Mech 71 Golden Jubilee Celebrations

2016 marks fifty years of friendship of a group of some fifty 16-17 years old boys most of whom met for the first time in 1966 as students to a mechanical engineering program at IIT Delhi. Many first met outside the cabin of an aging Sikh Doctor who stripped them before pronouncing them fit for the program. 

Over the next several years these boys not only became Mechanical Engineering graduates, some went on to become leading professionals, businessmen, professors etc. in India and around the world, some poets, thinkers, activists and spiritualists too after concluding successful professional careers, each exploring and moving through life in his own unique way similar to no other member of the group yet each an equally important component of a single beautiful tree. As an example the chief of the Indian IRS now retired, Vinod Khurana, has become a prolific poet. Much shall be found about the doings and lives of members in earlier posts of this blog.

Through it all, this group has forged deep friendships that they have maintained and nurtured as they went on to become grand parents. This year 2016, being the fiftieth year of their friendship was recognized as a special Golden Jubilee year. To crown it all, an extended reunion was organized in Delhi and Corbett National Park  in Nainital district from the 4th of November to the  9^th of November. All members who could make it, the majority, gathered from different corners of the globe for the celebrations.

In 1966 South Delhi was sparsely populated, there were few automobiles and things like air pollution did not exist. Since then it has acquired the dubious distinction of being one of the most polluted spots on Earth and early November is the worst. However, this did not stand in the way of most members attending the reunion despite dire warnings for the same including from this author when locations for the celebrations were being deliberated. Delhi after all is home and that is where maximum numbers from the class still live.

Any such event requires huge organization and a single person to lead and co-ordinate the assorted festivities. This role was led with huge enthusiasm and dedication by Anup Gulati. Without his effort the event may not have come through or in the very least not become the resounding success it went on to become.

Anup Gulati entertaining all with his song

In his own words - It’s the sponsors who make things happen. Thank you Rajesh ‘Puj’ Srivastava, Rajat ‘Gaju’ Gupta, Ashok ‘Manchi’ Manchanda, and Harbinder ‘El’ Gill for your generosity in making our Golden Jubilee come alive!

The celebrations began on the 4th of November with a visit to IIT Delhi as a reminder of the place where it all started. At a sumptuous lunch the Present Director of IIT Delhi, Professor Rao, presented all with IIT ties, which all decided to wear for the main Sunday dinner. It was followed by a series of get togethers and dinners at choice locations in and around Delhi over the ensuing three days before proceeding to Corbett.  Needless to say the choice brew of mech71ers- Whiskey – flowed freely accompanied with the choicest of New Delhi cuisine. There was much merry making and dancing

GVRS, Bhav Datt. Merani and Puj

Nirmal Singh one of the cherished members of the group even invented a new dance step(top left dancing with others)

Some of the group relaxing in the green surrounding of Corbett Park

The Ladies sportingly allowed the boys to raise the roof while using the opportunity for some female bonding

Sanjay Mukerji who played a huge role in keeping everyone’s enthusiasm up during months of preparation gave the Vote of thanks. His address sums up much

For 5 years at IITD, we lived, played, attended classes and NCC, and were mercilessly trained together. Some studied, but all shared common experiences. Most significantly, we made the transition from boys to men. Coming from diverse backgrounds, for many, this was first exposure to diverse cultures, cuisines, attitudes, thinking and ways of living, both Indian and foreign. Although hostel life inevitably led to interaction with large numbers of other IITDians, as Mech 71 batch we had our own unique environment – the subjects, our faculty, concerns, et al, Naturally, this forged our group identity – we were brothers in Mech 71.

Many friendships as well as rivalries were forged and, as with any other family, there were covert and overt expressions of arrogance and dissension, comradeship and bonding; we vibed with some more than others. There were common perspectives as well as differing ones. Our goals, ambitions and processes, our likes and dislikes may have been individual, but in our hearts, we knew we were part and parcel of one family.

