SAM
SAM
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CLUB D
CLUB DAY 2016CLUB DAY 2016AY 2016
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
In the year that was ...........
Married:
Ashish Khandelwal '2k5 to Nidhi
Sudeep Prasad '2k5 to Shrish
Vikas Verma '2k5 to Richa
Blessed:
Sudhanshu Gupta '2k5 with a baby boy
Kumar Ashish '2k5 with a baby girl
Passed away:
Mr. M.K. Sinha '44
Mr. Anup Singh '48
Mr. G.K Malhotra '56
Mr. Vijay Kumar Bhargav '63
Mr. S. K. Madan '64
Mr. Pradeep Agarwal '64
Mr. Jyo Kumar '71
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Jamalpur Newsletter
- Kuldeep Singh '2001
'The more this place changes, the more it remains the same'….These were the exact thoughts in mind
when I landed up in Gymkhana a er 10 years, a er alma ma er had called me to pay my dues. With the
departure of Mr. Utkarsh '98 in July last year, for Indian Ins tute of Technology, Kharagpur to pursue a
Ph.D., yours truly has only recently taken over his charge of Prof. (WMT).
To begin, I would like to update everyone with the strength of Gymkhana. Last year in August, the 14
members of 2010 batch completed their appren ceship and have entered into the proba onary period.
2k11 & 2k12 (37) are the final year batches, moving to last phase of gym life and are honing their skills for
IR. 2k13 (15) are the Secretary batch for Gym this year and would have hosted Club Day 2016 by the me
you will be reading this edi on. 23 SCAs of 2k14 batch are making gym more colourful with their strength in
numbers. All the six SCAs of 2015 batch are worthy ex-IITians.
Gymkhana has seen many physical changes too this past year. The en re upper western lobby is being
renovated, with plans to provide all rooms with a ached bathrooms. Thanks to Club Day 2015's Golden
Jubilee 1965 batch, Gymkhanites now have a Pool Table for their recrea on. Dining hall is being fully air-
condi oned. The bushes and shrubs around the sports field, which were the nightmare of a firstee
searching for a lost football, have been cleared, and the field adorns a completely new look. The Lounge
and Nishant have been refurbished. Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Swapnil Garg '87 & Mr. Samir Lohani '90,
Gymkhana is on Informa on Highway, will be ge ng connected to the Na onal Knowledge Network.
The past year, Gymkhana hosted Mr. B. M. Shyam Singh '60, Mr. S.C. Sengupta '61, Mr. V. Anand '62 , Mrs.
Indira Swaminathan daughter of the first Indian Principal Mr. R. V. Sitaraman (1949-1953), Mr. N. K.
Bhandari '90, Mr. A. K. Chandan '96 and Mr. Swayambhu Arya '94.
Among the changes in SAMs at IRIMEE, the most notable ones are the farewell of Mr. M. S. Mathur '73,
with Mr. A. K. Gupta '76 coming in as the new Director. Mr. Deepak Nigam '88 joined us as Senior Prof. (RST)
and yours truly at the end of the year.
Amidst the vast changes in Gymkhana, the spirit to have remained constant is that of SAPIENTIA ET LABOR.
I hope the spirit con nues forever. However, now is the call for rowing against the de as the 'Powers That
Be' have taken up the cudgels against SCRA. Now is the me for the experienced to guide and the youth to
fight. No be er service may be done to this place than making efforts to raise it from ashes.
Let the Gymkhana flag fly high. Let the enthusiasm and energy of SCAs con nue endlessly. Let the SAMs
and SIMIs keep showering Gym with their affec on. Let the words reverberate in the darkest hour to guide
this ship forever -
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Minutes of the Annual General Mee ng of the Jamalpur Associa on on 14.02.2015
1) 84 members a ended the mee ng.
2) The house mourned the sad demise of
a) Shri K B Kapur '47
b) Shri A K Sawhney '58
3) Shri Hemant Kumar '73 Member (Mechanical), Railway Board, the seniormost working SAM
present, was unanimously elected as the President of JA, and invited to chair the mee ng.
4) Shri M S Mathur '73 was unanimously elected the Vice President of JA.
5) Shri A K Pandey '81 was unanimously elected the Trustee of JA.
6) Shri Utkarsh '98 was unanimously elected as the Secretary of JA.
7) Shri Mohit Tewari '2k10 was asked to conduct the mee ng as Treasurer, JA.
8) The mee ng was called to order by Shri Utkarsh'98, Secretary, JA.
9) The minutes of the last JA mee ng, held on 14.02.2014, were read and unanimously passed.
10) A brief report on ac vi es of Jamalpur Associa on in the past one year was presented, which
included the sale of inventory in Jamalpur as well as outside and the payment of pension to the
widow of Upinder Majhi (Natu), the mess worker who passed away in early 2011.
11) The accounts of Jamalpur Associa on were read.
12) Shri A K Banerjee '55 asked about the amount of Rs 1,04,000/- that had been shown as income.
He asked whether it was some fixed source of income that was regularly earned.
13) Shri Mohit Tewari '2k10 responded that this amount had been contributed by the previous year's
Golden Jubilee batch, the 1964 batch, and that it did not represent a regular source of income as
such.
14) Shri A K Banerjee '55 further ques oned whether the Jamalpur Associa on was registered as a
Charitable Non-Profit Organiza on.
15) Shri H N Gupta '56 stated that, to be registered as a Charitable Organiza on, it was first necessary
to obtain a Permanent Account Number (PAN).
16) Shri Hemant Kumar '73 suggested that registra on as a Non-Profit Organiza on should be
followed up as soon as possible.
17) Shri H N Gupta '56 said that registra on as a Non-Profit Organiza on required a set of bye-laws.
18) Shri Hemant Kumar '73 replied that JA already had a set of acceptable bye-laws, and that these
were sufficient for the registra on process.
19) Shri Nikhilesh Jain '65 asked what the objec ve of Jamalpur Associa on is, as it would need to be
properly defined for registering the Associa on as a Society.
20) Shri Hemant Kumar '73 replied that they were outlined in the JA bye-laws.
21) Shri Nikhilesh Jain '65 asked if they should be revised, to be made more relevant.
