May 2004

Editorial

It is a proud moment for all of us that 'Major General Claude Martin Memorial trust' is now a reality as it was registered on 26th February 2004 under the Chairmanship of Dr R K Pachauri.

The main object of the Trust is to 'Maintain and preserve the buildings and educational institutions built by Maj Gen Claude Martin.' So the emphasis would be to preserve all buildings built by our founder with 'Constantia' being the pilot project.

Not many institutions in the country have so much history attached to them as LaMartiniere schools. It is the duty of the alumni of these schools to ensure that the buildings of these institutions are preserved and these institutes remain the top centers for learning in the country.

We have recently read in the papers the contribution of alumni in providing BITS Pilani with crores to get the institute a state of the art technical Library. We have read Rs 25 crores being contributed by Infosys CEO for the state of the Art hostel for IIT-Powai. We keep hearing about alumni of other schools helping their alma mater. In fact I must mention that a friend of mine, who has studied from St. Columba's Delhi, and his classmates collected money from amongst their batch-mates and have come up with a swanky laboratory for the school. The amazing part was that this was just one batch which collected lakhs !! It is time that we, the alumni of LaMartiniere Schools actually start doing something for the schools. The formation of the Trust is just the first step towards achieving this.

Though the Trustees would shortly be meeting to finalise the plan of action, I would like to appeal all Old Martinians to start 'networking' and come up with some concrete results so that the objectives of the Trust are met. All ideas and concrete suggestions are welcome. We would soon be embarking on a project to make a worldwide directory of Old Martinians so that each and every Martinaian could be approached to help the schools.

The Founders day celebration during September 2003 was a grand success. The seminar was an idea, which I had been working on since a couple of years. Dr Vijay Kohli has given a complete detail of the function in this issue.

The chief sponsors of the event held at India Habitat Centre were Suhel Seth and Amrit Kiran Singh. My personal thanks to both of them as the event of this magnitude would not have been possible without their support. I hope that they along with the other contributories continue to support our Founders dinner each year. It was nice having Tanmoy Chakraborty from Calcutta who really enthused a lot of alumni from Cal Mart to come into our fold.

There were many members of our alumni who had good things to say about the function. There were very many who tried giving me suggestions during the function. I requested them to give me the feedback/suggestions in the days following the function so that I can take note of them and try and implement them at a future date. I have not received a single suggestion since the event! Please wake up guys and give suggestions now and don't wait for the day of next founder's dinner.

My biggest disappointment came at the lack of media coverage to the event. Considering we have such an impressive list of journalists and media personnel in our alumni list, the event was hardly covered by the media. For future events of such importance I would request someone to volunteer so that the event of this magnitude would get the attention it deserves.

Please note that as usual we intend having our Founders Dinner somewhere around 20th September (most likely date so far is 25th September). If you do not get intimation till 15th September, do get in touch with us.

Rohin Arora
1971-82, Cornwallis, Lucknow.

Dr Vijay Kohli's Roundup

My Dear Alumnus,

Please accept my apologies for not having got in touch with you earlier. I do not wish to offer any excuse but take full responsibility for the delay. Fate has offered yet another challenge to me, that of setting up the Department of Cardiac Surgery at yet another Hospital here. I have just joined the upcoming Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute in Paschim Vihar, New Delhi, as the Head of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery. This is a 700-bedded multi speciality facility, starting initially with 400 beds. I have braced myself up for this new and exciting challenge for which I crave for your good wishes.

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Founder's Day Celebrations.

Our last OMA meeting which was held on the 20th September 2003 at the India Habitat Centre, was a grand success, specially because we were blessed by the presence of His Excellency, M.Girard, the ambassador of France to India, our Chief guest M.Caillouet, Ambassador, Delegation of the European Commission to india, who was the Guest of Honour, and M.Jean Marie Lafont, the famous French Historian who is an authority not only on our founder but also on Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Mme Girard and Mme Lafont graced the occasion and M.Pascal, from the French embassy was present as well.

The evening commenced with my welcoming all the guests after which M Girard addressed us and expressed his happiness at being with us. He said that he was very pleasantly surprised at the fact that the memory of 'this extraordinary Frenchman is still alive in the hearts of many of you'. He also informed us that one of the last articles written by Old Martinian, Dr. I G Khan was presented in Lyon in October 2000,during an International Seminar on Claude Martin and that this contribution is presently under publication in France. (I would like to inform you that Dr IG Khan, a classmate of mine, is no longer with us; he lost his life for standing up for the poor and the downtrodden, about which I had written in our earlier newsletter)

M.Caillouet then spoke about the role being played by the European Union towards the development of education all over the world and mentioned about certain scholarships, which could be developed towards this end and could be very helpful to Martinians.

