PART II

This is now Part II of the review of Mahesh Prasad’s book, “No Minister” by Raj Kanwar. In this part, Mahesh narrates in his inimitable style the story of how Sardar Patel gave General J.N. Chaudhury the crucial task of conducting military action in Hyderabad where the armed “razakars” resisted the state’s integration with the Indian Union. “I was a Brigadier in 1950 when Sardar Patel summoned me. He sat on a cot under this very camphor tree.”

 

 

The Historic Camphor Tree at Circuit House and military action in Hyderabad

One of the principal attractions of Dehra Dun was its status and reputation as the “VIP Town”. No wonder that it was looked upon as a dream posting. A.P. Dikshit, who was Mahesh Prasad’s predecessor, was among the most fortunate ones.

Pandit Nehru had visited Dehra Dun on five occasions during his tenure of four years. In fact, Nehru saw his last sunset here in Dehra Dun on 26th May 1964. He had died the following day.

Though Mahesh Prasad missed meeting Nehru, he had nevertheless enjoyed the good fortune of playing host to a number of VVIPs during his stay here.

The Burmese President and strongman General Ne Win was among the important visitors. Prince Birendra (later King) of Nepal came visiting; Nutan, the then heart throb of Indian males, and her husband, Commander Bahl were Mahesh’s guests at lunch in Mussoorie. I will let Mahesh tell about the visit of General J. N. Chaudhury.

 

The historic camphor tree

  

      

Gen J.N. Chaudhury

“An interesting visitor was Gen J.N. Chaudhury, fresh from winning laurels in 1965 Indo-Pakistan war, the General came to Dehra Dun to rest and recuperate.

He was accommodated in the Circuit House, a favourite of Nehru, and earlier of Sardar Patel too.

The Circuit House stood in the Cantonment area, and its manicured lawns merged into a lush green forest, offering a splendid view of Mussoorie hills.

Gen Chaudhury had been hailed as a war hero, and the Indian armed forces too had become immensely popular.

The entire town would have flocked to welcome the General had he agreed to make a public appearance.

On the Circuit House lawns, Gen Chaudhury sat under that historic camphor tree and told me how he was asked to lead the Hyderabad action.

   

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

The General said that the camphor tree had much to do with his successful army career. “I was a Brigadier in 1950 when Sardar Patel summoned me. He sat on a cot under this very tree”.

“He gave me the task of carrying out a military action in Hyderabad where the armed “razakars” resisted the state’s integration with the Indian Union.

“But for that important national mission which was completed successfully and within the given time, I would perhaps have retired as a brigadier, unhonoured and unsung”, said the general.”

 

The watershed year

1956 was a watershed year for Dehra Dun. From a somnolent small town, Dehra Dun had taken its first step towards a bright fortune.

It was on 14 August 1956 that Oil and Natural Gas Commission was born here. With that came unexpected employment opportunities for Dehra Dun’s educated youth.

Even the not-so-educated ones found jobs as class IV employees. With ONGC, came over a hundred Russians and their chubby wives.

The Russian influx had brought much cheer to the local shopkeepers and street vendors. It was almost thereabouts that Dehra Dun saw the arrival of new industries.

A.C. Jain, a technocrat from Kanpur, set up a miniature bulb manufacturing company, providing employment to women as workers.

Its success brought in its wake several copycats and consequent employment to more woman workers.

  Madan Mohan Tayal

Madan Mohan Tayal came from Allahabad and set up a textile mill at Premnagar and named it after his son Amitabh.

The Nayyars from Amritsar and Bombay started Doon Valley Combers on the Mussoorie-Diversion Road near Malsi. That has now given way to an apartment complex and a school.

The tea industry here at that time flourished well enough; Basmati rice was world famous, and Dehra Dun’s name became synonymous with Basmati chawal and green chai.

Today, however both these crops have yielded to the unrelenting pressure of urbanisation, and the growing greed of the greedy.

I will let Mahesh narrate from here:

“Owing to its salubrious climate, Dehra Dun attracted rulers of the several princely states from many parts of the country.