We graduated and then dispersed, chasing individual ambition or the lack of them; or simply the dictates of destiny. Some kept in touch with chosen brothers by design; others by coincidence. Before we knew it, 25 years had passed. Contact with our fraternity was sporadic and limited. Many must have been curious about long-lost fellow Mech 71ers; harboring feelings, perhaps vague, perhaps strong about classmates from that era. Eventually, it required a spark, in the form of the dedicated; determined and effective catalyst, Ashok (the Mal) Malhotra, to track down, stalk and communicate with scattered brethren and lay the foundations for the vibrant forum that Mech 71 is today. Subsequently, many others have built on this, contributing and nurturing. And, it is a core group of these that made GJ 16 a memorable commemoration.

And so Many, Many, Thanks!! To our sponsor brothers - their loyalty, sentiments, generosity and support has enabled us to gather together. They are: Ashok a.k.a. Munchy Manchanda: More of him later . Harbinder (El) Gill: Capable of flamboyance, our intensely intelligent Gilljee prefers quiet under-statement and the reflective, balanced approach. A man of many facets… what sense of fun. He has been the cement in our forum and the heart of many Mech 71 gatherings. Ever the initiator, implementer, effort-maker, nurturer and contributor in everyway. Always upfront in his motives….yet diplomatic and democratic. Determined that all should have a great time. Sir-jee!! Heartfelt Thanks on behalf of us all!

Puj a.k.a. Rajesh Srivastava: When we entered IITD he was tall, gentle and shy. So he continues to be … but put him on a squash court, and boy, does he play a smashing game, taking on those half his age. Puj has been instrumental in building an industrial empire in Kuwait and continues as one of its overlords. A true gentleman and epitome of unobtrusive loyalty, uprightness and generosity. Fond of the occasional binge, but immune to its influence, Puj must be one of fittest of us.

Dhanyavaad, Pujarijee!! Hum sub ke taraf se bahut bahut dhanyavad !!

Rajat a.k.a. Gaju Gupta: Blessed with an outstanding personality and great savvy; Rajat even in that formative stage was the one with vision – vision of a level head and shoulders above that of his peers. An all-rounder of all-rounder’s involved in myriad activity…football, dramatics, debating; quite often even academics. Excelling in some, competent in others. Well before he went to Harvard Business School, well before the development of Networking as a Management Concept, Rajat was an adept. Focused on his post-IIT goals, he skillfully brought into play his abundant talent, to achieve this.

Small hordes of extremely intelligent, talented, moneyed and connected people go to HBS … the majority are forgettable and quickly forgotten; some end up as heads of large corporations. While Rajat’s Star Status may be attributed by many to his being the first from IITD to make it to HBS; his greater achievement must be that possessing only intelligence and talent, he was able take an obscure Chicago based firm to becoming a world-leader on the World’s Stage. Leadership par-excellence!  Yet, Rajat is both human and humane, as Nirmal who has received of his succor will testify. Welcome back to our third-world fold, Rajat. Immense thanks for your contribution and for joining us for GJ 16. May you enjoy and participate in many more such celebrations.

Now on to our implementer brother-jees:

Who have given bountifully of their ingenuity, sweat, toil, blood and tears to GJ16, not to mention unquestioned loyalty.

Ashok a.k.a. Munchy Manchanda: A quiet and true friend to myriads, Ashok has to be one of the sincerest people one could know. Where Gilljee has been the cement, Munchy has been the mortar in Mech 71. An understated but successful entrepreneur in our group who takes quiet pride in never resorting to any underhand deal, no matter what the pressure or stake. Intensely loyal, ramrod straight and hugely charitable. All this, with no overt displays. Many are his acts of compassion. For the GJ he has contributed both materially as well as effort such as the entire arrangements for the Alma Mater visit.

Pranam Ashok!! ,

Gulla a.k.a. Anup Gulati: Gulla has to be the finest humorist in Mech 71; nay, the one with the most developed sense of humor in 20 IIT batches. Ever irreverent, often misunderstood (especially by the dour and dreary) Gulla is responsible for stamping us with nick-names that were apt but unflattering; and specials for the faculty, some which cannot be shared with this august assembly. Gulla has been a constant contributor to the Mech 71 cohesion. Not only with quality mails but by hosting our get-togethers and attending our gatherings regularly. Is he seriously frivolous or frivolously serious? Thanks for the terrific effort put in to organize the Country Club Evening; the excellent and timely bulletins he sent out for GJ; perfect in both cosmetics and content. And of course for the lovely time at Corbett. Laughter they say aids in longevity - thank you Gulla, for extending the lifespan of many in Mech 71!