Mr Gautam Kaul enlightened us about the historical facts about our Founder's Will in fair detail in his own inimitable style. You are, of course, aware that the Delhi OMA, was Gautam's brainchild which he has nurtured and is now almost 25 years old! I am sure that he must be a happy man to see his 'child' become a 'strapping adult'!

M.Lafont put forward his idea of creating a database of La Martiniere alumni from the commencement of these schools to date, and to follow their evolution and destiny. He suggested that this could be part of a wide programme, which could be put up to the European Union through M.Caillouet. He mentioned as an example about Louis Pasteur who indirectly benefited from Claude Martin's generosity, being a student of a school 'The Ecole de Chimie' , which had received the money sent by Claude Martin through the Lyon Municipality.

At this juncture I would like to add that M.Lafont was recently honoured by the French Government and awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Marite, which is the French equivalent of the British knighthood. It was,indeed ,very gracious of him to have invited me for the function. Our congratulations to him for this achievement!

Dr RK Pachauri then talked to us about the sad plight of our Lucknow alma mater and stressed upon the need for the formation of a Trust for the preservation of the school building. He reminded us that 'All his martial deeds may die lasting still his charity' -we are all indebted to Maj Gen Claude Martin and must help in preserving what he has founded. Dr Pachauri told us about the report from INTACH which could be of great help to us. He mentioned the names of the Trustees as well as the essential concept of the Trust.

Mr Chandan Mitra spoke very eloquently about Gen Martin. You would be aware that he was one of the first to have written a book on him, after a painstaking and lengthy research, which had lasted almost a year. In this context he mentioned about Jug Suraiya, the legendary Martinian who is such a renowned journalist. Chandan also felt that Gen Martin had given his all to India and had been instrumental in developing education in our country and had never differentiated between class and creed. It, therefore, behoves us to propagate his name, and help preserve the legacy we have received from him.

Sunit Tandon then called upon Chandan, Suhel Seth, Prem Behl, Amrit Kiran Singh and Mrs Hameeda Laljee to present mementos to our esteemed guests. The Principal of LaMartiniere, Lucknow, Mr Elton D'souza had very graciously sent special commemorative Plaques for Ambassador of France and also Ambassador, Delegation of the European Commission.

Mrs Hameeda Laljee is our senior most Martinian from the Girls' School who has always been very active. She has set an example for other lady Martinians to follow in her footsteps. I am again requesting our lady alumni to show more spirit and come forward. In this context I must mention Madhu Goyal, who has been working extremely hard and we owe her so much for her help, without which none of our functions would ever be successful. Madhu has put down her thoughts about the Lucknow schools in a beautiful manner, which is reproduced later in this newsletter. In a somewhat similar vein there is a beautiful account of old Lucknow written by Mehru Jaffer further on in this Newsletter. Incidentally, Mehru and I were together in the Girls' School so many ,many years back and is it is simply great to go through her nostalgic writing.

Rohin proposed a vote of thanks to all the guests, sponsors, Suhel Seth, Amrit Singh, BS Kohli, Saurabh Sarkar, Kevin Ireland, Prem Behl, Kaizer Roka, Ajoy David , Anil Grover, Vikram Kaul & DD Mathur without whose contributions we could never have had such a lovely evening. He too had a very special 'thank you' for Madhu and for Aditi, Nandita,Poornima & Archana who have always helped manage the reception and welcoming all the guests. He then invited us to move over to the dance floor and to enjoy the festivities. I would like to mention that BS 'Mad' Kohli sent Rs 10000/-all the way from California. He and DD Mathur had sent the money even though they knew that they would not be present themselves! BS sent it spontaneously without being asked for it. In this context, Suhel deserves a very special 'thank you' from all of us. Amrit ofcourse is someone whose support we take for granted.

This is the first time that we have organized lectures by such eminent speakers on a Founder's Day celebration and the credit for this goes to Rohin, who came up with this idea and to Dr R K Pachauri for his invaluable support, help as well as in getting the glitterati to speak on the occasion. It is a great pity that Vinod Mehta, one of the speakers was unable to attend. Perhaps, we will get to hear him at a later date.

I wish to express my sincere thanks to Sunit Tandon who flew down from Mumbai (where he was working) to come for this event and to have compered the show in his impeccable English. He is the only one who got the pronunciation of the names of all our French guests correct! He also needs to be thanked for his invaluable suggestions, which I got from him time to time much before the actual event. You will be happy to learn that he is back with us in Delhi again.