“The Patiala House was the summer palace of Rajmata Bakhtawar Kaur, wife of His Highness Maharaja Bhupendra Singh of Patiala.

Tel Bhawan

“She later gifted the palatial house to her daughter Maharani Yadunandan Kumari. The sprawling 28-acre estate was purchased by ONGC in 1956 for a then princely amount of Rs 6,20,000.  Known as Tel Bhawan now, it houses the headquarters of ONGC.

Nabha House on the East Canal Road was bought for a few lakhs rupees by N. Chaman of Indiana and he converted it into a “little Russia” that housed, over the years, hundreds of Russian oilmen seconded to ONGC by the then Soviet Union.

“The Jind House at Pritam Road was donated to Group Captain Cheshire; and it today houses Cheshire Home India. Poonch House was parcelled into plots that now accommodate a score of families”.

Now read Part III

When district magistrate was king in Dehra Dun!

Mahesh Prasad was a very popular district magistrate in Dehra Dun in 1965-67, and at 30, certainly the youngest ever.

 Prasad has now written his memoirs, the book published under the title “No, Minister” by Macmillan India. It contains many fascinating stories about Dehra Dun and its leading citizens during his tenure here.

Mahesh narrates many interesting stories and anecdotes in his own inimitable style. Here it should be interesting to add that Mahesh had been a topper all through his academic career; in his final MA (Sanskrit), he was also the topper in Lucknow University. He was an eloquent speaker in English, Hindi and even Sanskrit, and that had impressed us most of all.

Dateline Dehra Dun will now post a review of the book by Raj Kanwar in three parts.

PART-I

Inviting the district magistrate at one’s home was then considered a status symbol. Those of us fortunate enough to entertain him would wear forever that symbol as a badge of honour on our shirt sleeves.

And Mahesh Prasad was a very popular district magistrate here in 1965-67, and at 30, certainly the youngest-ever.

Mahesh Prasad presents ‘NO MINISTER, memoirs of a civil servant” to APJ Abdul Kalam.

 Prasad has now written his memoirs, the book published under the title “No, Minister” by Macmillan India, was formally released by finance minister Chidambaram at New Delhi’s Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Nehru children don’t lie

In his chapter on Dehra Dun under the baffling caption of “Nehru children don’t lie”, Mahesh tells interesting stories and anecdotes in his own inimitable style. Mahesh was four months shy of 22 years of age when he was selected for the IAS in 1957. That made him the youngest in his batch.

His first posting as district magistrate was at Pauri in 1962. Between the two postings, Mahesh Prasad had a fascinating and unexpected foreign interlude when he was sent to Cambridge in England for a year’s course in development studies.

A prize posting

Dehra Dun district was always considered a prize posting for a variety of reasons and generally civil servants deemed to be in the good books of the powers that be were posted here.

The people here were, and still are, hospitable and the very act of hosting the district magistrate at parties was deemed a badge of the blessed that the hosts would wear on their shirt sleeves.

When the Prasads arrived in Dehra Dun, the first telephone call that Mahesh received was from Kunwar Brij Bhushan*, a wannabe host and an important one at that. I will let Mahesh tell the story:

“Mr Mahesh Prasad, this is Kunwar Brij Bhushan, chairman of the Dehra Dun Municipal Committee.” We had not even unpacked our bags when the civic chief rang.

AP Dikshit

                “Your predecessor A.P. Dikshit has spoken very highly of you. Please have lunch or dinner with us.” I did not know how to respond to such an invitation from a total stranger. I tried to make an excuse but the caller was both persistent and persuasive. Eventually, I sought and got time till the following day.

Kunwar Brij Bhushan

I called my “steno babu” and inquired about Kunwar Brij Bhushan. He was all praise for my wannabe host. “Sir, Kunwar saab nagar palika ke chairman hain aur bade rasookwale aadmi hain, aur jo bhi collector saab Dehra Dun mein post hote hain woh saab unke ghar jaate hain.”

Within the next few hours three or four more invites arrived and I noted the names and phone numbers of the callers, and promised to call them back.

I soon learnt that playing host to the District Magistrate was both a ritual and tradition in Dehra Dun, and was considered a status symbol by the local elite.

