While reading Hilla Guzder’s article ("We have created history,” Parsiana, August 2004) on the Holiday Programme for Youth (HPY) I was shocked to see no mention made whatsoever of Dr Ketayun Madon, the first director of HPY.
I was in HPY in 1987, its inaugural year. The program was excellent and it dealt with various aspects of religion, history, social interaction and character building. Madon, ably assisted by Diana Marfatia and Kamal Damania, did a magnificent job of molding 70 teenagers. We had religious instruction classes, career guidance, trips to Sanjan and Navsari, and much more.
Most of us joked about being in the first and therefore "guinea pig” batch of HPY. But we all had a great time. It’s sad therefore to note that in an article which draws out the history of HPY (18 years!) there’s no mention of Madon.
YAZAD JAL
Chief Executive Officer, Praja Foundation
Hilla Guzder replies
Though the headline mentions creating history, the article itself refers wholly to the 18th edition of HPY held in the summer of 2004. The references to people of earlier years are present in the article only in the context of what was said at the inaugural and valedictory functions. The article is therefore not one which "draws out the history of HPY.”