On the evening of the 11th, Captain Suresh Bahadur while on his evening walk, was hit by a motorcycle and sustained injuries, the most serious being a brain haemorrhage. He was operated upon at the Yatharth Hospital, Greater NOIDA and was in the ICU. Since all of us course mates, wanted him to get the best medical cover, Adm Sunil Lanba had ensured that he was shifted into the Army Hospital Research & Referral.
After ten days of a brave fight, Suresh passed into the mist of time early morning, yesterday. His body was taken to the Safdarjung Hospital for post-mortem this morning at 0900 hrs. His last rites and the final farewell took place at the Rotary Cremation Ground, Shafipur, Greater Noida at 1600 hrs this evening.
A white floral wreath was placed on behalf of the course. RK Pattanaik, Saroj Jha, Nalin Kant, Rakesh Saxena, V Prasad and Rajiv Wadera, of our course and who are residing in New Delhi, were there to bid him the final farewell.
He leaves behind his wife, Anjali and son, Devashish.
May I take this occasion to remember Suresh Bahadur? I met him first on board the old INS Delhi, when I'd joined the 13th Integrated Course, as a cadet, during mid-Jan 1977. A humble, pleasant guy with premature grey hair, he was focused on the training like any of us. He was in the 'port chest flat' while I was in the 'starboard chest flat' during the entire course of our cadets' training. I must confess that we weren't very close during those initial days - especially because he was from the NAVAC and I, from the NDA.
As Midshipmen, we were on different ships viz. he, on board the old INS Brahmaputra while I was on the old INS Beas. Then, it was on to the year-long Sub's Courses and we were on different paths in the course of our career. He specialised as a Naval Armament Inspector and did some fantastic professional work. He was widely respected for his professional acumen.
And over a period of time, we got to be more friendly and were on one-to-one What'sApp contact, exchanging messages with him passing on appreciative messages on my posts! About two years back, he had come down to Kochi to attend Sashmira's - a course mate's daughter - wedding and had inquired as to whether I was available at Guruvayur as he wanted to have a 'darshan' of the good Lord. Unfortunately, I was away at my parents' place at Kottarakkara and couldn't host him but had met him and Anjali during the wedding.
Never knew that it would end up as our last meeting! Strange are the ways of life!!
I have already included him in my prayers, since yesterday morning, by adding his name to the list of my close friends and relatives who have passed into the mist of time.
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