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<strong>dehra</strong> <strong>dun</strong><br />
Col. Brown CamBridge SChool<br />
indomitable <strong>Brownian</strong>s at 85<br />
annual alumni meet<br />
november 26, 2011<br />
CBS assembly hall, <strong>dehra</strong> <strong>dun</strong><br />
Souvenir
<strong>dehra</strong> <strong>dun</strong><br />
COl. BrOwn CAmBridge SChOOl<br />
AnnuAl Alumni meet<br />
november 26, 2011, <strong>dehra</strong> <strong>dun</strong><br />
Indomitable <strong>Brownian</strong>s at 85<br />
Dick House, Principal's Office<br />
Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
S.L.Deepak's Chamber, T-1512 Wazir Nagar, Kotla Mubarakpur, New Delhi-110003<br />
Phone : 011-24621613 • E-mail: sldeepakca@gmail.com
<strong>Brownian</strong> Bharat Kohli<br />
Batch 1996<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
2 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
Dear <strong>Brownian</strong>s<br />
From the Editor’s Desk<br />
I am indeed privileged, fortunate and honoured to bring forth<br />
this Souvenir on behalf of Col. Brown Old Boys Association to<br />
commemorate the 85th year of our esteemed School.<br />
Way back in 1926 the visionary Col. William Brown sowed the<br />
seed with five students which over the years has blossomed into<br />
a huge tree with innumerable branches and leaves. The fruits are<br />
manifest in each of the <strong>Brownian</strong>s.<br />
My journey with CBS started on 29th January,1964 when a dignified and charming lady<br />
welcomed us in the School Office whom I have known till date as Lily Ma’am (Ms.<br />
Indu Bala Singh). After a brief test by Ms. B.Huges I was admitted to Std. II and my<br />
elder brother Mohan to Std III. That day is etched in my mind as a vivid dream. After<br />
the wedding of Lily Ma’am in 1966, the administration of the School fell on the young<br />
shoulders of Shail Ma’am ( Ms. Shail Bala Singh).<br />
Rest of my journey with CBS till 1972 is intertwined with innumerable pleasant<br />
memories with the Administrator Shail Ma’am, who also briefly taught us Grammar in<br />
Std.IV, Principal Mr. Narendra Singh, the Headmaster Mr. S.K. Chatterjee, Prep. School<br />
Headmistress Ms. B.Huges, my Std IV Class Teacher Ms. Jasbir Bandeshah (now I am<br />
assisting her with my professional services), Motherly Matron of Sylverton House Ms.<br />
G.Cockhill and many more, as mentioned by Col. Rakesh.S. Sidhu elsewhere in this<br />
Souvenir, who was my contemporary in the School.<br />
My inspiration to compile this Souvenir has flown from the pleasure of reliving the<br />
memories all over once again which I enjoyed thoroughly.<br />
I thank all the <strong>Brownian</strong>s for their support and contribution in bringing forth this Souvenir.<br />
I regret that many of the photographs received could not be included as they were not of<br />
the printable quality and resolution.<br />
I thank the School authorities for their co-operation and support and of course The<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong> Team who stood by my side in this endeavor.<br />
Your suggestions and feedback are welcome at E-mail : sldeepakca@gmail.com<br />
With best wishes and Regards<br />
S.L.Deepak<br />
Editor & Vice President<br />
November 26, 2011 3
With Best Wishes from :<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong> Sunil Sabarwal<br />
Mobile : 9810014016<br />
Email : sunil_sabarwal@yahoo.co.in<br />
Pesco Products<br />
1K-EPIP, Phase-1, Jharmajri 174103, P.O. Baorotiwala,<br />
Tehsil Baddi, Distt Solan, Himachal Pradesh<br />
Tel. +91-1795 320396 | Fax : +91-1795 271877<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
4 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
Grams: BROWN Col. Brown Cambridge School<br />
Phone: 2655233, 2711212, 2711941 Post Box - 31<br />
Fax: 0135-2710578 Dehra<strong>dun</strong> - 248001<br />
E-mail: principal@colbrownschool.com Uttarakhand<br />
PROCTOR’S MESSAGE<br />
It gives me immense pleasure in extending my heartiest congratulations to Col. Brown Old<br />
Boys Association for bringing forth a Souvenir to commemorate the 85th year of Col. Brown<br />
Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>.<br />
Eighty five summers ago the school was founded literally at the foothills of the Himalayas.<br />
The successive generations of the boys who passed through its magnificent stone gate created<br />
their own destiny.<br />
Col. Brown School was the brainchild of Col. William Brown and Mrs. Brown, an Irish<br />
couple with a burning desire to educate the sons of India. An educated, well spoken<br />
gentleman to the core, Col. Brown wanted Indian boys to receive the same education<br />
that was imparted to boys in England. He was extremely fond of sports and was a keen<br />
Hockey player. He put together the school badge with the Shamrock (The national<br />
leaf of Ireland), Lion for courage, Torch for enlightenment of knowledge and CBS with the<br />
Motto “Magna Est Veritas”- Truth is great.<br />
I believe that the <strong>Brownian</strong>s have imbibed in their lives the Motto- Truth is Great.<br />
The School at 85 is gloriously heading towards its first century and on this momentous<br />
occasion I extend my best wishes to the to all the <strong>Brownian</strong>s especially the office bearers of<br />
the <strong>Brownian</strong> Team who have burnt the mid-night oil to bring forth this Souvenir.<br />
With best wishes<br />
Indu Bala Singh<br />
Proctor<br />
November 26, 2011 5
With Best Compliments from:<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong> Gopal Patodia<br />
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Telephone: 0265 2333587 / 2320053<br />
Fax: 0265 2338979<br />
E-mail: pbm@patodiagroup.com<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
6 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
From the President’s Desk<br />
When my parents enrolled me at CBS in 1948 I was put in Prep II for academics,<br />
Headmasters’ House for sports and Sylverton House for lodging. While at CBS<br />
for 8 years it never crossed my mind that my association with the School will be<br />
a lifelong affair. Now I am 70 plus but still passionately involved with my Alma<br />
Mater – for over 6 decades now.<br />
CBS is commemorating 85 years of its heritage. During this period the School<br />
has seen ups and down. We are lucky that our ‘downs’ were afar and few. I can<br />
candidly predict that henceforth CBS is only going ‘up’ and ‘up’. Nothing short<br />
is expected from Indu Bala Singh ( Lily ) and her dedicated team. She herself is<br />
a <strong>Brownian</strong> to the hilt.<br />
On this joyous occasion we must compliment Messrs. Depinder, Avinash, Malkeet,<br />
Chandra Pratap, Randhir, Kirpal, Janak, Rajinder, Prem, Munna, Shailendra and<br />
Deepak who’ve all rendered a yeoman’s service to place ‘The <strong>Brownian</strong>’ at this<br />
high pedestal. We all are obliged Sirs!<br />
I also extend greetings to all <strong>Brownian</strong>s far and wide. May we all have tons of<br />
happiness and miles of sun-shine during 2012.<br />
Brig. Devender S Dhillon<br />
President<br />
Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
November 26, 2011 7
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
With Best Wishes from <strong>Brownian</strong> Rakesh Goel<br />
8 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
Col.T.F.O’ Donnell<br />
Principal – 1942 - 1958<br />
Mr. Abhai Singh,<br />
Principal – 1975 – 2003<br />
PRINCIPALS<br />
Col. William Brown<br />
Founder Principal – 1926 - 1942<br />
Mr. Narendra Singh<br />
Principal – 1958 – 1975<br />
Ms. Indu Bala Singh,<br />
Proctor – 2003 – till date<br />
November 26, 2011 9
With<br />
Best Compliments<br />
From<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong> Rajendra Chahal<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
L-38, Kalkaji, 3rd floor, New Delhi- 110019<br />
Mobile No.: 09871843741, 09312009769<br />
Email: rajendrachahal@rediffmail.com<br />
10 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
Col. Brown Old Boys Association –Our Presidents<br />
Col Malkeet S. Jarg<br />
President - 2001-2003<br />
Chandra Pratap S. Chauhan<br />
President - 2007-2008<br />
Lt. Gen. Depinder Singh<br />
Founder President – 1998 - 2001<br />
Col. Randhir S. Grewal<br />
President - 2008-2009<br />
Late Commadore Avinash Malhotra<br />
President - 2003-2007<br />
Maj. Gen. Kripal S Kohli<br />
President - 2009-2010<br />
Col. Brown Old Boys Association was registered as a society under the Society Registration Act, 1860 at<br />
Chandigarh vide registration no.1794 of 1997-98 on 8th January 1998. The front runner for providing the<br />
logistics and financial support was Mr. Rajinder K. Khanna, the first Vice President and Late Mr. Janak R.<br />
Grover vastly contributed towards its continuation.<br />
November 26, 2011 11
With Best Compliments from :-<br />
Best Wishes to all <strong>Brownian</strong>s<br />
and<br />
School Authorities<br />
on the Glorious 85th year of CBS<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong> S.L.Deepak, FCA<br />
Mobile : 09810072768<br />
S.L. Deepak & Associates<br />
Chartered Accountants<br />
T-1512, Wazir Nagar,<br />
Kotla Mubarakpur, New Delhi-110003<br />
Tel/Fax: 24621613, 24627697<br />
E-mail: sldeepakca@gmail.com<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
12 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
S.L. Deepak<br />
Vice President<br />
Mobile : 9810072768<br />
sldeepakca@gmail.com<br />
Sunil Sabharwal<br />
Executive Member<br />
Mobile : 9810014016<br />
sunil_sabarwal@yahoo.co.in<br />
AT THE HELM<br />
THE BROWNIAN TEAM<br />
Brig. Devinder S Dhillon<br />
President<br />
Ph: 0172-2552838<br />
Shailendra Singh<br />
Secretary cum Treasurer<br />
Mobile : 9810052285<br />
shailendra_sidhu@yahoo.co.in<br />
Choudhary Vijay Dabas<br />
Executive Member<br />
Mobile : 9999982671<br />
suryacon_engg@yahoo.co.in<br />
Col. Rakesh S. Sidhu<br />
Executive Member<br />
Mob: 09411112444,<br />
rakeshsinghsidhu@yahoo.com<br />
Rajendra Chahal<br />
Executive Member<br />
Mobile : 9312009769<br />
rajendrachahal@rediffmail.com<br />
November 26, 2011 13
THE BEGINING<br />
Col. Brown Cambridge School for Indian Boys<br />
was founded in March 1926, by an Irish couple<br />
Col. William Brown and Mrs. Brown, for Indian<br />
boys. It is an English Medium Residential School<br />
and is open to all boys irrespective of caste, creed<br />
or social status. The school ranks high amongst<br />
educational Institutions in India. It attracts students<br />
not only from all over India, but also from people<br />
living abroad.<br />
An Irish man of repute, with an enviable record<br />
of distinguished service both in the sphere of<br />
