A Non-Profit Venture Published as a Service to the Community
Vol. 7 No. 2 February 1997 Calcutta Private Circulation
Diana Wins Miss India-World 1997 and Miss Beautiful Smile
Miss Diana Hayden 23, years, 170 cm from Bombay was crowned Miss India-World at the Femina Miss India 1997, a star-studded function held at the sprawling SNDT campus on saturday 18 January 1997.
The Nine judge panel comprised of distinguished folk. The winners of the contest won cash prizes of Rs. 3 lakhs and more in addition to a host of prizes. The pageant was compered by Kamal Sidhu.
Miss Diana Hayden has been on the ramp and modelled for Jewellery.
The suspense of the decisive round, the question and answer round, heightened after the five finalists who answered a rather tricky question "Why are women called the opposite sex" evoked varied answers including Diana Hayden's reply, "because women are a chip of a different block and after God had made man he decided to make something perfect for a change."
In the Colgate contest Diana won Miss Beautiful Smile.
ANGLO-INDIAN GENERAL DIES IN AUSTRALIA
Sydney: LL Gen. TB. Henderson Brooks, author of the famous report on the Indian Army's debacle in the 1962 war with China, died in Sydney on Sunday 5 Jan. 1997. General Brooks, PVSM, who would have turned 89 on January 11, had been suffering from cancer of the bladder for the past 14 months, and pulmonary fibrosis in the lungs. The Henderson Brooks Report on Nefa Debacle with Chinese, which is yet to be made public by the govenment, led to the reorganisation of the Indian armed forces including the formation of highly skilled mountain division of the Indian Army. Although the general had been sick for a while and had lost his peripheral vision many years ago, which meant he could not read at all, he was mentally very alert and kept himself updated by listening to talking tapes, his aide Olive Mendieta said. (PTI)
YOUNG ANGLO-INDIANS STEAL CARS
(School dropouts with no hope of employment)
by Suchandana Gupta
CALCUTTA : Meet Richard O'Dwyer, 19, 18-year-old Andrew Darapiet and Ryan Browne. Richard and Andrew are students of an English medium school at Park Circus and Ryan studies in a boys' school on Park Street.
Dressed in trendy outfits, they look every bit the sophisticated product of elite English medium schools. But all three figure prominently in police records as car-thieves.
On December 23, they were arrested for trying to steal a car parked on Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, off Park Street. The car was later recovered by the police after they confessed to have stolen it along with other cars.
Courtesy: The Telegraph
Anglo-Indian Reunion Update '98
by Jenny Welsh Courtesy : Anglo-Indians in Touch
Many of you have been concerned about several aspects of Reunion IV to be held in Bangalore in January 1998. The greatest concern seems to be the cost of the functions. We have listened to your concerns and have addressed them with the organisers of Reunion IV. Given that the Reunion is in India and we are all aware of the financial situation of several of our countrymen, it would be a little presumptive to expect that an under taking as extensive as a Reunion could be organized with the same capability as a Reunion in a Western country. By this, I do not mean that their efficiency etc.- would be any less than any Western country, rather, the things that we take for granted would be less likely to come by. It also means that their cash flow would/could be in worse shape than any organization in Westrn countries.
Their commitment and dedication to ensuring a successful Reunion in temms of delegate enjoyment is not lacking; however, the realities are that while most Reunions count on local population and entrance fees to finance the functions, this Reunion in India is reliant on the overseas contingent to finance and ensure it's success.
The fees of US$ 100.00 were based upon this premise. However, the greater number of overseas delegates, the cheaper the rates. AIIT has been in touch with the organizers and advised them of your concerns as well as some of the other factors that they were not aware of i.e... the lean economic climate of Canada at the present time and the fact that the US exchange rate for the Canadian averages around 40%, so Canadian delegates would be looking at around $140.00 for the functions.
Joss Fernandez, Chair of the Indian organizing committee, appreciated the concem and said he would discuss it with his committee with a view to reducing the cost. Essentially the functions include two dinners, one at the Inaugural function and the other at the Farewell Ball; and to put this in perspective, Joss enquired what it would cost to have a meal at a reasonable restaurant in Toronto. I suggested it would be around CDN$ 35.00 - 40.00 including taxes and gratuities. Perhaps CDN$ 80.00 would be a more reasonable rate for the functions (given that there is no fee to enter the Sports day and Food day functions and expenses will be as per individual's choice of purchases). Joss has advised he will look into this, but also indicated that the expectation would be greater numbers of overseas delegates.
In order to help with the cash flow situation, tickets could be sold in advance for 50% of the cost of the tickets to be realized immediately and the remaining 50% to be realized by September 1997. We think this would be of enormous help to the Indian organizers both in cash flow as well as an indicator of just how many people they can expect. We wait to hear back from him with a decision.