22) Shri Hemant Kumar '73 said that another JA mee ng was necessary for this. Changes would need
to be circulated to the members beforehand, so that they could be prepared. Then, clauses could
be changed, added or deleted as required.
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
23) Shri A K Banerjee '55 ques oned that when a batch contributes to the JA, where that contribu on is
accounted.
24) Shri Hemant Kumar '73 stated that it was going to the Jamalpur Associa on treasury.
25) Shri Vijay Kanwar '55 asked who was funding the hospitality to guests, including meals.
26) Shri M S Mathur '73 answered that the funding was done by the members of Jamalpur Gymkhana, as
well as SAMs posted in Jamalpur.
27) Shri A K Banerjee '55 said that his batch's contribu on should be in favour of the General Secretary's
fund, and requested to know the mechanics of the transfer involved.
28) Shri Chiranjiv Singh '55 men oned that his batch had made a contribu on to the General Secretary's
budget 10 years previously, when they were the Golden Jubilee Focal Batch. The batch did not want to
give any amount to the Jamalpur Associa on Treasury.
29) Shri H N Gupta '56 added that this prac ce had also been followed by his batch the following year, and
a sum had been given to the General Secretary.
30) Shri Vijay Kanwar '55 asked whether one could write a cheque in favour of the General Secretary to
make this contribu on.
31) Shri Nikhilesh Jain '65 said that, even if there is a bank account to which such a contribu on can be
made, then there may be several accoun ng and withdrawal hurdles involved.
32) Shri H N Gupta '56 asked the General Secretary whether any bank account existed in his name.
33) The General Secretary, Shri Shashwat Gupta '2k10, stated that there was no bank account in the name
of the General Secretary.
34) Shri Tanmay Mehta '83 said that all transac ons were done in cash, as various issues arose with the
deposit and withdrawal of money into a bank account.
35) Shri Nikhilesh Jain '65 said that, if the guidelines of JA did not allow for the withdrawal or transfer of
money for a par cular purpose, then many problems would arise.
36) Shri Alok Johri '72 proposed to the Chair to conclude discussions at present, and to allow the
Director/IRIMEE and the CWM/JMP to oversee the se ng up of a Society. A report on this ma er
could be given at a later date.
37) Shri Hemant Kumar '73 agreed, and said that the dona ons to the Gymkhana Treasury were outside
the purview of the JA, and hence, discussions about it should also be excluded from the mee ng.
38) Shri Nikhilesh Jain '65 said that the old members should also be required to pay something for the
con nuance of their membership, and that this should be an ongoing exercise. Money should be
collected not just from new members but also from old members.
39) Shri Hemant Kumar '73 stated that the Life Subscrip on amount for JA was men oned in the Annual
Report, and that it was up to the JA to revise these amounts from me to me.
40) Shri Hemant Kumar '73 said that the accounts be passed. This was unanimously accepted.
41) Awards:
· Rohit Vohra Trophy awarded to Shri Rallapalli Dayal Sriharsha [SCA 2010 Batch].
· 1949 Batch Trophy: awarded to Shri Varun Shankar [SCA 2010 Batch].
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
· John Mathan Award awarded to Shri Shashwat Gupta [SCA 2010 Batch].
· 1942 Batch Awards
It consists of silver medals which are awarded to the winner of the following:
a) P N Kaul Shield awarded to Shri Devesh Sharma [SCA2009 Batch]
b) Mahadevan Shield awarded to Shri Ashish Gupta [SCA2009 Batch]
c) Jolly Shield awarded to Shri Priyansh K. Agarwal [SCA 2009 Batch]
d) Jerath Shield awarded to Shri Devesh Sharma [SCA 2009 Batch]
· 1959 Batch Award awarded to Shri Ashish Gupta [SCA 2009 Batch].
· L.R. Gosain Award awarded to Miss Poonam Kumari Saha [SCA 2013 Batch].
· M.K. Kapur Award awarded to Shri Aditya Sharma [SCA 2009 Batch].
· J.A. Award awarded to Shri Paras Mehendira a [SCA 2009 Batch].
· 1984 batch Awards
a) Arvind Mohan Trophy awarded to: Shri Prachi Lincon Patra [SCA 2010 Batch].
b) Naval Kishore Trophy awarded to: Shri Varun Shankar [SCA 2010 Batch].
42) Shri Hemant Kumar '73 proposed to the House that awards for SCAs' performance in any field
should be given at the IRIMEE Annual Func on in order to bring SCAs' achievements to much
wider no ce.
43) Shri S Sarkar '87 expressed his gra tude to all concerned for the warm hospitality given to all the
guests. He said that this was one of the best Club Days he had seen, on account of the warmth of
the invita ons, the arrangements made, and the old stalwarts with whom he had been able to
renew his acquaintance.
44) Shri J L Singh '65 raised a ques on about those awards for which no expenditure was listed.
45) Shri Hemant Kumar '73 answered that these awards are for the final year batch of Gymkhana, and
hence these awards could not be given the previous year, as there was no final year batch.
46) Shri A K Banerjee '55 proposed a Vote of Thanks to the Chair, which was unanimously passed.
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Best of SAM
The Subtle Difference
(Reprinted from SAM Club Day '76)
- S.S. Kochak '36
The birth of Gymkhana raised a controversy, which is by now just as old, and we would soon be, if I may say so,
th
celebra ng the golden jubilee of this controversy on 14 Feb 1977. Before coming to all this all-important
controversy I would like to repeat a joke I read during the last world war. An American soldier on the Burma
front wrote to his girlfriend in the states that he had found a nice girl in Burma. Promptly came a le er to his
friend in the States asking what she has got that I haven't got. The soldier replied politely and said, except she
has got it here! Well, the difference was very subtle but very important.
Now coming to the controversy I am actually referring to the lot of steam that has been let off about what is so
special about this special class of men on the railways of which they are so proud and what is wrong with the
rest of the crowd who have had spent a lot of their father's money to equip themselves for working in the
railways. I personally don't think there is anything very much right with the special class of people or anything
very much wrong with the rest of the crowd. It may look a bit prejudicial to the reader in the first instance but I
would like to clarify this subtle difference by that one is born in the family of a goldsmith and picks up the trade
and the other has come through some I.T.I. trade training of a goldsmith for the same job.