Naresh a.k.a. En-kay Sharma: Enkay has been one of the nicest, friendliest guys to know. Definitely the epitome of every positive quality; a regular at Delhi get-togethers, traveling large inconvenient distances just to be there; in spite of his heavy work-load. He has been a captain of industry with a long innings with BEL and now must be a high quality asset to the group he works for. He has also been one of the key players in the fact that BEL is one of the few Public Sector stocks that have done really well and should be acquired. He is justifiably proud of his and BEl’s initiatives for India’s Defence. Ever willing to be of service to his Mech 71 brothers…. always willing to help anyone in need; NK has been always ready with offers …transportation, lodging, walks in the park, venue for our Gala Dinner… he is there without complaint, willing to put in long hours, ensures he delivers on commitment. Shukriya NK !! From all of us … may you be there for us for a thousand years!

VKG a.k.a. Vinod K Gupta: An extrovert through and through, VKG was an astute card player in his Nilgiri days with a honed knack of winning. As may be expected he went on to captaining a prominent corporation to market leadership. Taking to golf probably helped. A terrific host and regular at meetings (when he decides to brave the traffic), he is company to look forward to. Comfortable being a fun guy, a serious guy, or an esoteric guy…expert on astrology and horoscope and many other issues. Ever-loyal to the cause of Mech 71, he brought corporate acumen and style to the deliberations of the implementation committee as well as putting in much leg-work, visiting venues, coming up with ideas and converting to these to actual.

Three cheers for VKGjee. Hip-hip-hooray !!

Marwah a.k.a. Vinod K Marwah: Truly a friend one can depend on in time of need. Tall structures need steel in addition to cement and mortar and Vinod has been just that as far as Mech 71 is concerned. Contacting fellow-Mech 71ers is easy due to the list so meticulously compiled by Vinod (abetted by Girish). Should we wish for archives for Mech 71 it is all there courtesy VKMjee. Vinod played the role of umpire and arbitrator in the GJ committee’s confabulations. Salutations from all, young Marwahjee !!

Bhav a.k.a. Bhav Dutt: One of the few to escape Gulla’s nickname game in spite of them being hostel-mates, Bhav was easily and by far the best sportsman of our batch. Many derived great joy watching him in combat on the badminton court. Settled in relative comfort in Australia, via Singapore, Bhav and Indu are ever-willing hosts as many of us can testify. His offers of hospitality continue to be constant and he has made it a point to host Mech 71 events whenever he comes to Delhi. And now he’s all set to host the 2018 Sydney get-together! Similar to Gill-jee in temperament, it is a joy to spend an evening with Bhav is a person with interests and perspectives as wide as the continent he has chosen to settle in. Discourse with Bhav can be a hugely stimulating affair. His encouragement and support for friends is constant. Just as his encouragement, support and inputs have been for the GJ Committee.

El Gill & Puj: Your efforts have extended beyond funding. Duly acknowledged by the Implementers. Thanks again, guys! We toast you - the core of the Brotherhood. Loyal and steadfast in the face of partial or complete neglect by a few. Yet your offers to your fellow brothers stand sincere and complete.

Many thanks to all those attending, especially those we are meeting after a while. For you are the bricks of Mech 71. Thank you for sparing the time and braving the inconveniences to come here.

And just before one ends…. a thought for our departed.

Bhatia A K

Khanwalker RKT

Kishore Lalit

Machwe Asang

Madan Sneh Pal

Prabhu KHC

Shrivastava Atul (Toolie)

Venkatachalam K

At the end of it all it was three Mech71 heroes, Rajat, Gill and Puj who stole the show

Rajat, Gill and Puj, the three Mech71 heroes of GJ16

Anup Gulati produced a beautiful full color fully illustrated document at the end of the event called the Mech’ 71 Chronicler Bulletin, December 6, 2016. A colored print of this document remains the treasured possession of members. This author is not sharing it online because some things must remain private between groups of friends. It included a very generous dedication to this author which is appreciated hugely with thanks. A snapshot of the header is copied below