Tag Archives: Assistance

Financial assistance sought

Dear OC,

Trust all of you are doing well.

We at  OCA,India have received a communication  from Mr.Simon Weale,Director,Bishop Cotton School requesting  OCA, India to kindly come forward and help Mr. Rajiv Mehrotra,the Bursar at Bishop Cotton School.

Mr.Mehrotra has been diagnosed with Cancer the treatment for which  is expected to cost approximately 40 lacs.This is creating an immense amount of financial stress on him, and as such he would end up exhausting his life savings. May I request you on behalf of the President and the Executive Committee of OCA,India to kindly make a generous contribution to help Mr. Mehrotra overcome this financial challenge.

Kindly make your deposit into the following account:

Old Cottonians Association India
HDFC Bank
Account No:SB-Institution-00921450000562
RTGS/NEFT IFSC:HDFC000092

Greatful if after making the deposit you could kindly intimate OC Dhiraj Berry,Treasurer,OCA,India by sending him a copy of the deposit slip at dhirajberry@gmail.com You can also avail income tax rebate under section 80 G of the Income Tax Act.

Thanking you in advance for your help and assistance. Wishing you a great week ahead.

Regards,

Ajay Thiara
Secretary OCA,India

Some OCs have consented to have their messages posted verbatim. These are being added below. The other messages remain unpublished – We respect the privacy and uphold confidentiality if so requested by any OC. Though they all reflect similar thoughts as are being quoted below.

In my opinion such costs should come from the group insurance that BCS should have in place for all BCS staff, or should be met from BCS funds.

BCS being predominantly responsible to have such measures in place for the welfare and wellbeing of its employees / staff. 

Sincerely
Anil Advani [BCS 1960-70]

The financial crisis confronting a school teacher is not new. In the case of a teacher in service, the plight is “less” severe since there are colleagues and senior employees who will be sympathetic to his cause. They know him and this is just what has happened with the Director seeking funds from the Old Boys association.

Going back further, I recall Mr Roshan Lal, the former Hindi teacher at an OC lunch, literally hands outstretched, seeking any kind of relief. None was rendered. Besides, Hindi teaching ranked so much lower in “class” both with the boys, even his students, and his former peers. It was a pathetic sight.  Some years later his condition and his poverty became so severe that pity finally overtook some students who built a shelter for him and provided for his mentally challenged son. The man and his son died under conditions that are indescribable. We showed no humanity.

About three years ago, I requested the OCA President for assistance for an OC in distress. The response was in all such cases the class to which the OC belonged should do crowd funding themselves since this is what the class of 1962 did for Umesh Dutta, one of their colleagues. I reminded him that the fund had been initiated by me and I had contributed as well though I passed out in the following year of 1963. The OCA did nothing

So, the OCA is not exactly sympathetic to either members of its association or giving and generous to staff members. The exception was Mrs Kabir Mustafi’s wife where the students who knew them gathered to collect funds and garnered a considerable amount even though most knew her condition to be a hopeless one.

In the case of an existing employee, he should, you rightly observe, be covered by a medical insurance scheme. That would operate to assist in just such a case without any burden or obligation on anyone else.

Secondly, the need for a benevolent fund has been raised ever so often both for the staff and former students, it is for the OCA to take this initiative. I have tried hard but got nowhere for a variety of reasons.

Finally, the OCA has forwarded funds to the School and it is important that purpose and utility of such amounts stand allocated to causes such as this one. We did that so well for Mrs DeMello, if you recall.

Given the above, I am not sure that there will be many willing to contribute unless they are or were his students but to send the hat around again and again is an effort with diminishing returns. We need a proper fund in place with its scope, purpose and method of collection and disbursement well established.

Warmly

Vijay Khurana

Vote of Thanks

Never in recent times has the OCA mounted such a large effort for a cause. What was most heartening was the spontaneity, the huge response with over a 120 OCs coming forward, and over a 150 of them eagerly waiting to jump in to help when needed, the earnest sense of belonging and for a cause that was close to our hearts. The OCs responding to our call were from a vast number of batches the from 1991 to 2006 and beyond, demonstrating the depth of commitment in the Association. Truly outstanding!

