mustafi [Ex Headmaster BCS, 1994-2004]

Sponsor an Indian Tiger in memory of Arthur Jones who died on June 11th 2020 of old age

Weʼre raising £250 to Sponsor an Indian Tiger at Shepreth Wildlife Park for a year, in memory of Arthur Jones who died on June 11th 2020 of old age.

We are hoping to raise enough money to Adopt an Indian tiger at Shepreth Wildlife Park, In memory of Arthur Jones, a Dad, Grandad, Great Grandad, Brother, Uncle and friend to many. Who died of Old Age on 11th June 2020

Dad was born in India in 1933 and always had a passion for wildlife, he loved watching wildlife programmes and even stayed in a tiger park on one of his visits back to India with his wife, my Mum Shirley.

Due to Zoos lack of income in the present climate, they may struggle to maintain the livelihood of these magnificent animals, we thought this would be an apt way to remember Dad

Arthur’s final goodbye was held at the Fulborne Cemetary.
Julie had arranged and accepted 30th June – Shirley & Arthur’s wedding anniversary
Arthur was laid side by Shirley & late eldest daughter Lisa’s family plot.  Bless em.
End of an era.
Peter Stringer