Pauri, my first posting as district magistrate, was more like a serene and beautiful forest rest house, with no social or cultural life worth mentioning. Yet Garhwal exuded a natural ambience with its charming aloofness. Soon, I found myself swirling in the social whirlpool that was Dehra Dun.

Orange squash and vegetarian food

Kunwar Brij Bhushan and a few others were vegetarians and practiced abstinence; and that suited me fine since I too was a vegetarian and teetotaler.

Mahesh Prasad with wife Mohini, daughter Neena and son Siddharth.

Thus, these parties ended early enough, giving me much time to attend to my files and other official engagements or read depending upon whether it was lunch or dinner. My wife, Mohini, too found time to look after our two children, and to indulge in painting that was to become her passion later.

While in London, years later, she was to acquire diplomas in window display and fashion design from the College of Distributive Trades.”

Thus, Mahesh and his wife felt much at home at these vegetarian parties that ended at a reasonable hour. But then the vegetarian hosts were very few; most would serve meat dishes, and offer alcoholic drinks.

That did cause a problem of sort for the vegetarian and teetotaler Mahesh and his wife. It was not that they objected to other guests drinking and eating meat; what they didn’t find palatable was that the food was the last item both on the menu and on the minds of the worshippers of Bacchus.

And what stratagem did Mahesh and Mohini devise to cope with the pangs of hunger at the parties that went on and on?

Again, I would let Mahesh narrate this story.

“Yet, there were other parties, different in a different sort of way. They would start with drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and appetizers and would continue either late into the afternoon or night, though in deference to my sensibilities, the host would be parsimonious in serving hard liquor, and would isolate the more boisterous of the imbibers. Invariably and inevitably, the ladies would converge into a separate group, and move to a secluded corner. Mohini was at her best then.

Well-read and articulate, my wife would relish these moments with the crème-de-la crème of the Doon ladies, many of whom were equally, if not more, articulate, though, being the wife of the district magistrate, Mohini would be given the best ‘say’ by the chivalrous ladies.”

Mahesh enjoyed meeting people. As highly accomplished and articulate young collector, Mahesh enjoyed meeting and befriending people, especially those who were his intellectual peers. Yet, he was very discreet and discriminating in choosing his hosts. He scrupulously avoided those he suspected of having an axe to grind.

Generally, he would party with school principals and headmasters such as those from the Doon School (John Martyn), Welham Girls and the RIMC. Though, his currying favour with The Doon and Welhams Schools too paid him dividends; His daughter joined the Welham’s and the son the Doon School.

Rajender Kumar Berry

Some of the other regular hosts were limestone quarry owners, Sardari Lal Oberoi* and Mela Ram Marwah*, Rotary governors Dr S. N. Dhingra* and Rajender Kumar Berry*.

SP Kochhar

Dhingra manufactured miniature bulbs and Berry was a jeweller. Verma brothers of Punjab Jewellers and Amar Bawa* of Capri Cinema too were among his hosts. SP Kochhar of Madhuban Hotel was then a realtor; he was just content with developing properties and residential colonies. He too befriended Mahesh and their friendship has continued through all of these years.

Missing those good old days

Mahesh’s tenure in Dehra Dun lasted two months short of two years, yet in this relatively short period he had made many friends. And this relationship has continued even with their children.

Mahesh and his charming wife Mohini were in Dehra Dun more than 45 years ago. All those who then entertained and befriended him, barring a few, are no longer in this world.

And those of us who are fortunate to read his memoirs would heave a sigh and shed a few tears as a tribute to those good old days when personal relationships were above board and nurtured without any axe to grind.

*Now deceased 

On the auspicious Durga Panchami day on 15^th September, 1902, Shrimati Mahadevi planted a small sapling at her residence in Dehra Dun. That small sapling, 109 years later, is now Mahadevi Kanya Pathshala (MKP) Colleges; an inter college and a post graduate college.