It was a last ditch effort to save one of our dearly loved teachers. A teacher means everything in our Guru/Shishya system. We view them with reverence and respect. They represent God’s image on earth as the dictum that drives so many of us in our affection for them. They taught us our first lessons and they instilled in us a value system that we carry with us till the end of our days. Thank you, Mrs Kamini Mustafi

The endeavour was not lacking in either commitment nor effort, financial or otherwise. The odds were stacked heavily against us. Nevertheless, we will never fail and if Mrs Mustafi is no longer with us her spiritual energy and her loving memory drives us to never forget that we will always overcome adversities when they stare us in the face.” To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield”

At a personal level, Kanav Monga and I express our gratitude to acknowledge all those from this fraternity of Old Cottonians and Teachers who responded to our call for help. We came together for the Mustafi Family to lend a helping hand and in our prayers. I am truly inspired and heartened by the solidarity of our fraternity.Given below is the list of names of boys who responded to our call.

We progressed through the month, praying and clinging to even the most fragile string of hope. Our hands were folded in prayer. We held our hands together with more hands joining in everyday, until the end. Those beautiful words just kept ringing in my ears……”As true as is a brother’s love, as close as ivy grows, we’ll stand foursquare throughout our lives to every wind that blows….”

There is always more to learn from a loss than there is in victory. Victory is but a fleeting moment, it is the losses that last and build us for whats to come next.

This effort reminded us what we knew, that we are there for each other. We must always continue to keep this torch alight for others to find us wherever they may need help.

Strength lies in numbers they say, and so,

I graciously acknowledge the support of the students from St Paul’s, Darjeeling. They have our thanks. and we found another family in the Paulites all united by the Mustafi Family. I say let it amount to something.

Ever onwards.

Thank you, again, individually and collectively.

Warmly

Chezard Bin Abid
Ibbetson

Formerly, Shahzad Hussain

(1987 – 1993 )

AND

Kanav Monga
Ibbetson

(1986 – 1998)

Sl.No Name Batch Amount Bank Status
1 Kanav Monga 1998 50000 SCB Paid
2 Anuj Sood – 1998 50000 SCB Paid
3 Arun Martin Chauhan 1998 20000 Paid
4 Vijay khurana 1963 20000 Paid
5 Narinder Yadav 25000 SCB Paid
6 Ashwani Singh Virk 15000 Axis Bank Paid
7 Navid Tariq 20000 SCB Paid
8
9 Ab Gaur 1993 100000 Paid
10 Amaninder Singh Walia 10000 SCB Paid
11 Vikrant Suri 1997 100000 Paid
12
13 Mehtab Wadala 1998 25000 Axis Bank Paid
14 Bharat Dua 1993 20000 Paid
15 Harman Bedi 1998 10000 SCB Paid
16 Gaurav Jindal 1998 20000 SCB Paid
17 Bikram Shapuri 1998 50000 SCB Paid
18 Bikram Grewal 10000 SCB Paid
19 Saurabh Khanna 1998 10000 SCB Paid
20
21 Ajaipal 1998 15000 SCBL Paid
22 Lakshman Anand 15000 Axis Bank Paid
23

Batch of 2001

74000 Paid
1. Abhay  Thakur
2. Abhishek sood
3. Aditya Rana
4. Akshay khanna
5. S Amandeep Singh Sidhu
6. Amit Mehta (c)
7. Ankit Singh
8. Ashish Jajodia
9. Bharat Bhushan
10. Bunkim Chadda
11. Christopher Sunny Kumar
12. Dhruv Nangia
13. Gursimran Brar
14. Himaka Serna
15. lnderpal Chatha
16. Jasdeep Goraya
17. Karan Ahuja
18. Karan Karol
19. Karanbir Singh Gulati
20. Ketan Mahajan
21. Kshitij Sharma
22. Laxman Anand
23. Mohnish Kapoor
24. Mohsin Sachdeva
25. Nishant Bansal
26. Nitin Chauhan
27. Piyush Mehta
28. Pulkit Dogar
29. Rohit Saharan
30. Sahil Bhasin
31. Saurabh Malohtra
32. Shahab Ahmed
33. Tirath Singh Garewal
34 . Varun Chauhan
35. Vibhor Gandotra
36.  Vinayak Singh
37.  Karanvir Singh Gill]
24 Amit Singhal 20000 Paid
25 Shubham Anand 1995 30000 SCB Paid
26 Dushyant Talwar 1998 10000 Axis Bank Paid
27 Akash seth 20000 SCB Paid
28 Royce Kukreja 25000 SCB Paid
29
30 Irfan Ansari 1995 100000 Axis Paid
31 Abhishek Kakar (Behl) 1998 20000 SCB Paid
32 Sindhwani’s 25000 SCB Paid
33
34
35
36
37 Jasbir singh rai 1998 20000 SCB Paid
38

