MY FRIEND PR

When you reach 75, it is time you appreciate what and how others have helped you to get to this point. While I was pondering over it, suddenly the news came that one of my dearest friends has just passed away. To be precise, on 24th April 2010.

Prabhakar Raghunath Joshi (PR for all of us) was of my age; he lost his parents very early and had to spend his childhood in Pune Vidyarthi Griha. We became friends in BM College of Commerce in 1954. We studied together, ate together, and formed our own Group of 4 (with SG Kulkarni and Mohan Phatak). The Group still remains, although SG, and now PR, are no longer there.

After his getting M.Com., he continued to study for Ph. D. in economics and then joined ICICI. He became a finance man and served on some international bodies and taught at Post graduate level. He married Sudha, a doctorate and Professor in Marathi. They have a son, who is now in USA, of the same age as Abhay, my son. PR was a scholar and a very nice human being. He was loved by my both parents and became a member of our household in no time.

PR, how can I forget some of very lively chats and fights, which would run on and on, interrupted only by the omelets (prepared by each individual as per his taste)? I remember very vividly how you informed me about our passing B.Com. examination and becoming entitled to a couple of rewards from the college: superintendent of the hostel for a year, and sports secretary of the college. We discussed these positions and finally agreed that I would become superintendent and you the sports secretary. The tutorship for two years would enable you to rent a single room and bring out your younger sister from the girls hostel to stay with you. You did that, and took the responsibility of her education and life thereafter.

And then, when I decided to quit service in 1985 and be on my own, you came forward and encouraged me. And how? You promised me that if I failed to earn adequately, .we two would pool and share our earnings every month. We never reached this situation; but we did share our knowledge, experiences, happiness, and minds. Till a couple of days ago.

PR, you had no reason to leave so early.

I am now reading a great book "India after Gandhi" (Macmillan, 2007) by Ramachandra Guha. A Contemporary Historical account, it tries to answer, in his own words, "Why is there an India at all?"

It is bulky (almost 900 pages); yet, I am enjoying it.