Let us now look at the other side of the story. What is the essence of railway working and what makes it work
well and efficiently. Those who have played games and have listened to the running commentary on the
recent victory of India over Pakistan in the third world cup hockey would have realized that it is a teamwork
and mind you, it is the teamwork of not only the players but the rest of them involved like the manager, coach,
trainer etc. to prove my point, I would remind readers of the last minute change that was made by bringing in
Aslam Sher in place of Kindo in the dying minutes of our semi-final match against Malaysia in this very
tournament and Aslam Sher shot a goal off a penalty corner and saved the day for us, when in extra me we
got the winner. Team spirit is thus the most aspect of any such organiza ons as the Railways for efficient
working.
Now what is the spirit behind the team spirit? I would like to call it an emo onal involvement or in other words
something going into your very life blood. It is a very common thing that when a child stands near a railway
track and sees a fast train running off, he gets a special thrill. Of a er long years of service in the Railways and
even a er long years of re rement, you happen to be standing near a railway track in your old age and see a
fast train running off and you s ll get that thrill, you've got what it takes to be a part of the team of the
Railways. In fact the Railway has gone into your very blood stream and you are emo onally involved with the
Railways.
This emo onal involvement with the Railways is so deep rooted that nothing can shake it off. Whatever good
or bad may happen to you in your service on the Railways and whatever may be the type of people. You
develop an affinity for them in spite of their bad quali es and you start over-looking their weaknesses and
making use of their good quali es for the good of the Railways.
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
We can now clearly see how important this emo onal involvement is for making a good railway man. I
would now come to the point which I wanted to men on in the beginning. There is a certain stage at
which emo onal maturity starts awakening and that is the best me for the impingement of any
par cular type of emo onal involvement on an individual. This is just about the age and the period when
young and raw models of clay are chucked into Gymkhana for being moulded in the four forma ve years
there they are not only shaped but heat treated, coloured and designed to become good ar cles of
po ery very much in demand.
In contrast to this, young men who spent these four years elsewhere in universi es or in engineering
colleges before dri ing into the Railways, find it almost impossible to get emo onally involved with the
Railways. They are at best good railways employees; they are never the Railway itself, whereas 'Sams' are
the Railway itself. It can be seen that the difference all too important and is several hundred mes more
valuable than the cost of this shaping and moulding by the Railways.
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Awards
· The Don Juan Award to PA '2k11 for his first-of-their-kind photographs in Goa with ladies of various
na onali es, and, alleged one-sided-as-the-Mobius-Strip roman c rela onships ex-Gymkhana.
There have been no replies to his le ers to Milan, Cornwall or Mumbai.
· The Mr. Moustache Award to AKM '2k11 for the various forms his moustache and beard take all
around the year. Seniors appreciate him, batchmates emulate him, and well, juniors just wait for their
facial hair to grow like his. He finds a place in our photograph sec on.
· The Wanderers Award collec vely goes to A, SKM, PBK and M '2k12 for their reless travelling all
about the country during the technical tour. Their enthusias c sojourns gathered expressions of awe
from everyone.
· The Hand of God Award to RN '2k12 for his great skills at Basketball and Badminton. Also for, as
someone wi ly remarked, his vast-ly good fortune.
· The Black Hole Award collec vely goes to GG, SK and VR '2K13 for their consistent efforts towards
stuffing their stomachs throughout the year with as many ghee chapa s as they can, with no visible
sign of them gaining weight.
· The Bhumika Award to AP '2K13 for his excellent skills in developing a pla orm before he speaks out
the main point. This trait is used well in convincing teachers for a day off.
· The World Bank Award to DKM '2k14 for his generous loans day in and day out to anyone in need or
emergency, or anyway.
· The Constant Cri c Award to PV '2k14 for being one of the people hardest to please, be it your voice,
dressing sense or even your accent.
· The Angry Young Man Award to SK '2k14 whose general character matches that of Mr. Bachchan (the
senior one) of yesteryear's cinema. SK can bubble up any moment.
· The I've Adapted Award to OA '2k14 for saving food by just taking a single meal in a day and if one
asks Mr. Beanstalk here how he survives, his standard reply is “I've adapted”.
· The Silence of the Lambs Award to HT '2k14 for ba ling throughout the year with his perennial
problem of mouth blisters forcing him to develop a sign language to communicate as he could not
speak.
· The Complan Boy Award to AT '2k15 for being able to portray the image similar to that of the perfect
boy shown in those Complan adver sements, and whole heartedly doing all work assigned to him,
nodding his head to every statement made to him.
· The Happydent Award to DK '2k15 as he can be seen flaun ng his pearly whites in every condi on,
no ma er if it's on the sports field or just while roaming around.
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Correspondence with the Chief Editor
(Please feel free to contact us with any queries or complaints. Let us know where we are falling short of
mee ng your expecta ons. – Chief Ed.)
<[email protected]>
Dear Mr Secretary,
I have not received the copy 'SAM Club Day 2015' and look forward to it with a li le help from you.
Please do the needful.
Thanks.
RKShukla 54'
51/1/42,
Tegh Bahadur Road III,
Dalanwala.
Dehra Dun 248001.
<Chief Editor>
Respected Sir,
Have you s ll not received a copy of SAM Club Day 2015? If you have not, kindly accept my sincerest
apologies. I will ensure that you are sent a copy at the given address as soon as possible.
Thank you for your pa ence.
<[email protected]>
No not up to now - in fact I have given up hope of ever receiving a reply leave alone a copy.
RKShukla.
<Chief Editor>
Respected Sir,
Kindly accept my most humble apologies for this misdemeanour and abject derelic on on our part in the past.
th
I assure you that I will send you a copy as soon as I return to Jamalpur on 26 October. Due to Durga Puja
holidays, Jamalpur Gymkhana will be devoid of any members for about one week beginning today, and this is
causing me to postpone the dispatch ll next week.
We cherish our alma mater and its alumni and believe that the bond between the two is the strong fabric that
gives meaning to each of them. Their value has not diminished for us, at all.
I hope you find forgiveness for this u er irresponsibility on our side. I assure you that this will not be repeated.