I am very happy to mention that the OMA Meeting was very well attended , with a very good representation from the Chandigarh OMA and we had a lot of Calcutta alumni as well. It was nice meeting friends after such a long time. Dr Hans Nagar and Dil Raj Bakshi used to be conspicuously absent from earlier dos but looked happy to be present this time. Hans' brother, John was also in Delhi that day but unfortunately could not attend. I just got to speak to him and learned that his younger brother, Ron is now a joint secretary in a special cell with the aviation ministry. There were many more Cal alumni which is very good news but I feel we should have more of them joining the fold to make it a true OMA! We missed Brig KP Singh-Deo, a Cal stalwart as well as Dr Vijay Mallya, and Jag Suraiya who were contacted but unable to attend. Chandan Mitra did not disappoint us, In fact he has been a great pillar of strength for us as also Suhel Seth who has been most magnanimous both with the lucre as well as the Martinian spirit !

There are so many more Martinians floating around who one gets to meet in parties and functions, like for example Rajiv Ghai and Praphul Misra,who just have to break the ice and join the fold.

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Maj.Gen Claude Martin Memorial Trust

You will be happy to learn that the Trust has finally been registered and we are now in the process of working out the modalities of collection and disbursal of funds. It comprises of Dr RK Pachauri(Chairman), Gautam Kaul, K Raghunath (Now our ambassador to Russia), Vinod Mehta, Suhel Seth, Walter Johnson, Rohin Arora, Ambika Srivastava, and myself, as trustees. Brig KP Sing-Deo ,Dr Vijay Mallya and Chandan Mitra have also been invited and have in principle agreed to be trustees. Bryan Cooke, Dr Rosie Llewellyn-Jones, Prem Behl, Amrit Kiran Singh and Dr SK Pachauri are 'Invitee Members'. We propose to involve the Principals of the La Martiniere Schools of Lucknow and Calcutta also and are getting in touch with them.

In this context I think it is worthwhile apprising you about the present state of our beloved Lucknow Boys' La Martiniere. I received a letter from Buster MacDonald from the UK ,a copy of which he has sent to the Chairperson UK OMA. To quote Buster, who visited the school recently with some friends, 'The Lucknow golf course has somehow acquired about 50% of the playing fields and some boys told me that they were out of bounds for them. The old cricket field and athletics track at Fairy Dale is a quagmire and grazed by herds of buffaloes belonging I suspect to the 10-12 families who have taken up residence there. There is a token fence about the field but the gate is open and so many metal struts have broken that animals and people use it freely as a short cut towards Hazratgunj. Martin Purwa and Jaimur are now small towns and rapidly encroaching onto the campus; the edge of Purwa is about 100 yards from the school gardens, such as they are. The bottom of the Lat-the square plinth reached by the steps, is now so covered in graffiti that one need not have recourse to the matrimonial columns of the Pioneer newspaper to find out who loves whom !I hope their love does not last as long as the etching on that lovely stone.'

Buster also mentions that he was told by the Office Manager that it was too dangerous to go above first dorm and that 'the beautiful stucco ceilings, particularly in the library, are in parlous state as half the monsoons are finding a haven there.'

Buster goes on to write 'Can the various OMA's worldwide make 2004 the year we do something for our beloved alma mater? I beg all of you so(I type this with tears of expectancy flooding my eyes). Please, please do something for our Founder and in doing so something for all of us that proudly call ourselves 'Old Martinians'.

More recently, Dr Rosie Llewellyn-Jones visited La Martiniere Lucknow in February this year. I am reproducing her e mail sent to me:

Dear Vijay,

It was good to meet you again. I am giving a brief summary of my visit to Lucknow with regard to La Mart.

In conclusion,the main aim should be to break the seeming deadlock between Elton and the Trustees/Governors,to get the Trustees to agree to the immediate restoration of Gori Bibi's tomb,and to seek an estimate for cleaning and restoration of the man building. I hope this is helpful.

With kind regards,

Rosie.

I received a postscript to this letter, which goes on to say:

I also meant to mention Mr. Azeem's petition to the Trustees, which has gone unanswered. He is very worried about encroachments on the Martin Purwa lands, and particularly because this means the Martin Trust is losing land and income that could be generated, if the area was properly managed. In particular, he notes encroachments by intruders, some of whom are cultivating land and running a school, shops and a garage. There are also illegal dairymen on the land.

Mr Azeem is the hereditary daroga of La Martiniere, being a descendant of one of the Qadir brothers, who were Martin's servants and stewards. He is a direct link with the Founder, and as such, his views should be considered, and at least his letter to the Trustees answered.

Rosie.