Wife of an eminent lawyer, Jyoti Swaroop Bhatnagar, Mahadevi herself was a school graduate from Calcutta, a rare thing in those early years of the 20^th Century. Much impressed by her sincerity and devotion, her husband decided to extend his helping hand to his wife’s venture. He set up the Kanya Pathshala Trust and Society in 1906 and shifted that nucleus of a school to its own independent premises on Lytton Road, now called Subhash Road.

In those conservative days, there was much resistance to women’s education, and Dehra Dun residents were reluctant to send their daughters to Kanya Pathshala. Only six girls joined in the beginning; of them, two were from her own family. It was her dedication and the missionary zeal with which she had plunged herself into her job that eventually softened the resistance, and more and more girls gradually started joining the Pathshala.

Jyoti Swaroop was a great philanthropist and anticipating the increasing needs of a growing Pathshala in 1911, Swaroop gifted, 80 bighas of land and substantial funds for the smooth running of the school. The value of his munificence at today’s prices should exceed Rs. 200 crores.

Mahadevi was passionately devoted to the Pathshala; she personally taught as also

supervised its day-to-day functioning as its superintendent. When she died in 1914, she had ensured that the Pathshala would run on its own under the stewardship of the successive head mistresses.

The Pathshala started growing steadily. Though the high school classes were started in 1911, the recognition from the government came only in 1925. A hostel building was constructed in 1917 that now houses the intermediate college. It perhaps became one of the first educational institutions in these parts to have started a students’ union in 1925. Its silver jubilee, one year later, was celebrated with much gusto and enthusiasm, with the students making a sterling contribution. The Pathshala was formally recognized in 1931 as an intermediate college.

Degree Classes faced hurdles

However, the introduction of degree classes faced many hurdles. First, these classes were started in 1943 as the Quit India movement raged in the country; however, the classes were soon discontinued. The graduate classes were again started in 1949 but again had had to be discontinued. The golden jubilee of the Pathshala was celebrated with much fanfare in 1952 I had then as a journalist covered the function. At that time, I was also the President of DAV College Students’ Union. The jinx on the degree classes was finally broken in 1958 when Kalika Prasad Bhatnagar, the then vice chancellor of Agra University, formally inaugurated the Degree College section. Mrs. Sushila Dobhal (the then Mrs. Rakesh) became its first principal. Mrs. Dobhal is a remarkable woman; it was her vision and administrative acumen that nurtured the degree college in the infancy and adolescence. Its first convocation was held in 1961. Another hostel was built with funds from the University Grants Commission.

The MKP College now attracts girls from as far as Nepal, Bihar, Manipur, and the hostel today accommodates 150 boarders.  A generous donation from Seth Udhodas Bhatia, at one time Dehra Dun’s King of hing, helped build a spacious library.  It today has over 70,000 titles and is one of the best in the state, according to principal, Dr. Indu Singh.

Indu Singh first alumnae to become its Principal

Dr. Singh is the first student of MKP College to have become its Principal. “Whatever, I have achieved in life, much of its credit should go to my alma mater”, she says. She had joined the college as a lecturer in Political Science when Miss Arti Sen was its head of department. Incidentally, Miss Sen also had taken my Political Science classes in MA (Prev.) in 1951 at DAV College.

No Tuition Fee up to degree classes

Interestingly, MKP doesn’t charge any tuition fee till graduation classes. The Post graduate girls pay Rs. 1700 annually; of this amount Rs. 600-700 are sent to the university on account of sundry charges and fees. The salaries of teachers are supported by grants from the state government.

Today MKP offers post graduate courses in English, Hindi, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Economics, History, Home Science, Painting and Chemistry. Other popular subjects at graduation level are Music and Commerce. The College has on its rolls, over 2700 students.

Another feather in its cap

There are two special features about MKP. As a part of IGNOU’s Convergence scheme, the college started teaching several subjects to students enrolled under it. The classes, with 50 students in each, are held between 4.30 to 6.30 pm. “Here, the convergence is between the distant education and conventional education”, adds Dr. Singh. Another feather in MKP’s cap is that it is the only authorized franchisee of Microsoft, USA, and conducts online examinations in E-learning on its behalf.

