Dr YP Anand, a true Gandhian - an obituary

I never saw Gandhi in real life as he passed away a decade before I was born. But what I learned about him through anecdotes, books, documentaries, films from all corners of the world that you feel you had seen him and perhaps met him (in the dreams). Gandhi, the Mahatma, is a subject that no one would understand in toto.. it is like that elephant story that the blind men explored. 

However, there were a few who followed and inherited some of what Gandhi stood for. I was fortunate to know and personally met two of those who may not have lived with Gandhi as a physical person but have had him in them like Meera had Krishna in her. Through their lives they lived and followed the principles of life that Gandhi propagated.. truth, social equality, non violence, live and let live (mahavir's motto that he followed). 

One of them was Anupam Mishra, a Gandhian and an environmentalist who devoted his life for spreading the message of Gandhi. He was associated with Gandhi Peace Foundation throughout his life,.joining in 1969!as a teenager until he breathed last in 2016.

The other person who I saw from close quarters more as an elder in the family after I married his distant relation. Over the last forty years there may have been a couple of dozen ocassion to meet him and everytime I met and interacted, I felt I met someone who inculcated Gandhi, his presence itself radiated and made you feel pious. The person I am referring to is Dr YP Anand, who graduated as a civil engineer from Punjab Engineering College in Roorkee (after partition PEC classes were held in Roorkee before shifting to Chandigarh) and spent a lifetime serving Indian Railways culminating his career as Chairman, Railway Board (1991-92). An upright and honest to the core he had such brilliance that inspite of his truthfulness and honesty his achievements could not be stopped. Those were the days when politics gave way to the hard work and brilliance. It has become rarer and rarer since those days. Post retirement he joined the board of governors of Gandhi Museum and Library. He was also on the board of Indian Institute of Waste Management and contributed significantly keeping the Gandhian philosophy for sanitation and cleanliness. He also founded and was associated throughout his life after retirement with a school "Godhuli" that was run to educate children who got left out of the mainstream schooling system. We lost Dr YP Anand yesterday after he lived a Gandhian life for nearly 92 years. May his soul rest in peace.

October 02, 2026

Hope for life - a Gandhian way.

Tibet has been in and out of the clutches of China for over 1000 years. But the grip since 1951 is tighter and unbroken. The 14th Dalai Lama (born Lhamo Thondup, spiritual name Tenzin Gyasto)has been the spiritual leader since 1940 and head of the Tibetan government in exile since 1959. He and his followers have been demanding a free Tibet ever since but the mighty and powerful China would hear nothing on the subject. The demand and protest has been on Gandhian principles, not violent (almost). I was fortunate to see the Dalai Lama a couple of times from close quarters and heard him speak on a couple of occasions but never personally met or talked. 

His mere presence made me feel heavenly, it was so calming and peaceful like very few people I saw (and some I met) in my life Dr Radhakrishnan (as a child), Indira Gandhi (as a graduating engineer), Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw ( a one in one for over 3 hours a few years before his departure), Ustad Bismillah Khan and a few more. I have a feeling that I would have felt similar had I seen or met Gandhi.

Earlier this week I met Tsering Tharchin, at a petrol pump in Delhi (where I went to refuel "pure petrol"), who was born in Tibet and escaped to India with a desire to return in Free Tibet. He lives in Dharmshala, Himachal Pradesh and has undertaken a journey on foot from Dharmshala to Delhi. He walked 500 kilometres in 32 days and wishes to publicise his and his fellow Tibetan's demand of Free Tibet. One shouldn't laugh at his determination and hope for like Gandhi, Dalai Lama and his followers like Tsering hope that they will achieve freedom one day by non-violence means. 

Salute to such spirit. May God be with them.

Oct 02, 2026.

Book Review - Poorbo Paschim (East West) by Sunil Gangopadhyay.