As I see it, we Martinians who are far away from Lucknow are closer to it than those living in the school! It is because of this that we feel so much for our beloved alma mater. On my last visit to the School last year, I had tried very hard to meet the chairman of the Board of the School, Justice Sahai but was unable to do so as he was away. I met Elton also and tried fixing up an appointment of Dr Rosie Llewellyn-Jones with Justice Sahai but that meeting also did not materialise. We as responsible Martinians have to take a more active role in getting Elton and the Trustees to see our point of view and to somehow coax Elton to take the all-important step forward. I also wish to point out that we Martinians are all well meaning and the Claude Martin

Maj Gen. Claude Martin Memorial Trust comprises of Trustees and members who are absolutely above board and taking time off from their own vocations for the School, which they are doing only for the sole reason that they love their school and cannot see it go to seed. I have the utmost respect for Elton and appeal to him that the OMA as it exists in Delhi and abroad should be looked upon as friendly organizations by him rather than as a hindrance.

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Visiting Martinians

Bryan Cooke was here from the end of December to mid March on a teaching assignment in various parts of the country. Bryan was both a student as well a teacher at the Boys' Mart in Lucknow and needless to say, highly respected in school (as I gather from my older brother who met him in Chennai as well as other senior Martinians ). Professor Cooke developed two very important programmes at UNC in Greeley in the US; masters in health education in 1971 and masters of public health in 1987.He has also taught in the college of education and conducted several summer workshops about cardiovascular health and other topics. You will be surprised to learn that he had turned down a job at John Hopkins!

Bryan was the first person who mooted the idea of preservation of the school building when we met at Prem Behl's house a few years back. Prem needs to be thanked again for organizing a grand evening at his place where he invited some of us to meet Bryan, which was, indeed, a great pleasure. He showed me a very nice photograph of another teacher of mine, Sydney Ledlie, whom I have not met since leaving School but did get the chance to speak to him many years back on one of my UK trips. Thanks Prem, for making the meeting with Bryan possible!

Kaplesh Kumar a Martinian from Lucknow, now settled in the US was here at the beginning of the year. We (ie Kaplesh, Brig Mehrotra and I) had a nice quiet lunch at the India International Centre. I tried getting Santosh Nautiyal also but unfortunately he could not make it. Santosh, Ramesh Arora & Brig Mehrotra are batchmates. Kaplesh can be contacted at kapkumar@aol.com

Buster Macdonald and Neville Flemming from the UK were also here but we were unable to meet.

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Incredible Claude Martin

It was very nice meeting Dr Jones in February. Her account of her Lucknow visit has already been reproduced. Her latest book 'A Man of the Enlightenment in Eighteenth Century India: The letters of Claude Martin 1766-1800' has just been published. We all know about Claude Martin being a soldier and something about his exploits in the East India Company but that is about all we know. Because all his possessions were sold at auction after his death in 1800, including his library, no single collection of his letters has been passed down to us. He had no heirs and no family to preserve them. This book has gathered together all his known letters from different collections and museums in France and England, including a highly important book of letters in Persian, in the British Library. Claude Martin was a prolific letter writer, he wrote thousands of letters from Lucknow, his home for the last twenty-five years of his life. We have only a tiny proportion here, 262 to be precise, although there is always the chance that more may still be found in private collections. And what these letters do show us, is what a polymath Martin was. He was capable of turning his hand to anything, including fighting, land surveying, building palaces, indigo farming, money-lending, designing puppet theatres, using steam engines, and amassing a huge collection of curiosities and books. Much more than a simple soldier, he was a radical figure of the Enlightenment, that spread from England and France in the 18th century, bringing with it new ideas and new inventions. Martin was fascinated by the new industrial age and his work in the nawab's Arsenal at Lucknow reflects this. The basement of Constantia, where he is buried, has recently been found to contain iron rods among the brickwork, one of the earliest examples of a reinforced building in India. The translated Persian letters show him in charge of a huge estate at Najafgarh, near Kanpur, where he experimented with growing roses and indigo, weaving silk, and importing new strains of cattle. Other letters describe his part in the second Rohilla war, when he was in charge of the nawab's army, for a brief campaign in 1794. The letters have been introduced and edited to set them in the context of Martin's exciting life and to show that he was much more than merely the founder of schools, but a truly unique figure of his time. Dr Jones has really done justice to this great man, as in her earlier books. It has been published by Permanent Black in 2003, the book costs Rs 695, and bears a previously unknown portrait of Martin on its cover.

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The OMA Website:

Prem Behl has just developed our website www.oldmartinians.com

It has taken a lot of hard work and it is up to us to make full use of it. You are requested to visit it, and to register on the website. It also has a Directory, which we need to update. Let us try to make it more interactive and to incorporate other websites as well. We are currently in the process of making it more informative for all Martinians.