In the meantime, here is a Revised Schedule proposed by Joss Femandez for Reunion IV. Due to a lack of appropriate indoor venues and anticipated number of delegates (over 500), all functions will be held outdoors under specially erected shamianas. The only open spaces available that have the advantage of privacy and security/con- trol are the School grounds in the area.
Those were the days ...
There is a tenuous thread connect- ing the season's festivities in Calcutta. Tenuous because one strand has already snapped. One may wonder at the link between a tax collecting agency and Christmas and New Year as it is celebrated in the city. For the answer, one has to step back into history to a time when the British were the masters of this country. The Customs service was one department that was practically reserved for the progeny of the British, born of their Indian connections - the Anglo-lndians - who held sway till the mid - '60s and built up a tradition steeped in Christian ethics.
Christmas as it is celebrated by the Calcutta Customs is a family festival. Generally held on the Saturday preceding 25 December, the entertain- ment is day-long and meant especially for children. The Club House venue in the Maidan is gaily decorated for the occasion. The setting, with twinkling lights, festoons, balloons, streamers and the gift-laden Christmas tree, is supervised by no other than the great hockey maestro, Leslie Claudius, himself. He is perhaps the last remaining Anglo-Indian Customs officer, who still keeps in touch with the Maidan club after retirement and helps keep the old tradition alive. He is the living link between the past and present, a link that is, hopefully, strong enough to overcome the ravages of time.
The day begins with the sports for the children and in keeping with the general spirit there are no losers. Every participant gets a prize. As the evening falls, a sumptuous tea is served. There's music and joker's romp around the tables showing off their antics. Then, suddenly, the arrival of Santa Claus is announced and there is a virtual stampede as children surge forward to catch a glimpse of him.
Santa arrives Indian style in a horse- driven buggy in place of the reindeer-pulled sleigh, but the excitement is no less palpable. He is followed by half-a-dozen fairies, little girls in white frilly frocks and wings stuck on their backs. His bag is full of sweets, toys, balloons and what- nots which he liberally distributes to his cheering audience. While the kids look upto him in wonder, the others start the guessing game as to who's inside the Santa outfit.
Gift-giving over, the excitement abates and the magic show begins: the talking doll takes over to foot- tapping music. At the end of the long day, everyone returns in high spirits and good cheer.
This festival is perhaps as old as the Customs services of more than 100 years. Those who recall the days when Anglo-Indian officers were in full strength remember the enthusiasm and finesse with which it was organized and how it was a precursor of still bigger festivities to come - the advent of the New Year. A tradi- tion that has, alas, died over time.
December 31 saw Custom House transfommed into a five-star venue. The garage was cleared of all vehicles and the floor cleaned and waxed. The stage was set up for the best bands in town, complete with psychedelic lights and loudspeakers. Official cars whizzed up and down bringing the top cabaret dancers to perform. Tables were laid all around in the same style as in the poshest restaurant and drinks and a mouth- watering dinner was part and parcel of the bargain. Beer and whiskey flowed and the dancing continued till the wee hours of the morning.
For good reason. After all, January 1 was a holiday and people could sleep off the hangover. There didn't seem to be a care in the world as officers off all grades joined in to greet the New Year.
Then came the great exodus. The Anglo-Indian community left in hordes for Austrilia and Canada elsewhere abroad. The remaining few gradually retired. The soul went out of the festivities. Reports of drunken brawls soon forced a shift of the venue. Away from office the participation dwindled and official sanction also ceased. Very soon, January 1 was no longer an offical holiday. The government started following the financial year of April to March. The sole importance of New Year received a setback and with that ended the Grand celebration associated with December 31. Office could no longer be the venue for festivity - after all, the solemnity of a soverign Government had to be maintained! With the passage of time the thread of old traditions is wearing thin. With the change in the demography of the largely Christian Customs service the religious compulsion behind celebrating Christmas and New Year is no longer there. Consequently, the spiritual fervour is missing. This is perhaps true of the city of Calcutta which had the largest concentration of Anglo-Indians for whom the festivities held a deeper significance. Christmas and New Year will never be the same without them.
Yet true to the cosmopolitan ethos of the city. Calcutta still decks up with lights and festoons. The bakeries are overflowing with cakes and savouries. Hotels and restaurants reverberate to the sound of music and dance. The churches are lit up and open to the faithful.
One cannot help but look forward to the New Year with renewed hope which, as the man said, springs eternal in the human breast. And to Calcutta Customs must go the credit for trying to keep alive the spirit of peace on earth and goodwill among men. This after the real actors have left the stage.
