More news about the Bangalore tragedy

I do not want to put the graphic details of this gruesome event on the blog so I give a link to the newspaper article on line

News -- Bangalore: Two Brutally Murdered in Broad Daylight - One of Mangalore Origin, Daijiworld News Network - Bangalore (GA), Bangalore, May 17 2005

I am still in a state of shock to think that just a few minutes before he was to leave to reach our home in Finland, this horrific event could have taken place.

Tragic news

Late this evening, just around 11 pm, I was expecting a guest from Bangalore, India. "Tiny" S. Mazumdar, formerly of Hindustan Lever, a friend of Ashok Kunte, who is a IIT classmate of Cathedralite 59er Elijah Elias (Ooky), my long-standing family friend from my Bombay days.

Tiny must have been just planning to leave his Bangalore office en route to the airport to fly in to Helsinki. He would then have proceeded to the Helsinki Railway Station to enjoy the train trip to Oulu.

His visit to Finland was to see for himself conditions here as his son has been admitted to Kuopio University in Eastern Finland to do a course in biotechnology.

Tiny's stopover in Oulu was to meet me and see what my opinion was about his son's stay in Finland, and to possibly help Tiny get a leverage into the Gherkin market as he is a large exporter to Russia. I had organised lunch at a friend's restaurant along with other friends of mine in his line of business.

This morning, just as I visited my email site, there was a message from Ashok Kunte in Thane telling me that Tiny had been murdered in his office yesterday afternoon.

I had just had an email yesterday from Tiny that he had managed to get me some home-made Kerala papadams.

Over the last few weeks we had become quite close friends as we had spoken on many issues for many hours using Skype Voice Over Internet. He had become an avid reader of all my blogs.

I will miss a good friend I made in the recent weeks and it will take some time for me to recover from this shock. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Tribute to a wonderful teacher

In Indian custom one must show respect for our Gurus.

There is one guru who has shown respect to every student that has crossed his path.

Pushpa & Willie Shiri

He taught at our beloved Cathedral School. He was an active member of the school in many ways, besides being the Wilson House Staff Head, he was always active as a leading cast member of our school operas, and he sang with a strong tenor voice in the St. Thomas Cathedral Church choir, where he satisfactorily drownwed out all my musical off-keys as I sang as a soprano in the pew in front of him!!

Today, I would like to publicly honour him on his 80th birthday on behalf of all those whom he educated, not only in his subject, Physics, but about life itself. I always remember him standing in front of the class with his unique bow tie as he unfolded the mystery of science to me and my fellow clasmates, and as he walked around the laboratory helping us to do our practical work. I still remember the very first experiment he assigned us - understanding what was "specific gravity".

To him, I owe my career as a Polymer Technologist. The very foundation of Physics that he laid firmly in one corner of my brain was the basis for my successful life, as Polymer Physics became child's play for me.

William Shiri taught Physics in Cathedral School through the 60's till 1962 when he migrated to England. Wife Pushpa was a Class 2 teacher in our Junior School between 1955-62.

Willie was in England about the time I was studying in London but, sadly, I did not meet up with him there. I was surprised to learn later that he did keep track of me through common friends. Pushpa and Willie, with their two daughters, Nina and Kiron, were in Hertford (Herts) between 62 and 68. Pushpa became a peripatetic music teacher in England, visiting three different schools.

They moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 68 where both Pushpa and Willie continued their teaching careers, Willie his usual Physics and Pushpa as music teacher. Pushpa continued her a peripatetic music teacher in Montreal for a few years, then switched to class-room teaching.

They moved to Brampton, a suburb of Toronto in 90 after both of them retired. Their daughters finished their studies in the UK, (Kiron went back from Canada to Sussex to do a degree there).

In June 2000 they moved to a condo apartment in Mississauga, Ontario.

Willie has been a wonderful correspondent ever since we discovered each other in 2000. Not only does he keep me abreast of all the Cathedralites that cross his path, staff and students, but he sends me many interesting, amusing and morally uplifting emails about the beauty and sanctity of life.

I could go and on about this wonderful man, but I guess I should save some data for his 85th and then his 90th bithdays.

Happy birthday, dear dear friend and master. Thank you for being where you were and where you are now.

