Surat Sojourn and Rafi Night

Way back in January 1967 , after we had completed  as IAS Trainee  officers, our Bharat Darshan Yatra of a few states including a most famous  Vrindaban Gardens near Mysore four of us namely  CM Vasudev ,Inderjit  Khanna, OP Behari ( now in heavenly abode) and myself were attached  to District  Administration at Surat for nearly  two weeks. 

The legendary strict NAAcademy Mussoorie  Director Shri MG Pimputkar our trainer in Chief had mandated Canadian Airforce PT which we continued at Surat Circuit House at 6.30 AM everyday 

Surat Sojourn-as I  prefer this  term was made memorable  by two events- a West Zone Ranji trophy  cricket match and a live concert by star singer Mohammed  Rafi.

As guest trainee Magistrates we had the privilege  of VIP  tickets for watching  live- in- action famous batsmen Jaisimha and Umrimgar among  others.Needless to add, the match was a great treat to us foursome .Details  have faded in memory 

The real icing on the cake was Mohammed Rafi Night on Sunday. 

Watching  him regaling  the audience from 7PM to 10.30 PM by selected  songs from  famous films -slection was superb including  'O duniya ke Rakhwale sun dard bhare mere Nale from film Baiju Bawara. Audience  responded  by thunderous rounds  of applause and a standing ovation at the end. Actor Anwar was the announcer and anchor  of the programme.

Our training schedule included besides  attachment  to DM and Collector who oversaw law and order and regulatory  administration  including  Food and Civil Supplies ,  sittings with CEO Zila Parishad, who was in charge of all Development Administration under the newly  implemented  Administrative reforms 

Our training included visit to Ukai Dam Irrigation project and  Ankleshwar Oil  fields for watching oil drilling  operations.

But visit to a few diamond  cutting manual hand operated spherical machines in dinghy havelis and  houses employing  adolescent  boys sitting on ground was,though  informative was highly  disappointing. What a contrast to the present day  Surat with world class cutting machines and newly inaugurated  world's largest Diamond Bourse located in nine huge  buildings and  housing hundreds of companies and manufacturers!!

Last but not least, a stroll at the Tapti river bank park in the evening was the only recreation with scores of old,  young and adolescents jostling in the crowd hand in hand laughing  or eyeing each other  with  loving looks and at the same time munching snacks or sitting with eatables anywhere and everywhere 

We were the only all male group lazily walking around looking  wide eyed at the freedom loving Suratee citizenry.

Our evening  was rounded off by coffee or dinner at Kwality  restaurant. 

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Down memory lane, whatever I could recall I have penned  down. 

I expect and look forward to comments by two Batchmates- SS Inderjit Khanna and CM Vaudev for

 adding ,embellishing  and improving this reminiscence 

ICSrivastava IAS Retd