It was during his tenure as the President of MKP Managing Society six years ago that Dr. NS Bhatnagar, took the initiative to start the Mahadevi Institute of Technology. Offering courses in MBA and MCA, it has already gained immense popularity and high reputation.

By: Raj Kanwar

The Lok Sabha has been in the news for the past year or more for entirely wrong reasons. The unseemly behaviour by some of the members, to say the least, is unfortunate and against all the parliamentary traditions. However, it must be mentioned that none of the MPs from the Doon School are guilty of breaking hoary parliamentary traditions.

The Doon School has earned the unique distinction of having at least seven of its alumni in the 15th Lok Sabha. The batch of Dosco MPs is headed by veteran Kamal Nath, who has created a record of sorts by winning his Madhya Pradesh seat for the seventh consecutive time. He has also been a long-time minister in almost all the Congress governments, and his performance is considered as one of the best. Besides the Doon School connection, the Naths owned a large family house on Old Survey Road here for close to 30 years, where now an apartment building has come up.

For Rahul Gandhi, it was his second victory from Amethi, and that too by a big margin. In fact, Rahul had set in motion the resurgence of the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh, which won more than 20 seats in the state where its presence then was considered virtually insignificant. Rahul was briefly in the Doon School (Kashmir House) from 1981 to 1983. He and his sister, Priyanka (Welham Girls) were withdrawn from their respective schools in 1983 on security considerations.

Sheel Vohra: a walking encyclopedia 

Sheel Vohra, who died last year, had taught mathematics to two generations of Doscos. Once talking about Rahul, Sheel had told me that Nehru-Gandhi scion Rahul was an outstanding sportsman in his age group, and studied Maths with great diligence. His father, Rajiv too was in Kashmir House, and so was his uncle Sanjay. Rajiv was senior to Kamal Nath by five years. Arun Singh, who was in Rajiv’s ministry, and his close confidante, too was his contemporary.

Others who got elected to the Lok Sabha are Kalikesh Deo Singh (BJD),RPN Singh(Congress), Jyotirditya Scindia (Congress), Jitin Prasada (Congress) and Dushyant Singh(BJP). For Scindia and Jitin, it is their second term.

Vohra had a phenomenal memory, and was a walking encyclopedia about the Doon School boys; he had remembered by heart the school number of all the old boys, and would instantly recall the year of their class and their House. Kalikesh, (Kashmir House — 1986-92), was an outstanding sportsman. His father too was a Dosco, and has been a prominent member of Naveen Patnaik’s ministry in Orissa. Scindia was in Jaipur House from 1983-88, while Dushyant Singh was in Kashmir House.

Among the other veteran Parliamentarian from the Doon School, were Dr. Karan Singh, Piloo Mody, Capt. Amarinder Singh, CPN Singh (father of RPN Singh, and one time governor of Uttar Pradesh), Raja Dinesh Singh, who was very close to Indira Gandhi, and Jitendra Prasada (father of Jitin). Piloo Mody of Hyderabad House was one of the veterans in the Parliament and represented Swatantrta Party.  Piloo was best known for his biting sarcasm and instant repartee. Mani Shankar Aiyar is another Doon School veteran. It is a pity that Mani lost this election; he was undoubtedly the best speaker in the last Lok Sabha, and certainly one of the best ministers in Manmohan Singh Cabinet. Fortunately, he is now a Rajya Sabha member. Mani was in Tata House during 1952-57, and lived in Dehra Dun with his mother and four siblings. He later joined the Indian Foreign Service, from which he resigned in 1984 in order to extend a helping hand to his friend, Rajiv when the later became the Prime Minister. Another one who has lost the election is Akbar Ahmed “Dumpy”. He was Sanjay Gandhi’s contemporary, and his close friend. Unfortunately, Sanjay died rather young in a tragic air crash, otherwise he too could have got elected to the Lok Sabha. His wife Maneka has been an MP for nearly four terms, and his son Varun too has now got elected to the Lok Sabha, though the two have no Doon School connection.