In case you wish to enter into a dialogue with other Martinans you can do so by going on to oldmartinians@yahoogroups.com This has been developed by Shahab Khan and is being used very extensively by younger alumni who exchange views from Martinians all over the globe. In fact I have got in touch with so many through this(Tara Gupta, Sandeep Kumar Dey, Michael Bragga, Alden Fitzgerald, Adheep Guptu ,Swapan Guha,Ishrat Khan, Ashok Malik, Abhijit Masih etc) and get a lot of news for example that Richard MacNamara got married on the 29th of December 2003.Our best wishes to the newly married couple and we hope that they lead a very happy married life.

We hope to meet again around Founder's. Until then, Au revoir.

Vive La Martiniere!

Dr Vijay Mohan Kohli
Res: A 127 Sarita Vihar
New Delhi 110 044
Ph: 91 11 2694 7407, 2694 9884
Cell: 098 100 25813
E mail: vijaymohan_kohi@yahoo.com

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"We reproduce the articles from Madhu Goyal and Mehru Jaffer with acknowledgement to the Old Martinians Association UK Newsletter No 10"

Schools So Old, Firm and Strong

Madhu Goyal

Bless the Internet! It was instrumental in reuniting old school friends who had lost touch with each other for nearly forty years. The reunion took place in Delhi, where Sheila Roka (1965) and I (1967) live. Subhadra Sharma (1965) and Geeta Chand (1966) came from Kathmandu, Nepal; Sanyukta (Sanju) Chauhan (1966) from Chennai and Dawn Boardman (1966) joined us all the way from Perth, Australia. Not only were we best friends in school; we were also the very successful basketball team of 1965 and 1966. We never lost a match in those two years!

One outcome of this momentous meeting of old friends was a memorable visit to our alma mater, La Martiniere Girls' School, Lucknow, as well as to the Boys' College. It was an experience of a lifetime. Most of us had never been back so there was much excitement, great expectations and some apprehensions. Nonetheless the fun and laughter began the moment we boarded the train and continued till long after our return, four days later!

The principals of both schools were most gracious. While they welcome visits by old students, it would be advisable to write or call ahead for an appointment.

We went to the Boys' College first, on 13 October 2003. Bouncing merrily along in our hired Maruti van, singing the half-remembered songs of our schooldays, it was easy to believe we were once again in the rickety old school bus on our way to the Boys' College for a 'social'. Lost in the past we also lost our way in the present! Lucknow has changed a great deal since the 1960s, but the College is well known and we were soon put on the right track, to arrive well in time for our appointment with the Principal, Mr Elton de Souza. Our first sight of Constantia over the treetops and there wasn't a dry eye amongst us! We shed many tears on this trip: tears of joy, tears of laughter and tears for our vanished youth.

The van deposited us outside Spence Hall. As we went up the steps I could almost hear the College band striking up an old favourite, and the 'teacher-on-duty's' warning not to dance more than two dances with the same boy. And no 'fast' dances, please! Some girls were very shy and often declined to get up when asked for a dance. Stranded thus on the girls' 'side' of the hall, what was a young man to do? The bolder ones, much to our amusement, would go nonchalantly down the line asking each girl till one accepted. Sometimes none did. The more timid boys had to endure their mates' teasing for the rest of the evening. How many hearts were broken - and as quickly mended - on that dance floor! How young and innocent we were!

From Spence Hall we made our way to the Principal's office. Elton received us with obvious pleasure. He is an Old Martinian himself so we felt completely at ease with him and there was much laughter and leg pulling. He was a wonderful host and personally showed us round the school, taking us through the labyrinthine corridors where, surely, new boys lose their way all the time. Almost every newsletter of every OMA has an 'Old Boy's' account of his visit to the College so I will keep this brief. Suffice it to say that Constantia is as impressive as ever; it quite took our breath away, as did the magnificent

Lat and the beautiful Chapel. The more intrepid, and more agile, in our group climbed to the very top of Constantia for a breathtaking view of Lucknow, and, of course, no tour of the College is complete without a visit to the crypt to pay homage to the Founder. In the exquisite Blue Room, we admired Zoffany's famous painting of Gori Bibi, which is reproduced in William Dalrymple's book White Mughals. After signing the visitors' book, we trooped back to the office where we bought as many souvenirs as our van could hold. Then Elton presented each of us with a College calendar. Next year's calendar (2004) will feature photographs of Constantia taken by the boys themselves. We saw some of their work; it was of an amazingly high standard.

Like all old buildings, Constantia, too, is showing signs of wear and tear, but on the whole the College and grounds are well maintained. The students we met, smartly turned out in their summer khakis, were well-mannered, well behaved and seemed bright and happy.

