Page 10 - seniors today november 2020

the Nagin lake. I got this information and
Autographing a portrait taken by the author
Bakshi Gulam Mohd, Prime Minister of J_K, receving Mr
Nehru, Prime Minister of India
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reached the swimming boat in the centre
of the lake. After swimming for over an
hour he decided to do some surf boarding.
I got permission to get into the motor boat
which was to pull his board and made
many big circles in the lake. At one point
when I was photographing him he became
unbalanced and fell into the lake in a part
which had weeds. I quickly turned the boat
to go close to him and then switched off
the boat engine. Self-confident and proud
man that he was, he refused any assistance
to get onto the boat. When I found that he
was unable on his own to climb onto the
boat, I helped him on. I shudder to think
what would have happened if he did not
allow me to pull him up. Upon returning
to the swimming boat I made myself scarce
from embarrassment and possible blame.
Soon he realised that I was not around and
asked someone to look around for me and
to give me a cup of coffee. Later on I got
that photograph enlarged to present to him
on his next visit to Kashmir. A couple of
months later when he returned to Sringar
I presented him with that photograph at
the Nehru guest house. He laughingly
wanted to know if this was the occasion
when I “tried to down him”. This put me
at ease and I admired this quality in him
to put the other person at ease even in
difficult situations. Today I have immense
satisfaction and an invaluable photographic
collection of this great man.
“I still recall the day of his passing away,
May 27, 1964. At my residence I had James
Burke, Time-Life Chief of Bureau in India,
over for lunch. We both were shocked and
grieved on hearing the news. A week later
a special aircraft brought part of his ashes
in an urn. With a heavy heart I went to the
airport when the ashes arrived and later