Capt. Amrinder Singh was in the Class of 1958. He joined the NDA and later IMA and was commissioned in the Indian Army. He resigned his commission upon the death of his father, the Maharaja of Patiala. His son Raninder Singh, who was  in Jaipur House (1979-85);  tasted defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections from Bhatinda at the hands of the daughter-in-law of  Chief Minister, Prakash Singh Badal. The Captain chose the Punjab as his political arena, and became its chief minister. He never contested election for the Lok Sabha. However his wife has been a Lok Sabha member, and was re-elected from Patiala.

By Raj Kanwar

The British in the days of their “glorious” Raj had a strange fascination for appellations such like “Imperial” and “Royal”. Thus the given name of the predecessor of the Forest Research Institute too was IMPERIAL FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE. That was in 1906. But even prior to that , a Central Forest School – ancestor of the present Rangers College at Dehra Dun – was set up in 1878 by the government of the then North-West Provinces, which was the original name of Uttar Pradesh. So when the Government of India took over its management in 1884, it too was christened as the IMPERIAL FOREST SCHOOL.

Even much before that, the Imperial Forest department was set up in 1864 and a German Botonist, Dr. Dietrich was named as the first inspector general of forests. In 1867, the Imperial Forest Service was created.

So, the uninitiated would ask, what’s the big deal about forests and the research pertaining thereto? One must give much credit to the British rulers of the yore who had the vision and the foresightedness to think far ahead, and to think of everything.

The United Kingdom at that time was among the major maritime nations in Europe and aspired to dominate the seas around the world. Thus it needed teak wood in plenty for the British Royal Navy, which then abounded in the Malabar Coast. There was merciless felling of those trees for domestic consumption; and the British were compelled to introduce, what is now called “scientific management of forests”. And naturally, India thus became one of the first countries in the world to have initiated scientific management of forests.

Dehra Dun became the nerve-centre of almost every activity related to forests and forestry. Initially, the then British government direly needed Sal wood, ideal for making railway sleepers, and the Doon Valley had that in plenty.

The FRI in Dehra Dun is undoubtedly the best of its kind in the world, with 15 separate divisions undertaking research in the numerous aspects of forestry and its related fields.

Four specified areas such as (i) Forestry research (ii) Scientific services (iii) Forest education and (iv) Training and extension constitute the core activities of FRI.

Over the years, FRI have rendered great service and provided research support to growth of forestry in the country. It has helped both the government and private industrial sectors in many, many ways.

Over all these years, FRI introduced many innovative practices in activities such as paper manufacturing, wood preservation, wood seasoning, sawing techniques, utilization of plantation timber, et al. It has also been responsible for developing important technologies for solar-heated timber seasoning kiln.

So numerous are the all embracing activities of FRI that it would be impossible to compress those into a brief profile. However a paragraph on its magnificent building and its tall museums is a must.

An architectural wonder

Mr. Eardley-Wilmot, the inspector general of forests in the early years of the 20^th Century, believed to have conceptualized this great architecture wonder, with the Himalayan foothills providing an inspirational backdrop. It’s a vast complex with a plinth area in excess of 5800 square meters. The majestic and awesome building doesn’t have many equals in the world. It was designed by C. G. Blomfield and constructed by Sardar Bahadur Ranjit Singh, (of Imperial Hotel, Delhi) whose descendents still live in Dehra Dun. The six museums, with tall doors (taller than 10 feet), stand over 2,400 square meters.

No wonder then that FRI is one of the most popular landmarks on the tourist map of Dehra Dun, with 500-1000 weekly visitors during tourists’ season. However, there are no facilities provided, not even drinking water or clean toilets. Even the so-called canteen, adjoining the ticket counter, is nothing but an apology.

The reduced stature of FRI

However, for reasons best known to the powers that be, the Forest Research Institute & Colleges lost their original majestic aura with the constitution of an autonomous entity called Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE). This, once famous world institute, has now become a mere appendage of the unwieldy ICFRE with its monolithic structure. FRI was reduced to one of the eight Regional Research Institutes and four Research Centres. Once the FRI lorded over the whole country but today its jurisdiction covers only a few northern states.

