FAREWELL, DEAR MOIRA!

 FAREWELL, DEAR MOIRA!

A little after a month past her 100th birthday, OL Dr Moira Breen Ph.D passed away on January 26, 2024 at Libertyville, Illinois, a short distance away from the hustle and bustle of Chicago and very far away from Madras (present day Chennai), India, where she was born on December 18, 1923. 

I offer this tribute to dear Moira on behalf of Old Lawrencians  from Lovedale cutting across many generations from all over the world. At the time of her passing, she was most likely the oldest living OL in the world! 

Moira, I understand, is a girl's name of Greek and Irish origin. In Greek, it translates to "destiny," "share," or "fate". It is said that when babies were named "Moira " they were encouraged to believe that their future was in their own hands.  Dr Breen, in that sense, was most appropriately named. She was a totally self made person . Her many accomplishments are all the more remarkable considering her humble beginnings. She was dogged by many difficulties starting with her father abandoning his family when his children were quite young. 

In the 1930s, the pupils of the Lawrence Memorial Royal Military School , Lovedale , were not quite associated with higher studies. Many of them joined the  military service in the UK or took up Govt service in India in the Railways, Customs and other Government departments. In this milieu, Dr Moira Breen's academic and scholarly research reflected in many published papers stand out in testimony to her hard work, diligence and ability to overcome challenges that came her way.  "My old school in India gave me the backbone to live up to its motto "Never Give In" she wrote, summing up her life succinctly.

Family circumstances sent Moira and her younger brother to Lovedale in February 1932. Lovedale was home for her for most of the year, till she completed her Senior Cambridge examination with a first class. She then went to Queen Mary's College in Madras ( present day Chennai) to complete her Bachelor of Science degree- once again in the first class.  Five years in the Christian Medical College , Vellore and the Women's Christian College, Chennai as a teaching laboratory assistant fuelled in her the passion to study more. Appreciating her mettle, her Professors recommended her for a Master's program where she could study and do research at Vassar, Poughkeepsie N.Y. It was only the second institution to grant degrees to women in higher education in the United States. 

As a 25 year old Anglo -Indian lady, who had never set foot outside the Madras Presidency before, she travelled from Ceylon ( now Sri Lanka) in a Dutch freighter heading to the United States. After a successful stint at Vassar, she did her  doctorate in Biochemistry from Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois in 1960. Subsequently, she became a Senior Medical Research Scientist with The Federal Government of the USA  in which capacity she worked till she retired in 1988.  

She loved art and even at a fairly advanced age showed a proficiency that belied her years. Apparently, she also drove a car till into her 90s!  She was known to be genial, helpful and a respected member of whichever community she lived in. She loved dogs and took in many over the years, her favourite being a Sheltie . 

Sadly ,from childhood, Moira was afflicted with a facial deformity which she took in her stride with her customary courage. She wrote, " I am glad you liked the photo of myself.  I owe a lot to my 3 "facial and reconstructive surgeons" - one in India and two in the US - who over the years have performed a total of 22 surgical procedures on my face making me more socially presentable."

Some of us like Joseph Thomas, (ARA 1957), Yohaan John (VIN 1991) and I, Prem Rao ( NIL 1967) corresponded with Moira and spoke to her once in a while but we never actually met her. I remember her kindness in readily sharing her memories for  " "Glimpses ..." 

Remember, we spoke of destiny earlier? Here's how Dr Breen happened to meet Rahel Abraham (DEO 1994). Moira wrote, " It was a lovely Fall day, sunny and cool and Rahel was sitting outside a bakery shop with her two children and a big black Labrador dog.  I noticed the dog and stopped to talk  to her on my way in to the bakery store.  When I came out with a big grocery bag filled with 3 coffee cakes ( I was taking them to a party) she very kindly offered to help me.  My car was packed in the parking lot in the next block. So Rahel, her two young girls and the black dog accompanied me to my car.  On the way we introduced ourselves and she told me she was from Kerala. The following Sunday she visited me with her two girls and her black dog. The following week she invited me for dinner at her house where I met her husband and other members of her family. "

She was delighted to have met another OL who left Lovedale 55 years after she did! To add one more co-incidence to the story, it turned out that Moira knew one of Rahel's relatives Dr Liza Chacko at CMC Vellore from many decades ago!! 

Starting from where she did and going through so much in her long life, for me, Dr Moira Breen was "Never Give In" personified.  Her life reminds me of the old saying, " Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears!" 

May her soul rest in peace! 

Ed Note: Special thanks to JT, Yohaan, and Rahel for kindly sharing material and pictures for this post. 

FAREWELL, NITYA CHERIAN MATTHAI

 FAREWELL, NITYA CHERIAN MATTHAI

I was on vacation in the US when a late evening call ( early morning in India) told me that one of Lovedale's legends was no more. Nitya Cherian Matthai passed away in the early hours of June 30, 2023 at his home in Coimbatore.