Soon it was time to say goodbye. Elton saw us and our booty safely stowed in the van, then, with directions to the junior school and promises on both sides to stay in touch, we were off. We had spent a good three hours with Elton, time enough to see how much he loves the College and how seriously he takes his job. It can't be easy running an establishment like the Boys' College in the politically charged climate of Lucknow, but Elton is managing very well. He is a popular principal, well liked by students and staff alike. Among the latter are Old Girls Pammy Maclure and the exceptionally talented and hospitable Tamanna Qureshi (1966).

Our date with the Girls' School, or College as it is now known, was for the next morning, 14 October 2003. This time we didn't lose our way because we had sensibly done a reconnaissance the night before. Our excitement was palpable, and the 'do you remembers' were flying thick and fast. Driving through the gates I caught a quick glimpse of the stone tablet which commemorates the spot where Generals Havelock, Outram and Sir Colin Campbell met on 17 November 1857. As our beloved school with its turrets and battlements came into view, I had to fight back my tears. This was the moment we had been waiting for, the real reason for our journey to Lucknow. It was well worth it! Like a dignified old Avadhi Begum, Kursheed Manzil stands proud and tall amidst lovingly tended grounds, wearing its age gracefully.

We were given a warm welcome by the Principal, Mrs Farida Abraham. She had arranged a special Assembly for us. The auditorium was under renovation so the Assembly was held outdoors under the spreading branches of the old neem tree, as in the days of yore when the Assembly Hall did duty as an examination hall. The Assembly commenced with the school prayer, followed by the school hymn Labore et Constantia. The girls, wearing the familiar navy blue tunics and white blouses, were a joy to behold. The choir and band - yes, they have a band complete with a little drummer girl! - presented some socially relevant songs. The anti-war song was especially moving. How beautifully they sang! We were good in our time, but not this good. The six soloists were superb. Then Subhadra and Sheila said a few words about what each of us had gained from the school; not just book learning but also people skills, team work, the ability to handle and overcome difficult situations, loyalty and compassion; qualities historians tell us our Founder, Major General Claude Martin, possessed. The Assembly concluded with the school song, which again had us all in tears.

After Assembly, we accompanied Mrs Abraham to Miss Gresseux's private drawing room, now the visitors'/music room, to meet and chat with the prefects and house captains. They are a lively bunch of girls, very confident and self-assured but also disciplined and respectful. We exchanged stories of our exploits and discovered to our mutual delight that they were much alike: midnight feasts, tuck box raids, ransacking the teachers' dining room! Mrs Abraham joined in the laughter. The girls did not seem intimidated by her presence. She is their friend and guide. But make no mistake, she is a disciplinarian and they respect her for it.

Next on the agenda was a tour of the school. To accommodate the growing number of students, new classrooms have been built behind the old music rooms/prep classrooms (now the Gandhi Corner). But the beautiful view of the main school remains unchanged. The amenities in the new buildings include a very modern computer lab and an art studio. I was absolutely amazed by the talent displayed by these young artists. The new library has more than 3,000 books, videos, CDs and audiocassettes, and cataloguing is completely computerized. To the right of the old badminton court, which is now a tennis court, is the science block with its up-to-date chemistry, biology and physics labs. La Martiniere Girls', Lucknow, is the only school in India with its own biotech lab. The lab has been designed to give the students a head start in the fast-emerging and important field of genetics.

We looked for the swings in the playground near the badminton court but they are gone, shifted elsewhere: the merry-go-round, the Jungle Jim, the monkey ladder, the ocean wave … Gone, too, are the little boys spinning their tops or playing marbles or teasing the little girls or simply punching each other for lack of a more industrious pastime; gone for ever from the 'Dames' Mart'.

The old Assembly Hall has been converted into a dance studio where classical Indian dance is taught during school hours. In the evenings, it serves as a recreation hall for the boarders. The boys' dorm is now the 'baby' dorm. The swimming pool looks grand, blue and clean, the basketball court where we shed so much of our blood, sweat and tears is always busy, and Miss Gresseux's gardens are as beautiful as they were in our time. There are even some geese about, but they are confined to the garden unlike the ones that used to chase us outside the dressing rooms!

Miss Gresseux's bedroom, the sanctum sanctorum, is used as a storeroom for confidential files and papers. The principal's office remains much the same but entry for all is from what was once Class XI and is now an office-cum-waiting room. The Study Hall hasn't changed at all. The Dining Hall (including the teachers') also looks the same, though the food has improved! There is a new, modern kitchen closer to the pantry. Remember the green breadbox we used to raid? It is still there, not in the pantry but in the kitchen. A second computer lab occupies the old library. The hospital has been rebuilt and includes an isolation ward. To the rear of the hospital are married quarters for the Principal and the school nurse, a fully qualified Nursing Sister.