He voluntarily retired in 2000 as the chairman of SK Oilfield Equipment Co. Pvt. Ltd., a family-owned business, to return to his first love of reading and writing. His columns in Garhwal Post and the Himachal Times were hugely popular. He also wrote for a year a weekly column called MY TOWN for Hindustan Times. He has also done freelance writing for some national English dailies.

In September 2004, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. had commissioned Kanwar to write its history of fifty years. The book published by ONGC under the title UPSTREAM INDIA was formally released by Petroleum minister, Murli Deora on 14 August 2006 at a special Golden Jubilee function at Dehra Dun. He was also a co-contributor to an anthology on Dehra Dun titled “ONCE UPON A TIME IN DOON” edited by Ruskin Bond and published by Rupa & Co.

An Alumnus of DAV (PG) College Dehra Dun, Kanwar was also President of its Students Union in 1952-53. Kanwar was also the President of the Doon Club in the year 1991. He is the only person who has been both the President of DAV (PG) College Students Union as also President of Dehra Dun Club Ltd. He is also founder president of DAV (PG) College Alumni Association. He was also instrumental in establishing Doon Citizens Council in 1994.

In his second innings as a journalist, he has been as active as ever. In fact, Kanwar has achieved greater fame now as an international journalist. He is India Correspondent of Indo American News, a Houston based publication. He is also Contributing Editor for South Asia of WORLD OIL – the largest selling and oldest journal in the world. He has now in his twilight years has launched an ambitious project in this unique web portal www.datelinedehradun.com which, he says, will be his legacy to the people of Dehra Dun. Kanwar says that this website will be his legacy to the people of Dehra Dun, the city that he loves immensely.

Kanwar, and Amber, his wife of forty-seven years, live in Dehra Dun. Of their three children, two live in the USA, and the third, a son, is based at Mumbai, running the family business.

These favourable factors also served as magnet, and gradually attracted schools and several establishments and departments of the Central government. Dehra Dun, in particular, was twice blessed with numerous establishments and schools, that were to later acquire international reputation, proudly made Dehra Dun their “Home”.

Among those were RIMC, Forest Research Institute, Indian Military Academy, Survey of India, Col. Brown School, the Doon School, Welham Boys School, St. Joseph’s Academy, St. Thomas College, AP Mission School, Mahadevi Kanya Pathshala (MKP) and of course the DAV College. However, Dehra Dun’s face and fortune changed overnight of when the headquarters of Oil & Natural Gas Commission, then in its embryonic state, were set up here in 1956.

In a way, 1956 became a watershed year when a large number of veteran geoscientists from Geological Survey of India, a few from Oil India Ltd. (then known as Aasam Oil Company) and over two score staffers recruited in Calcutta arrived in Dehra Dun to join a fledgling ONGC. Town’s cosmopolitan character received a further boost when over 130 young geoscientists recruited by UPSC in a fast track mode arrived here in the spring of 1957 to join ONGC.

It was thus in such a melting pot of diverse cultures that these young men, at the threshold of promising careers, came. That they themselves were from the various parts of India, with different mother tongues, made it easier for them to adapt to and adjust in Dehra Dun’s catholic crucible.

The contest, organized by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), had attracted more than 1000 entries from 73 countries; it had three categories, (i) “Gender Equality”, (ii) “Democracy” and (iii) “Corruption”. Three winners were chosen in each of the category, and included entrants from Afghanistan, India, Columbia, Indonesia, Israel, Pakistan, Romania and Tajikistan. The first prize winner in the “Gender Equality” category was a young man Basir Ahmad Hamaid from Afghanistan. The first runner-up was Deepak Ramola of India, and Alberto Barreto from Colombia was the second runner-up.

GENDER EQUALITY | First Place Winner: Basir Ahmad Hamaid, Afghanistan

Hamaid is a finance/funding executive for the Mazar-e-Sharif office of a German voluntary organization. Hamaid was delighted at this honour and said, “Regardless of politics and any political group membership, I focused for my cartoon on the decade from 2001 to 2011, which started with new hopes, desires, and new aspects. But unfortunately we were witness to a day-to-
day increase in the already high rates of violence against women”. His prize winning cartoon shows “that while the decade started with new hopes for female rights [in Afghanistan], it was only a dream or a set of slogans”.