I was shocked and it took a while for the news to sink in. I would never again talk to a person who I considered a good friend though I came to know him late in his life- and mine. In all our interactions over the eight years I knew him, I always respected him for his honesty, humility and grace. 

We were not in School together nor did he teach me but somehow we hit it off well from our very first meeting. I have written about how I first met Nitya in my blog post titled" Two Lovedale Stalwarts: Mr Prince and Mr Matthai". 

We then collaborated in publishing, "Glimpses Of A Glorious Past: An Informal History of The Lawrence School, Lovedale" in 2017.

The high esteem he was held in by his colleagues and students was reflected in the waves of emotion that followed his recent demise. In my time too, we had teachers whom we respected but in all honesty I don't think I have ever seen a teacher so much admired by his students. As often happens in such situations, most realise the true value of a teacher years after he taught them! 

Nitya had a long connection with Lovedale. First as a student from 1970 to 1977, then later as a member of the teaching staff from 1983 to 2016. I can't think of anyone else who has had such a long association with the School.

Tributes poured in from his students across the decades. Clearly, he had made such an impact on the lives of many of his students. 

This video of the memorial service held for him at the Church of Ascension in Lovedale on July 12, 2023 attended by his family and friends is worth watching. It captures how many -whose lives he touched -remembered him with affection, respect and gratitude. 

                  Nitya's siblings

Nitya, you were unique and there will never be another NCM in Lovedale. 

In parting, I remember wistfully that you would have been 65 today!

Farewell, Nitya Cherian Matthai!

Pictures Courtesy: Old Lawrencians. 

FOUNDER'S, MAY 2023

 FOUNDER'S, MAY 2023

This year's Founder's Celebrations at School from May 18 to May 20, 2023 were by all accounts a great success. For the record, this was the 165th Founder's. The Chief Guest was Padma Bhushan Mr Nandan Nilekani, Co-Founder and Chairman of Infosys Technologies Limited and Founding Chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).  

Old Lawrencians who attended will have their own stories to tell  of their visit to our alma mater but for the benefit of many of us who did not, here's an informal, personal account from OL Rear Admiral Philipose G. Pynumootil, IN  (Retd), Class of 1982. Philipose, as you will no doubt know, is the current Vice President of the Old Lawrencians Association (OLA). Over to you, Philipose!! 

-Prem Rao, NIL, 1967, Editor. 

Three days of frenetic activity. The previous Founders Day was held in Sep 22 thanks to the Headmaster wanting to ensure that the 12 th batch doesn’t miss out on their Founders.Incidentally the actual Founders Day of LSL is on the 6 th Sep.

This year it was back to conducting Founders in May which saw huge attendance, especially from the reunion batches. The T shirts and hats have become a veritable fashion statement of sorts. Innovative designs like the Hawaiian shirts or the 70 batch that replicated the Lovedale station board in Tamil,Hindi, English and the elevation of Lovedale in black with a yellow background on their green T shirts!

The Class of 70 were here in huge numbers,with spouses too actively participating in all events. They provided moral support to their classmate Mrs Elizabeth Beena Belliappa , President OLA at the AGM. The previous President Mr Johnny Paul is also from this batch.

L to R : Johnny Paul, ex President OLA; Elizabeth Beena Belliappa, President OLA; R Adm Philipose GP, Vice President OLA 

The standard of all events were exceptional from the Equestrian display to the PT Display, School Play and Variety Entertainment.

The Horse Power. Worthy of mention.

“Bring me a wheel of oaken wood

A rein of polished leather

A Heavy Horse and a tumbling sky Brewing heavy weather.’ 

As lamented Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull fame in his timeless classic, ‘ Heavy Horses.’

The school boasts of 22 fine horses who reside in a truly stable environment thanks to the efforts of my batch (1982) Head Boy a true thoroughbred Kudrai, Pradeep Reddy alias Krishnadev Rao ,the artiste formerly known as Prince.

Incidentally, riding is compulsory for class 5 kids. A fantastic initiative I think. The kids who are interested continue to ride beyond class 5, with many winning national awards. The 15 horses on parade were truly impressive. Mane stay - We witnessed the horses getting their manes plaited the previous day, akin to Bob Marley”s dreadlocks.Reggae Soul & Rock n Roll all the way!

The Large Hall looked resplendent and the plays /dance dramas were really amazing. The hall was packed and the events were livestreamed on a massive I HD screen on the adjacent lawns.

