Delightful post from 58er

As has been seen by many, the Seventh Heaven Blog has been a meeting point for many Cathedralites and also their friends who have found them by virtue of my writing about the "old days".

I recently copied a 58er about people wanting to contact him. In return he sent me such a delightful reply which not only satisfied my curiosity about him and also answered the outstanding queries about this gentleman.

Kamal R. Gupta
MUMBAI 400 020.


18th August, 2008

Dear Annikki & Jacob Matthan,

1. It was indeed a pleasure to hear from you.
2. As for myself, after I left school in 1958 I went on to do my B.Com from Sydenham College and graduated in 1963. Later on I did my LLB from the Government Law College and graduated in 1965. I then practiced law with a leading firm at that time Ambubhai Diwanji and got my Advocate degree in the same year.
3. After my graduation in 1965 I went abroad for a year to work with two engineering firms in U.K. and then returned in 1967 to start a Public Limited Company Snail Forgings Ltd.
4. I continued as a Director in this Company and we became one of the leading manufacturers of hand tools till the year 1985. During the early 1990s we saw the advent of militant Trade Unions in the industrial belt of Mumbai and with Dr. Datta Samant spearheading the attack, we had no choice but to close down the manufacturing operations in 1995.
5. After that, I diversified my career path into education and having joined the Lala Lajpatrai Institute at Worli, Mumbai, I went on to become the Chairman of Lala Lajpatrai Institute of Management. This Institute conducts a two years full time MBA course and three years part-time courses such as MFM, MMM and MHRDM. The Institute is well recognized by the Government of Maharashtra.
6. Regarding my personal life, I got married in 1965 and have three sons, of which two are in the United States having become American citizens and working as Investments Bankers in New York. The third son is also working as a banker in Mumbai and resides with me.
7. I am in regular touch with some of the other students from our class such as Ranjit Lalvani who has now retired and available on email. I also keep in touch with Abey Stevenson who lives in Derby in U.K.
8. I meet Jaffer Hussain who still lives next door to me. Any communication to be sent to Jaffer may kindly be sent to me as he is not contactable on email but is available on telephone. Jaffer is in touch with Meher Katrak and some others. I will get further details from him and keep you posted.
9. It will be an absolute delight to meet everybody after a gap of 50 years.

With regards,

KAMAL GUPTA

58er Ranjit Lalwani, and 59ers Trevor Newnes and Noel Ezekiel, pubbing at Sydney Harbour, Australia, 2007. Photo thanks to Noel.

How I wish everyone would send me such a clear note for publication on the blog. I do not publish specific personal details as email addresses and phone numbers. But I file this data away for safe keeping to transmit to friends, if required and permitted.

Thank you Kamal for you input. Thank you Noel for this photograph

Sadness prevades the air

I did not intend for any of my Blogs to be columns for births, marriages and deaths, and especially not the last.

This last week was an especially sad week. I have to record not just the passing of Annikki and my dear cat, Ittu, our nearest and dearest friend for the last 17 years, but two wonderful other Cats.

Nilina Parkar was a 54er whom I came to know when I helped their class organise their 50th Year Reunion in 2004.



54ers Sadhana (née Shah) Madhusadan and Suhas Phadke informed me of the passing of this gentle lady on 3rd August 2008. This was what Sadhana had to write about our friend

I received the very sad news this morning from a close friend in Pune that Nilina passed away late last night. She was in a coma. Mercifully it must have helped to ease the pain. At the end of her mortal life, she looked peaceful is what I gather from news from London.

We had a long conversation on her birthday 26th July when she completed 69 years. We chatted and she even spoke in Tamil and we both laughed. I was imploring her to try 'wheat grass' juice to bring up her immunity and the trooper that she always was, she promised she would check out with Health Food stores and get some ...on Monday.

Sadly, that was not to be. She was so happy that her "Darling son " had been to see her the day before...there was a lilt in her voice which I hadn't heard of late.. there was much to look forward to, once, just once she got back her strength...

This was the inimitable and most outstanding feature of my darling, feisty friend Nilina... She was always of positive mind. A challenge was just that... a challenge. To be met with and tackled. She would help out with her Pune Housing Society's Accounts, correspondence, even the gargantuan task of getting the entire complex repaired and painted.

Now, whenever I pass the Kalpataru Habitat at Koregaon Park I feel happy to see the sparkling new cream and green buildings.. her own handiwork.. Where did she get all that energy from? All this while her own flat was turned inside out and refurbished.. new tiles, new veneer, new colour on the walls and woodwork. How completely happy and satisfied she felt with the place looking so new and inviting... for her next trip to India.

I could go on & on. But, my heart is too full and I think this is time to keep quiet and pray to God to accept this loving, genuinely courageous spirit in His/ Her Fold and to set it free to enter Nirvana.

Nilina, we will always love you and miss you !

Om Shantihi, Shantihi, Shantihi !

Yours,

in grief,

Sadhana

The funeral will take place at Putney Vale Crematorium, Stag Lane, Putney, SW15 3DZ( Tel: 0044 208 788 2113 ) on Friday 8 August at 1.40pm

Her son :
Raj Parker, 31 Rosehill Road, London SW18 2NY (Tel. 44 208 875 1580)
raj.parker(at)freshfields.com

Prayer meetings will be held in Mumbai and Pune between 5.30 and 6.30 pm on August 8th
Three minutes silence will be observed at both the meetings at 6.10 p m to coincide with the time of the cremation.

Mumbai venue:
Minal Patel's residence at Malabar Court, Ridge Road, near WIAA, Malabar Hill.

Pune Venue:
Chandrika Naker's residence at 9-C Cjurina, Marigold Apartment Society, Kalyani Nagar, (behind Gold Adlabs.) Pune

Then I received the very sad news of the demise of a new friend, a 64er Jean Maneckji. This was the tribute that was sent to me about another womderful Cathedralite.



When one experiences death so close by, even something as "just" an animal, one understands the pain and suffering of those near and dear to the one lost. Our hearts bleed. But as many told me when I was in tears,

"Just remember the wonderful years that you enjoyed with your friend".


The bundle of joy 17 years ago.


Iitu waits for the share of my birthday cake.

Every day since the passing, as we enter our home, we think of Iitu. Tears well up in our eyes.

Then I think of all the wonderful other Cats who have passed on.

Annikki and I reminisce about all the loved ones who are no more. We think of the many blessed minutes, hours, days and years we enjoyed with our friends. Sadness can turn to a warm feeling, that they are safe from harm's way and yet very near to our hearts.

May Nilina and Jean rest in peace.

Do let their loved ones know that they are not forgotten in our hearts.