Batch of 2002

390000 SCB Paid
1. A bhinav Aggarwal
2. Ajay Bodh
3. Amaninder Singh Walia
4. Anupam Verma
5. Arjun Sodhi
6. Ashish Mahajan
7. Atul Goyal
8. Chemit Yurgal
9. Gurusagar Nagai
10. Harpreet Singh
11. Ishaan Bhatia
12. Jaideep Sandhu
13. Karan Singh  Pandher
14. Karan Thakur
15. Krystan De’cuna
16. Kunal Modgil
17. Murtuza Hyder Ali Khan
18. Narayan Krishan
19. Nitin Singh Thakur
20. Piyush Narani
21. Puneet Banga
22. Puneet Pal Sachdeva
23. Rahul Kalia
24. Rajat Gupta
25. Rajeshwar Singh Mangat
26. Rishi Mahajan
27. Rohit Chauhan
28. Sahil Chopra
29. Saurabh Shukla
30. Shobit Sareen
31. Siddharth Chauhan
32. Siddharth Kumar
33. Sidharth Jaitwani
34. Sunil Tiwari
35. Vikram Singh  Negi
36. Vivek Sharma
39 Samar Arora ( daffodil) 10000 Paid
40 Suneet Goyal 15000 Paid
41
42
43
44
45 Sachin Mahajan 1995 50000 Paid
46
47 25000
48 25000
49
50 Manpreet Manhas 1998 25000 SCB Paid
51 Dhiraj Berry 10000 SCB Paid
52 Manish Aggarwal 1992 50000 SCB Paid
53 Ramandeep Anand 1992 50000 SCB Paid
54 Zailinder Singh Shoor 2004 10000 SCB Paid
55 Rachit Aggarwal 2004 25000 SCB Paid
56 Gaurav Gombar 1993 20000 SCB Paid
57
58
59 Rohit Berry 1995 10000 SCB Paid
60
61 John Khiangte 1998 10000 SCB Paid
62

Batch of 2006

75,234 SCB Paid
      1.Tsewang Topgyal
      2. Suraj Tayal
      3. Vishal Menon
      4. Siddhant Singh Bedi
      5. Anuraj Singh Mangat
      6. Rajat Prabhakar
      7. Prashant Dogra
      8. Manvir Singh Nahal
      9. Prithviraj Thakur
    10. Hitesh Chauhan
    11. Toito Sema
    12. Karan Malhotra
    13. Sagat Singh Sandhu
    14. Navraj Singh Dhillon
    15. Shaninder Singh Sandhu
63 Prannoy Dey 2005 10000 SCB Paid

EDITOR:
That is a total of INR 17,39,234 [Seventeen Lakhs Thirty Nine Thousand Two Hundred Thirty Four [or US$24,000].

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

Contribution by OCA-India to give relief to Covid 19 victims

Greetings from OCA-India.
I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that with the support of the OC’s mentioned below, the OCA-India has collected a little more then 5 Lacs as contribution towards assisting the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Bishop Cotton School to provide relief to the victims of Covid 19.
The list of donors is as follows:
1.Mr.D C Anand-1,00,000/-
2.Mr.Anil Kumar Mehra-20000/-
3.Mr.K C Anand-50,000/-
4.Mr.D S Jaaj-20,000/-
5.Justice S S Saron-20,000/-
6.Mr.Narinder Yadav-5000/-
7.Brig.H S Nagra-20,000/-
8.Mr.Jaspal Sawhney-20,000/-
9.Mr.Rahul Aggarwal-20,000/-
10.Mr.Praveen Dharma-10000/-
11.A dedicated OC-2,00,000/-
12.A dedicated OC-25,000/-
Thank you all for your support.
Warm Regards,
Davinder Singh Jaaj
President
OCA-India.

Request for a contribution from OC’s to help COVID 19 Virus victims.

Dear OC,

Greetings from OCA-India.Trust you and your family are doing well during this most trying time on account of the Covid 19 virus.

I would like to use this opportunity to share with you that at the recently held meeting of the Board of Governors of Bishop Cotton School on 11/05/2020,it was decided that the school along with OCA-India would endeavor to provide support and succor to the lesser fortunate who had been adversely impacted by the Covid 19 virus.Representing the OCA-India in my capacity as its President along with other eminent Old Cottonian’s on the Board of Governors,namely Mr.D C Anand the President Emeritus of OCA-India and Mr. Anil Mehra, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Board were in agreement to this proposal.

