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Celebrating Joy

To begin with the customary “in her passing…” would be to negate the many reasons why Joy Michael should be…

Celebrating Joy

Queen Elizabeth (PHOTO: AFP)

To begin with the customary “in her passing…” would be to negate the many reasons why Joy Michael should be remembered ~ it would be preferable to celebrate the myriad merits of the woman, who contributed so much to Delhi’s culture and education before she went to eternal rest on 9 March, at a truly grand old age.

A pioneer of the stage, an eminent educationist, loving mother and grandmother, and loyal friend is what she always was: and each of those facets will etch the memories of those privileged to have known her. That several eminent personalities have made a point of going “on record” to laud her accomplishments over 50 years or more, testifies to a rare brand of greatness ~ one that she never claimed for herself.

An alumni of St Stephen’s College (not many know it had opened as a co-ed institution), she was the first woman to head its prestigious Shakespeare Society: That attraction for the stage led her to follow her muse in her studies in the UK, and when she returned home she helped establish “Yatrik Theatre” that has consistently been in the limelight. To list the names of the “stars”, who glittered under her tutelage, would be unfair to those whose names would have to be omitted to “save” the column-centimetres.

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After a long career with an American educational foundation, she served as Principal, St Thomas School in Mandir Marg. When Queen Elizabeth visited the school in 1983 Joy mounted a “reception”, over which the British media waxed eloquent.

It was no surprise that Joy was honoured with the Padma Shri ~ the appeal of true art knows no bounds.

In remembrance

The passage of time does not loosen the bonds of affection. This was evident at the funeral last week of Denzil, great-great-great-great-grandson of Col Salvador Smith (1783-1871), the 19th-century military adventurer, who died at Jaipur on 8 March following a short illness, aged 70.

Retiring from the Post and Telegraph Department 10 years ago, bachelor-boy Denzil was left alone after the demise of his mother and sister, and had to make do with meals at the bazar dhabas. His solitude forced him to take frequent recourse to the dubious “cup that cheers”. And that proved to be his undoing or he too would have attained the same hoary age as his celebrated ancestor.

With his peculiar sense of humour, Denzil Smith could enliven even the soberest assembly. When his kindergarten teacher asked him what “RIP”, written on a tombstone, meant he immediately blurted out, “Madam, roasted pig” and got a tight slap for the remark. At another time, while chasing away a herd of stray pigs, he hit one with a stone and when it bolted away, childlessly shouted, “Woh Chali mere swaraya” (Hindi feminine gender for a sow). That was all long ago but one couldn’t help suppressing a grin at this memory when he was interred at the historic Church of Sacred Heart Cemetery, where 1857 “Mutiny” victims also rest.

Celebrating Joy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned to research on its head when, in his inaugural speech at the ongoing Indian Science Congress, he called for redefining “R&D” as “Research for the Development” of the nation, terming it “R&D in the real sense”.

Contributed by: R V Smith, Keith Flory and Asha Ramachandran

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