education and his services in British Army, Col.<br />
William Brown retired from the Army but did not<br />
want to leave India, the country he had adopted,<br />
served and grown to love passionately.<br />
Col.William Brown and Mrs. Brown were childless<br />
but loved children and during tours and postings<br />
ranging from North West Frontier Province to the<br />
South found time during their tenure at a particular<br />
spot to help children of Indian origin.<br />
A man of vision, he decided to devote his life to the<br />
country of his adoption in the field of education.<br />
What irked Col.Brown was the attitude of the then<br />
current rulers in the disparity and discrimination<br />
practiced upon the Indian population. He realised it<br />
as a fact that the British gentleman and some of his<br />
Colleagues had taken upon themselves to promote<br />
education, which was of selective nature i.e.<br />
privileged education and related facilities for their<br />
own and fast emerging Anglo Indian community.<br />
It was under these compulsions that after having<br />
failed to break the British mindset, he teamed up<br />
with Dr. Balbir Singh an intelligent and highly<br />
educated individual wishing to promote education.<br />
With both Col. Brown and Dr. Balbir Singh being<br />
strong personalities holding independent views, this<br />
arrangement did not last very long. They sat together<br />
History of The School<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
and discussed ways and means of overcoming their<br />
differences, but soon realized that each one of them<br />
would be better off independently.<br />
Col. William Brown along with five students<br />
moved into Dick House bearing property number<br />
5 Dick Road, which in the year Nineteen Hundred<br />
and twenty six (1926) was up for rent or sale as<br />
Col.Dick who was the owner of the Tea Garden<br />
had died leaving behind a wife who was unable<br />
to manage the same. The area where the school is<br />
situated and all the surrounding area of Dalanwala<br />
as well as the area across the Rispana River in those<br />
days produced Tea, which was very popular in<br />
North India. Some of the Tea Gardens still survive<br />
on the periphery of city and are worth a visit at<br />
leisure.<br />
The Motto of the School "MAGNA EST<br />
VERITAS" was the symbol and guiding light for<br />
the future generations to come. Simplicity is its<br />
beauty and translated from Latin it means "TRUTH<br />
IS GREAT". The Crest of the school reproduced<br />
denotes initials of the school on the right hand<br />
corner on top of it is the Lion for courage, the<br />
Shamrock the National symbol of Ireland and the<br />
Torch represents the Torch of learning. The above<br />
formed the foundation on which the School was<br />
built and continues to exist.<br />
The School under the aegis of Col. William<br />
Brown<br />
The school had a very humble beginning with only<br />
five students. Col.William Brown realized that just<br />
educating Indian boys would not serve the purpose<br />
of education but they had to be given or helped to<br />
be prepared for employment so that they could join<br />
the main stream and partake in decision making.<br />
This vision for vocational training realized and<br />
implemented by him in 1926, was brought in by<br />
ICSE Council in the form of plus two in the year<br />
1978. Sadly though plus two became an extension<br />
14 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
of Std. X and vocational concept got mired in<br />
controversy mainly because of the social conditions<br />
prevailing alongwith lack of perseverance to make<br />
it acceptable.<br />
Col.Brown was a 'Cambridge Blue' and had also in<br />
his tenure of service grew to love and play Hockey<br />
with equal competence. His wife supported and<br />
helped him in his endeavour and was loved by<br />
the students. Col.Brown known to be a strict<br />
disciplinarian and hard taskmaster had a gentle side<br />
when it came to children. It was not uncommon that<br />
usually one or two of them would take a lift on his<br />
shoulders from the Dining Hall after dinner to the<br />
Hostel. This event usually began between the Jack<br />
fruit tree and the Bel tree which exist even today.<br />
The school for Indian boys attracted attention from<br />
various sections of the Indian community. Wealthy<br />
Indians mainly erstwhile Princelings & Jagirdars<br />
took advantage of this new opening and admissions<br />
grew steadily.<br />
The members of the staff had more Europeans than<br />
Indians, but by 1942, the strength of teachers had<br />
evened out.<br />
Col.Brown was an eminent educationist & had<br />
a foresight too. During the course of his study<br />
at Cambridge in England, he had befriended<br />
Col.T.F.O. Donnell M.C. who was the Principal<br />
at Meerut College, who after having retired took<br />
over as Principal of the School as per Col. Brown's<br />
wishes.<br />
Col.Brown used his contacts and good will with<br />
the Indian Army and managed to persuade them to<br />
allow him to hold Pre-IMA classes in the school.<br />
This gave a further fillip to The School and as the<br />
movement for Independence was steadily coming to<br />
a boil, farsighted parents wanted to encourage their<br />
children to join Army and the civil administration.<br />
Col. Brown was very successful in achieving both<br />
these goals, what is even more significant is that<br />
the school enabled and trained the boys to adapt<br />
themselves to the rapidly changing ways of life.<br />
Having taken care of giving the students a purpose<br />
in life and building their self confidence, he further<br />
consolidated their character through a high level<br />
of discipline and team work, therefore it was no<br />
surprise that the school won the All India Hockey<br />
Championship Tournament and because of its<br />
popularity added grace and fame to the school.<br />
While the School was making rapid progressive<br />
strides, the health of both Col.and Mrs. Brown was<br />
causing great anxiety and concern. Mrs. Brown<br />
expired in the early thirties and her passing away<br />
had telling effect on her husband Col.Brown.<br />
The Assembly Hall (as it is known now) was called<br />
the Memorial Hall till the late sixties and was built<br />
in the memory of Mrs. Brown, and it was opened<br />
by Lady Linlithgow the then Vicereine of India.<br />
His niece Mary was married to Major Cleave and<br />
they were asked to come and help in the school.<br />
Cleave was appointed the first Bursar of the<br />
School. Around this time Miss Oliphant joined the<br />
School as Matron and later went on to establish<br />
the Welham Boys' and Girls' Schools. Mrs. Mary<br />
Cleave was an asset to Col. Brown School but her<br />
husband some how could not fit into the pattern,<br />
ideology and the ethos of the school. Col. Brown<br />
therefore was compelled to search out his old friend<br />
and Colleague Col.Thomas Francis O'Donnell,<br />
who promised to accept the legacy of the school but<br />
needed time as his tenure as the Principal Meerut<br />
College was still not over.<br />
Col.Brown died suddenly on 18th April 1942. A<br />
great educationist, a visionary, an Indophile who<br />
loved Indians and worked tirelessly for their well<br />
being left a void, which Major Cleave was unable<br />
to fill.<br />
SCHOOL - OvER THE YEARS....<br />
Principal - Col.T.F.O' Donnell<br />
Within a year or so Col.T.F.O' Donnell took<br />
over the school and the Cleaves left for Ireland.<br />
Col.T.F.O' Donnell carried on the good work. He<br />
November 26, 2011 15
was an erudite scholar and was partial towards<br />
literary writing which consumed most of his time.<br />
He wrote and published many books, some of<br />
which were taught in schools across the country.<br />
Two of his well-known works, "The Adventures of<br />
an SP" and "Cockpit of the East" are major literary<br />
works. The original manuscripts are preserved and<br />
kept in the library. The second world war (1939<br />
to 1945) saw the alumni of the school in action in<br />
Africa, Europe and the South East. With the end of<br />
the war the political climate of the country started<br />
changing rapidly. With the partition in 1947, the<br />
school suffered its 1st major blow as friends were<br />
ripped apart, for approximately 40% of the boys<br />
left to become the citizens of the newly formed<br />
State of Pakistan.The school saw gradual changes<br />
both in the Staff and the students and by 1960 Mrs.<br />
0' Donnell , Mr. McIntosh the Vice-Principal and<br />
Col.0'Donnell passed away and by 1965 none of<br />
the European staff was left.<br />
Great contribution to the school was made by<br />
Kenneth Henry McIntosh, the Vice-Principal and<br />
Incharge of the senior classes.<br />
He inculcated in his students a love and interest<br />
for most co-curricular activities. Besides teaching<br />
English, he was on the soft side of discipline and was<br />
the major balancing factor in a highly regimented<br />
school. After his death his sister Dora McIntosh<br />
Head Mistress of the Preparatory Department<br />
migrated and settled down in Surrey. In 1958 Col.<br />
T.F.O'Donnell and the managing committee of<br />
the school appointed Mr. Narendra Singh as the<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
Vice-Principal. Mr. Narendra Singh had joined the<br />
school in 1937. Earlier Subedar Bhagwat Singh<br />
had joined in 1935 as assistant to Major Cleave and<br />
became the Bursar in the forties after Major Cleave<br />
left and remained so till his death in August 1960.<br />
Principal - Mr. Narendra Singh<br />
With the Death of Col.O'Donnell on 26th Jan 1960<br />
the administration of the school was held by an<br />
Indian since Mr. Narendra Singh had already taken<br />
over as the Principal because of the Colonel's failing<br />
health. Both Subedar Bhagwat Singh and Narendra<br />
Singh had served in the Army together and were<br />
keen sportsmen. Mr. Narendra Singh studied at<br />
BHU from where he took his Masters in English.<br />
An excellent player and an avid fan of Hockey, he<br />
was known to promote the sport both in school and<br />
U.P. A stickler for discipline, he believed in the<br />
ancient adage-'Spare the rod and spoil the child'.<br />
Many of the old students 'fondly' remember this.<br />
Some of the outstanding teachers in the earlier<br />
years were Mr. Joshi, Mr. Hasan Hussain, Mr. B.<br />
Nath, Mr.G.M.Matto, Mr. P.N. Matto, Miss Wrack,<br />
Mr. Narayan, Mr.Uggar Sen, Mrs. Betty Hughes<br />
Mrs.O' Peck, Mrs. Cunnington, Mr.A.M. Saxena,<br />
Mr.S.K.Chatterjee, Shri Shanti Sarup, Mr. Dwejan<br />
Sen (Artist & Sculptor), Mr.G.D.Kukreti(Music),<br />
Mr. & Mrs. J.A.S. Newton and the most loved ones<br />
