Msgs from Friends 31

Msg from J K Ghosh

Dear RS,

I've received a mail from AK today. He informs that all programmes planned by the Alumni are being sent by SMS. This is, I think, quite true because I have not seen any programme posted in the Blog. Further, he adds “The Kolkata Chapter office bearers nominated themselves as the representative body to attend the inauguration of the nuclear submarine at Vizag, without the knowledge of other ex-Goethalites. Today, RGM, the Secretary, has informed me by SMS that the Alumni is now a registered body. They have also arranged for a party in honour of an ex-Goethalite."

If these news are not posted in the Blog to inform other ex-Goethalites all over the world, then what is the STATUS of the Blog ? As the Alumni is now a registered body, it needs an official organ to blow its trumpet. This cannot be done by SMSs, and you know that. Please take the initiative to see to it that the Blog is fully utilized for the purpose. The Blog was initiated to keep other ex-Goethalites abreast of the programmes and activities of each Chapter. One more thing, the office-bearers of all the Chapters, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi should be posted in the Blog, along with the year of passing GMS of each office-bearer. This will be of much interest to all. The Blog MUST be made the official organ of all the Chapters, otherwise it would fail to serve the purpose for which it was opened. I think you should discuss the matter with Ranjan, Manas and others who are actively involved with the Alumni.

Well, bye for now.

Hoping to hear from you soon.

JK

Msg from A K Roy

Dear RS,

I am glad to note that you have made an appeal to Ashok Goel to participate in the Blog with news from GMS.

Please arrange to include my attachment as "Comments" in that section. Also let me know whether the entry I had made under "Comments" was available to you or you had to take it from the attachment. Do you edit the "Coments"?

I am eager to see the formation of a core committee for the Blog with the 1965 Batch. Please let me have your explicit views. A copy should be endorsed to JK. You cannot let the opportunity slip out of your hands at this stage.

Bye for now.

AK

Dear RS,

The current week's blog has not come to this email ID inbox though the available Sify mailbox space is huge about 7000MB.

Please check and arrange to resend.
You have yet to send your opinion on the "core committee" for the upgradation of the Blog.

Bye for now.

AK


Dear AK

I have sent the weekly blog as usual on Saturday
I had sent it to your ID also and there were no bounces also so I don't understand how it did not reach.
I'll resend it
Re: the core committee, I have put your letter on the blog and wait for other responses.
Forming committees is just what the government does when it does not want to do any work.
Anybody who has any suggestions is welcome to send it.
As far as giving a direction to the blog, anybody and everybody is welcome to write on it, either by sending me emails with matter which can be published or by becoming authors and writing directly.
They can send the emails to the other authors also who too can post the matter.

RSS

Msg from Ranjan Guha Majumdar

Dear Friends,

Reportedly the Guwahati based boys who attended the Cocktail-Dibber on Sunday 9th have written an article on the event and along with Photographs they are making efforts to publish the article and photos in all local (English as well as Assamese) newspapers.

Would appreciate if all of who have taken numerous Photos of the event using their Mobile Phones, / Digital Cameras etc, could please prepare CD’s of these Photos and pass them on to me so that I could compile all these Photos and together with the video recording of the event, we could distribute these still photos and video images amongst the boys.

Mailing these photos would reduce the overall quality of these photos and that is the reason why I am asking for CD.
This should make a good and memorable compilation
In case you need the CD to be picked-up from your Home / Office, kindly contact the undersigned. Alternatively you could drop the CD at MP Jewelers (Gariahat).

Thanks once again for your co-operation and support

DO ALL THINGS WELL

Ranjan Guha Majumder
CE-163, Salt Lake,
Sector-1, Kolkata - 700 064

Dear Radheshyam,

Just happened to see your Blog. Was disappointed to see the following important aspects missing :
1. News that our Alumni has been REGISTERED
2. No mention or photos of our President handing over the SILVER memento to Nirmal
3. No mention or photos of our presenting Mrs. Verma the SAREE as a token of our love and appreciation
4. No mention or Photo of Nirmal presenting the Kolkata Alumni the Naval Crest.
5. No photos of Nirmal, our President, Secretary addressing the gathering
6. Although you have reproduced Pathada’s message, you have thought it unfit to reproduce the THANK YOU Message from the SECRETARY. Seems in your opinion, the Secretary is un-important and maybe can be done without. THANKS FOR THE TIP
Thanks

Ranjan Guha Majumder

Dear Ranjan,

I did not want to give all the news as I was expecting you to put out exhaustively the happenings and your lingo is much better.
That was why as soon as I got Partha's message I added it.

If you could add those points, I could add the message from the Secretary.
No offense or belittling was intended.
Regarding the photos of the presentation, I took the photos while sitting down in the 7th or 8th row and they came very badly with all heads in front and the person speaking being too far away, his face was not clear.
Some of the boys stood in front and took those photos. If these could be mailed to me I could post them immediately.

Cheers

Radheshyam

Dear Friends,

Many thanks for your overwhelming response in getting together at the Bengal Club on Sunday/09 August/2009.

It was terrific meeting you and we are hoping that the next gathering will be even larger and more festive.

We have been able to organize this function to the best of our abilities and the response has been quite overwhelming.

The next step for us is to complete the Registration procedure for which we urge every GOETHALITE in Kolkata to come forward and REGISTER yourself as a MEMBER of GOETHALS ALUMNI KOLKATA.

For those who have registered already, thank you for your cooperation.

For those who have not yet Registered, we request you to fill in the attached Form and send in your crossed cheques for Rs 1000.00 (Rupees One Thousand Only) in favour of GOETHALS ALUMNI KOLKATA as soon as possible. In our next meeting we shall discuss our Agenda/Activities for the future including the Annual Fee structure etc and come to a consensus. `

We have much to do and much to organize. We are confident that with YOUR active support and co-operation, we will be able to get the ALUMNI on a firm footing very soon.