Shabana Azmi as Lilian an Anglo-Indian Woman
CALCUTTA: Shabana Azmi apparently has no hangups about her age and "refuses to play, romantic heroines anymore."
But she still looks stunning in a figure-hugging black velvet gown slit at the knee, straight shinning hair covering her forehead and dark, copper lipstick.
Azmi is in Calcutta on her longest visit to the city to date. She has plans to camp here for a whole month to shoot for the film Buradin.
She plays Lilian, an Anglo-Indian
woman in her 40s.
The film concerns a complex triangular
relationship, involving Marc, his
young girlfriend (Tara Deshpande)
and the older lady (Shabana) who
is his landlady.
"I accepted the role for the variation
and the challenge it offered," said
Azmi.
She prepared for the role by spend-
ing time with Anglo-Indian people,
particularly with her hairdresser.
"I believe Indian society is
undergoing a change. It is now including the
female dialogue. In Indian cinema,
for the first time, women over 40 are
playing their age. Look at Rekha in
Aastha, or Kiran Kher or even me in
Saaz," Azmi says.
In Search of ...
Marilyn Selwyn Cecil
Born 1949, last heard of in Bangalore
about twenty years ago. Anyone
knowing of her whereabouts to
contact:
(Dr.) Rosanne Cecil
105 Knowehead Road, Coreen,
Broughshane
Co. Antrim, BT43 7JD, U.K.
Willing to Buy the Book
THE LIFE OF
SIR HENRY GIDNEY
By KenneLh E. Wallace
Publisher : A. Mukheriee & Co.,
Calcutta
Year : 1947
Please write to:
Mr. Bert Payne, CPA, FCA
Starcare Intemational, Inc.
311-A Lennon Lane, Walnut Creek,
CA 94598 USA
Keeping Our People Informed
(World Wide)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: We
are on the World Wide
Web (WWW). Adrian Gilbert has
linked us to The Anglo-Indian
Home Page on the Internet. You
can access this information on
the internet by typing: http:/
elecpress.monash. edu.au/ijais/
On the Anglo-Indian Home Page
you will find the
International Journal of Anglo-Indian
Studies, Publications by Dr. Gloria
J. Moore, a bibilography
compiled by Bert Payne of California, USA,
information on several Associations throughout the
world including our nesletter the
Anglo-Indian Voice and the Oral
History Project by Cheryl
Perreira. Adrian Gilbert who put
this information on the internet
is a young man from Melbourne,
Australia. Adrian is an Anglo-Indian
born in East Pakistan, now
Bangladesh. He stayed briefly in
Calcutta and then emigrated to
Melbourne in 1972. Adrian just
submitted his Ph.D. thesis after
studying at the Department of
Anthropology and Sociology at
Monash University. Adrian says,
"The Anglo-Indian Home Page
and the International Journal of
Anglo-Indian Studies attempts to
help maintain our distinct Anglo-Indian
heritage. This is because they
provide authors and researchers
with an opportunity to have their
work published and to gain an
international audience." Are you
writing a book about Anglo-Indians
or are you you simply curious?
We recommend when surfing the web to look at
"The Anglo-Indian home Page."
Congratulations are in order to
Dr. Gloria J. Moore of
Melbourne for receiving her
Ph.D. in Australian Literature. Dr.
Moore says in her letter to us, "I
trust this inspires many more of
our people to strive for higher
education."
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA: The
Anglo-Indian Social Club of British
Columbia has been formed. It
is slowly but surely moving ahead
and doing exceedingly well. Their
tea party was well attended. The
subscribers to the club agreed to
continue to arrange successful
social events and to increase the
number of subscribers (they
have 56 subscribers so far); they
encourage all Anglo-Indians to
join the club. If you are interested
in receiving their newsletter
please write to Geoff Hayes,
11042 Upper Canyon, North
Delta - B.C. V4E 2M5, Canada
PERTH, AUSTRALIA: Reggie
Maher writes in the A.I.I. News,
"If anybody wants to know about
Anglo-Indians, here is a gold mine
of information." He refers to the
tapes, "What it means to be an
Anglo-Indian? No-one should be without
these tapes. "These tapes," Mr.
Maher says, should grace every
Anglo-Indians home and also the
home of anyone who wishes to
know about Anglo-Indians." Here
is an opportunity for those writing
about Anglo-Indians. Get your
tapes from The Australian Anglo-
Indian Association (Inc.) PO. Box
8085, Perth Business Center,
Perth, Western Australia 6849.
Courtesy: The Anglo-Indian Voice
Newsletter of the Anglo-Indian Association of the U.S.A.
Edited Published and Printed for
Anglo-Indian The Newsletter by
Melvyn Brown from 3 Elliot Rood
Calcutta 700016 West Bengal India.