The PT Display had a melange of activities ranging from Yoga to Dance, Taekwondo, fire drill to the grand finale featuring the band. Yoga – ‘Oh God give me patience but make it fast’, saw children demonstrate complex Asanas under the watchful eye of Baby Ramdev aka Sangeetha Jairam . Taekwondo – Crash course in Korean along with mind and body control and the mass destruction of 25 tiles by tiny Ninjas screaming like Banshees. The Dance thing with gals in red skirts was super well coordinated as they moved to popular teeny bop songs… Oops I did it again! Britney Spares no one!!

The torch drill was exceptional . Multi colored torches lit up as the floodlights were switched off. The kids did a series of movements and patterns culminating with NEVER GIVE IN enscribed with torches. The band guys had their arms and legs lit up as they marched in with the lights switched off. They treated us to robo cop kind of movements whilst playing popular marching tunes .

The Parade was excellent and it was an honour to have Padma Bhushan Nandan Nilekani as Chief Guest. His speech was truly inspiring.

                                                Chief Guest: Mr Nandan Nilekani 

The Parade Commander had exceptional drill and word of Command. All kids were well turned out, with smart drill movements and marching. The School Colour (NOT Colours) and National Flag bearers and escorts were outstanding .

              Head Girl and Head Boy, Founder's 2023

Girls once again broke several glass ceilings and joined the Bugle band for the first time for instance. The Girl Guards were noticeably more disciplined with hardly any movement prior to the March Past. The 3 rd (Girls) Guard, was adjudged the Best Guard by a panel comprising Cmde VZ Job, Col Samar Chouhan and yours truly,  R Adm Philipose PG.

Too many kids walked off the parade ground due to the heat. This needs to be addressed. Glucose prior to the parade plus the age old Capt Abdul Khader (may his soul RIP) formula of curling and uncurling ones toes, slowly raising and lowering ones heels etc. Besides having an indomitable will to stand on parade no matter what.

The OLs March past was nice however in my view we need to restrict it to the reunion batches 20, 25, 30, 40, 50. Now it’s a free for all with all of us jostling for space in the line up. The event is for the students and the Passing out class in particular. We shouldn’t steal their thunder in my humble opinion.

In our time Capt Khader single handedly took charge of us on parade. Currently 4 MRC Instructors help the Military Training instructor take charge of the 600 Gen Zee kids. Apparently it’s a generation thing ��

Beating Retreat (not Beating The Retreat) was a treat as always. Maj Gen Vijay Singh OL 83 was the Chief Guest. His brother Maj Gen Vikram Singh OL 82 was the Chief Guest last year They belong to a 5 th Generation armed forces family. Their father Brig Hamir Singh Vir Chakra was a POW during the 71 war. Both brothers were Vice Head Boy and Prefect respectively and were the best in Games in their respective years. They personify all that is Honourable and all that is good in our fine school. May their tribe increase.

The Head Boy carried the School Flag to the parade ground along with the Nishaan Toli, escorted by a blindfolded drummer who did a perfect job a’la Houdini! Continuity Drill by 18 students, including 4 girls for the very first time was amazing. They looked smart in their shiny new uniforms with their impeccable drill movements. This is the only such silent drill troupe with women, anywhere in the world. The leader of the Air Force Drill team Leading Aircraftsman Chinnathambi trained our troupe for ten days.

Fortunately it didn’t rain during any of the events!

19 May had a series of events for OLs commencing with the Cross Country race conducted by Sangeetha Jairam the OL Coordinator, Past Vs Present Matches by Yohaan Chacko followed by Lunch hosted by the Headmaster. The AGM was conducted in the afternoon.

The past vs present sports events and cross country were keenly contested. The usual suspects Deepika Medappa, Samar Chauhan, Yohaan Chacko etc came, saw and conquered.

The school kitchen worked over time to ensure we were plied with a non stop supply of delectable cookies, cakes, samosas etc. LSL now had a centralised state of the art kitchen which functions from Junior school with food being supplied to the other dining halls by cute auto rickshaws. They have chapati makers, idli and Dosa machines, potato cutters etc.. I was astounded to see mounds of uneaten cookies on trays at tea time! That’s the way the cookie crumbles. We demolished all food within arms length like Chengiz Khan’s hordes.

“Old Golfers never die, they only lose their balls.“ The Golf tournament was keenly contested with all participants enjoying the event thoroughly. The winners were Akhil Handa and Rahul Rao with Sundharam Ramasamy and Abhijeet Dhar as runners up. The event was well attended by over 30 OLs with world class Golf gear sponsored by 8 OLs for the participants.

Sangeetha Jairam the OL coordinator, coordinated all activities with finesse. The Cross Country, race was conducted and sponsored by her including the catchy red Shirts (with the slogan "I ran, I walked, I crawled and completed") as well as the Medals ! As was the impressive Yoga demo at the PT Display.