Meanwhile, please let us remind you that WE ARE OPEN TO YOUR SUGGESTIONS all the time. You are most welcome to write/phone in with your advice that will help us in forming and running a Model Alumni in the highest traditions of everything GOETHALS.
Thanks & Best Regards

Ranjan Guha Majumder
CE-163, Salt Lake,
Sector-1, Kolkata - 700 064

Msg from Viraj Thacker

Dear Mr. Sharma,

I trust this note will find you and the family well in Kolkata. You might have wondered about my prolonged silence and non-participation in our blog……due apologies.
It’s been a few busy months with work related travel and the summers generally get busier with two growing lads! All is well with us.
I enjoyed the pictures from the recent GMS reunion at the Bengal Club (a particular favorite with Paulites and ‘boxwallas’ back in the day). It was refreshing to see you and a few familiar faces and all in all, I sensed that a good time was had by all!

I plan to be in India-Nepal in March for six to eight weeks in connection with my academic facilitation work and will certainly look forward to meeting you in Kolkata. 2010 will probably take me back to Australia as I am considering two teaching fellowship offers from the Universities of Melbourne and Queensland. I am excited about my work in Nepal-India before that.
I have also been working towards the publication of my third book and have the publishers and funding in place; I would like to invite you to make a contribution….anything you like (introduction, message, foreword, afterword or a short chapter)……..I look at this as a fitting ‘word of thanks’ and tribute to your efforts at bringing ‘old boys’ together and your honest views on a range of very relevant issues. Attached is a copy of a brief statement by the prospective publishers to introduce the work. A contribution of your choice, in consideration of the main themes, would be very appreciated and it would, I believe, add immense value to the book. Please get back to me on this.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Warmest Regards to you and the family,

Viraj.

Dear Viraj,

I hope you and your family is in best of health.
Thanks for your mail.
Yes, I was wondering what had happened to you, no mail and no blog post.
I was pleased to receive your mail.
It would be a pleasure to write something for your book.
I'll send it in due course.
It was a good reunion and we all rally enjoyed it.
My son finally went only to Belgium on a 3 week trip and is back.
I shall be awaiting your visit in March 2010.
Do take care .

Radheshyam

Msg from Willy Wu

Hi Radhesh,

Thanks for all the news and updates that you pass on to us
in your weekly Sunday mail. Waiting for this mail can be really
a torture in the sense that I wish Sunday is the very next day.
It's like waiting impatiently for your daily newspaper. It is a
very nice breakaway from the usual news that we get from the
TV stations here in the West. All we read and hear in North
America, is Obama and U.S's miserable economy. The politicians
in that country are all clowns. Here in Canada we get screwed
whenever U.S sneezes, so do the rest of the world.

Please ask N.k Rai if he knows where A.K.Rai is serving now.
A.K's father was also a big shot in the Indian army. I hope
a connection can be made, in order to locate your class-mate.

Keep writing, we are always waiting for the next Sunday.
Can't wait to see those pictures from Bengal Club.

Cheers to all out there reading Radhesh's mail.

Willy Wu (1971).

NK
Here is an enquiry for you already
Radheshyam

Msg from ....

Dear Radheshyam.

I am an ex-goethalite n would like to compliment you for taking the burden of updating things about our old school and the surrounding news via emails.

However, I had one thing in mind that I needed to tell you. "Hari Om Friends" is ur style of greeting. So, this offends me a lot as I am not a Hindu. I am an atheist and with that there are also other ex- students coming from a variety of religions. I am sure most of the people would dislike it too.

I don’t mean to offend you but just wanted to remind you of the fact that everyone may not like your greeting style. Unfortunately, I happen to fall on I happen to fall on that category :( (I hope you get my point). :)

With this I would also like to wish you good luck in your endeavor for keeping us ex-Goethalite updated.

Cheers,
...........
ex goethalite

Hari Om .....

I don't think anyone can be an atheist, especially with the education our school Goethals has given us. Normally people claim themselves to be atheist to attract attention to themselves as being different from others.

The very fact that you are denying the existence of The Supreme Being, call Him God, Allah, Om, Wahe Guru, Yahweh, call Him what you wish, means He is there.
As far as the greetings in a letter are concerned I prefer to start it with the utterance of God's name in personal letters. In my official communication in office, I of course have to use "Dear" or "Hello"
If you happen to call my home over the telephone, you will be answered with "Hari Om" salutation, instead of a Hello or Hi.

As far as using any particular name of God, we Hindus are very broadminded.
We believe all paths lead to the same Supreme Being, call Him what you will.
We neither impose our religion on others by conversions using carrot or stick, nor do we claim that only our religion gives salvation as we actually believe we are all Children of One God and He resides in all of us.
All in One and One in all.(Ek mae sab, sab mae eK)
I use Hari Om, because I have got used to it.
If people of other religions have any objections to it, I would request you and the others to let me know the way they greet each other using God's name in other religions.
For Muslims, I know they use Salam Wale Kum.
The Sikhs use Wahe Guru.
If I could be told the salutations of the other religions, I have no problem using them by rotation every week.
I think our school has taught us to respect each others views.
We are in this world for 60,70 may be 80 years. Some may also cross the 100 mark.
These disputes are raised by politicians to fool the people and win votes.
We from a catholic school should never ever fall into their trap.
Since yours is a very pertinent point which others too may be feeling, and although you have asked me not to publish it, I would like to publish it, without your name and address, if you do not have objections.
It would be enlighten, knowing other boys views.

Cheers,

Radheshyam

(I have intentionally left out the sender’s name in the above letter)