Mr. & Mrs. W.C.R. Smith.<br />
Some of the outstanding medical persons associated<br />
with the school are Dr.Hoon. Dr.Shome, Dr.Hari<br />
Singh Maini, Dr.Arun Kumar, Dr.N.N.Kapadia,<br />
16 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
Dr.Kalhan, Dr.Anil Agarwal, Mrs. G.Cockhill,<br />
Sister Homes, Sister Anderson, Sister Francis.<br />
Supportive staff to name a few are Messers<br />
Biswnath Singh, Balbahadur, Tikka Ram, Chand<br />
Mohd, Haider Baksh. Mohammad(Butler), Shankar<br />
Mali, Mangta (Sweeper) and amongst the Office<br />
staff Kamlakar Singh and Lalta Prasad.<br />
Principal - Mr. Abhai Singh<br />
It would be unfair to the school motto i.e. 'Truth<br />
is Great', not to report that for reasons beyond<br />
comprehension the progress of the school not only<br />
came to a stand-still but over the next fifteen years<br />
witnessed a slide backwards. The school went<br />
through very dark and trying times from 1969 to<br />
1976, when the process of regeneration was set in<br />
motion.<br />
In 1976, Mr. Abhai Singh returned from Canada to<br />
take over the reins of C.B.S after the death of Mr.<br />
Narendra Singh. An ex-<strong>Brownian</strong>, well travelled,<br />
a keen sportsman, a voracious reader and a strong<br />
believer in the dignity of human labour, Abhai<br />
Singh’s task was not an easy one.<br />
He modernised living facilities for the boys as<br />
well as the staff and restructured the Dining Hall,<br />
constructed new and better hostels like Ireland<br />
House, Patel House, Col. House, White House,<br />
Kitchner Block, McIntosh House. Library, the<br />
Computer Lab, the Tamarind Open Air Theatre,<br />
Tennis and Basket ball courts and underground<br />
water tanks to resolve the perennial water<br />
shortages.<br />
He started the re-construction and renovation of<br />
the old dormitories and buildings. He modernised<br />
and updated the facilities in all the Hostels and<br />
added to the infrastructure immensely. The<br />
school kitchen was transformed with every<br />
possible facility to improve the standards. He<br />
upgraded the school from ICSE to ISC level.<br />
He upgraded the science laboratories, built a<br />
new library, computer rooms for the senior and<br />
prep school, examination Hall and the beautiful<br />
Tamarind theatre named after the Tamarind Tree<br />
which no <strong>Brownian</strong> can ever forget (especially<br />
the consequences of throwing stones and getting<br />
tamarinds). He had tube wells dug foreseeing<br />
the water situation in years to come. In fact it<br />
is to his credit that the life of a <strong>Brownian</strong> really<br />
changed. His sole belief was to give the best<br />
to the boys, be it academics, food, activities or<br />
facilities. The innumerous little little changes<br />
he brought about are difficult to put down. A<br />
voracious reader, he was highly intelligent and<br />
perceptive and had an instinct about people..<br />
The Boys now wear a different uniform not because<br />
the old one had anything wrong with it but that every<br />
primary, secondary school in town had copied the<br />
old combination of Blues. In order to protect his<br />
identity and to keep up with the changing times,<br />
new sets of clothes have been issued to the boys<br />
to be worn on different occasions — the Boys just<br />
love their CBS T-shirts. In all the changes that have<br />
taken place, Academics has not lost its importance<br />
- A good competent staff has helped the school<br />
achieve 100% results each year.<br />
Imbibed by a natural sense of humour, his staff<br />
and students remember him for his quick wit and<br />
repartee – a man who loved nature, photography,<br />
wild life, books, music, art et all. Extremely kind<br />
hearted, he truly believed that people need you<br />
more when they are wrong than when they are<br />
right, a belief that stayed with him till the end.<br />
Mr. Abhai Singh suddenly expired on 11th August,<br />
2003 leaving a huge void.<br />
He was succeeded by Mr Shanti Saroop as<br />
Headmaster and Ms Indu Bala Singh with overall<br />
responsibility as the Proctor.<br />
Mr Shanti Saroop retired in 2010 handing over the<br />
baton to the new Headmaster Mr Sunil K. Tyagi.<br />
November 26, 2011 17
The School with a present strength of 450 students is<br />
affiliated to Indian School Certificate Examination<br />
Board. The present Batch of Standard XII is evenly<br />
divided between Science and Commerce Streams<br />
at 14 each.<br />
ACADEMICS<br />
In the year 2010 the school got 100% result in X<br />
as well as in XII, all the boys from X got the first<br />
divisions. We have been achieving this 100%<br />
results and 100% first divisions almost for two and<br />
half decades.<br />
We are using audio visual means in the form of<br />
SMART CLASSES where the content is provided<br />
through soft ware and each class has its white<br />
board and projector through which a teacher can be<br />
more effective in explaining the difficult concepts<br />
through audio visual means. We have a Knowledge<br />
centre which is manned by a resource person from<br />
Edu Com who helps generate the teaching material<br />
for different classes.<br />
We also created a Mathematics lab, which has a<br />
projector and a white screen and we have hired<br />
a trained couple to teach Mathematics by using<br />
alternate methods to remove the fear of Mathematics<br />
from the minds of children. And I am happy to say<br />
that they are succeeding in doing this to a great<br />
extent.<br />
We are also organising work shops on different<br />
subjects for children, like in August we organised<br />
a work shop on Physics, the resource persons had<br />
come from Kanpur. It was a great success.<br />
For the children who are willing to opt for<br />
Engineering, we have engaged a faculty who is<br />
an IIT and IIM for conducting classes to assist the<br />
willing children.<br />
We are using a soft ware for creating our results<br />
which is a great relief to class teachers and<br />
digitalising the files of the children for easier and<br />
faster access of the data.<br />
School in the Current Mode<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
–Sunil K. Tyagi, Headmaster<br />
SPORTS<br />
Our school team won the 3rd<br />
Ram Bahadur Chettri Memorial<br />
Football Tournament<br />
organised by ONGC. In<br />
this tournament twenty two<br />
schools had participated. Two<br />
of our players got the golden<br />
boot and the best defender<br />
individual trophy in this tournament.<br />
We are also sending the children to a local Shooting<br />
range and two of our boys have won a bronze medal<br />
each at the Pre nationals (air pistol shooting) held<br />
at Poona.<br />
CO CURRICULAR ACTIvITIES<br />
Our children planted more then 100 saplings in the<br />
guava field in the second week of August in the<br />
memory of our late Principal Mr. Abhai Singh. It is<br />
an activity which is conducted to keep the campus<br />
and environment green every year at this time.<br />
We are making a conscious effort and are succeeding<br />
in the promotion of Western Music. Our children<br />
have presented live concerts for school children<br />
in school and have been very successful. Actually<br />
school has given them a launching pad and two of<br />
our students have opened an event management<br />
company recently.<br />
We are members of SPIC MACAY and get people<br />
to perform in school and encourage Indian culture<br />
and music.<br />
We send our senior boys for white water rafting<br />
and nature camping.<br />
INFRASTRUCTURE<br />
White House which was a barrack and was used<br />
as one of the Houses was redesigned and made<br />
into a double story structure using columns and<br />
beams. The same area where only one House<br />
and an account office used to be now has three<br />
18 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
residential Houses, White House, Kitchner Block<br />
and MacIntosh House. It also has the office of the<br />
Headmaster & Senior Co-ordinator, the accounts<br />
and the Art Room.<br />
The Ireland House was demolished and a new three<br />
storied structure has come up in its place which<br />
includes Ireland House, Patel House, Patricia<br />
House, Col. House, Library, Examination Hall and<br />
the senior computer lab. The same building has also<br />
four separate accommodations for the members of<br />
the staff.<br />
The area behind Ireland House and next to<br />
“C” field has now a very aesthetically and well<br />
designed Tamarind Theatre which is an open air<br />
Theatre, where the Assembly is held. This is also<br />
used for various school functions. This structure<br />
also includes Physics, Chemistry and Biology<br />
laboratories.<br />
Between the senior school and Prep school we used<br />
to have an old structure with the labs, which was<br />
demolished and a set of twelve classes for senior<br />
school was built. We call it Abhai’s Academic<br />
Block (AAB).<br />
The quadrangle which was a floor of cement has<br />
now been fitted with KOTA STONE , a delight<br />
to the eye in the rainy season and children love<br />
skating on it.<br />
A little addition was done to Dick House, creating<br />
a new set of toilets and bathroom . It also gave us<br />
space for a Computer room for the junior school<br />
and a craft room.<br />
India House got a brand new toilet; a central loo<br />
came up between AAB and the Tennis courts.<br />
The Kitchen has been redone and has been provided<br />
with modern equipment and is one of the cleanest<br />
areas of the school. It is open and the cooking can<br />
be seen while you are having your meal in the<br />
Dining all.<br />
A new coffee shop has come up which provides<br />
all kind of eatable and the burgers and Pizza can<br />
be ordered from Macdonald and Dominos. The<br />
children are provided coupons for this.<br />
Behind the dining hall two cottages known as<br />
Tamarind Cottages have been built as a extra<br />
accommodation.<br />
The Hospital has been provided with new and<br />
spacious bathrooms and toilets.<br />
A cottage has been built behind India House and<br />
is being used as a staff quarter. ( India House<br />
cottage)<br />
We have five tube wells which provide drinking<br />
water.<br />
We have also provided RO for drinking water at<br />
different points in school, so the children have<br />
access to clean and cold drinking water. Few of the<br />
junior Houses have the RO in their House.<br />
FUTURE vISION<br />
We would like to see the standard of the Academics<br />
to go up further and would want children to be<br />
more oriented and motivated to do better and join<br />
professional courses on their own merit.<br />