The OLA under the able leadership of Mrs Elizabeth Beena Belliappa, Class of 1970, did a great job with lots of groundwork done by Reventh OL 13 the Lovedale based OLA Administrator par excellence and the local Committee members Prashant Menon and Tini who pitched in readily. Yohaan conducted the past vs present events with elan as did Gaurav Sharma the OL Golf Tournament.

Rohan Shetty and Shyam Nair the super efficient tech wizards conducted the Learning and Development programme under the aegis of OL Nation very well. The speakers Dr Uttara Vidyasagar, Dr Kul Ranjan Singh, and  Mr Rohan Rao were really good and Shyam was the perfect moderator. The session was well received and Class XII A was packed with a mix of enthusiastic parents, students and OLs. We had to turn away folks due to space limitations and will work on a larger venue next year. Mrs Jayshree Balasubramaniam was unwell and sadly couldn’t attend. She will be drafted in for another OL Nation online session at a later date. This session was recorded and will be broadcast on the OLA social media channels.

Jim Tharayil pitched in with advice on fund collection /utilisation. He has regularly jetted in and out from UAE for all our events.

Karishma Sushilkumar the super spirited Secretary steered the AGM with her customary efficiency and Sergeant Major like control. Beena Ma’m apprised us of the achievements of the past year and our future plans. Mr Johnny Paul OL 70 briefed us on the newly constituted OL Charitable Trust that would facilitate painless donations to the corpus including from expat OLs.

The OL Dinner Dance was conducted at Fernhill Hotel on 20 th night. The event was well attended. Mr and Mrs Prabhakar graced the occasion. Mrs Elizabeth Beena Belliappa thanked the outgoing HM for his stellar contribution, welcomed him into the OLA and presented him OLA memorabilia.

This was my first Founders as the Weepy (VP OLA). None of my batch mates came for Founders as they were at a classmates daughters engagement. Hence I took on important tasks like putting up posters for the LDM programme lifting cartons and setting up and helping run the merchandise stall.

The arrangements by the school were very good. From the parking plan for parents and OLs to the metalling of approach roads to Pichees flats and the SBI Ground. The registration process was done at multiple locations. Lunch was served at the cemented basket ball courts next to Top Flats as well as at the Tea Counter lawns and dining hall. The campus looked spotless with an efficient garbage disposal system in place. Kudos to Col Karthik the Bursar who assumed charge just 4 months ago. This was Mr Prabhakar’s last Founders Day as the Headmaster. Over the past 5 years he endeared himself to students, Parents and OLs alike by his sheer simplicity, smiling countenance, super efficiency and love for the school We wish him the best in all his future endeavors.

So it’s curtains for another beautiful Founders Day. Each of us has headed back to our day jobs /retirement routine, re charged with an adrenaline shot of Never Give In. The lure of the Blue Mountains and the old school tie will bring us back year after year. Our deep values that set us apart were forged in these 700 acres of hallowed ground. A visit to Lovedale is akin to a pilgrimage where you renew your commitment to stand up for what is right and choose the harder right always.

NEVER GIVE IN.

PGP (OL 82

Thank you, Philipose for sending in your post and pictures. 

OL WAR HERO : SQUADRON LEADER WILLIAM BARFOOT, RAF

OL WAR HERO : SQUADRON LEADER WILLIAM BARFOOT, RAF 

Mention of books on the World Wars brings back memories of the row upon row of old volumes of hard bound books in our School Library. I remember reading with rapt attention the stories of Wing Commander Guy Gibson and 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was their famous attack of the German dams which gave them the title of the Dam Busters.

Being a World War II buff, I was therefore interested to see the impressive website of the International  Bomber Command Centre and its Digital Archive maintained with the support of the University of Lincoln. I came across a letter written by Wing Commander Guy Gibson, VC congratulating his successor Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire on his being awarded the Victoria Cross. 

It was here that I stumbled upon the story of Squadron Leader William Ernest Barfoot of the Royal Air Force.  It was this picture that caught my attention. It shows the Prefects of the Lawrence Memorial Royal Military School, Lovedale in 1936. Barfoot is standing 4th from the right. At the centre is the Rev R. W. Simpson, Principal of the School from 1933 to 1936.

One thing led to another. Thumbing through my dog- eared copy of the School's "Admission Register 1858 to 1954", I found that William Ernest Barfoot had been admitted to the LMRMS on February 26, 1929. ( The next name on the same date is Donald Alexander Barfoot- probably his brother). 

I saw there were many interesting photographs of Barfoot in this website, including one in which he is in the School Band and another when he won the Quarter Mile Race in the School Sports in 1935 setting a new School Record. 

There is an interesting interview with Barfoot by Chris Brockbank which took place in December 2015. I guess he must have been in his 90s then. The interview is rather long- being of more than one hour's duration- but it has some interesting recollections of this war hero. He joined the Royal Air Force initially as a wireless operator, then became regular air crew, and was later trained in Navigation. He was in 296 Squadron of the Royal Air Force and took part in operations in support of the French and Norwegian Resistance movements and the British SAS. He rose to the rank of Squadron Leader in the RAF. 

