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.