We would also like to see the complete automation<br />
of the school, all departments (front office, accounts,<br />
staff, administrators and parents) to be connected<br />
through e way .<br />
School Hospital to be built from scratch and be<br />
equipped with latest equipment and be a place<br />
where child could be happy even in pain.<br />
If possible AAB could be replicated where the Prep<br />
school is and also the Dining hall could be made big<br />
enough to accommodate at least 600 people. Thus<br />
the prep and senior school could eat together.<br />
We need to extend the Memorial Hall to the capacity<br />
seat 600, where the night studies and Examinations<br />
and shows can be held at one time.<br />
Last but not the least keep all the staff on the<br />
campus and that is only possible if we construct<br />
some flats.<br />
A swimming pool , a gymnasium and a squash<br />
court is also part of the future plan<br />
November 26, 2011 19
With<br />
Best Compliments From<br />
Best Wishes on 85 th year of<br />
CBS<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong> Sailesh G. Patel<br />
75, Kunj Society, Alka Puri, Baroda<br />
Mob.No.:09879777800<br />
Email: toprint@gmail.com<br />
With<br />
Best Compliments From<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong> Man Mohan Varma<br />
B.Arch. (Hons.)<br />
Mob.No.: 9885101060<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
8 KRISHNA NAGAR COLONY<br />
PICKET, SECUNDERABAD 500009, A.P<br />
Email:varmamanmohan@gmail.com<br />
ARCHITECT, BUILDER, REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER<br />
20 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
Dear <strong>Brownian</strong>s.<br />
Our lot was indeed privileged to be taught, groomed<br />
and moulded by the likes of Col TFO’ Donnel,<br />
Mr. Macintosh, Miss Wrack and the ilk. Hope the<br />
present generation is equally lucky. Read on.<br />
Col. TFO Donnel M.C. & D. litt (Principal): A<br />
rare combination of soldier and scholar. He was<br />
awarded Military Cross during World War II and<br />
Doctor Of Literature later. We were singularly<br />
fortunate to have this “legend” as our Principal.<br />
He taught us English. It is known fact that during<br />
1948 riots he guarded the school main gate with his<br />
personal gun. His authored book, ‘Cock Pit of the<br />
East’ was a best seller of its time.<br />
Mr MacIntosh (Headmaster): Taught us English.<br />
A bachelor and a boxer from a British Army. An<br />
addict of chewing gum. If a student yawned in his<br />
class he would retort, “I can see the omelette you<br />
had at breakfast”. If someone wore a shabby shirt,<br />
he would say “Why are you trying to hide, the<br />
dirty vest you are not wearing”. Typical Scottish<br />
humor.<br />
Mr. Basheshar Nath (Pandit Ji): Taught us<br />
Mathematics. Had the habit of ending all spoken<br />
sentences with “you see”. Few gems from Pandit<br />
Ji’s Dictionary.<br />
(a) “When the plates are full, the paits are empty<br />
you see. When the plates are empty the paits<br />
are full you see.”( During an ‘at home’ )<br />
(b) “Some of you could not do it, some did not,<br />
some would not do it, but Dhillon will never do<br />
it you see”. (When the class did not complete<br />
the given home work).<br />
Our Teachers at CBS<br />
Brig. Devender S. Dhillon<br />
“I am living, for that I am grateful to my father.<br />
I am living better, for that I am grateful to my teacher”.<br />
- Alexander of Macidon<br />
Mr. Hasan Hussain (Mulana<br />
Sahib) (Our History teacher)<br />
One evening we were creating<br />
ruckus in Mannering House<br />
(later Patel House and now<br />
Defunct). He walked in with<br />
his cane in hand. Very angry.<br />
We froze. Being the nearest<br />
one I put forward my right<br />
hand to receive his caning. While coming down to<br />
hit me his hand suddenly stopped in mid air. He said<br />
“Other hand”. I put forward the left hand. He did<br />
not execute the stroke. “So you have two sisters”,<br />
“Yes Sir”, I said. Without a word he left the room.<br />
Raksha Bandhan that day came to our rescue.<br />
Mr. Narendra Singh (House Master ): He was the<br />
‘Law and Order’ keeper of CBS. After becoming<br />
an officer in the army I shared a few drinks with<br />
him, on occasions. Tried to teach us English in the<br />
classroom. We learnt how to play hockey instead,<br />
from him.<br />
Mr. Smith: A Brilliant tutor of English grammar.<br />
Soft spoken and his “That’ll do, that’ll do, was<br />
enough for all of us to settle down for the lesson<br />
of the day. Our class presented him a set of Parker<br />
pens at the time of leaving school.<br />
Messer’s SL, GN & PN Mathew/Mathu: The Trio<br />
from Kashmir taught us Geography and Science.<br />
They joined CBS towards the fag end of our stay at<br />
school but their contribution was immense in their<br />
respective subjects –Their kashimri accent, not<br />
with-standing.<br />
Mr. Rajinder Prasad: The paan chewing Science<br />
teacher. I still have not forgotten the “hi-tea” he<br />
served us at the residence on our way back from<br />
November 26, 2011 21
Moussuri. RP was a teacher and a gentleman.<br />
Miss Mac Intosh : In-charge of the junior school,<br />
matronly, with stern look. She certainly was an<br />
epitome of a teacher. Even when we were about to<br />
pass out from the school as senior students, we were<br />
in awe of her. During my eight years of stay at CBS<br />
I don’t recollect even a single occasion when she<br />
was not dressed immaculately. “Prim & propah”.<br />
Lady <strong>Brownian</strong>s<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
Miss Wrack: She was gentle, firm yet motherly.<br />
To have her as a teacher while away from home<br />
was very comforting, soothing and often morale<br />
boosting. She had a silent limp in her gait, specks<br />
on her face grace written all over her.<br />
The class of 1956 remains forever obliged to our<br />
ALMA-MATER and the teachers who made us<br />
what we are today.<br />
( L to R) Ms. Shail Bala Singh (Batch 1961), Ms. Indu Bala Singh (Batch 1958)<br />
and Ms. Charu Bala Singh (Batch 1969)<br />
22 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
November 26, 2011 23<br />
Col. Brown CamBridge SChool, <strong>dehra</strong> <strong>dun</strong><br />
Senior CamBridge ClaSS -1956<br />
gOyAl StudiOS, dehrA <strong>dun</strong><br />
Sitting (From L to R):- Brij Mohan Gupta, Shri Rajendra Prasad, Shri G.N. Methew, Pt. Basheshar Nath, Sub. Bhagwat Singh (Bursar),<br />
Col. T.F. O'Donnell, M.C., D.Litt. (Principal), Shri Narendra Singh (House Master), Shri Hasan Hussain, Shri Prem Nath, Jaspal Kular<br />
Standing (From L to R):- Ajeet Singh, Inder Deo Kehar, Prem Kumar Dube, Kuldeep Kullar, Shiv Karan Ram, Devendra Singh Dhillon,<br />
Krishna Kumar, Jitendra Prakash, Madan Mohan Bhatia, Raj Kumar Khorana, Janak Raj Grover<br />
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
The Senior Cambridge Class -1956<br />
I have the unique honour of presenting to you –The<br />
class of 1956, alongwith the photograph. The pen<br />
picture of my class-mates has been written with<br />
tongue-in-cheek hope you enjoy knowing us.<br />
Names are in alphabetical order.<br />
Ajeet Yadav: Principal House Captain at games.<br />
No comments on his academic progress as he left<br />
CBS for NDA in Senior-I. Retired as a Brig. and is<br />
now a leading capitalist at Gurgaon. A keen golfer.<br />
Chottu has finally stopped dyeing his hair. Kanta<br />
his beautiful wife is taking good care of him.<br />
Brij Gupta (Late): Equally good at academics and<br />
sports. A precious lad. Joined St. Stephens, Delhi<br />
after senior Cambridge where he was nicknamed<br />
Bum Gupta for his nocturnal activities. He burnt<br />
his candle from the both ends and died early<br />
at Saharanpur. We are in touch with his family.<br />
Sudha and her children are fine.<br />
Madan Bhatia: Joined CBS as a strict vegetarian<br />
and left the school as a “man eater”. He graduated<br />
from St. Stephens, Delhi/ at present busy in making<br />
money in his business at Jammu during day and<br />
continues making more money in the evening, at<br />
the Cards table. Mrs. Bhatia his wife is as usual, by<br />
his side, counting the cash.<br />
Devender Dhillon: Headmaster’s House Captain,<br />
which won the Tala House Trophy in 1956.School<br />
champion same year. Aptly described as, ‘Dilly<br />
the dollar, Sunday School Scholar’ by his Mr.<br />
Macintosh, Our Head Master in one of his lime<br />
ricks. Jas’s demise in 2004 has left him alone but<br />
not lonely. Sartaj & Navraj, his sons ensure that.<br />
Inder Deo Kher (Late): A mischievous Kanpuri,<br />
who frequently got into a spot with ‘Chowkidar<br />
Saab (another legend of CBS of our times, who<br />
looked like a sumo wrestler ). Once during winters,<br />
with a poker face, Inder approached him to stand<br />
in place empty ‘Hot water filter’ and provide water<br />
to him.<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
Brig. Devender S. Dhillon<br />
Janak Grover (late): He<br />
was studious and indoor type<br />
at CBS . Later became a<br />
Gentleman around town. Main<br />
force behind ‘The <strong>Brownian</strong>s’<br />
movement. A great friend in<br />
whose demise the class lost<br />
an anchorman. A rotarian and<br />
blood donor. Personal loss to<br />
me. Kusum his wife is fine at Chandigarh.<br />
Jaspal Kular: He joined us from 1955 class. Did a<br />
stint in the army after CBS. Now running a Nursing<br />
Home along with his wife in Punjab.<br />
Jitendra Prakash: ‘Joe’ from Shahdara. Little<br />
known about his whereabouts and activities after<br />
CBS. Still remember his long ‘chotti’ and over<br />
sized feet. He walked and ran on his heels.<br />
Kuldip Khullar: ‘Triple K’ from Bassi Pathan.<br />
Very Intense and studious type. Now he keeps<br />
shuttling between USA, where his kids are settled,<br />
and Ludhiana. Whenever in India he is busy<br />
dismantling his old ancestral house & renovating<br />
his new one. His wife continues to tolerate him.<br />
Prem Dube: Nicknamed ‘The crow’ by Mr.<br />
Macintosh, for his non-stop chat. He became a<br />
hero over night after recital of ‘Jhansi Ki Rani’,<br />
Which became instant hit in the school. Tried his<br />
hands at films and later at poultry farming. Little<br />
dormant now.<br />
Krishan Kumar: ‘Kee Kwan’, not a Korean but<br />
from Amritsar. He kept aloof from The <strong>Brownian</strong>,<br />
activities. ‘KK’, please join us.<br />
Raj Khorana: Talat and Raffi of our class. We<br />
are lucky to have amongst us a very sincere and<br />
mature friend. Besides his own affairs, Raj spends<br />
considerable time to coax Madan Bhatia to join the<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong>s. So far all in vain. Ramaji, his wife is an<br />
