My Best Friend Raj ! - Sat, 26th Sept'2020

My Best Friend Raj !

It’s a memoir on Late Hn. Lt. V. Rajasekaran (Dad) by one of his closest friends. He was my father’s elder sister’s (Mathi Atthey) husband. The only person whom I closely knew in military - Military Daddy. He was survived by 3+1 children - Selvi akka, Kapil mama, Mukil mama and Bhai (Akil). Bhai lived with Dad, Atthey and Mukil mama after finishing 10th standard till he came out of engineering college. I was always mesmerized by his charm, fitness outlook and reading habit. He did religiously walk and exercised with a balanced diet. Enjoyed reading 2-3 newspapers daily. Seldom did he miss news. Kept a tab on current affairs. Had a dictionary by his side always. He was the caller for all our Tambola game family nights. He hailed from Vellore, Tamilnadu. Settled with a floor mill in K.G.F, Karnataka. Lived his last few years with youngest son- Mukil mama, Bangalore, Karnataka. Breathed last in Chennai, Tamilnadu at a visit to his daughter’s (Selvi akka) home.

I studied college in Tirupattur. That was the nearest I could get to K.G.F – My birthplace and hometown. Occasionally, whenever, he could come to Tirupattur, he did visit me with all kinds of chocolates gathered across the world. I went to K.G.F alone on most of my college holidays. Stayed in Dad’s home for more days to enjoy a good family gathering. There my best place was a big wooden cot with long legs and stands above for mosquito net. I had to jump to get down from the bed. He always slept with 2 pillows – one for head and one for leg. I copied his style and loved to sleep there beside him. Atthey slept near the bed on the floor and Simba (dog) beneath the bed. The other good thing was to take Simba for a troll in the morning. Instead, me taking him, he used to pull me all the way. a I got my driving license in Bangalore. He came all the way along from getting learner’s license to the driving license (DL). Loved to travel and know more.

Here it goes.

SOME MEMOIRS ON MY RAJ!  

1) I was posted in AF Station, Kanpur. In June,1973, I got a call from AirHQ to attend an Interview.  It was to assess my suitability to be trained for structural repair of S22 aircraft at its factory in Baronavichi, Byelorus, USSR. 

During the interview at AirHQ, I saw several officers and airmen similarly selected for training at Baronavichi. For our departure a lot many things had to be arranged like visas, money, foreign exchange, air bookings to Moscow, food choices, transports, spare suits, winter clothing etc. All of us were quite new to these. We were looking up and hoping for some Good Samaritan to come for our rescue!

That is when I saw for the very first time @ the Cafeteria in the Air HQ, a diligent, jolly, ever smiling and confidence personified Madaraassi Flight Sergeant giving us the thumps up signal!

Over the next 5 to 7 days, he weaved through whole of Delhi, attending to and executing meticulously all our needs/ commitments at the Russian Embassy, Ministry of External Affairs, Reserve Bank, Air India, Health Ministry etc. All in a borrowed scooter from one of the officers!

It was the most unselfish help he rendered to all of us chosen for that training at Baranovichi. He was here for now and the very next moment was elsewhere. Almost everywhere assisting us in our needs and not expecting or accepting anything in return!

Our maiden foreign (Russian) visit was possible largely due to that Great Gentleman whom all called Raj for Flight Sergeant V.Rajasekaran ! Nay a human bee!! A black Madaraassi with a Very large heart of pure Gold!!!

2) Gradually, our friendship & bond grew stronger! He loved joining me. I attended dances frequently during late evenings in Baronavichi parks.

A month before our training ended i.e., on 10th September,1973, I asked Raj if he could find me some accommodation at Delhi so that my wife could join me for a few days of happy reunion cum sightseeing!  Straightaway he offered to accommodate us in his quarters at Wellington Camp, New Delhi. He was already sharing the SMQ (Service Married Quarters) with one Cpl.  Aalavandhar.  Yet he chose to stay with someone else and allowed me to stay in the only spare accommodation of his quarters! Also, he asked his wife, then at KGF, to join him later after we had left for Kanpur! What a sacrifice! On his request, Aalavandhar, an MTD by trade, brought a staff car in the afternoons for us and began showing places of interest at Delhi. It was with moistened eyes and heavy hearts that both my wife and I took leave of him and Aalavhdhar as we left for Kanpur.

3) We again met in March,1974 @ Devalali preparatory to set up 11 BRD (Base Repair Depot) (next to the HAL - Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) at Ojhar on posting. SMQs for us were under construction. We befriended few HAL Tamil guys and moved into their quarters for a while. We began attending to our duty cycling 5 miles a day. Finally, we moved into our SMQs in Oct,1974.  Before this, we had developed a very strong bond and friendship with most of the Tamil community of HAL, Ojhar. They loved your him and me. We had helped organize a lot of cultural activities and picnics for them. 