Why it took the French 70 years to honour him is anybody's guess but it was fascinating to see this article in Business-Live of October 2015. Bill Barfoot was awarded the French Legion d'honneur, the highest honour the French Government can bestow, at the age of 95, for his contributions to the French Resistance during his service in the RAF. 

Is Sqd. Ldr Barfoot of the Class of 1936 still alive aged 104? I have no idea but I shall ask my friend, OL Jitu Savani who lives in the UK to check with older members of the UK OLA Association to find out the facts. 

  

SPOTLIGHT: SANGEETA VENKATESH, CLASS OF 1983

 SPOTLIGHT: SANGEETA VENKATESH, CLASS OF 1983

We continue with the series  of Old Lawrencians "In The Spotlight". Today, we feature Sangeeta Venkatesh (nee Sachidanand) of the Class of 1983, for her work in facilitating improvements in the lives of women especially those who are less privileged in rural India.

Sangeeta was recently awarded the Orange Flower Award 2023 by Women's Web for her piece on " Women At Work".  In this article, she wrote of the challenges and triumphs of an all-women Farmer Producer Company (FPC) in Maharashtra. Women's Web is an influential "media tech company in the business of producing great content that inspires, and enables brands to reach a targeted digital audience." 

Sangeeta is a person with varied interests. She says, " Writing and documenting are my passions, though I am basically trained to be a biotechnologist/scientist (from the M.S. University, Vadodara, and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore). However, certain events made me shift gears, and I quit working in the laboratory and shifted my focus to Waste Management and Sanitation. 

For nearly 14 years, I worked in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas, trying to sensitise various communities on these issues both as a volunteer and a consultant. All this was much before ‘Swachh Bharat’ became a buzzword."

We caught up with Sangeeta to know more about her life in School, her work and current interests. We also spoke of the 40th Reunion of her Class of 1983 held in February 2023. 

 1. When were you at School? Which House were you in?

I was in school from 1976 to1983 in Champak House.

2. Was there any particular reason your parents/you chose Lovedale?

My father was in the Indian Army, and he was posted in Arunachal Pradesh in the early 70s. There were a couple of Kendriya Vidyalayas there. However, my parents thought that there was a strong need for continuity and stability in my education. There were a few Army colleagues whose children were already in Lovedale, (my seniors, Anita Singh and Rajni Pillai). I remember my father being very impressed with them and deciding this is where I need to go. In addition, it was also close to Bangalore, our hometown.

3. What are your main memories of life at School?

Life in the dorms, ‘setting’ our skirts on the mattress, the giggles during prep-time, the mealtime gongs and grace (I was always hungry), classes, games, eating ‘softie’ ice-cream by the flagstaff, dressing up for the dance, Founders – the entire gamut. But memories of acting in the school play and playing the duet on the bagpipe with Priya Thyagaraj always bring a smile.

4. Which member of the staff, if any, had a strong influence on you, and why?

I cannot single out just one, and I have to mention the following:

a) Mr. K.N Nambiar, our Hindi teacher, narration of his book on an elephant ‘Kochushekharan’ in the Mudumalai Hills is still etched in my mind. It is such a coincidence that ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ – the documentary on a similar theme has won the Oscars. He encouraged me to participate in Hindi debates, and I went on to become secretary of the Hindi Debating Society. He also roped me in for an inter-school Hindi drama competition, and this did wonders for my confidence, as I had entered school as a very shy girl. (I can hear my classmates snigger).

b) Mr. Alexander Oomen gave me the opportunity to act in the school play, which was so well received. The practice sessions, the costume trials, and the aim for perfection perhaps taught me more lessons than what I learned in the classroom.

c) On the academic side, mathematics was made compulsory for all Class 12 Science students, and I don’t know what I would have done if Ms. Y.G. Sharda had not been teaching us. She would first instruct the ‘sleepy’ ones to first wash our faces before she commenced the class!

5. What are some learnings from School that have helped you later in your life? How was it being the Head Girl? What did that experience teach you early in life?

Athletics was never my cup of tea, but to date, I get up in the morning and do some form of physical exercise. This was so firmly ingrained after the years of waking up in the cold and heading out for a run till Lovedale Station or doing P. T. in the Girls School grounds. Even when I go for a walk, I can sometimes hear Mr. Khader’s voice booming in my ears: ‘dig your heels’ and you tend to straighten your posture. The sheer discipline of a structured day still influences my everyday life.