acute arthritis patient but still cheerful.<br />
24 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
Shiv Karan: Bursar House Captain. Man from<br />
‘Wild West’ (Abohar). School Champion in 1955.<br />
He commenced smoking while at school and<br />
continues to do so with impurity. Now growing<br />
cotton and keenoos at his farm. Still a bachelor but<br />
hunting, even during “offseason”.<br />
Surjit Sahota: School Perfect till he joined NDA.<br />
Was a POW during Indo China War of 1962. After<br />
giving some anxious moments to his family and<br />
friends, he emerged back to every one’s relief. A<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong>s 1938<br />
Sena medal awardee. Now continues the same<br />
activity which he left at CBS in 1956 meditating<br />
under ‘Banyan tree’. Mrs. Sahota is taking care of<br />
him at Chandigarh.<br />
So gentlemen, that, in nutshell, is my class. We all<br />
grew up together at CBS in class rooms and play<br />
fields. Today we are in ‘Seventies’ but thanks to<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong>, we get an opportunity or two to feel<br />
young and boyish again, which is like a tonic to<br />
all of us.<br />
(Sitting L to R) Mr. Narendra Singh, Mr. B. Nath, Mr. Duggal, Mr. Hasan Hussain, Mrs. Brown,<br />
Col. William Brown, Mr. K. Mc Intosh, Mr. Narayanan, Mr. Joshi<br />
November 26, 2011 25
26 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
Col. Brown CamBridge SChool, <strong>dehra</strong> <strong>dun</strong><br />
Senior CamBridge ClaSS -1961<br />
gOyAl StudiOS, dehrA <strong>dun</strong><br />
Sitting on the chairs (L to R):- Shad Saleem, Ram Singh (Prefect), Mr. A.M. Saxena, Mr. R.S. Kapoor, Mr. N. Singh (Principal),<br />
Mr. Basheshar Nath, Mr. P. Nath, Mr. Mohan Singh and Miss Shail Bala Singh<br />
Standing (L to R):- Partha Sarthi Sur, Radhakant, Suresh Chandra, Shamsher Singh, Charanjeet Singh, Anand Rao Patel,<br />
Rajender Singh Sandhu, Krishan Patodia, Ravi Kant Kalra and Mangi Lal Kalia.<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
1961 Batch Celebrates Golden Jubilee of being <strong>Brownian</strong>s<br />
There has never been a moment or day that most<br />
of us who have gone through the portals of CBS,<br />
have not remembered the times spent in the school.<br />
I wish time clock of life rewinds to enable us to<br />
lead the simple joys of life that we lived through.<br />
Four annas as pocket money was sufficient to put<br />
us on cloud nine.<br />
MAGNA EST VERITAS “ Truth is Great” was<br />
rightly coined as the emblem which all of us in this<br />
have lived with.<br />
I joined the portals of CBS sixty years ago. Started<br />
with Sylverton and ended with India House. Coming<br />
from a rural back ground and that too when India<br />
was a very new nation, I found it difficult to live<br />
amongst the students who came from very affluent<br />
society. Initially in the academic side I looked<br />
like an unknown entity. But made up in sports<br />
and similar activities. Started from the bottom and<br />
finally stabilized among top few students.<br />
The crowning glory came in the final year. Was<br />
selected /achieved the following:<br />
(a) School Prefect.<br />
(b) School Sports & Athletics captain.<br />
(c) Bursar House Captain. Won the Tala House<br />
Trophy.<br />
(d) Football Captain.<br />
(e) Athletics Champion.<br />
–Col (Retd) Ram Singh (Class of 1961)<br />
(f) Hony. Secretary School<br />
Union.<br />
(g) Captain School<br />
Sports and Athletics<br />
Committee.<br />
(h) Won the Annual<br />
Shooting Competition.<br />
The above achievements<br />
would never have been possible<br />
without the encouragement given by<br />
Mr Narendra Singh, Subedar Sahib, Mr Mohan<br />
Singh and all my teachers. They were really a<br />
dedicated lot. They all must be looking upon us<br />
from heaven above. May God rest their souls in<br />
peace.<br />
My formative stay in the school can never be<br />
obliterated from my memory.<br />
Looking back at life I have no hesitation in stating<br />
that a good background will always benefit in all<br />
walks of life. One should not judge life from what<br />
you have achieved but how you have lived your<br />
life. Your friends should cherish being with you.<br />
In my humble way I shall endeavor to recollect<br />
each student of 1961 batch and briefly describe<br />
what I perceived and still remember of him after<br />
a gap of 50 long years. I also take this opportunity<br />
to pay our humble respect to our esteemed team of<br />
Gurus who have enlightened our lives.<br />
November 26, 2011 27
With<br />
Best Compliments From<br />
Best Wishes on 85 th year of<br />
CBS<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong> Dilip K. Desai<br />
Baroda<br />
Mob.No.: 09376213069<br />
Email: dilipkdesai@gmail.com<br />
With<br />
Best Compliments From<br />
Best Wishes on 85 th year of<br />
CBS<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong> Dr.Anand Rao Patel<br />
ENT Specialist<br />
45 Nutan Bharat Society,<br />
Baroda-390005<br />
Mob.No.: 09825041499<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
28 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
Executive Committee 1961: (Sitting L to R) Shamsher Singh, Shad Salim Faruqui, Ram Singh,<br />
Mr. Narendra Singh, Shail Bala Singh, Mr. L.P. Kamboj, Charanjit Singh. (standing L to R) Ravi Kant Kalra,<br />
Suresh Agarwal, Anand Rao Patel, Jagdeep Singh, Dilip Singh Bishnoi, Rajinder Singh Sandhu<br />
Ms. Shail Bala Singh: Ours was really a well<br />
behaved group of 12 boys and one lone girl. Credit<br />
entirely goes to Shail. That effect is still evident in<br />
us today. She was a source of inspiration for all of<br />
us. A noble lady to the core.<br />
Shamsher Singh Dogra: An excellent all rounder<br />
He was the only one from Army background. He<br />
has excelled in all spheres of life. Retired from a<br />
top job in Tata Group.<br />
Anand Rao Patel: A thorough gentleman and<br />
an excellent sportsman. He always carries a smile<br />
come what may. We have never seen him in anger.<br />
He is a ENT Specialist doctor and has his own<br />
hospital. Mrs Rao is also a doctor. A couple who<br />
are an example in hospitality.<br />
Suresh Chandra Aggarwal: A businessman of<br />
repute in Ambala. He is always ready to help.<br />
Remains cheerful. An all rounder who encouraged<br />
his team.<br />
Charanjit Singh Parmar: Ever smiling and a<br />
thorough gentleman. One has to raise his heels to<br />
even shake his hand .We have never ever seen him<br />
loosing his temper. .<br />
Shad Salim Faruqui: A very softspoken thorough<br />
gentleman. He remains cool. Besides being a good<br />
sportsman he was good in his studies.<br />
Krishan Patodia: An excellent allrounder. He<br />
excelled in sports besides being among the best in<br />
studies. Has a very helping nature. Doing extremely<br />
well in Business world.<br />
Ravi Kant Kalra: He hails from a reputed business<br />
family. Has an analytical mind. Did his engineering<br />
from IIT Roorkee. Settled abroad and doing well in<br />
life. A true friend who is always ready to help.<br />
November 26, 2011 29
Mangi Lal Kalia: An ever smiling face come what<br />
may. An extremely good human being. Has a very<br />
practical and analytical mind. Always ready to help<br />
any one in need and gives sound advice.<br />
Tejinder Singh Basra: A very quiet and soft<br />
spoken person. We never remember him getting<br />
angry. A gentleman to the core. Is happy being in<br />
the background. Was a great source of inspiration<br />
in running a happy team.<br />
Rajinder Singh Sandhu: A very soft spoken<br />
colleague. We never remember him getting angry<br />
at any time. He is cool as cucumber. He is presently<br />
in the legal profession and doing well in life. Settled<br />
in Chandigarh.<br />
Radha Kant Paliwal: It is impossible to come<br />
across such a fine gentleman. We, in our ten years<br />
of stay together never ever remember him loosing<br />
his cool. No words can express the sincerity that<br />
he carries.<br />
A TRIBUTE TO OUR RESPECTED<br />
TEACHERS<br />
Mr Narendra Singh: A great human being. He<br />
was a source of inspiration for all of us. A strict<br />
disciplinarian. An excellent sportsman. A man who<br />
had a hard crust outside but was extremely soft<br />
inside. An able administrator. He is instrumental in<br />
bringing CBS to the pinnacle of glory.<br />
Mr B Nath (Punditjee): God creates the likes of<br />
him very rarely. A man who could drill the basics<br />
of mathematics into the head of even a student<br />
who had no love left for the subject. A genius to<br />
the core. Never lost his temper ever.<br />
Sardar Ram Singh Kapoor: A master in the<br />
art of science teaching. He could motivate even<br />
a disinterested student to learn science. He was<br />
totally focused in the art of teaching science. A<br />
great source of inspiration .<br />
Mr Mohan Singh: A freedom fighter before taking<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
up the noble job of teaching. To teach Hindi in<br />
an environment where one got reprimanded even<br />
to speak in the language, was difficult. He would<br />
regale us with stories of Sardar Bhagat Singh and<br />
his band of freedom fighters. Has written a number<br />
of books on freedom struggle.<br />
Mr A M Saxena: A very soft spoken person who<br />
could not even hurt a fly. Still he imbibed discipline<br />
in all of us. He was totally focused in his task. Never<br />
ever raised his voice to keep us under control.<br />
Mr Smith: Our English teacher deserves a very<br />
special mention. He instilled a sense of discipline.<br />
His spanking brought many of us on the right track.<br />
A great human being.<br />
Mr P Nath: A master in the art of teaching<br />
geography. Could create interest in our minds in<br />
a subject which was not very interesting to most of<br />
us. A noble soul who always remained cool.<br />
Remembering The Lady Teachers: We the batch<br />
of 1961 also take this opportunity to remember our<br />
lady teachers. Without them we would not be what<br />
we are today. It is such a difficult task to control,<br />
motivate and still a sense of discipline in tiny tots.<br />
a) Miss Mac Intosh<br />
b) Miss Wrack.<br />
c) Miss Anderson.<br />
d) Miss Peck.<br />
e) Mrs Smith.<br />
f) Mrs Newton.<br />
Subedar Bhagwat Singh and Mr Mohinder Singh,<br />
who were looking after the entire administration of<br />
the school deserve a special mention. Let us not<br />
forget these two gentlemen who worked tirelessly<br />
to keep the system functioning.<br />
I wish to end my note with what our Principal<br />
Col. TFO’ Donnel used to say---<br />