Once Raj and I organized a picnic at nearby Sakkora dam that supplied water to HAL township and latter to AF Station, Ojhar. It was for Tamil New Year. After a grand lunch at the chosen grove full of mango trees, I was conducting Tambola for everyone’s entertainment. Suddenly, a storm broke out with a howling wind of 140 kms plus! All of us started running helter-skelter seeking refuge/ safety under nearby trees. All items like utensils, durries, plates, buckets etc. flew away to kms by the force of the wind.  A big 40 feet length branch was wrenched free of its trunk and fell on a colleague Giri, severing his upper body from hip! It was a gruesome sight but, in a way, Giri was spared from further pains as his death was instantaneous! It was again Raj, self and another HAL friend Manikkam who collected the body from underneath the branch and handed over to police for other known formalities before returning homewards after head count.

4) A few of us were assembled in my house at HAL township and discussed the day’s tragedy.  We were told that a lady- wife of one of our fiends- was undergoing a complicated surgery at the HAL hospital and needed blood(transfusion), urgently.  Our topic was shifted to this problem. Everyone was trying to find who would donate the specific group of blood among us.  We then saw from the terrace of my house, a tired looking figure on the road from the hospital approaching us a bit slowly. It was our hero Raj returning after donating his blood to this lady at the hospital! While we were discussing whose blood would suit and who would be the first one to donate, Raj had coolly slipped off first and did his most humane act of donating his  blood for a noble cause! Oh Raj, I find no words to describe you, my most unselfish friend!

5) Raj lived with my sister Mathi and his two sons Kapil & Mukil at Ojhar while their daughter Selvi was with her grandparents in KGF! My SMQ was 50 meters diagonally opposite to Raj’s and I lived there with my wife and 12-month-old daughter Dabboo (Lakshmi). There was a ball badminton court behind Raj’s quarters. Raj, Ramiah and many other friends used to play in the evenings. I liked the game and was a fairly good player. As I had a knee problem, I often held Dabboo in my shoulder and only watched them playing.  On a few occasions I found a 6-year-old Kapil squatting near the badminton court, playing marble with pebbles and unmindful of the surroundings uttering something to himself!  Being curious I went closer and tried to follow what he was saying. In Tamil he was repeatedly uttering, “Neenga Ellorum Nalla Irukkanam, Appadi Irundhal than Nangalum Nalla Iruppom”! (Everyone must be well, only then others will be well) In the late evening that day when I told Raj of what Kapil was uttering, his eyes shed tears. I could read the pride, happiness and sense of contentment in Raj as he perceived his son Kapil, “A chip of the old block “.   I am till date very proud and even mildly jealous of him for how nicely he had brought the whole family up!

6) On another occasion in 1976 Raj asked me to bring a newly introduced uniform leather belt for JWO (Junior Warrant Officer) to MWO (Master Warrant Officer) ranks.  He was on leave @ Vellore; I was returning to Nasik from Chennai. He met me at Arakkonam. As he took the belt from me this was what he told me, “Sandy, Unakkum serthu onnu Vaangee Iruntha evvalavu santhoshamaga irunthirukkum. Varuthamma irukkappa” (Had you brought one for yourself as well, I would’ve been really happy. It makes me sad.) Yes, for no rhyme and reason it took eight and half years in my trade for my JWO promotion from sergeant rank while it was just 3 to 5 years in other trades!  That was Raj with genuine feelings and compassion for others! Absolutely no jealousy or malice towards anybody!!

7) I topped in my Commissioning tests and had final interview at Delhi. As I was returning to my family in Chandigarh, I broke my journey at Ambala and hurried to his home with sweets to break the happy news first to him.  Raj rushed home from his section on learning I was already there. After a quick lunch, he forced me to take his scooter and rush to my family to break the happy news without further delay. He was promising all the while that he would visit us with family for a day over the weekend and return in his scooter. And he did it so as promised and that is Raj- my FRIEND!

8) My first scooter was bought a day before Baisakki in 1976.  It was   a one-year-old Second-hand Bajaj-150 costing Rs.5100/-. I was contemplating on buying a New Lambretta which was readily available for Rs. 4800/-. Raj asked me to go for the old one and I never regretted then or in later years his judgement and advice!

As I was on Orderly Sgt duty, I requested Raj the honour of collecting the scooter on my behalf from the widow of one Sitaram Achar of HAL at Nasik. It was late afternoon. Yet readily he accepted the amount I gave and left smilingly.  Later I learnt that he returned very plate in the night due to some traffic jam. When I was sipping my tea the next morning, Raj came home to hand over the scooter and connected documents.  The scooter served me for 11 years before it was sold for Rs.5000/-! A new Bajaj Chethak took its place!!  Raj and the very first scooter in my life are synonymous!

9) I was visiting Raj whenever I came to Bangalore on some errand or other. He was magnanimous and loaned his scooter freely whenever I felt the need. He insisted upon and ensured that I did attend the weddings of Selvi at KGF/ Bangarupettai, Kapil at Jolarprttai and Mukil at Mayor Ramanathan’s, Chennai!

Innumerous were such lovely acts of kindness, friendship and genuine humility. Raj, you have not left us ; you are here in our hearts fully occupying ever our thoughts of you! Rest in peace, Raj! God bless you and your wonderful affectionate family!!  

Your affectionate Sandy !!! (Sundaram Uncle, Coimbatore)