This as a background the school has committed an amount of INR 500000/-(Five lacs) as support for this project with the hope that Old Cottonian’s would match it with an equal amount.The contribution from Old Cottonian’s would be collected in the account of Bishop Cotton School,the details of which are as follows:

Bishop Cotton School

HDFC Bank Ltd.-Sec/5,New Shimla-171009

Current A/c No:50200039445899

IFSC-HDFC0002447

You are also requested to kindly share your Contact details,Batch and House along with the amount deposited with the Bursar of BCS Mr.Rajiv Mehrotra at bursar@bishopcotton.com.

Whilst the deployment of funds would be monitored directly by the Chairman of the Board of Governors,the President of OCA-India would be kept informed of the same. The contribution would be entitled to tax benefit for which an appropriate certificate will be provided under 80 G by Bishop Cotton School. We already have commitments of over one lakh. Upon exhausting the funds a complete statement of account would be circulated to all Old Cottonian’s as well as posted on the OCA-India website.

May I request you to kindly come forward and lend a shoulder to this noble project by contributing generously so that we may be able to provide assistance to the affected in their time of hardship and distress.

Wishing you all safe and healthy days ahead.

Warm Regards,

Davinder Singh Jaaj

President

OCA-India

Assistance for Old Cottonian [undergoing cancer treatment]

We have been informed that Old Cottonian Anil K Sood [1989 batch] is undergoing treatment for colon cancer at Delhi.

OCA Delhi Chapter has taken the initiative to mobilize assistance toward the cost of medical treatment and the following funds have been  given so far:

  • OCA Delhi Chapter Rs 50,000
  • Anuraag Batra and Samit Khullar 25,000
  • Japvir Singh 9,500

Anyone who would like to contribute toward this cause, please contact Vijay [Kuttu] Singh at mobile number +91-981-105-6361 or email vijay.s.y@gmail.com or remit directly to the OCA Delhi Chapter account and inform Vijay about the contribution

Punjab And Sind Bank
H-Block branch, Connaught Place, New Delhi, India.
Account # 00131100016103
IFS Code: PSIB0000013
Swift Code: PSIBINBB130
Old Cottonians Association India.
Office Address:
Mr. Jaspal Sawhney,
OCA India,
2nd Floor
Plaza Cinema Bldg.
Connaught Place
New Delhi 110001 India.

Punjab flood relief update

Fellow Old Cottonian’s

It gives me great pleasure to inform that in response to our appeal for contributions for the Punjab Flood Relief Fund a number of OC’s from India as well as abroad have sent in their most generous  and in-valuable contributions, details of which I will be mentioning below. Firstly I express my utmost gratitude to all those who have contributed financially as well as otherwise for their compassion  towards this extremely important cause as the victims of the recent floods in Punjab do not only need relief but rehabilitation as well. With the help of some of your invaluable contributions OCA INDIA has been able to provide much needed relief material like drinking water, medicines etc. through Mr. Daljit Singh Gill – Batch 1967 and his companions.

As you all are aware for projects like these any amount of contribution in any form is never enough also the entire relief work is being financed completely from funds contributed by OC’s voluntarily and not through the OCA corpus, so I appeal to all fellow Old Cottonians to please contribute to make this selfless cause a success. Also please be informed that we have decided that the total amount of funds collected by October 30th 2019 will be used for the final execution of this Relief Work.

Detail of funds collected in the OCA India Bank Account

NAME

AMOUNT

Mr.Vijay Khurana

Rs.10569/-

Mr.Sandeep Puri

Rs.10000/-

Mr.Pritinder Singh

Rs.5000/-

Mr.K.C.Anand

Rs.10000/-

Brig.H.S.Nagra

Rs.10000/-

Mr.G.S.Anand

Rs.15000/-

Mr.Dhiraj Berry

Rs.5000/-

Mr.Dhiraj Berry

Rs.5000/-

Mr.Ajay Thiara

Rs.10000/-

Mr.Davinder Singh Jaaj

Rs.10000/-

Mr.Rajmohinder Singh

Rs.10000/-

DGP Brar

Rs.10000/-

Mr.Surinder Singh Saron

Rs.10000/-

Mr.Anil Kumar- Victor

Rs.10000/-

Mr.Saranjit Singh (Bogie)

Rs.20000/-

Total-

1,50,569/-

For the optimum use of this fund we have appointed Brig. H.S. Nagra,9915322277  and Dheeraj Berry, 9814060426 as the Project in Charge to have consultations with the OC volunteers of Punjab to finalise the ideal relief work to be executed. One suggestion that is being considered as of now is to install Commercial RO Water Purifier Plants to provide a permanent solution for the drinking water problem that is going to exist for a long time.

