India in November!

FAPS Reunion

We had a wonderful school reunion lunch at the 5th Maratha Light Infantry Officers’ Mess. Our former headgirl Anupama Miglani and her husband Jogi (Gen. JJ Singh, previously Indian Army Chief, Governor of Arunachal and Ambassador to Algeria) really went to town with the arrangements. 

I’d forgotten how well the Indian army far outdoes the Brits and other former colonies with pomp, pageantry and splendid displays of ceremony!  We were elaborately salaamed and saluted everywhere we went!  They even bring the leg up in a salute! (If we weren’t in  a car then, I might’ve tried to emulate and fallen on my face!). The fife and drum band were particularly masterful. The General, a prolific and successful writer, spoke about his second book and his areas of focus for the future: Indo-Pak relations, for one. 

Formed in 1922 by the British, the Maratha Light Infantry fought with distinction in World War II and saw action in North Africa, Eritrea, Mesopotamia and Imphal. Two soldiers were awarded the Victoria Cross. The General and I were speaking about WWI and WWII battles and how often the sacrifice of Indian soldiers is forgotten!  For example, when I visited Gallipoli in Turkey (WWI) I had to remind the tour guide that Indians had also lost their lives along with Kiwis, Aussies, French and British soldiers. The General had been recently to Monte Cassino in Italy to pay his respects to fallen Indian soldiers. The Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery outside Cassino is a burial place of British, New Zealand, Canadian, Indian, Gurkha, Australian and South African casualties. 

Deepak’s Party

Former FAPS headboy Deepak Kochhar and his wife Anita celebrated their wedding anniversary with an afternoon party at their beautiful home. There was an excellent Goan DJ, Edwin Fernandes and his partner doing English and Hindi songs and guests joining in. The food was so good: makki ki roti, sarson ka saag, moong dal halva! Deepak’s glamorous film actor-cricket anchor son, Samir Kochhar, was present. Wonderful to meet him and daughter Diya. 

There were tall trees (maybe mango, jamun, neem) and birds chirping away so loudly they almost drowned out the singing at one point! I could actually see a flock of parrots! One wonders how they survive with all the pollution - I guess they make do!  The weather was great: a balmy winter afternoon with sun, dappled shade, a light breeze, an almost clear sky!

Yes, think twittering birds, temps in the 70s, a soft haze, Delhi like it used to be a long long time ago!  One could almost forget the nightmarish traffic only a few feet away beyond the shamiana at the gate and the loony Sangh Parivaar Rajputs ready to cut off noses and heads to defend the honor of fictitious princess Padmavati! Yup! That’s Inja for you: absurd and contradictory and heartbreakingly far away from its Independence Day 1947 ideal!  

Ludi Joseph
Nov. 26, 2017

FAPS Reunion

Deepak's Party