The teachers' rooms and student dorms are exactly as we remembered them, right down to the end-to-end steel wires for our mosquito nets! Sitting on 'my' bed in the senior dorm, I wondered about our old friends the ghosts: the lady in grey who used to haunt the dorms on dark, moonless nights; the unseen 'thing' clanking its chains up the stairs! Certainly, even today, the girls will not go to the loo in the turret at the far end of the terrace alone at night for fear of running into 'something'. They believe, as we did, there is safety in numbers! And the famous 'haunted' turret room stands vacant as no teacher is willing to occupy it.

Tired but happy we returned to the drawing room for a sumptuous tea the likes of which boarders everywhere can only dream about. Joining us were all the teachers - and there are many - who are alumni of the College, like the delightful Mauveen Shaw (1962), and my classmate, Benu Paul (1967). We were thrilled to meet our English and P.T. teacher, Mrs Maclure. Though she retired some years ago, she is still actively involved with the school. We met many of the other teachers as well. All are highly qualified and, what is very important, computer literate, an invaluable asset these days. After tea, Mrs Abraham invited us to sign the visitors' book, an honour indeed. Did we feel Miss Gresseux's and Mrs Hollow's presence? I believe we did. I also believe that they are proud of their school.

Mrs Abraham is trying, and succeeding, to instill a social conscience in her young charges. Members of the Gandhi Corner do community service among Lucknow's underprivileged. There is also a nature club called PALS - Protection of Animals and the Surroundings - and members do their utmost to live up to its motto: 'Save Nature Save the Earth'. She recently inaugurated the Tranquillity or Meditation Centre, where students and staff can go for some quiet time if they wish. The old science room behind the tuck room has been converted into a prayer room for all faiths. The school regularly participates in state and national level competitions in sports, debating and choir singing, and maths and quiz contests. This holistic, all-round approach to education with its stress on extra- and co-curricular activities, together with a sound value system, is preparing the students to hold their own in today's fiercely competitive world without sacrificing their principles.

Later that afternoon, the more optimistic in our group - Sheila, Sanju and Geeta - returned to pit their skills against the school basketball team. After fifteen minutes of enthusiastic play, our ageing heroines ran out of steam but the score was even. Not bad for fifty-somethings who hadn't been near a basketball court in decades! But I can't help feeling the youngsters were being kind and maybe held back just a little!

What a lovely, satisfying day, filled with nostalgia and a sense of déjà vu. More than anything, we felt we had come home. For one brief moment we were schoolgirls again, with not a care in the world save waiting for the sound of the dinner gong or wondering what to wear to the next social at the Boys' College!

Our visit must have disrupted Mrs Abraham's schedule but she seemed genuinely pleased to have us there, patiently answering our innumerable questions. We were deeply touched by her warmth and thoughtfulness. She is a remarkable lady, very progressive and forward-looking, yet she has retained many of the old traditions so dear to us. She has succeeded in making La Martniere Girls' College one of the best girls' schools in the country. If I had a daughter, I would be proud to send her there.

We went to Lucknow to revive old memories and came away with a bagful of new ones: of the warmth and kindness of strangers; of old friends rediscovered; of two well-loved schools standing firm and strong; of bright, confident young girls and boys; and of two principals working hard to maintain the high standards for which the La Martiniere schools are renowned.

There is talk of collecting funds to restore Constantia to its former glory, a welcome move certainly; but let us not forget that the other three La Martiniere school buildings, beautiful in their own way, are also old and in need of repair. For example, all the woodwork in Kursheed Manzil is infested by termites and needs to be replaced. This is being done but progress is slow because funds are scarce. I hope the Claude Martin Memorial Trust will look after the interests of all four schools.

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Flashback 'Lucknow'

Mehru Jaffer

Once upon a time Lawrence Terrace was not just a residential colony but also the closest place I could imagine to Paradise itself.
The place that is named after Henry Lawrence, the British Resident caught inside the historic Residency and killed in the 1857 mutiny, was a paradise because I was fortunate to have the Clines as my neighbor and Nina Solomon was my best friend.

Adding to this coterie of characters that I grew up with and who made my childhood so colorful was Manju whose hips swayed in sexy sweeps all the way up to my house every time she felt like having shaami kebabs for a meal. I had enjoyed going to church with Mildred and Maxine and learnt to sing Christmas carols better than them while all the residents living in two parallel rows that were flanked on either side by trees taller and greener than anywhere in the world had poured out of their homes to celebrate Holi each year in dyes more vibrant than those found in the colors of the rainbow, including the very anglicized but a little crotchety Mrs. Carter.