Also kindly take note of my contact number. It is 08521660940. Please feel free to contact me if there is any
other issue you would like to receive or raise for SAM magazine.
I cannot, yet I must, repeat enough my apologies to you.
Thank you.
<[email protected]>
Dear Parth,
I am deeply touched by your reply and respect your feelings and uncondi onally accept your apologies. I
expected this type of response to my earlier mail.
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
So forget my curt reply and let us move on - the present genera on of SAMs are my grandchildren's age so my
affec on for you all is always there.
We have not been to Jamalpur for a very long me and are seriously thinking of coming for the Club Day in
2016.
Best wishes
R.K. Shukla
<Chief Editor>
Respected Sir,
Thank you for your pa ence and forgiveness. I have only recently received the control of SAM-related
correspondence, and hence the ini al reply was late in its arrival.
We would love to host you and your family at the 2016 Club Day. This year, members of 1955 batched graced us
with their presence; I hope you too give us young genera on of Gymkhana an opportunity to host you, come
February 2016.
In case you didn't receive the invite this year, I will forward the address I have of you to the present General
Secretary. I am sure he will do the needful next year.
Kindly confirm the following address and please inform me if there is any detail that may help us in sending any
posts to you –
Mr. R. K. Shukla
51/1/42,
Tegh Bahadur Road III,
Dalanwala.
Dehra Dun 248001
Thank you, Sir.
<[email protected]>
Thanks Parth,
The address is correct. I did not receive any invita on in 2015.
Best wishes.
RKShukla .
<Chief Editor>
Respected Sir,
I have forwarded your address to the present General Secretary. I am confident he will do the needful.
Thank you.
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
<Chief Editor>
Respected Sir,
I had yesterday dispatched the courier consis ng of the magazine. I hope you receive it soon and enjoy reading
the same.
Thank you.
<[email protected]>
Dear Parth,
Thanks a lot for sending the two copies of SAM. They have been received and I enjoyed going through them.
What is the latest news about the recruitment of the 2016 batch?
Best wishes.
RKShukla.
<Chief Editor>
Respected Sir,
It gives me great pleasure to know that you have liked reading SAM.
Sir, about the recruitment of the 2016 batch, there has been no no fica on yet from the UPSC about the
2016 exam. This is an unprecedented delay and if this con nues, there might be no batch in the year 2016.
Hoping that this won't be the case,
Yours sincerely.
15
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
LEAVES FROM A GYMKHANITE'S DIARY
2010 Batch's Tech Tour: Just a er Club Day 2015, the members of the senior-most batch of Gymkhana were
ready to sail on for their technical tour, conquering the industries and visi ng the scenic sites of the southern
India: cu ng through places, dining on south India's cuisines, and enjoying the beaches and the sand. It was
undoubtedly an unforge able experience!
Holi: Last year's Holi brought up the energy levels and wildness in all Gymmies, star ng from the call of sara ra ra
ra to the delicacies, and the beginning of celebra ons from waking up off a splash of water to spor ng
unrecognizable faces by the end of the day. Performing the rituals of Holika Dahan at the Director's residence
and the enjoyment in the pools filled with colorful water at the CWM's residence will well-established memories
in the minds of the Gymmies. We hope to have the same fun and frolic next year.
Chinese Dinner: Darwin said, “Adapt or perish.” Well, Gymkhanites are not new to this theory; Mr. S. C. Sengupta
'61 gi ed us with a set of chops cks to understand the Chinese culture. We organized a gala dinner with Chinese
ambience and food in the dining hall promo ng the Chinese culture. Selfies posted on Facebook and Instagram
ensured that the world knew that we had arrived with a new yummy way of being mul cultural.
Basketball Tournament: No game had ever garnered more excitement than Football un l this tournament was
finally organized. Thumps of the basketball resounded all through the evenings; high tension games with dark
horses and underdogs popping out of nowhere; sudden twists, unbelievable dunks, and li le clashes made the
tournament a huge hit.
2k10 Batch Gradua on Ceremony: The four-year journey of the members of the 2010 batch as SCAs came to an
end on 8 August 2015, as all 14 of them bid us farewell! Rest of the Gymmies took it upon themselves to come up
with an absorbing show for them as part of the Parents' Day programme. The customary farewell tradi ons of
tossing were followed and it was an emo onal moment for us all.
Joining of Firstees: The most unexpected thing that happened in August was the arrival of only 10 firstees in
Gymkhana. And to our and their nightmare, only 6 of them (with no lady) finally joined. One could only imagine
their mindsets at that point of me, but most seniors showered their love and affec on to them and so, the 6
new members have finally joined our ranks.
JSA: JSA was rela vely a happy hun ng ground for Gymkhana's Football team the past year. Suffice it to say that
their performance seemed improved. They did win their first match by 2-0. We have no memory of what
happened in the matches a er that. We don't want to remember.
th
Independence Day: 15 August brought out fervent na onalism in everyone as the whole of front lawn
resounded with patrio c songs and everyone got out of their beds early for the flag hois ng and award
distribu on ceremony at Gymkhana, followed by a similar func on at IRIMEE. The tricolored rice served
in lunch was a unique innova on in the food that day.
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Janmashtami: The birth of Lord Krishna was celebrated with vigour by organizing matki-phod in the
quadrangle. The boys, with their bravado, formed a human ladder to burst the matki while the ladies
con nued to foil their a empts by jol ng the rope, making it tougher for the boys. At last, as always, the
matki was broken, causing bu er and chocolates to rain down on Gymkhanites.
Unity Run: All of Gymkhana, led by the faculty members of IRIMEE wearing white t-shirts and trousers, ran
the distance between Jamalpur Gymkhana and Yantrik Niwas on the roads of the railway colony as part of
the 'Run for Unity' event. The run was flagged off by Mr. A. K. Gupta '76, Director, IRIMEE.
Club Entry: To become a part of Gymkhana culture and its members, our firstees had to fight the way by
running 25 rounds of the sports field. Well, some of them found it highly challenging but were able to run
through with prac cally the whole of Gymkhana running with them and mo va ng them with various
slogans. A er their entry, we celebrated the event by dancing in the club and a big-table-dinner in the
dining hall.