After reading a few books on India's partition on the western front, I was curious about stories of the east, the bengal that was partitioned three times. (in 1905 under British rule, in 1947 and again the east for partitioned and liberated itself from Pakistan). First it was in 1905 by Lord Curzon, the British viceroy on the basis of religion (under divide and rule principle) that failed after huge protests and got reversed when King George V announced the unification in 1911. The second time around Bengal was partitioned when India got partitioned on religious line when British put a stamp that permanently ensured that the two religious communities hate each other for the several centuries that follows their decision to withdraw the occupation that was started by the "smart traders" of East India Company in the 18th Century. One still wonders how a large country that had an established rule under powerful rulers got fooled so easily by a handful of cunning invaders came under the garb of traders.

My quest for the history of the second Bengal partition in 1947 brought me to the book "Purbo Paschim" originally written in Bangla by the well known laureate Sunil Gangopadhyay and translated in english by Enakshi Chaterjee, mother of my friend Subhamay Chattopadhyay.

I first read two epic novels on Bengal's Renaissance period written by Sunil Gangopadhyay about two years back. In quick succession I read Pratham Alo (gifted to me by a friend Abhijit Bhaduri ) and Sei Samay which are the classical novels in which history and fiction were woven so beautifully as if you were sitting in the drawing rooms of Rabindranath Thakur, Ramkrishna, Vivekanand or Arbindo and listening to the conversations these stalwarts had with one another and several others.. line Gandhi, Tilak etc.

Reading 1112 pages of Purbo Paschim (East West) part 1 was an arduous task and took me over 3 months to complete. But it was a joy to discover many historical events weaved in the form of a fiction. It was almost like a sequel to Pratham Alo in terms of the period. However, this was only a beginning, there is a genuine sequel to this, a 706 page Purbo paschim Part 2. That I intend to read after a little gap. 

Sunil Gangopadhyay has a magnetic art of writing that binds you to him.I wish I could read bangla to get to his writings deeper. It's absolutely true that the true feelings cannot be expressed in translation and often something is lost. Some grammatical errors, some typos are unavoidable too and that irritates you while you read, you do get the meaning but...

the pre-partition story goes on till the naxalbari movement in the early seventies and you get the gist of the goings on of east and west bengal during several important phases of history including three wars with Pakistan.

It may be an effort but if you could read this book it will surely be an enlightening experience. For now, I am curious as to what stories are covered in the Purbo Paschim Part II.

August 08, 2026.

Chandni Chowk - streets of old Delhi and its food.

In the last couple of days UK, Canada, and Singapore have issued travel advisories for severe air pollution in northern India, particularly Delhi-NCR, where the AQI levels are constantly crossing 500 (putting it in severe to hazardous category). But life is going on as usual even when doctors/hospitals are reporting increase in respiratory related patients. I too dared to visit the Chandni Chowk area (Chawri Bazar, Nai Sadak etc) with friends.

Chandni Chowk and the kuchas, galis, katras in the area are paradise for street food lovers since the last many centuries. Your wishes always remain unfulfilled even when your stomach is bursting. 

Pictures from a visit on Dec17, 2025.

Chawri Bazar, Nai Sarak, Chandni chowk.

Delhi-6.

Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Delhi- Noida.

Parks and Greens today.

Although the AQI today was in the severe to hazardous category and inside the house with the help of several purifiers we managed to contain it to "poor", it did not deter to keep me to venture out as I have been quite keen since the beginning of month to see a bird sanctuary to shoot some migrant birds. The nearest one from home is Okhla Bird sanctuary. The sanctuary is situated between Delhi and Noida on the banks of river Yamuna where the big lake is the water reservoir on the Yamuna barrage that attracts migratory birds during the winter season. 

I spent the afternoon there. Saw some water birds but the improper lighting was not favourable for shooting (with the camera). There were some small birds who usually frequent the forest area inside the sanctuary. I will soon be posting the pictures I shot.

Here is a general view of the surroundings captured with my phone camera.

Saturday. December 13, 2025