Nothing exciting can happen to a Cathedralite...

in the Arctic - Right?

Wrong!

I was sitting quietly at my computer clearing my email when the phone rang. It was my foster daughter from South Finland, daughter of 54er Sadhana Madhusadan (née Shah). Gopa had not called me for some time, so we chit-chatted for a while and caught up on the news.

Then she said there was a fellow Jhath-walla - a Cathedralite, who had come to visit her. Would I like to speak to him?

"Sure", I said, as who would not like to chat with another Cathedralite.

His name - Ravi Khote (79er) and he was with his wife,Rita (non-Cathedralite). That did not ring much of a bell, although I do vaguely remember a Khote who was a few years senior to me, but nothing I could recall.

We exchanged pleasanatries and found that we had common friends. Rags, as Ravi is known, is in theatre, composing, music and acting. When I asked whether he was in multimedia - he said it was "multiple media"!

As we talked he said he had two fathers, which puzzled me a bit.

And then he asked me whether I knew a Farookh Metha?

Now, did I know a Farookh Metha?

You bet I did.

Not as a Cathedralite, as Farookh would have been in school before I joined as he is about 8 years senior to me (possibly a 52er) but because of another event in my life.

When I ended my education and my career in England, Annikki and I decided we would sail back to India. Since the Suez was closed, the route was around the Cape. We boarded the ss Victoria of the Lloyd Tristino line at Venice.

1969: Susanna, Jaakko and Jacob on board the Victoria


1969: Susanna, Jaakko and Annikki on board the Victoria


I think it was at Barcelona - another Indian family joined the boat.

As both the men liked to play table tennis, we got friendly.

His name was Farookh Metha. I learnt a lot about Farookh on the trip. Although he whipped me in the finals of the on-board table tennis competition, we were good friends.

I do not remember his wife, Bhakul, but I knew he was travelling with her and their children. One of those was a 9 year old boy - none other than Rags Ravi Khote, as he had kept the name of his late father. Bhakul had been married to Harim Khote who had passed away.

Yes, we had travelled together around the Cape, crossed twice across the Equator and into India, 36 years ago!!

I had met Farookh a few times after our journey on the boat as we had a few common friends. It was certainly a great thrill to hear first hand of a wonderful personality who is still hyperactive that I had got know on our journey to India.

Who says nothing happens to hibernating Polar Bear Cathedralites stuck up in isolation near the North Pole!

Ashok Kapur's YES bank IPO

Check out the Economic Times for the news today "Yes Bank IPO to hit market in May" where one of the two promoters is 59er Ashok Kapur.

59ers Ashok Kapur, Ramesh Mirchandani and Pilloo Tata (née Dastur)

Let us wish Ashok all success with his IPO which hits the market on 9th May 2005.

Wish I had a few quid to invest in it in the names of my grandchildren!

Happy birthday Ashok

I hope all of you will join me in wishing one of our greatest 59ers, Ashok Kapur, a very happy 62nd birthday,

Ashok and me in Bombay sometime in the 1990's

Ashok lives in Bombay with his beautiful and charming wife, Madhu.

Ashok was and is a great sportsman - playing hockey and cricket for the school and being involved with a lot more sports as badminton, squash, etc.

Soon after he left school he joined the National Grindlays Bank and was sent for training to the Banks training centre in England. That was the time I was also in London and I remember visiting his room in his Blackheath hostel.

On returing to India his growth was meteroic and he served National Grindlays in Calcutta, Delhi, Bombay and reached the top. I remember visiting him when he served in Calcutta, one of my very few visits tpo that city, and I even stayed with him. That was before he was married.

He left the bank to further his personal role in Indian banking, and has been involved with some great banking developments till today. He is the Chairman of a new bank in which he is one of the major shareholders.

Happy birthday Ashok.

And the thanks today from an another 60er

Jacob,

I want to thank you for reuniting some of us 60ers through your efforts without which it would have been virtually impossible.

Its been hectic for me during the last week receiving calls from David Keidan and Nusly Pocha who were good enough to fill me in with all the news that I've been longing to hear even though it took almost over 40 years! It felt as if I was back in school again.

What a wonderful feeling to be a Cathedralite!

Thank you and God bless.

Say hello to the family for me.

Sheikh Zahur
Class of 60
9th April 2005