Diwali: To everybody's surprise, Diwali, even before its arrival induced a compe ve spirit among many
Gymkhanites to decorate their respec ve lobbies or rooms with lights. On that day, everybody was
enthusias c to dress themselves in the best possible tradi onal a res. Soon a er the puja of Goddess
Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha was over, everybody was found struggling to get their perfect snaps clicked in
front of the beau ful Rangoli (made in front of the central staircase). Diwali delicacies and sweets were
prepared for the dinner party along with the tradi onal color pallet; fireworks war was declared with
rockets and bombs being burst with everyone ge ng divided into three war groups. Overall, the fes val of
light truly lightened up Gymkhana and filled us with life.
Visit of Dignitaries: The past year, Gymkhanites had the pleasure of hos ng several dignitaries like Mr. B. M.
Shyam Singh '60 and Mr. V. Anand '62. We also had the pleasure of mee ng Mrs. Indira Swaminathan,
daughter of the first Indian Director of IRIMEE, Mr. R.V. Sitaraman, who visited us with her two
granddaughters - Rukhmini and Helen.
New Year Celebra ons: The New Year was welcomed by Gymmies dancing to the latest numbers,
organising a special dinner along with a bonfire in the Quadrangle to drive away the chilly cold December.
The senior-most batch was away on their technical tour and the ac ng senior-most batch was a ending the
func on at the Officer's Club, Jamalpur. The most exci ng part was the successive rounds of singing and
mimicries that con nued ll the ambers lasted in the bonfire.
17
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19
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
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GALLERY : A Photo Feature
2k10 Batch On Tech Tour
Holi Molly!
Washed Out
Chinese Dinner
25
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Parents' Day
Swansong
Firstees
A Squad Like No Other
26
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Going Behind Again
Muscle Man
Fly High
United We Run
27
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Ge ng Captured In Diwali
Hos ng
Mr. B. M. Shyam Singh '60
Hos ng
Mrs. Indira Swaminathan
In conversa on
with Mr. V. Anand '62
28
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
New Year Celebra ons
Going the Recluse's Way
Our I nerant Chief Ed.
with Mr. Pankaj Kumar '73
Then again with Mr. and
Mrs. V. Narayanan '55
29
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Seniority Across Batches
Editorial Board
Keepers of Tradi ons
Wish You Were Here
30
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Club Day 2015 Report
- Poonam Kumari Saha '2k13
As per the culture of Jamalpur Gymkhana, Club Day is organized every year. It is the occasion when old
Gymkhanites meet and cheer their moments of youth spent in Gymkhana. Also, it is the me for the current
Gymkhanites to prepare themselves and showcase their various talents: cultural, managerial, interpersonal
skills, fine arts, photography, etc.
Though the weather in January was cold, everybody perspired in pu ng in their best efforts to make the Club
Day a success.
This year, 1955 batch was the Diamond Jubilee focal batch. Members of this batch who a ended the Club Day
were Mr. Chiranjiv Singh, Mr. Vijay Kanwar, Mr. V. Narayanan, Mr. G. K. Khare and Mr. A. K. Banerji. The 1965
batch was the Golden Jubilee batch. We had Mr. Jayanta Ghosh, Mr. Nikhilesh Jain, Mr. J. T. Verghese, Mr. J. L.
Singh, Mr. R. K. Rao, Mr. Pratap Srivastava, and Mr. M. L. Gill from this batch. The 1985 batch was the Silver
Jubilee batch from which Mr. Manobendra Ghoshal and Mr. Shankar Mazumdar a ended the func on. We
also had the pleasure of hos ng members of 1972 batch - Mr. Alok Johri, Mr. Arvind Khare, Mr. Rajiv Chandra,
and Mr. Rakesh Misra. Mr. A. K. Kansal and Mr. Hemant Kumar (Member Mechanical), two of the members of
1973 batch, apart from Mr. M. S. Mathur (Director, IRIMEE) also a ended the func on.
th
All of Gymkhana became alert with the arrival of the first guest at the midnight of 13 February, 2015. A er
that, Gymkhanites in navy trousers and coats were on their mission: some of them were busy receiving their
respec ve guests, some were busy in the dining hall accompanying their guests for breakfast, and some,
behind the scenes, were busy in coordina ng all the ac vi es.
th
The K. C. Lal Memorial at IRIMEE was organized. This was followed by dinner at 1, Camp Road. On the 14 of
February, the much awaited fete was held at Gymkhana a er the Annual Day func on at IRIMEE. Unlike the
previous year, the weather was clear this year and rains couldn't come between SAMs, Gymkhanites and fun.
Games and dance went together in harmony. Rickshaw race and Tug-of-War filled the atmosphere with
camaraderie. SAM magazine's Club Day 2015 issue was also released during the fete. Lunch was organized in
the quadrangle. This was followed by Jamalpur Associa on's Annual General mee ng which was marked by
enthusias c par cipa on from all SAMs present. Technical Society's photo exhibi on in the evening
reminded old Gymmies of their stay at Gymkhana. High Tea was held in the front lawn. The guests then
proceeded for the cultural programme. The audience appreciated the cultural events with resounding
applause.
th
On 15 February, we bid farewell to all our guests, a er the customary tossing in the front lawn and a group
photograph of all the members and guests present. We were all le with a sense of void with the departure of
the last guest. All in all, Gymkhana saw another Club Day pass and its terraco a walls now register refreshed
friendships and new rela onships between the old and the new genera ons of Indian Railways.
31
CLUB DAY 2015
Arrival of Guests
K. C. Lal Memorial
Seminar
Dinner at 1, Camp Road
Felicitated
32
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Mr. Hemant Kumar '73,
Member Mechanical
Final Year Projects
Back To School
Sports Fete
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Point and Shoot
Cakes and Ale
Inaugura on of SAM
Club Day 2015
Rickshaw Race
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SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Pull!
Everyone, Everyone!!
Smiles All Around
Photo Exhibi on
35
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Lit Up!