                    Head Boy and Head Girl, 1983.  Aditya Bhuwalka and Sangeeta Venkatesh 

Being Head Girl did mean shouldering responsibility and understanding what leadership was at the age of 16! That experience taught me to take decisions for myself, to take the position of responsibility seriously, and also to accept and handle criticism very early in life. I may have done a fair job, as I was awarded the ‘President’s Medal’ the following year at the 125 th Founder’s Day, which was presented to me by Mrs. Silloo Sam Manekshaw.

6. Your batch of 1983 celebrated your 40 th anniversary of leaving School recently. Tell us about this event…. What do you like best about the association with OLs?

I personally thought that this was one of the best reunions we have had in Ooty and at school. The weather in February was perfect, the crowd during the ‘season’ was missing, and it was all so pleasant. 

                   However, what made it brilliant was the hard work of the core team that worked for several months in advance to get the bookings done, plan the 3-day event, the memorabilia, and transport. It was perfect. Confession: I merely showed up! So, a big thank you to the core team of Sudha Chandrashekhar (nee Gundan), Syed Abdul Khader (Kaka), Andrew Bhasin, Jessy Jacob (nee Mathew), Sunil Ganapathy Devaiah (Gunny), Johnny John, Gautam Dev Nair, Aneel Raj Singh Kahlon, Vijay Singh, and Sajit Zachariah.

                                                        Class of 1983. Reunion in February, 2023. 

It was a pleasure to go back to school, be welcomed by the Head Master on the lawns, and eat the famous eclairs. I did spend a considerable amount of time with the Class 9 girls, and I was delighted with the interaction. A big thank you to Sangeetha Jairam (OL ’87), now a faculty member at the school, who facilitated this.

I really admire the commitment by the OLs that keep the OLA running through various social media channels, so that we are kept abreast of the news and developments at school and also about other Old Lawrencians. I think our Class of ’83 really got in touch with each other during our 25 th reunion – and we have stayed in touch since then. Syed Khader also holds a weekly Zoom call that was initiated during the pandemic, and anybody who can attend joins in. The best part about my batch is that people have really rallied around, especially during a medical emergency, and that is when you need the most support.

7. What are the writing /other projects that you are currently working on? 

As mentioned earlier, writing and documenting are my passions. Coupled with this is my strong educational background in biotechnology. In the course of my work, I always felt a need to help women- especially those less privileged than I.

I must say the 2004 tsunami really opened my eyes to the basic needs that women lack in our villages. I was part of a group where our discussions with the residents of a coastal village in Tamil Nadu revealed that prior to the tsunami there was plenty of green cover with trees, which helped the women of the village defecate in the open. The men in turn used the beach. The village did not feel the need to have toilets at all, even though these sites attracted mosquitoes and pathogens that led to disease.

Post-tsunami, it became a challenge for women to find secluded spots to relieve themselves. They sought privacy in rubbish heaps, where there was danger of getting bitten by rats, scorpions, and even snakes. Moreover, women could relieve themselves only at dawn and then had to wait again until dusk. Sexual harassment was also a reality for the women. Hence, we made sanitation coverage for women a priority. 

Later, I researched extensively on school sanitation in 5 states of India to highlight the woeful condition of toilets for girl students that make them drop out of school. I also compiled best practices for schools, and it included eco-friendly practices at Lawrence! This was awarded the runner-up certificate by WASTE, Netherlands, for whom I did the study. I hope the certificate is on display at the office! 

                                        School children in Dungarpur, Rajasthan.  

This project culminated in the publication of a workbook called ‘The Waste Issue’ for both students and adults, which is available on Amazon. This work was also recognised by the HCG Cancer Hospitals and I was awarded the ‘Swayam Siddha Award’.

I then realised I must write and document some of these experiences and thoughts in the public domain. I am happy to share that these writings have received recognition, and I was awarded the "Orange Flower Award, 2023" instituted by Women’s Web, for a piece I wrote in the category ‘Women at Work’. I had previously received the award in 2020 in the category ‘New Blogger’ for my travel blog. 

At the moment, I am happy to be the Lead -Corporate Communication for an environmental engineering company that blends both my passions. I also develop content on health and nutrition.

8. Are there any links you would like to share with our OL audience which elaborate on your writing /other work/interests?

•  I have a blog called sojourn-with-san  where I write on travel, art, history, heritage, handloom, and cultural aspects of places where I travel and even astrology!

• Some of my travel pieces have been published in newspapers like the Deccan Herald 

• I also have a sustainability blog

• You can find my articles on the Women’s Web here 

• Here's an interview on the podcast All Indians Matter where I explain the situation of solid waste in our nation.

• Last but not the least, if you are interested in philosophy, you can ‘google’ and find some of my writings in the ‘Speaking Tree’ of The Times of India.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and pictures of your time in School, Sangeeta. 

I am sure your work in important issues which matter to people will inspire many OLs- each in their own way-  to get involved in working for the betterment of our society.

The Magic of Reunions: Class of 1971 Celebrate Their 50th!