Besides the above detailed contributions there were a few others that were sent directly to provide immediate needed relief material.

1)   Mr. Vijay Bhambri – Batch 1967 transferred an amount of Rs,49500/- directly in the bank account of a Manufacturer of Bottled Drinking Water in Jalandhar. Already this amount has been used to buy much needed drinking water and distributed in various flood affected villages in Punjab.

2)   Mr. Jemini Sharma- Batch 1967 transferred directly in the account of a Medicine supplier in Jalandhar an amount of Rs.5000/- which was used to distribute medicines.

3)   Mr. Daljit Singh Gill – Batch 1967 with his family has contributed an amount of Rs.28000/- which he has spent in purchasing and distributing relief material during his multiple visits to these affected areas. He has been able to get the NGO GOONJ to also send a truck load of relief material like clothes, sanitary napkins, utensils, blankets, school bags, stationery etc. which he has been distributing with other GOONJ volunteers.

Contributions can be deposited in OCA INDIA Bank account – details below:

Account Name:   OCA INDIA

Bank: UCO Bank, BCS Shimla

IFS Code: UCBA 0001971

Ac.Number: 1971 0100 001970

Cheques should be made out payable to “Old Cottonians Association (India)” & mailed to my  house address:

House no 1053 , Sector 27 B, Chandigarh 160019 India.

Note: All contributions to OCA INDIA for this purpose will be eligible for Income Tax Deduction U/s.80G.

 

Davinder Singh Jaaj

President OCA India & Executive Members

Flood relief / contributions sought

Dear OC’s.

I’am writing to inform you that the incessant rains during this years Monsoon season have played havoc in the state of Punjab resulting in a terrible tragedy in the making.

A senior OC Mr.Daljit Singh Gill (Class of 67) along with some of his companions are working selflessly for providing relief in the badly flooded villages in Punjab by providing drinking water, medicines and other relief material.

He has requested for OC’s to make a contribution to help battle this tragedy.

I would like to request all other OC’s to try and lend a shoulder to this cause. Following are the bank details of the OCA where you may send your contributions.

OCA India
Bank details:
UCO bank BCS Shimla.
IFS code UCBA 0001971
Ac no : 19710100001970.

Your help in overcoming this tragedy would be much appreciated.

D. Singh Jaaj
President – OCA INDIA.

Old Cottonian Sandeep Mansukhani – next climb planned for Mt. ELBRUS

Sandeep Mansukhani summited Mt Everest on May 21, 2018 and made us all very proud.

Three Cheers!

Sandeep will be leaving on 17 July, 2019 to attempt Mt Elbrus, the highest peak of Europe.  

Mr. Mansukhani is seeking support from the OCA Chapters and from Old Cottonians who are able to assist in his venture to successfully plant the BCS flag atop the highest peak on the European Continent. 

His account details are as follows:

Sandeep Mansukhani
ICICI Bank
Account no: 000701246606
IFSC Code: ICIC0000007
Connaught Place branch – New Delhi 

You can also contact Sandeep Mansukhani directly at sonu0422@yahoo.com and cellphone +91-9810220422‬

URGENT ASSISTANCE REQUESTED: A Old Cottonian requires a Liver donor

A Old Cottonian urgently requires a liver transplant and is seeking a liver donor [blood type B+ve] and has requested to spread the word among the OCA Community. Our teacher Mr Gauri Shankar’s son RAJIV SHANKAR was at BCS 1962-1974 [Curzon] and has recently retired from Government service in Himachal Pradesh. Rajiv can be contacted directly at India mobile number +91-941-805-0003 email kuku234@yahoo.com

Any responses that might be sent to the OCA will also be passed on directly to Rajiv Shankar.