Gracefully Cut
Gym Band
Hindi Play
36
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Emo onless
Qawwali
Mrs. V. Narayanan '55
Bidding Farewell
37
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
1985 Batch Contribu on
on Club Day ‘15
The 1955 Batch
The 1965 Batch
The 1972 Batch
38
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Au Revoir to 2k10
Prachi Lincon Patra – The batch senior, Lincon, was a serious student – as proved
1
by his CGPA - and a good sportsperson – he was the Cricket captain and won the Arvind
Mohan Trophy. An enthusias c Footballer as well, our reserved, yet affable Gym
senior represented Gymkhana in its Football and Cricket teams at Jamalpur Sports
Associa on tournaments. His characteris c repartee was pleasant for everyone
around. PLP could be relied upon for sagacious advice whenever a junior approached
him for it.
2
Vivek – With an impressive CGPA of 8.7 at BIT, Mesra, and the batch topper in
school as well as in workshop, Vivek was clearly a serious academic. His physicality
and stamina are such that at Jamalpur Sports Associa on matches, he always led
the team's a ack, midfield and defense. This gave him the well deserved sobriquet
“One Man Army”. Besides being a good racquet-wielder with his drops and smashes
on the Badminton court, this ingenious man was widely known for his simplicity. A
hermit to the spirit, Vivek was always ready to lend his ears to whoever wanted his
me.
Shashwat Gupta – He was the literary mind of his batch, interested in reading
3
everything under the sun. Our Chief Editor also liked to write, which won him the
John Mathan Award for Crea ve Wri ng. He liked to solve crosswords and word
jumbles, besides being a keen Billiards, Snooker, Bridge and Chess player. Squash
and Badminton occupied the limited me our General Secretary could eke out from
his busy schedule for sports. All in all, SG was a helpful junior, batchmate and senior.
Raunak Gupta – The ar st of his batch, he enjoyed sketching and pain ng,
4
besides having learnt the Guitar star ng from scratch in his final year. Another of his
passions was Computer Gaming. Our Indoor Games Secretary spent most of his
me sketching and composing Guitar solos, apart from being a keen cueist at
billiards and snooker. His other interests include playing cards and board games. RG,
first the Junior, and then Senior Auditor had a sharp eye for the accounts brought to
him and his signatures gave the assurance of mathema cal correctness.
39
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Vikram Singh Koli – VSK, the Sports Secretary from his batch, was a constant
5
presence on the sports field, especially a regular at Football. Besides, he was an
eager Table- and Lawn Tennis player and an excellent cueist. A good host of cultural
evenings and also a budding poet, he liked to indite Hindi verses, and was an
enthusias c music-lover, with music blaring out incessantly from the speakers in his
room. Accolades to his resolu on, he was s ll learning to play the Guitar in his fourth
year. He could be found si ng on the Eastern Terrace with his fingers busy
strumming the instrument and any passer-by could be asked to guess the song from
the tune being played. Our Mess Treasurer's accounts were perfect to the decimal.
Mohit Tewari – The wit of the batch, MT could send anyone into splits with his 6
jokes and impromptu mimicry. Our Editor and Gymnasium Captain, he was a regular
presence in the gymnasium. His jokes have brought laughter to various cultural
events. He enjoyed playing Football, Badminton and Tennis, and had taken up Golf
in his final year here. As Chairman of the Managing Commi ee, he held fast to his
views about the improvement of Gymkhana and brought about much appreciated
changes.
7 Rallapalli Dayal Sriharsha – RDS, or RDX as he was popularly known, loved to play
Billiards and Snooker, and could always be found with a cue-s ck in hand, tes ng
and improving his skills. This led to him winning the Rohit Vohra Memorial Billiards
Trophy in 2015. His skill with the Badminton racquet was uncontested, not to
men on his other interests, which are as varied as Table Tennis, sketching and
playing the Flute. He was also a soulful singer, not to men on his wi cisms that can
be the life and soul of a gathering.
Varun Shankar – Varun's name in Gymkhana was synonymous with culturals.
8
Understandably, he was the Cultural Secretary, and his tenure saw a highly
applauded and appreciated Club Day cultural programme. He is a skilled player of a
number of musical instruments, including the Guitar, the Synthesizer and Drums. He
was the winner of the 1949 Batch trophy for excellence at cultural performances. A
very popular senior with his junior batches, VS also loved to play Football, Squash
and Basketball. Being the captain, he wielded the Table Tennis bat with dexterity
and was the winner of the inaugural Naval Kishore Trophy for Table Tennis in 2015.
40
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Priyamvada Dev – The sole lady of the batch had a variety of hobbies and
9
interests. These included Basketball and Badminton, reading novels, and
occasionally pain ng and sketching. She also greatly improved her skill at Billiards in
her final year, winning the Mixed Doubles Billiards Tournament. On the cultural
front, she was o en seen in the dance performances or as the emcee at various
cultural evenings, including on the Club Day. She also tried her hand at the
Synthesizer.
Alok Kumar Maurya – A keen Footballer, he represented Gymkhana at Football
10
matches at Jamalpur Sports Associa on. Being an ardent lover of Indian music, he
dabbled with the Flute. His enthusias c dance steps alone could make him
popular at a party, and his charm and sense of humour were unmatched. He could
li spirits with his innocuous wit. His portrayals of eccentric sages in Club Day
plays was the outstanding feature of the en re performance and he always
received resounding applauds for the same. His dedica on towards 'Prerna'
ac vi es exuded his compassion. He was an ardent reader of novels and could
always be counted upon for a great company. Excellent at Badminton (he was the
captain), AKM also played Tennis whenever he could. He was one third of the
Trident – the other two being AK and TA '2k10 – a group that nearly covered the
length and breadth of the country during their appren ceship.
11
Abhinav Sonkar – From the very start, Abhinav was all muscle: sports like Football
(he was in the JSA Football team for Gymkhana), Squash, Badminton, Volleyball, and
almost all ac vi es afforded by Gymkhana to its members. He will be well-
remembered for his fast-paced, unconven onal dance rou nes, and for the Tabla,
which he played really well. He was popular for his Santa-Banta acts (along with MT
'2k10) at cultural programmes, where his an cs had the audience in splits. AS was a
lover of Gymkhana's tradi ons and was a guide in this regard to all his juniors.