 The Magic of Reunions: Class of 1971 Celebrate Their 50th! 

There is something magical about reunions- more so when they involve folks we grew up with. Some have changed beyond recognition (in physique and otherwise) while many have remained much the same, presenting an older version of themselves. Some could not make it due to poor health, some could not -because sadly there were no longer with us.

In the old days, if I may use that expression for the 1960s, the number of students at School was much smaller as were the number of parents and OLs coming up for Founder's and other reunions. It might surprise you to know that most OLs stayed for the duration of Founder's in "Hospi" the old School Hospital. Everything was much the same from the time they were at school as kids. The white-painted cots and the red blankets looked the same. The only improvement was that the OLs were spared the dose of "Alba" (magnesium sulphate salts) dished out by the Matron as a "welcome drink " on arrival at the hospital. Then there was the mandatory photo taken with Headmaster K I Thomas near the Jacaranda tree on the lawns below Aravalli House, followed by the much awaited Past vs Present match and so on. 

With the passage of time, so many things have changed. I am told driving in Ooty and elsewhere in the Nilgiris around Founder's has become a nightmare! Apparently there are even traffic jams on the way to School! This was unheard of in those far away days when we were at school!

Those were days long past! 

To give a present day account of a Reunion, here's the Class of 1971 who celebrated their 50th anniversary of leaving school in January 2023. Yes, their Golden Jubilee was due in 2021 but the Covid pandemic pushed all that aside. To their credit, they didn't let this important milestone slip past without being celebrated as it should.

They appear to have planned this reunion well and executed it to perfection as described by Commander Vikram Karve, Indian Navy (Retd),  of Aravalli, 1971.

He has a comprehensive blog post in his personal blog:- "Lawrence School, Lovedale: Class of 1971- Golden Jubilee Reunion" . 

This link and photograph of the Class of 1971 is produced here with his permission. You will find the names of those in the picture in his blog post -which is like a travelogue. 

For OLs on social media, Vikram needs no introduction -being extremely active on all platforms. He joined School in 1966 in the 6th and passed out in 1971. He then cleared JEE and did Electronics & Communication at BHUIT, now IIT (BHU). 

Selected and commissioned in the Indian Navy under the University Entry Scheme in 1976, he specialised in Electronics, Radar, Sonar and Weapon Systems serving on frontline warships and holding prestigious appointments ashore. He was selected by the Indian Navy to do his M Tech in IIT Delhi in Communications and Radar Engineering. He became Professor and taught ME/M Tech courses at IAT Pune, now DIAT- a deemed University.

After retirement in 2010, he took to writing, and blogging and is the author of two published books. He is an influencer on social media. To know more about him, all you need to do is to "google " (used here as a verb!) his name.  

Thanks for sharing your post, Vikram. Great job, Ranjit Giri, Madan Pillai, and the Class of 1971!! You guys seem to have had a wonderful time. 

So whether it has been 5, 10, 25, or 50 years after you passed out from School, there is nothing like an OL  reunion to rekindle old friendships and bring back all those treasured memories. 

Link:  "Lawrence School, Lovedale: Class of 1971- Golden Jubilee Reunion" . 

GHOST STORIES OF LOVEDALE

 

GHOST STORIES OF LOVEDALE 

The last three posts were part of a new series on Old Lawrencians who were In The Spotlight.  Today, we go back to general stuff. 

A quote from the famous writer, Ruskin Bond set me reminiscing. He said, "Ghosts are all around us. Look for them, and you will find them! " In Lovedale, I don't think we had to go looking for ghosts as ghost stories were never in short supply.  We didn't have to find them, they found us!! 

They found us in a chilly, misty afternoon as you wandered in the area near Cem looking for "hill guavas", berries, or anything remotely edible. We could swear we saw wispy shadowy figures slink past. They found us as we came down from Nilgiri House to use the loo downstairs in the middle of the night, shivering in the cold- to shiver even more on hearing loud creaks as someone walked up the wooden steps leading up to Large Hall. 

In short, they found us in many places, most of all in our minds! 

                                        Picture Courtesy: OL Sangeetha Jairam

Being in Nilgiri House in the 1960s, our dormitory was the closest to the grand piano in the Large Hall. Boys swore that in the early hours of the morning they could hear someone play the piano. Not so loudly as to wake up everyone but so softly, so persistently, and yet so dramatically that the experience stayed with you for life. Some believed the nocturnal pianist was the ghost of an old piano master who had passed away on the job.Died in harness, as it were. Others believed it was no less than the gaunt, angular Sir Henry Lawrence stepping out of his impressive portrait that hung in the Large Hall. 