The houses were comfortable but not too large so the road in between the spotlessly clean pavements outside was just fine for endless games of hide and seek and for cycling up and down for hours. Often the evenings were spent gunjing in a shocking pink mini skirt and the dream remained to match the Twiggy inspired outfit with a tall pair of Nancy Sinatra boots one day, very similar to those I had once seen Neelam wear just outside of Mayfair cinema. It was not unusual to begin a Sunday with a morning film show at Mayfair and to end it by queuing up for a softie ice-cream sold opposite the grand architecture of the General Post Office.

When temperatures soared at summertime it was safest to sip a glass of sugarcane juice and to spend the afternoon at the air-conditioned British Council Library. The winter months were idyllic for practicing hockey on the sprawling sports field of Lucknow University under the expert gamesmanship of Olympic player Bula. There was so much that I managed to get out of growing up in Lucknow apart from eating Kakori kebabs from morning till evening like learning to sing at the Bhatkhande College of Music and Yoga before the crack of dawn below the Monkey Bridge.

I am convinced that my father's most precious contribution to my life was his conscious decision to uproot the family out of the mono cultural ambience of the old city and to plant us in the midst of a more multicultural environ of Hazratgunj. The only disadvantage was that the Maulvi Saheb who came to teach Urdu here seemed more concerned about my blouse and skirt attire and concentrated less on helping us to recite the Koran.

The coffee house on Ashok Marg was my father's second home and it was not unusual to be occasionally treated to a plate of the most delicious dosa often in the company of personalities like Feroz Gandhi. Those were the days when politicians had no reason to hide behind bullet proof vests and mingled freely with those who were happy to vote them to the corridors of power.

I learnt to swim at the La Martiniere Girls School where I recall cutting many a record, one of them was to remain the only student in class seven to earn a zero in arithmetic in the entire history of the school. I chuckle now at the thought of seeing my name in print at the end of this fabulous feature as the shrill voice of Mrs. Cook seldom failed to chide me many moons ago with, Meeru (the Anglo Indian teacher never got to pronounce my highly Persianised name properly) you will get no where in life with such bad behavior, men!

Mrs. Cook was aghast when I told her that the only ambition I had in class five was to seek out the mouth of the tunnel hidden inside the moat surrounding the principal's office and to journey across the darkness and the dirt to meet MS Dhillon at the Boy's La Martiniere College.

But eventually the magic of Mohini Manglik in the PG Block of Lucknow University worked miracles as she made us fall in love with English Literature. Those were also the days when it was quite possible to educate oneself on the once wondrous campus of Lucknow University where the library became one of the favorite haunts even for the likes of me.

Raj Bisaria's intense involvement with theatre brought out that which lay buried deep inside the very being of all his students who basked in being able to share their soul with the world. It was Mr.Baptista's conviction that women reporters could only enhance the prestige of The Pioneer that landed me my first job for a newspaper, once edited by Rudyard Kipling himself. Although after businessmen started to fancy themselves the boss of all editorial writing I was once scolded by the managing editor for not doing any work in office. Soon after he was sent down from the cotton mills of Kanpur to Lucknow, he stole behind my chair one morning and asked me what I was typing? When told that it was a story he said, do your story writing at home. In the office you must work.

It was possible then to cruise all over town that seemed to care little for cars simply on a blood red sports bicycle that was so good for the environment. The only thing to beware of on the streets those days was a homeless poet perhaps who roamed the streets in plenty, pregnant with the muse but desperate in his search for lost patrons.

As I stroll to and fro around the marble white verandahs of the Taj Hotel, enjoy Italian coffee at Barista and buy countless chikan kurtas with a credit card in the high tech Lucknow of today I somewhat hesitate to return to Lawrence Terrace. I am told that cars and gun totting security guards out number trees there and that garbage dumps are piled up higher than the money made by some of the residents. Some murderous politicking too seems to have made its way in the very rooms where I must have first discovered the mystery of Milton and Mohan Rakesh. Besides all the koyals it is said have turned their back on high-rise terraces that compete with each other to precariously reach for the sky.

It is very sad to hear that the elderly Mrs. Carter was killed by unwelcome intruders one evening and that most Anglo Indian families no longer live there. The paradise that Lawrence Terrace once was sounds like a place now where even angels fear to tread bringing to mind that mournful rendition out of Chaudhvin ka Chand, the Lucknow based Bollywood tragedy where the lead actor is remembered for having belted out, Mein kahan rahoon chaman mein mera lut gaya thikana (where do I go, now that my haven is no more)

Mehru Jaffer , an Old Martinian from Lucknow is a freelance writer based in Vienna. Her articles have appeared in major Indian newspapers and magazines. She has also performed in Plays and short films. She is the author of the book 'Muhammad' published by Penguin-India. She is now working on her second book.