Honorary Members

Sitaram Hivarkar

Ram Shankar Shukla

Najma Sayed

President Mallika Kagzi today returned to a rousing welcome in the Garden after her trip to Surat. Siba Prasad Maitra is also back after an extended break for the Durga Puja festival. Fehmida Khan has started showing up as well. Tomorrow, members of the ‘Kerala gang’ are expected to join us back for the exercises. In another three days, Shekhawat too should return from his month-long sojourn in Rajasthan.
As we regain our original complement, what has become a cause of increasing concern is the continued absence of our Honorary Members. This special category of membership was created in April specifically to enable some of our senior members retain their membership without having to mark attendance on a regular basis.

Limping back to normalcy

There are five such members who enjoy this privilege, as the panel alongside indicates.
Today, Arun Patil raised this subject, pointing out that none of the five have “shown their faces” in ages. Of course, two are not in Mumbai. Tara Chand Seth is in Delhi (ref post of September 22) and at age 87, is keeping indifferent health. Lt Col Angad Singh may be in Mohali physically, but is otherwise actively in touch, as the frequency of his blog comments indicates.
But what about the other three based in Mumbai?
Now, till about two months back, Ram Shankar Shukla used to show up, even as those visits were quite erratic. At times, he did not even join the exercises and simply walked away home. He was betraying signs of forgetfulness. But it has to be said that he had a supreme sense of punctuality and for the times he turned up, was never late.
So when Shukla stopped coming, we presumed it was because of the rains. At least, Sitaram Hivarkar admitted to this in as many words since he suffers from a chronic knee problem and cannot negotiate the treacherous potholes and puddles on the road leading to the Garden. Najma Sayed is similarly handicapped because of a major weight issue and is today, toying with the idea of whether to go for a knee replacement surgery or not. She nevertheless maintains that she “misses the Garden and would be dropping by some time soon”.
We wish them all speedy relief and good health.
Lt Col Angad Singh (from Mohali):
My domestic commitments are holding me back in Mohali. One of my grand children is forcing me to be with her for quite some time. I have promised to go her and after that, God willing, I should be in Mumbai to enjoy the daily morning regimen, which I miss so badly.