41
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
Pratap Singh – Rather shy and quiet, Pratap, our Book Bank and Comic Club
12
Secretary, was always a serious and conscien ous student. He spent most of his
me surrounded by newspapers or books. When not with his tomes, he could be
found flexing his muscles in the gym, singing roman c songs, listening to music or
watching movies. His interest in reading and wri ng Hindi literature bagged him the
first posi on in the 'Rajbhasha Hindi Nibandh Pra yogita' organized by IRIMEE.
Abhilash Kumar – Thinking of Abhilash, several points pop up immediately into
13
one's mind: his characteris c toothy grin that revealed his mischiefs; his love for
quizzing; and his enthusias c par cipa on in sports like Badminton, Basketball
(he was the Basketball captain), Squash (he was also the Squash captain) and
Football; his interest in chess; and shoo ng. Abhilash took to shoo ng early on,
and has won numerous medals at various levels, including the Bihar State, Eastern
Zone as well as the Na onals. His fields of interest include Astronomy. Our
Technical Society Secretary was a great company to have.
Tushar Aditya – Words only limit Tushar, so varied were his interests: reading
14
books and watching various T.V. series and movies on Indian mythology, listening
to music, playing golf, travelling, and of course, surfing the internet. On the sports
field, he preferred racquet games, especially Badminton. His sense of humour and
his me culousness are a hallmark well remembered by all who have met him. Our
scrupulous and painstakingly punc lious Joint General Secretary had a deep-
seated interest in Workshop Technology. We wish this budding poet all the very
best for the future!
42
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
INTERVIEW OF THE DIRECTOR
(The interviewee, Mr. M.S. Mathur '73, was the previous Director of IRIMEE)
Interviewed in August 2015 by Parth Adhikari '2k11 and Poonam Kumari Saha '2k13
Mr. M. S. Mathur '73, former Director, IRIMEE.
PA '2k11: Sir, having spent your en re career serving the railways, how do you feel looking back at the journey
from being an SCA at IRIMEE to superannua ng from the same place 41 years later?
MSM '73: I got the chance to work in various fields: designing, manufacturing, produc on, inspec on,
maintenance. It has been a very sa sfying career in the pres gious job of railways.
PKS '2k13: Do you feel that tradi ons define Gymkhana or is it the other way round?
MSM '73: Yes, tradi ons define Gymkhana.
PA '2k11: With modern mes, is it the need of the hour that some modifica ons be made to tradi ons so they
do not become mere obliga ons?
MSM '73: Dress regula ons and table manners taught to Gymkhanites are very good. The incoming batch in
Gymkhana is made familiar with its tradi ons and rules and regula ons by the senior batches through a training
regimen. Ini ally, the training might seem tough, but later on, when they realize the significance of those rules
and regula ons, they not only follow these themselves, but also pass them on to their incoming juniors.
However, the present me discourages the deep involvement of seniors into juniors' life. So, appoin ng an
external agency for the formal training of the Gymkhanites may turn out to be a good op on. It can train them
how to behave in par es or social gatherings, how to use cutlery, etc.
43
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
PKS '2k13: According to your opinion, is the current behavioral a ributes of SCAs suitable in light of the
responsibili es which they are likely to hold in the future?
MSM '73: SCAs face problems in understanding the ac vi es being performed at the various shops
without proper guidance of the respec ve Senior Sec on Engineers of the shops. But even when they get
that guidance, they don't merely have to stand and learn the theory; rather, they should make themselves
aware about how the theore cal learning is put into prac ce: how the workers work in the shops when
they don't fear any inspec on, how many effec ve hours they work, etc. This is the beauty of the workshop
training meant for SCAs. And as far as the quality of the workshop training is concerned, the problems
encountered by SCAs should be brought to light so that arrangements of classes before workshop training
can be made. Sending 2k10 batch for training in welding to Parel workshop and that in foundry to Na onal
Ins tute of Forge and Foundry, Ranchi was effec ve in enhancing their technical exper se. The grooming
of SCAs should be such that they stand out from the crowd.
PA '2k11: Does the limited exposure of SCAs, endemic to the scheme because of Gymkhana's loca on,
restrict their social life?
MSM '73: Yes, I agree that staying in Jamalpur limits the exposure provided to SCAs to some extent. But as
they have money available in their hands at a very young age, staying in Jamalpur keeps them away from
vices; they stay focused only on studies and sports.
PKS '2k13: The occasion of Club Day has become the sole pla orm for the alma mater to relive old days.
Should more such occasions be organized?
MSM '73: I think that one Club Day is sufficient. Club Day prepara ons take nearly a month of dedicated
work. Further, SCAs also organize gradua on ceremony every year. So, organizing more func ons may lead
to diversion from training in SCAs.
PA '2k11: Sir, to run Gymkhana more smoothly, should autonomy of all decisions to be given exclusively to
the senior-most batch?
MSM '73: The senior-most batch and the SAMs present in Jamalpur should perform their separate roles
in ensuring that the healthy tradi ons of the Gymkhana are con nued and followed. I s ll follow many
prac ces which I used to follow when I was an SCA in Gymkhana. Ge ng properly dressed for coming
to the dining hall for meals is a good prac ce.
PKS'2k13: How important is it for an SCA to strike the perfect balance between academics and co-
curricular ac vi es?
44
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
MSM '73: It is very important to strike a perfect balance and it is certainly not a healthy prac ce to neglect
academics to pursue other ac vi es. Time is changing and people outside Gymkhana view the SCRA
scheme in a different light. They have high expecta ons from SCAs and envy that the Indian Railway spends
heavily on their studies and grooming. Therefore, SCAs should make use of the excellent resources
available to them and use their me judiciously. They should excel in academics and sports, and should
focus on personality development.
PA '2k11: Sir, in many people's opinion, the SCRA scheme is no longer worth con nuing, and we need to
broaden the pool. What is your say on it?
MSM '73: The type of training that SCAs go through differen ates them from students of a regular
engineering college. Besides focusing on their studies, rigorous workshop training and personality
development are given importance here. This makes them a class by themselves. If this aim of the
training is met, there is no harm in con nuing the SCRA scheme. Otherwise, fooling the administra on
is like fooling yourself.