An appeal to help J&K

Dear Old Cottonians
We make a fervent appeal to all OCs around the world to donate generously to those ravaged by the floods in J&K.  Mr Junaid Azmi Mattu can give give specifics as to how donations may be channeled either by the OCA or by individual members.
Regards
BM Singh [President, OCA India]

Dear Fellow Old Cottonians,

I am staring at the haunting screen of my computer wondering where to start. I am writing to all of you spread across the world to describe a natural calamity that has devastated Jammu & Kashmir and displaced more than a million people, rendering most homeless as cruel, cold winters stare us in the face. The floods that inundated most of Srinagar City and washed away hundreds of villages throughout the length and breadth of the State have left an indelible mark on my heart and mind. Having survived an almost certain death during a rescue operation, I still come home guilty and anguished every night thinking of those who couldn’t make it.

There are heart-rending stories – of a bride’s body in her bridal dress that was fished out days after the floods, of an entire wedding party of fifty disappearing into the waters including the just-weds, tales of mothers jumping into the furious rage of the floods after infants were pulled out of their laps by the gushing fury and swallowed by the waters forever. I have seen people die and disappear up close during the darkest hours of the floods when there were no rescue boats to pull people out. I took a rescue boat into the worst hit area in Srinagar (Jawahar Nagar) the first morning after the city got drowned up to two floors of water and saw people clinging on to straws and stuck on steep rooftops in some of the most affluent neighborhoods of the city – the fabled ‘Paradise on Earth’ – now a big vast pile of crumbled and crumbling houses. Their cries for help, their wailing and their screams will remain with me till I am alive.

Unofficial estimates of the death-toll keep getting revised every day as more and more bodies surface from the receding waters. In my estimation around 1,000 to 1,200 people must have lost their lives in the State. Around one million (10 lakh) people are displaced and homeless with their clothes, food, ration, belongings all swept away. The damage to both public and private infrastructure is incomprehensible and could be upto 100,000 crores.

Entire localities have been devastated. Our hospitals in the city were up to two floors under water – ruining expensive diagnostic equipment, destroying blood-banks and sweeping away supplies and stocks of medicines. The night the Jehlum waters breached the embankments, almost all critically ill children in our Chidren’s Hospital died for want of oxygen and incubation. Numerous pregnant women lost their lives due to complications resulting due to lack of access to doctors and emergent care as Srinagar’s Maternity Hospital got flooded up to the second floor and became inaccessible.

Now, while the rescue operations have officially concluded, we are looking at a human tragedy the scale and magnitude of which is incomprehensible. Hundreds and thousands of people are without drinking water, food, warm clothes and shelter. The threat of epidemics and water-borne diseases looms large over the capital city. The Tourism and Private Sector is almost entirely wiped out – rendering a death-blow to the State’s Economy after we had just started to recover from the devastating political turmoil the State had witnessed. New roads, bridges, public infrastructure, buildings, schools, dispensaries – everything seems to have been swept away like it never existed. Around 1,200 government schools have been swept away – floor, ceiling and roof in the fury.

I write to all of you – my brothers – not as a politician and certainly not as a resident of Jammu and Kashmir alone. I write to you as an Old Cottonian who believes that we could and should all pool in and organize an effort true to the charter, motto and spirit of Bishop Cotton School. This is unambiguously one of the worst National Disasters to have hit India in recent history – comparable perhaps only to the Gujarat Earthquake. While the Government, the Armed Forces, the Air Force has done and will continue to do all it can – this tragedy merits an enormous civic action and effort. Numerous NGOs and thousands of individuals from across the country are pitching in – some even having flown in to personally assist and help. And every hand, every penny and every single quilt that we receive is one small step towards rebuilding and rehabilitating the lives of a million people.

I make a humble appeal to all Old Cottonians’ Associations across the world to contribute and organize a systematic charitable response to this almost apocalyptic catastrophe in India. While the OCs in Punjab could help by collecting and sending off rice, flour and pulses, the OCs in Delhi for instance could focus on bedding, clothes and medicines. A lot could be done by OCs in USA, UK, Canada, Australia and elsewhere too. Once the wheels are in motion initially, we can then organize and delegate distinct areas among various OCA groups and chapters – attempting to put forth a holistic, comprehensive relief and rehabilitation effort. I request Presidents of respective OCA Chapters to come forth and help in coordinating an Old Cottonian’s Operation in response to this challenge thrown our way.

Let us all please help in overcoming this tragedy and rebuilding lives.

Regards,
Junaid Azim Mattu
Lefroy, 2003.

Spokesperson – J&K National Conference
Mobile: +91-941946600
Email: junaid.msu@gmail.com