GENDER EQUALITY | Second Place Winner : Deepak Ramola, India

Deepak Ramola was equally overjoyed and said about his prize winning cartoon, “I wanted to highlight through this editorial cartoon that all the rights, laws and amendments for women are just a smokescreen, and in reality everyone knows the unspoken truth of gender inequality still prevailing. Women, despite all the laws, are still considered second class citizens within the confinement of the four walls of their homes. The cartoon emphasizes the sarcasm of the word “equality.” The picture depicts a typical “Balance” (“tarazu” in Hindi) used very commonly in India which symbolizes an honest measurement. The law books might have made the beam balance appear equal but the fact is that women are still not able to avail those rights and advantages.”

“These things have relevance to the situation in today’s world, especially in Indonesia”, said Taufan Hidayatullah, who drew the first place winning cartoon in the “Democracy” category.

Tom Gibson, chairman of the panel of judges said, “I was really pleased by the quality of draftsmanship, clever ideas, and most importantly, courage”. “The winner in the “Gender Equality” category, Hamaid, is in Afghanistan, where raising the issue of women’s rights is not without risk. Basir, and other cartoonists like him, are the tip of the spear in pushing out the boundaries of a free press in-country and encouraging others, globally, to do the same”, added Gibson. The winners will receive cash prizes.

Speaking to this correspondent, Ramola said that this honour in a Global Cartoon Contest had greatly enthused him; although he is studying for Mass Media and his syllabus included electronic and print media, he might even become a part time cartoonist. Ramola who studied at the Army School in Clement Town has already created a special niche for himself in Mumbai as a movie and small screen actor. Among his pictures are “Isi Life Mein” and “Bodyguard”.

Deepak’s sister, Deepika, who is studying to be a Company Secretary, was in seventh heaven on the success of his older brother. “It is wonderful news for me and my parents. We are all proud of this achievement of Deepak”.

Anandani Arora has become the first recipients of the AFII “Josephites of the Year”

Congratulating the award winners, Governor Alva expressed her happiness that an outstanding boy and an equally distinguished girl were the deserving winners. Addressing the packed hall of students, she asked them to work hard and emulate the achievements of their contemporaries and there was every possibility that they would be the winners of these coveted awards next year. The government also complimented AFII and its promoter Dr. Gandhi for these generous awards.

The function also marked the formal release of a poster on girl child designed and produced by Rajeev Sachhar’s St. Joseph’s Alumni Association. Mrs. Alva mentioned that it was only appropriate that such a Poster was being released on a day which was also international day on violence against women. Alva made a fervent appeal to all to oppose female feticide. She praised the high GDP rate and other favourable parameters achieved in Uttarakhand but lamented the growing tendency of female feticide. Giving her own example, governor said that she was the third daughter born and her mother even wept at her birth. “It is a different matter that later my mother would say that of all the five siblings, I gave her the most happiness”, Mrs. Alva added.

She appealed to the young people to wage and carry forward this battle for the girl child. She then narrated a story of twins, a boy and a girl, who were born under identical conditions but the boy always got better treatment than his twin sister.

The governor was generous in praise for St. Joseph’s Academy and said that the school had done remarkably well over the past 75 years in all curricular and extracurricular activities. She congratulated 3500 students of the Academy for the opportunity they got of studying in the best school. Here she underscored the importance of extracurricular activities that developed a student’s all round personality. She was herself an outstanding debater in the college though she did not do as well in academic.

Speaking about the awards, Dr. Gandhi announced that AFII was committed to continue to give these awards for the next 25 years. He also announced a donation of 50,000 girl child posters for widespread distribution in the interior areas of the state.

Profusely thanking the governor for her kind and generous praise, Principal, Bro. AJ George said that she was an epitome of simplicity and humility. “Each were that she spoke was from her heart and that is why her words mean so much to us”, Bro. George added. He also greatly appreciated the gesture of AFII and added that though the school had thousands of hundreds of former students, it was for the first time that Dr. Gandhi’s team had offered such generous awards.