PKS'2k13: Sir, do you think that all cadres or services of the Indian Railways should have a scheme like
SCRA?
45
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
MSM '73: Yes, I think so.
PA'2k11: The recent trend shows most of the SCAs are IITians. Do you think that affilia on with BIT, Mesra,
for gradua on degree is mee ng the academic exper se?
MSM '73: The affilia on with BIT, Mesra is not mee ng the quality of educa on of SCAs to the fullest. But,
something is be er than nothing. It gives them the degree of Bachelor of Engineering, which is recognized
by the UGC. The issue of permanent faculty for teaching SCAs needs our considera on so that quality of
educa on can be improved.
PKS '2k13: Sir, what do you miss the most about your four years' stay in Jamalpur Gymkhana as an
appren ce?
MSM '73: I had a very good me as an SCA in Gymkhana. I was only disappointed with the sub-standard
teaching classes that were provided to us back then. We used to study on our own most of the me, but
that was s ll to our advantage, seeing the academic achievements many of us have had. I s ll follow many
prac ces that I picked up while at Gymkhana 41 years ago. They have come to serve me greatly in my
career. I wish the same for you two and all SCAs that will join our fraternity in the coming me.
(We would like to wish Mr. M. S. Mathur our very best for the mes to come. Mr. and Mrs. Mathur were
kind enough to host members of 2011 batch at their residence in Badhwar Park in Mumbai early this year.
Mr. Mathur's contribu ons to Gymkhana and his efforts towards the improvement of the condi ons
provided to SCAs, both at IRIMEE and Gymkhana will not be forgo en any me soon. Thank you, Sir. You
are a stalwart. – Chief Ed.)
46
TRAVELOGUE
Tawshiltan - Part1
- Pranjal Mishra '2k9
October, 2015: It was the last leg of our Proba on training and red though we were, the fact that it was
the end of a year-and-a-half long honeymoon imbued us with some newfound energy. We'd planned on
visi ng the pris ne North-East this me. Ours was a group of five, when we set out. But it was not meant to
be: Soon cruel fate had its way and one among the pentad fell sick and had to re re mid-way. The Quartet
th
mulled over “Why does it have to be us?” for the n me. (Although, later it turned out that four was
actually the best fit for the trip.) We'd boarded different trains, but we landed in Guwaha ('GHY' from now
on) at around the same me.
Stop 1: Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh (AP)
Visi ng Tawang was never the natural consensual choice of the group. What was surprising was that there
were no advocators for it either. It just so happened that we decided that it was then or never that we'd be
going to Tawang in our lives.
Visi ng Tawang requires one to have two things: a special Inner line Government permit for visi ng AP and
a helicopter booking. ('Pawan Hans' run helicopters ferry tourists and officials from GHY to Tawang, but are
not very dependent: last minute cancella ons are common). In case the la er cannot be arranged, one
requires a gut of steel to brace a 350 kilometres, 15-hour long ride on a rugged terrain, in a car without a
suspension system of any sort. Upon enquiry, we found that the helicopter bookings could not be made in
convenience with our schedule: “We would have to while away 3 days around GHY before a copter can take
us. No way we're wai ng that long! The cab it is.”
The nearest airport is in Tezpur and the farthest a train can take you is to Rangapara. Although Tawang can
mesmerize with its beauty no ma er when one decides to visit, May-June and Oct.-Nov. are among the
be er mes to visit.
The permits are another issue. One can apply for them in GHY or in Tezpur, which lies on the border of
Assam and AP. Based on what we had learnt from the Internet, the permits could take up to a day or two to
get ready. But this me we got lucky. We chanced upon a state government office in GHY itself, got the
permits made and were on our way within three hours flat. If only this informa on were already available.
We le GHY in the a ernoon.
Tezpur is a comfortable 4-hour drive away from GHY, with regular cab services available during the day. We
stayed the night over in Tezpur, and hit the road early the following morning. (Not to men on the problems
we had with food and lodging in Tezpur, probably because of the me at which we arrived.)
Almost all the vehicles for Tawang are the SUV or Mountain vehicle type (TATA SUMOs, Mahindra
Scorpios and the like). It takes about 15 hours to get to Tawang from Tezpur. The route followed is
Tezpur-Bhalukpong-Bomdila-Dirang-Tawang And it is common to see people stopping over at Bomdila .
or Dirang for a day or two, and con nuing onward from there. The drivers make the trip on one day
and head back on the next. Consequently, as already men oned, the vehicles are devoid of any
suspension system. Most tourists share taxis and we got our vehicle with room le for just four more
people.
47
SAM CLUB DAY ‘16
The roads leading up to Tawang are maintained by the BRO (Border Roads Organisa on), with a series of
Army establishments falling along the way. And though there is nothing much one can do when seated
shoulder-to-shoulder, while the quadruped prances up and down like a wooden horse on a spring, soaking
in the view outside of vast meadows and dense pine and fern laden hillocks that line up frequently against
the moderately vegetated landscapes is a good (and possibly, the only) distrac on.
'Country roads, take me home'
‘To the place I belong.'
The only way one can reach Tawang is through the Sela pass, which is the only high-al tude pass in the
world that is motorable. Sela, with its snow-capped peaks and wide, open habitats is famous for the
exhilara ng views it offers. The valley also a racts sport enthusiasts as it turns into a skiing des na on
during winters. 'Lumta', which are arrays of small coloured flags that are strung up in between tree
branches and are said to bring good fortune, can be seen sca ered all over the scenery along the way and
add some colour to an otherwise brown, ash-coloured background. There are a few rugged patches and
trucks (from nearby Army bases), cascaded in forma on, give a few problems occasionally. It is smooth
running up to that point. The condi on deteriorates once the Sela valley ends. But on the upside, the view
outside becomes increasingly breathtaking by the metre. To a point where s ll-water lakes, reflec ng the
clear skies above and the pine-covered hillocks around, become commonplace!
The pit stops all along the way offer a variety of fruits and foods. Kiwis are a par cular favourite with
tourists, and they are sold at unbelievable prices. (And one cannot tell by looking, but they are almost
never sold ripe: as we learnt a er tearing a packet apart.) We arrived in Tawang in the evening.
48
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