Those attending came from as far away as the US, Bombay, Bangalore, Bareilly… Neither the virus nor distance could break the bonds between the 1963 classmates of Doon School who had gathered on April 15, 2022 at the forever hospitable home of hosts Gautam Vohra and his partner Priya Sen at Vasant Vihar in Delhi. I was meeting classmates for the first time after leaving school — that is a good 60 years.
It was touching to meet in person those with whom we have been debating and discussing issues on our WhatsApp group. The participants are lively, intellectual, literary and humorous. Our media discussions cover the entire spectrum of left, center and right views, which are debated without malice. This is unlike the general environment in the country where even families become polarized.
Kobad Ghandy (l) and Gautam Vohra
Gautam was the only person I had met after school. He campaigned tirelessly for my release, even coming to Jharkhand jail; not to mention the near-weekly picturesque and thoughtful cards he mailed me in Tihar.
What struck me most was the bonhomie and open-mindedness of the gathering. I viewed through the eyes of a revolutionary the gathering of businessmen, non-government organization (NGO) members, lecturers, singers/artists, even scientists. The reason for the 60 year gap was the trajectory of my work amongst the Dalits, workers, tribals and oppressed women that kept me apart. It was in England, while studying for my chartered accountant qualification that I observed racism against my fellow Indians. This drew me to radicalism. In London initially I would meet many schoolmates but later my activities drew me to a different circle of associates.
In Bombay in 1972, there was little opportunity to meet classmates. My late wife, Anuradha, and I spent most of our days in the slums and amongst factory workers. Later, we shifted to Nagpur in 1981 to live for two decades in a dalit basti. Anuradha abruptly passed away in 2008 of falciparum malaria contracted in the Jharkhand jungles. I was arrested the next year under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and kept incarcerated as an under-trial for 10 years. It was only after being released on bail in 2019 that I began meeting old friends.
Gautam had, from his Kings College days, met Fidel Castro, gone on demonstrations with actor Vanessa Redgrave against the US war in Vietnam, before joining the Times Group as a journalist. He later ran the NGO DRAG (Development Research and Action Group) and authored 13 books. Priya, after Welham School, spent 17 years studying in Paris. There she joined the Institute of Development Studies which drew many participants from the Third world, including the illustrious revolutionary, French philosopher Régis Debray. She then worked in India as a photo journalist. I remember in those days revolutionaries like Che Guevara and Debray being our idols.
I was fascinated by the interaction at the reunion and look forward to the next gathering.
Kobad Ghandy