'Eat well, sleep well, work hard, play hard and<br />
above all be a gentleman'.<br />
30 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
A Student’s Prayer<br />
The more I learn, the better I see,<br />
how little I know –<br />
and how little I know of<br />
my own capacity to know.<br />
I see that each branch of knowledge<br />
is so rich, so complex<br />
One can study a life-time and<br />
still be a beginner.<br />
Teach me how to learn wisely and well.<br />
Help me to master the subjects I need to study,<br />
and never give in to despair or boredom.<br />
Help me to remember how fortunate I am<br />
to be able to study, to grow in knowledge.<br />
Give me wisdom, that I may treasure knowledge,<br />
and never forget how little I know.<br />
Help me to be diligent, without undue ambition,<br />
and successful, without worshipping success.<br />
Teach me to give each task its rightful place,<br />
and use my talents to the best of my ability.<br />
Make me strong against temptations,<br />
resolute before distractions,<br />
Humble before the truth,<br />
and gracious to the less gifted.<br />
Give me a vision larger than my studies,<br />
and greater than my individual success.<br />
Teach me to use my opportunities gratefully,<br />
Develop my talents responsibly, and place my learning<br />
at the service of truth and justice.<br />
May I keep learning all through my life,<br />
Knowing that, however much I learn,<br />
there are always new worlds to discover.<br />
Make me wise and strong,<br />
that I may learn from life itself,<br />
consider every one as my teacher,<br />
and never turn away from the light of Your face.<br />
–Contributed by <strong>Brownian</strong> S.L.Deepak<br />
November 26, 2011 31
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Executive Member<br />
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32 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
40th Year of 1971 Batch <strong>Brownian</strong>s<br />
Forty years post school its nostalgia time once again<br />
as I delve into my cerebral archives to recollect to<br />
write about my class of 1971. I am surprised at the<br />
vividness of recall of our final day in school as we<br />
all hugged each other prior to leaving the school<br />
premises with promises of undying friendship and<br />
offers of full support if the occasion ever arose in<br />
future. I for one am able to state that this support<br />
has always been forthcoming.<br />
The batch commenced in 1961and progressed like<br />
a river with students joining and taking off at varied<br />
stages till merging with the ocean of life outside<br />
school in 1971. As the memory cells are not strong<br />
enough to retrieve all data I am restricting myself<br />
to those who were present with us in 1971. So over<br />
to the class in order of arrival……<br />
Nindi, Narenderjit Sigh Gill s/o Late Sardar<br />
Mukhtiar Singh GilI, Village Chungawa Tehsil<br />
Moga Distt Faridkot Punjab was the pioneer joinee<br />
in 1961. Arts stream. Jovial all rounder. Others<br />
tried to maintain a good distance from him when<br />
he was jovial because of his penchant for heavy<br />
hand back slapping while guffawing. Went on to<br />
join National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla,<br />
got commissioned into the Corps of Artillery and<br />
took retirement as a Colonel. Is currently settled<br />
in Ludhiana and engaged as Chief Helicopter Pilot<br />
with Deccan Charters.<br />
Monk(ey), Rakesh Singh (Sidhu) s/o Late Shri<br />
Shiv Charan Singh, Village Chakarsi Tehsil Amroha<br />
Distt Moradabad Uttar Pradesh was also a pioneer<br />
joinee in 1961. Arts stream. Good all rounder, he<br />
was always upto monkey tricks. Completed Post<br />
Graduation with Delhi University before being<br />
commissioned into Mechanised Infantry Regiment<br />
and took retirement as a Colonel. Is currently<br />
settled in Dehra Dun and engaged with University<br />
of Petroleum & Energy Studies in Administration.<br />
Lala, Rakesh Goel s/o Late Shri Dharam Pal Goel,<br />
Rashtriy Engineering Works,<br />
Batala, Distt Gurdaspur,<br />
Punjab joined in 1962. Science<br />
stream. The perennial back<br />
bencher and instigator. Joined<br />
his father’s business which he<br />
runs successfully. Is currently<br />
settled in Rouse Avenue<br />
Amritsar and is also a Director<br />
with Dena Bank.<br />
–Col (Retd) Rakesh Singh Sidhu<br />
Raghu, Achal Nanda s/o Late Shri Raghunath<br />
Nanda, Nanda Motor Training College, Hauz Khas,<br />
New Delhi joined in 1962. Arts stream. He was the<br />
silent operator. Took over the Ajmeri Gate branch<br />
of his father’s business which he runs profitably.<br />
Is currently settled in Naraina Vihar, New Delhi<br />
and frequently shuttles to UK where his children<br />
are settled.<br />
Mama, vinod Kumar Dhingra s/o Late Shri<br />
Govind Ram, Jwalapur, Distt Haridwar, Uttara<br />
Khand joined in 1962. Science stream. He was the<br />
Rip Van Winkle of the class and a good football<br />
player. Went on to join his father’s Panch Photo<br />
mark naswar (snuff) and has currently diversified<br />
into manufacturing of adhesives and running<br />
primary school on the side.<br />
Neta, Rajesh Gupta s/o Late Shri Amarnath<br />
Gupta, Greater Kailash Part II, New Delhi joined<br />
in 1964. Science stream. Was unanimous custodian<br />
of joint finances and the class whiz kid. Went on to<br />
graduate from IIT Delhi before joining his father’s<br />
import export business at Chowri Bazar Delhi<br />
which he now runs independently.<br />
Mohan, Mohan Lal Deepak s/o Shri Jagannath<br />
Deepak, Bharatpur (Rajasthan) joined in 1964.<br />
Science stream. He was an intelligent dreamer.<br />
After completing his studies he commenced his<br />
corporate carreer in Hero Cycles, Ludhiana. He is<br />
November 26, 2011 33
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
Class of 1971 (1st Row Standing) Narinderjit S. Gill, Mahesh Gupta, Gurcharan Gandok, Depinder S. Sodhi,<br />
Inderjit Singh, Rakesh Goel, Vinod Dhingra, Achal Nanda, Sunil Kapoor (2nd Row sitting) Rajesh Gupta, Rakesh<br />
S. Sidhu, Mohan L. Deepak, K.B. Singh, Vijay Dhingra, Chander Paul.<br />
now settled in Gurgaon and is the Sr VP (General<br />
Affairs) Honda Scooters and Motorcycles.<br />
Bania, Mahesh Gupta s/o Late Shri Shankar<br />
Gupta, Shankar Garage Kanpur Uttar Pradesh<br />
joined in 1964. Science stream. Apt to carry tales<br />
but kind hearted. His attempts to redeem situations<br />
inevitably worsened them. Went on to join his father<br />
in running their repair & recovery?!!!(Intended)<br />
set up. He continues to be the man around town in<br />
Kanpur.<br />
Bihari, Krishna Bihari Singh s/ o Shri KP Singh,<br />
No 1 Contractor Lane Contractor Area Jamshedpur<br />
Bihar joined in 1966. Arts stream. He was the<br />
Kishore Kumar of the class or so all of us made him<br />
feel. Joined his family business and is currently a<br />
successful Exide dealer.<br />
Paul, Chander Paul Achreja s/o Shri Desraj<br />
Achreja, Fancy Silk Store Shankar Road New<br />
Rajinder Nagar New Delhi joined in 1966. Arts<br />
stream. Silent and shy but highly spirited. Joined<br />
his father’s business and currently successfully<br />
runs Fancy Collections.<br />
Channy, Gurcharan Singh Gandaok s/o Late<br />
Sardar Mohinderjit Singh, Chandigarh joined<br />
in 1969. Science stream. Dandy of the class and<br />
a good sportsman. Went on to join his family<br />
business in construction industry. Currently he is<br />
well established in Mumbai.<br />
Tona, Inderjit Singh Dhanoa, East Africa joined<br />
in 1969. Arts stream. Highly energetic and quick<br />
to anger. Is currently General Manager Sales with<br />
Mercedes Benz in Vancouver Canada.<br />
Chief, Tikka Depinder Singh Sodhi s/o Late<br />
Tikka Bhupinder Singh (alumni of CBS), The<br />
Fort Kartarpur, Distt Jalandhar, Punjab joined in<br />
1969.Arts stream. A real laid back personality.<br />
Returned to his hereditary seat in Kartarpur which<br />
he benignly runs.<br />
34 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
MISCELLANEOUS FOOTNOTES<br />
The break up of arts and science stream was 7<br />
and 6 respectively. Where as four Arts students<br />
cleared their ISC exams only two could do so from<br />
Science stream. Mohan explains it as “Pappu pass<br />
ho gaya!!!”<br />
In life the story continues with a twist. The<br />
academically poor performers, from modern<br />
‘I wished for all things to enjoy life,<br />
And was granted Life itself to enjoy all things.”<br />
society yardsticks, are performing ahead of the<br />
academically better performers!!!<br />
I do not recollect a single sunny day holiday without<br />
rains!<br />
At the end of the day, forty years to date of leaving<br />
school, we are singularly lucky (touch wood!)<br />
to be in good health and doing well in life. God<br />
Bless.<br />
- An anonymous Soldier<br />
Standard IV students (1966) with Class Teacher. (1st Row) Nilesh G.Patel, Jitender I Patel,<br />
Miss Jasbir Bandeshah, Jaswant Bagga, Ramesh Bhatia. (2nd Row sitting) Sailesh G Patel,<br />
Vipin Basan, Sohan L. Deepak, Ashok Malik<br />
November 26, 2011 35
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong> Jaspal Singh Swani<br />
244- Basant Avenue,<br />
Amritsar- 143001, INDIA<br />
Mobile No: 098764 29273<br />
Ph : Off. 2587124; Resi. 2224608 • Fax : 2588922,5095824(AL TR)<br />
E-Mail: ssrs_jaspal@yahoo.co.in; ssrsjaspal@gmail.com<br />
ESTD. 1965 A.D<br />
IDEAL TRADING COMPANY<br />
Exports : Celery, Psyllium Seed, Husks, Kamala Powder,<br />
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BEHL SPINNING MILLS MILLS<br />
Manufacturers of Shoddy Yarn<br />
G.T. Road, Chheharta, Amritsar- Punjab<br />
Tel. No. 0183-2258119, 3258954<br />
STERLING FABRICS<br />
Manufacturers of All Kinds of Knitted Fabrics<br />
Mosquito Nets, Dress Material, Curtains<br />
P.O. Vijay Nagar, Kashmir Road, Amritsar-143001<br />
Tel. No.0183-5095824, 2274341<br />
THE SIDHPUR SAT- ISABGOL FACTORY<br />
Suppliers & Exports of Sat – Isabgol<br />
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Tel.No. 91-2767-220023, 220499 • Fax No.91-2767-221023<br />
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Exports : Celeryseed, Psyllium Seed, Husks, Kamala Powder,<br />
Valerian Root & Crude Drugs<br />
Celery House, Maqboolpura, Mehta Road, Amritsar-143001<br />
Tel. No. 0183-2587124 • TeleFax : 0183-2588922<br />
36 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
The overpowering influence of the school<br />
environment and teachers on the students during<br />
their formative years is all pervasive. Aptly, the<br />
school is deemed to be our alma mater. I also look at<br />
the environment in school as akin to nature. It offers<br />
