AFVOA Newletters of Year 2013

Page 59 of 61 Happily married to Rita, a primary teacher with KVS and a third generation Chennaite, they have two daughters and four grand children. Nitya and family are settled in USA. Divya and family are settled in Singapore. Joy is actively associated with Y’s Men International (an International NGO serving the community world over). He is currently the District Secretary covering Greater Chennai and Puducherry. He is a life member of Institution of Military Engineers, Institution of Engineers (India), Indian Concrete Institute, United Services Institute (USI), member All India Management Association etc. He has been associated with AFVOA for over 10 years and has been a ready volunteer to help whenever required. Active in Church, Veteran and Social circles they serve the community passionately, enjoying a wholesome and contended life... Capt N Rajan, Treasurer Post commissioning in 1984 from SSC-38 served with 42 Armoured Regiment till 1989. Currently, he is the Vice President with Bank of America, Chennai. Prior to joining Bank of America, he served in various organizations such as Citibank, Aortal, Star TV, Hyundai and iSoft. He leads an active social life and also part of the leading multinational NGO Round Table India for the last 18 years. Active cricket player at club level till date. Happily married to Jayashree for the last 20 years and blessed with a son currently doing last year of schooling. Jayashree is also a banker working with Deutsche Bank as Assistant Vice President at Chennai. DOWN MEMORY LANE VISIT TO THE UK by Lt Gen (Retd) C Sundara Rao, PVSM I took over as DEME (now DGEME) in the rank of Lt Gen in Jul 1970. I received an invitation from my counterpart, DEME, in the UK to visit REME Units. I took the invitation to the COAS, Gen Manekshaw, to seek his approval for the visit in Apr 1971. He suggested that the visit may be planned for Jun 1971. The reason for this was that he had been invited to two functions in the UK in Jun 1971 and as he was not able to attend them himself he desired that I should represent him at these functions. I was highly elated by his act, especially as he could have delegated this duty to our Military Attaché in London, a Maj Gen of the Artillery. Accordingly, I postponed my visit to the UK. The first function was the unveiling of three stained glass windows by Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinlek at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in honour of the Indian Army. Later, when I met the Field Marshal he expressed his surprise as to how my Chief could spare me for this event at that time. When i asked him what was special at that time he replied, “I know of your problems with Pakistan."(He was referring to the period prior to the 1971 war with Pakistan leading to the liberation of Bangladesh). The second function was at St Paul's Cathedral in London, where Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth unveiled a plaque in honour of the Indian Army. Prior to the event, an official of the High Commission of India in the UK, who was seated next to me, looked up at the ceiling and remarked 'how beautiful is the gilded work'. When I remarked that probably the gold had been looted from India, he was dumbstruck!!