In our Junior School days, in an outbound camp, the late Mr M "Trout" Mukherjee scared the daylights out of us with such a gripping ghost story that I remember every detail of it even to this day. And, that was recounted 60 years ago!! For months after the camp, there were rumoured sightings of the main character of the story, a man who had one real leg and a peg-leg. 

Lawrencians, across generations have seen ghosts or have talked of/heard of ghosts that haunted certain areas of the school. Many stories centred around the cemetery in our campus, known simply as "Cem". This has been cleaned up a lot in recent times but in the 60s and 70s was largely unkempt. 

                                                    Pic Courtesy: OL Vinod Jayachandra

                                                   Picture Courtesy: School Archives

In our times, there were stories of the legendary "Sargie" Nicholls seen walking up or down the 67s, his dogs trailing behind him. His quarters were in the present Junior School and much of his work was in the Senior School, which made this story plausible. Such stories were so widely prevalent that they were even mentioned by the Headmaster Mr K I Thomas in one of his speeches. 

Ghost stories were not the exclusive privilege of the Boys’ School. The Girl’s School was built in 1911 and must have had its fair share of ghosts. 

Sita Bali wrote in The Lawrencian of July,1976.

 

"The girls school Chief Ghost (which is quite a post of honour) wears anklets, a silk saree, and carries a walking stick! would you believe that? The main job of this ghost is parading up and down the corridors, mind you, without waking the ayah who sleeps in the corridor, but terrifying the girls in the dorms. Its side job is to stop the girls who are trying to get to the toilet with menacing waves of its walking stick!!

Another ghost who did the rounds of the staff quarters near the Junior School was the ‘Lady in White’. Knocks on the door late at night revealed a beautiful lady in white. Interestingly, she would be soaked to the skin if it was not raining and be perfectly dry on a rainy night when it was pouring outside!

                                         Picture Courtesy:  OL Vinod Jayachandra

Ramanand, VIN 1970 has an interesting story in his blog. This is shared here with his permission.

 "My own Lovedale ghost story dates back to one evening nearly thirty years after I left school. I had gone to pick up my daughter, then in class eight, for the term break. We set out from Girls School well after dark in the midst of very heavy drizzle. Our destination was the Wellington Gymkhana Club for an overnight stay before we headed home to Hyderabad. We drove past the Flagstaff onto Bellie Gowder bridge over Lovedale station and thence onto Grant Duff road (it still goes by the same name).

By now the rain had picked up and it was pouring in sheets. The mountain mist made visibility very low reducing our speed to almost a crawl. Somewhere near Lena school where the road was at its narrowest with deep ruts on either side of the road I saw a lady dressed in a sari walking towards the car from the opposite direction. She would have been some thirty yards away and was walking right in the middle of the road. I further reduced my speed to almost a halt and waited for the lady to get off the road. Instead she continued walking in the middle of the road towards the car in a very defiant manner and showing no signs of making way for me. I got a good look at her and noticed that she was not using an umbrella and her clothes did not look as rain soaked as they should have been that evening. As she got closer I figured she had no intentions of getting off the road and she appeared to be walking straight into the car. And when she was just a few yards from the car I got a good look at her face. I felt her large saucer like eyes piercing through me in a kind of a glare that only an angry woman can give as if to say “You are trespassing in my territory".

And then the strangest thing happened. She took a few more steps and walked into the car and vanished or in sci-fi jargon she just dematerialised. My first instinct which I followed was to drive on as the road was now clear. As I engaged the gear started moving it dawned on me that I had seen something out of the ordinary – I turned my head around and saw nothing. By now I was sweating and my only thought was to make a quick escape before anything untoward happened- I did not know what. I made my way as quickly as I could and mercifully my mind was diverted as I had to concentrate on the difficult drive and did not stop till I reached the Ooty- Coimbatore highway .

My wife who was in the co- passenger’s seat admits that she saw the woman walking towards the car and she also confirmed the angry look but does not remember where she went or anything thereafter. She dismissed the whole incident as a figment of my imagination. My daughter claimed that she was dozing in the back seat and saw nothing. But when I told her what I saw she dismissed it and said “What’s the big deal? I have seen her before. She was an ayah in the Girls School kitchen and often visits the kitchen. She was murdered by her husband 100 years ago and is now looking to kill him!’

And so to this day I am wondering whether my wife dismissed the whole incident as a figment ofmy imagination to reassure me or even herself . And whether a thirteen year old school girl has the ability to so glibly spin a yarn or was she simply stating a fact. Or did my schoolboy ghost memories get the better of my imagination ? I will never know but I choose to believe that this was the closest I ever got to seeing one of the many resident ghosts of Lovedale."

Thanks, Ramanand, for sharing your story. 

For the rest of you, keep your eyes peeled and your wits about you when you next drive near Lovedale on a rainy day!! 

If you have a story to share, write in to us at: olalovedale@gmail.com with "For Team Glimpses" in the subject line.