all that it has to give, without any discrimination.<br />
It is for the seeker to take what they desire. Having<br />
done my entire schooling from Col Brown’s I have<br />
no hesitation to state that I am what I am today<br />
because of what I could take from the School.<br />
School by itself would be inanimate. It is the<br />
teachers who impart it life and character. Also,<br />
Memories tend to dim over a period of time. But<br />
the experiences and characters having deep impact<br />
on our life we choose to remember longer. Eighty<br />
Fifth Year celebrations of Col Brown School set<br />
me to reminisce about my teachers and their traits<br />
that I could remember even after forty tumultuous<br />
years of leaving the school. What I remember is<br />
penned in succeeding lines.<br />
Mr Narendra Singh, the Principal. I recollect him<br />
as a dignified, stern and aloof personality, always<br />
impeccably dressed. His command over language<br />
and measured delivery impressed me the most. He<br />
was well versed with ancient Indian scriptures and<br />
his talks were liberally peppered with shlokas from<br />
the Geeta. He was an ardent lover of sports.<br />
Mr Kalanidhi Bahuguna, Hindi and Sanskrit<br />
teacher. He had an artistic bend in him and had<br />
calligraphic hand writing. He was triple MA in<br />
Sanskrit, Hindi and English, a rarity indeed even<br />
today. Give him a word and he could expound upon<br />
it, on and on. He had an excellent sense of humor.<br />
An expert on ‘sandhi vichhed’ of names, he always<br />
expressed dismay at incorrect selection of names by<br />
parents – ‘aankh ke andhe naam Nainsukh’ and ‘nal<br />
par nahati dekhi Godavari, Gomti aur Ganga’ were<br />
his favorite quotes on the subject. His rendering of<br />
‘garbad ramayan’ was always a hit.<br />
An Ode to Our Teachers<br />
–Col (Retd) Rakesh Singh Sidhu (Class of 1971)<br />
Mr SN Dobhal, English<br />
Literature teacher. He was a<br />
man of photographic memory.<br />
Our favorite past time with<br />
him, whenever not in the<br />
mood to study – and it was<br />
often – was to challenge him<br />
to ad verbatim quote any<br />
work of any classic author in<br />
English literature ‘page so and so, line so and so”<br />
and he would take off from there extempore. We<br />
never ceased to be amazed with this capability of<br />
his. Yet his humility had to be seen to be believed.<br />
We could speak to him freely on any subject.<br />
Mr SK Chatterjee, Mathematics Warden and<br />
Head Master. He was a man for all seasons in<br />
the school. His loyalty to the organisation was<br />
beyond reproach. He was the ‘Enforcer’, the<br />
custodian of school discipline, ruthless, dedicated,<br />
on duty round the clock – 24 x 7. He was known<br />
for his nocturnal prowls, clad in overcoat, torch in<br />
hand, hat on head, thick rubber soled shoes! And<br />
what a battle of wits it used to be while breaking<br />
bounds! Stakes were very high. He had to catch<br />
you only once – with expulsion as the ultimate<br />
sentence!! His famous dialogue “Beta either you<br />
are too simple to break discipline or too smart to<br />
be caught by me. Till the time I catch you I will<br />
assume it’s the former.” He was highly perceptive<br />
too, as when I scored maximum obtainable marks<br />
in mathematics, always my bête noir, for the first<br />
and only time in my life – “Rakesh has cheated, he<br />
has scored 150 out of 150” was how he expressed<br />
it without showing any emotion.<br />
Mr Kumar, Mathematics and Music Teacher. He<br />
was a natural in both disciplines. And what do you<br />
have to say to this – these were the two least liked<br />
subjects by me and yet I happened to be his favorite<br />
student!<br />
Mr Ram Singh Kapoor, Physics Teacher. He<br />
November 26, 2011 37
was a gentle person with a penchant for caustic<br />
one liners. Once when Mr SK Chatterjee apprised<br />
him with visible pride about catching two popular<br />
students out of bounds, his famous comment was,”<br />
Mr Chatterjee I don’t see what greatness lies in<br />
this.”<br />
Dr Maj Hari Singh, the Doctor. He was a gentle<br />
soul who was fastidious in washing his hands with<br />
soap after inspecting every patient. We admired his<br />
patience. He was disliked annually for duration of<br />
three days only by majority of us - the time of TAB<br />
& C vaccination.<br />
Sister Anderson, the resident Nurse. She was<br />
terror personified to anyone ill enough to be<br />
admitted to the ward. Woes betide anyone who had<br />
the temerity to cough during her afternoon siesta or<br />
to be injected medicine by her hands. No wonder<br />
she was the biggest motivator not to fall seriously<br />
ill and rivaled Mr Chatterjee for topping students<br />
least favored person list.<br />
Mr G.S.Suman, the Art Teacher. Master of colours<br />
and dreams in paintings. Students of all classes<br />
enjoyed going to the Art Room to splash colours<br />
on art sheets. He was soft spoken and a thorough<br />
gentleman. His student artists won many laurels in<br />
District competitions for the School.<br />
Ms G Cockhill, the Matron of Sylverton House.<br />
She was practically the foster mother of the tiniest<br />
of tots of the school and also the custodian of our<br />
most prized possessions – our tuck and<br />
Private money! Her house keeping standards of<br />
student clothes cupboards were meticulous. And of<br />
course she cooked the best cutlets in location.<br />
Mr Garg, the Geography teacher. He was a firm<br />
believer in the principle of the more you know the<br />
more you write in exams. Weight of the answer<br />
book was of vital importance. He would first<br />
segregate the answer books into various lots by<br />
assessing their weight by holding them in his palm.<br />
Thereafter he read only the first two and the last<br />
two pages before allotting marks. This discovery<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
to us had more import than the discerning of<br />
gravitational laws by Newton. Old newspapers<br />
became inalienable part to carry with you during<br />
geography exams.<br />
Other remembered names that still cling to memory<br />
are of Prep School teachers galaxy led by the<br />
matronly and indomitable Ms B Hughes, Ms Kakra,<br />
Ms J Bandeshah, Ms Ali who after marriage joined<br />
as Mrs. Durrani, Ms White, Ms Cabri, Ms Grey, Ms<br />
D Singh, Ms Wheeler the Dick House Matron, Mr<br />
Pratap Singh hockey coach and debonair man of<br />
the school, Mr SK Bhatia Chemistry teacher who<br />
was more comfortable handling cricket bat than<br />
chemistry lab equipment, Mr. Nath ( Panditji) and<br />
later Mahender Babu- Bursar, Mr S K Chatterjee,<br />
Head Master and Mathematics teacher, Mr Meher<br />
Singh History teacher of “Surya Kant you cant”<br />
fame, Mr Chaturvedi the old worldly English<br />
Literature teacher, Mr Jagmohan Katyal sports and<br />
cricket coach, Mr VN Juyal, Mr Jugran.<br />
And lest we ever forget the selfless services<br />
rendered by:-<br />
Bishti, the water carrier, who had developed<br />
enormous varicose veins in his legs while patiently<br />
slogging on with his duty.<br />
Shankar, the Mali, who single handedly maintained<br />
the greens.<br />
Bijli, the Waiter, who obliged the boys for small<br />
tips by magically producing Tikki on the sly out of<br />
his service cap.<br />
Lalta Ram, the Peon, whose bells controlled our<br />
daily routine.<br />
Mangta, the Safaiwala, responsible for scavenging.<br />
Finally, the menu for adventures on French leave -<br />
Mehru ka elaichi dood and bun samosa, Maheshwari<br />
ke stuffed parathas and rabri, Moti Mahal ka butter<br />
chicken and naan Sind Karachi ka economical<br />
meal, Dosas of Odeon . I now understand why<br />
Adam ate the forbidden apple despite knowing he<br />
would be expelled if caught!!!<br />
38 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
NOSTALGIA<br />
Mr. Abhay Singh: Our reverend principal who<br />
brought a revolution in the school by adding yoga<br />
and boxing in sports activities. He emphasized on<br />
the importance of English vocabulary that made<br />
us stand out of the crowd everywhere. Also, by<br />
replacing the uniform pattern from ‘the flayered’<br />
bellbottoms to shorts; he added on to his students’<br />
personality.<br />
Mr. Gajbir Singh & Mrs. Indubala Singh: A very<br />
affectionate and caring couple who is still admired<br />
for their elegance and strong attachment and<br />
dedication to sports. They introduced excursions to<br />
various wild life sanctuaries to give us a taste of<br />
real life!! Mrs. Singh’s excellence in administration<br />
continue to be a boon for the students…<br />
Mr. S.K. Chatterjee: “Think of the devil and<br />
the devil appears”…could rightly be said for our<br />
dear Maths teacher. His innovative techniques<br />
of teaching tables and arithmetic made me so<br />
comfortable with calculations that I seldom use<br />
calculators.<br />
Miss. Charu Bala Singh: A perfectionist who<br />
graced our lives with her teachings in dramatics,<br />
her incredible way of imparting knowledge to us<br />
through the books that were nicely arranged in her<br />
library and in the times of utter distress, brought<br />
happiness by giving us chocolates….so ma’am…<br />
“kuch meetha ho jaaye!!!”<br />
Mr. S.K. Tyagi: “The teacher is one who makes<br />
two ideas grow where only one grew before."<br />
He is still remembered for his algebra theorems.<br />
“The task of the excellent teacher is to stimulate<br />
'apparently ordinary' people to unusual effort. The<br />
tough problem is not in identifying winners: it is in<br />
making winners out of ordinary people.”<br />
Mr. Bhatt: He is the blend of two “C’s”- CRICKET<br />
Tribute to Our Revered Teachers<br />
–Vijay Chaudhary Dabas (1976-1982)<br />
and CHEMISTRY; still famous<br />
among students. “I cannot<br />
teach anybody anything, I can<br />
only make them think."<br />
Mr. Dhyani: Populary known<br />
as ‘Dhyanchand’ among<br />
students for his passion for<br />
hockey in games and physics<br />
as a subject. He never lost<br />
his cool, be it in field playing hockey or teaching<br />
physics in class. “Teachers don't impact for a year,<br />
but for a lifetime.”<br />
Mr. Pandey: “The art of teaching is the art of<br />
assisting discovery." He will be remembered as a<br />
great history teacher throughout our lives.<br />
Mr. Bisht: "Geography is just physics slowed<br />
down, with a couple of trees stuck in it." And that’s<br />
how he made geography like a piece of cake for<br />
us!! Also, unforgettable are his arts of abstraction.<br />
Mr. O.P. Singh: A promptitude who imbibed his<br />
essence of punctuality in his students. His strict<br />
ways of ushering in the passion of boxing in us<br />
taught us things even outside the boxing ring.<br />
Miss. Cutler: Attracted huge amount of attention<br />
because of her Japanese way of dressing.<br />
Miss. Mala Singh: A very gentle, soft spoken and<br />
a lady of respect, truly reminds me of the words of<br />
an anonymous writer…"If you can read this, thank<br />
a teacher”. And here I am ma’am thanking you !!<br />
"Believe nothing merely because you have been told.<br />
Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely<br />
out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after<br />
due examination and analysis, you find to be kind,<br />
conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of<br />
all beings -- that doctrine believe and cling to, and<br />
take it as your guide." »Buddha<br />
November 26, 2011 39
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong>s at Baroda Kite Festival on 14 th January, 2006 under the presidentship of Late Comm. Avinash Malhotra<br />
Sports Captains of 2003 with (L to R) Mr. Bisht, Mr. Abhay Singh, Principal, Mr. Sunil K. Tyagi and Mr. G.S. Suman<br />
40 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
Life in Col. Brown Cambridge School at Dehra<strong>dun</strong> Soon After Independence<br />
I was eight years old when I joined CBS in January<br />
1948, as a boarder, and was placed in class-I and<br />
given a bed in the Dick House Dormitory, directly<br />
above Principal’s office. We were given half sized<br />
cupboards in cupboard rooms for eight to ten<br />
students. Some boys had made puja corners in their<br />
cupboards with idols of Gods and goddesses and<br />
every evening they performed prayers with lighted<br />
candles, ghee lamps and incense sticks before prep/<br />
dinner, which was joined by other boys as well.<br />
Our principal at that time was Col.T.F.O’Donnell,<br />
ADC, M.C. , D.Litt. , an Irishman also, and a world<br />
war veteran, an awardee of the Military cross for<br />
bravery, whose nose was blown away by a German<br />
bullet in war, and now had a false nose. He was<br />
learned and distinguished and commanded respect<br />
from one and all, but never had severe words for<br />
anyone. He wrote books for students, which were<br />
educative, informative and a model of English<br />
writing and he taught English language to senior<br />
classes. Have just three of his books, fifty to eighty<br />
pages each, and they are:- (1) To the students, (2)<br />
short stories (3) adventures of an S.P., all set in<br />
India, and reading them recently, gave me immense<br />
pleasure. I would like to get all other books written<br />
by him.<br />
Parade, drill, rifle drill and target shooting with 22<br />
bore rifle, started early for us. I had been taught<br />
a little at my home by private teachers, as I was<br />
restricted to mix with village boys and go to village<br />
school, being the heir of the local landlord and<br />
restricted in our fort. In the very first year in school<br />
I was promoted by a double and a triple promotion<br />
to class III, which rendered my Maths and English<br />
grounding weak and was a bane in later classes<br />
right up to B.Sc. The School’s overall discipline<br />
and powers on the sports field were excellent. Our<br />
first elevens of Hockey, Football and Cricket used<br />
to beat all other schools’ elevens in the district. Our<br />
–Pradyuman Singh Chohan, M.Sc., IRTS (Retd.)(1948-1953)<br />
Football teams used to play<br />
with seniors of IMA’s and<br />
Gurkha Regiment teams.<br />
In school, all Hindu festivals<br />
were performed with zeal and<br />
fervor. The first, Holi at ‘B’<br />
field, where coloured water<br />
play was permitted along<br />
with coloured powder ‘gulal’<br />
upto 12.00 noon. The second was Lord Krishna’s<br />
birthday of Janmashtmi, whence boys keeping fast<br />
were provided non-cereal brunch, and the dinner<br />
was a full special meal served after twelve midnight<br />
after a little function of venerating the birth of<br />
Lord Krishna by placing the ideal of Krishna in<br />
a cradle and swinging the cradle with holy songs<br />
and bhajans where some staffs also participated. It<br />
was just like what Christians do for baby Christ’s<br />
birthday. In the festival many Sikh boys also used<br />
to keep the fast. The third festival of Diwali was<br />
also celebrated. Boys decorated their boarding<br />
houses with candles and earthen lamps. Full use<br />
of crackers, crackers’ and spinners and mushrooms<br />
and sparklers was permitted. The highlight was a<br />
rocket (Havai) firing match between boys of India<br />
house against the rest of the school’s seniors, with<br />
‘A’ field being the buffer zone. That night the<br />
dinner was special too. The School used to arrange<br />
picnics to the Robber’s Cave and Sahasthra Dhara<br />
streams and falls and some other places too.<br />
We remember our faculty with love, affection,<br />
misgivings and fear. Our headmaster, Mr.<br />
MacIntosh, was a Scotsman, and also a former army<br />
man and a teacher of English for senior boys. He<br />
was a bachelor, and he had a sister, also a spinster,<br />
and she was incharge of the the Junior School,<br />
upto Prep. IV. There was Miss Peck, Miss Wrack,<br />
Miss Raj Kumari, and our Prep IV incharge Miss<br />
Murphy, who apart from being a very good teacher<br />
November 26, 2011 41
and keeping decorum in class, was very beautiful<br />
like a English movie actress; tall, brunette with Bob<br />
cut hair and features like Elizabeth Taylor.<br />
From Junior-I onwards male teachers were<br />
teaching. Teachers who come to mind are Pandit<br />
ji for Maths, who had famous expletive’ you see’<br />
after every step of an equation. He was gentle,<br />
rotund, but very likeable. For art was Mr. Sen, a<br />
Bengali, and he used to literally hold boys hands<br />
to show how drawing, shading with pencil is done,<br />
and showed by example the methods of use of pastel<br />
colours, water colours, and oil and poster colours.<br />
Hindi teacher was Mr. Mohan Singh, whose efforts<br />
improved my Hindi and I got an ‘A’ rating in Senior<br />
Cambridge Exam. Our Geography teacher was Mr.<br />
S.L.Mathur who was quite influential in enthusing<br />
students to study Geography.<br />
Our English teacher was Mr. Narendra Singh, who<br />
was also School sports incharge. He was the strictest<br />
of all the teachers. In class, if a student did not<br />
complete home work, or made grammatical errors,<br />
he thrashed his palm by his favorite weapon, the<br />
footrule, hard enough to leave the palms stinging<br />
for several minutes. On the sports field he was<br />
like a wizard. In Hockey he had represented the<br />
U.P. eleven. His stick-work was superb, like India<br />
Olympic Gold Medal winning team Captain Dhyan<br />
Chand’s. His Dribbling was such that no opponent<br />
could snatch the ball from under his stick. In cricket<br />
he was a Stylish stroke player.<br />
The most important man in the School was<br />
our bursar, Subedar Bhagwat Singh, popularly<br />
called Subedar Sahib. He had been Col. Brown’s<br />
Regimental Subedar, and his most trusted man,<br />
and also his partner financially in the School<br />
from the beginning of the school in 1926. A<br />
mention must be made of our School Chowkidar<br />
named Basheshar Singh, a Rajput from the same<br />
Regiment. He was truly fat, with a handlebar<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
Moustache and wore a Rajput style turban and<br />
dhoti/ pyjama and kept an enormous ‘Lathi’<br />
with a real spearhead. His eye sight was like an<br />
eagles, and his voice strong and booming and<br />
could enter or leave without his vigil over them.<br />
He reported all the misdemeanors to Subedar<br />
Sahib, but otherwise never touched a boy. A<br />
unique institution of the School he was.<br />
Lastly mention must be made of our seniors, class<br />
fellows and juniors, who are fondly remembered.<br />
Seniors like Birendra Singh, Bir Bikram Singh,<br />
Fateh Singh, Bharat Keshwar, Raj Keshwar, Sher<br />
Singh, Samsher Singh, Pratap Singh, Bhoor Singh,<br />
Devi Singh, Ramesh Sharma, Patiala Maharajas<br />
sons all remembered only by their nick names<br />
given to them by their English Governesses. They<br />
were Ralph, Jummy, Brain and Mervyn and also<br />
remembered are Ram Chander Badhwar and Prem<br />
Prakash , Prashida Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana,<br />
his brother, my class fellow, Om S.J.B. Rana, and<br />
his younger brother my junior Prabal S.J.B. Rana.<br />
My class fellows remembered are Hardev Singh,<br />
Jagbans Singh, Jaspal Swani, Jasinder Kairon,<br />
Anoop Singh, Amar Kuldip Singh, Avinash<br />
Bhalla, Harish Kakkar, Rajinder Dhawan, Laxman<br />
Singh and juniors Ajit Singh, Jaimal Singh, Subash<br />
Arora, Kewal Nagpal, Yashodra Singh, Shiv Karan,<br />
Sheoram, Randir Singh, Prakash Bhalla, Janak<br />
Grover and Brij Mohan Gupta.<br />
The Annual dinner of the School was a day to<br />
remember. Though the food was special, the<br />
Highlight was the Rajput boys, especially from<br />
Rajasthan turning up in colourful turbans with<br />
achkans and churidar in the traditional Rajput style<br />
and Mrs. O’Donnell wearing a gorgeous hat and<br />
looking like Queen Elizabeth,<br />
These memories are special and worth sharing<br />
with boys, who have no idea, what it was like<br />
then.<br />
42 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
<strong>Brownian</strong> Alumni Meet at Amritsar on 26 th & 27 th February, 2011<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong>s at the Golden Temple, Amritsar<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong>s at the Jhalianwala Bagh, Amritsar<br />
November 26, 2011 43
<strong>Brownian</strong>s at Wagah, Indo-Pak Border, Amritsar<br />
Souvenir, Col. Brown Old Boys Association<br />
Founder President Lt. Gen. Depinder Singh Releasing the <strong>Brownian</strong> Members' Directory on 26th February, 2011<br />
44 Assembly Hall, CBS, Dehra<strong>dun</strong>
85th year of Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra<strong>dun</strong><br />
With<br />
Best Compliments From<br />
<strong>Brownian</strong> Bhupinder Singh<br />
Best Wishes to all <strong>Brownian</strong>s<br />
on<br />
the 85th year of School<br />
Chairman:<br />
Queen Distillers & Bottlers (P) Ltd.<br />
Maurya Distillers & Bottlers Pvt. Ltd.<br />
Arjun Dairy (P) Ltd.<br />
Corporate Office<br />
502, Elegance Tower, Plot No.8,<br />
District Centre Jasola, New Delhi – 110025<br />
Tel: 011-40591237-38, Tele/Fax: 011-40591239<br />
E-mail: bhupindersingh2006@gmail.com<br />
November 26, 2011 45
India House<br />
Abhai's Academic Block –Class Rooms<br />
Tamarind Theatre<br />
our SChool CBS<br />
Dick House<br />
Assembly Hall