S'jung Airport

Lest we forget!

Safdarjung Airport was established as the Willingdon Airfield in 1929 and was India's second airport after Mumbai's Juhu Aerodrome. It was Delhi's only airport till 1962 when operations shifted to Palam Airport. People could go right up to the tarmac to receive and see off passengers at S'jung Airport. It's currently used only for VVIP choppers and small govt aircrafts. It also housed the Delhi Flying Club till January 2002. The high security S'jung Airport may be made partially open to public, with the Centre deciding to build an integrated headquarters for several aviation agencies next to its iconic central dome, including an exhibition hall on the ground floor, displaying art works from Air India's and AAI's collection, in the next three years.

December 5, 1954 picture showing departure of delegates to the World Forestry Congress for Srinagar from S'jung. Airport.

Down memory lane..

Flight IC 573/574 of March 8, 2008, on the Chennai-Colombo-Chennai route was in a way special. It was for the first time that an international flight operating out of Chennai had an all-women crew on board, befitting the occasion-- International Women's Day. In pic (from left) Ms Shreyas Joseph, Ms Dhanpreet Bal, Ms Nancy, Capt M. Deepa (Commander), Capt Veda Bakavathi (First Officer), Ms Maya Kumari Das and Ms Upasana. Interestingly, the flight had 50 women passengers on board.

Mr. EA Varghese, Executive Director (Southern Region), gave a warm send-off to the all-women crew flight at the airport. The operation of the flight received extensive mention in electronic and print media in the South.

(मुझ जैसे छोटे-मोटे लेखकों का छुट-पुट लिखते रहना एक आम बात है। लेकिन कभी किसी रचना का पात्र ही लेखक से बातें करने लगे -- यह एक खास बात है! कुछ ऐसा ही सुखद अनुभव हुआ था फेसबुक पर अक्टूबर 2016 की इस पोस्ट के बाद। कई दिन बाद अचानक किसी ने मैसेंजर पर कहा: 'हेलो! मैं दायीं ओर से दूसरी - माया!' --'कहां, किस फोटो में?' मैंने पूछा। जवाब में सारी बात समझ आई।)

Ms Maya Das, I may now gladly add, has recently won a prize in Speech and Extempore competition held by Home Ministry's Town Official Language Implementation Committee in Chennai. As she represented Air India, the CMD too has awarded her another prize! Congrats shining girls!

Remembering you Captain!

One evening, Capt. Chandra (retired) called our office at Srinagar in October, 1987 asking about some nearby hotel to stay for 2/3 days. As I had picked the phone, I gave him details of nearby area and few hotels, I had known by that time - adding, we would be happy if he did not mind to stay with us at our small house for the short time as mainly they will be busy in their sight seeing tours...
We were delighted to welcome the couple at our home around 7 pm. Fondly, we remember, they had brought a little cute woolen coat for our 45-day-old daughter from Pehalgam during their stay with us.
Soon, in January 1988, we were returning from Trivandrum via Mumbai for an evening flight to Jodhpur. While at Mumbai airport for less than two hours, I briefly called Capt. Chandra from a public call just to wish him and the family - and to inform about my connecting flight after some time. I further added that the morning flight was tight and, moreover, I knew nothing about the big city. He asked me to remain at the same point from where I was calling. Surprisingly, he came there within 30-minute and insisted us accompanying him to his home. Regarding status of next morning flight, he assured, he would talk to the operating Captain. It was about 10 pm after dinner when the family insisted to take us to a brief visit to Juhu beach... We still cherish the loving Memories!..
I shall be grateful, if someone helps me knowing his full name. Those were the days of Capt. R. Chandra and Capt. Avinash Chandra -- either of them was our operating Captain of A300 (usually on IC427/428, Delhi/Srinagar/Delhi). Thanks, Captain!
(Some time back, Mr. Shailender Thapliyal informed his name as Capt. Ramesh Chandra)

'संक्षेप में'

उसे थी खुजली,
चमड़ी बदलती थी रंग;
डॉक्टर के यहां
'संक्षेप में कहिए' का
बोर्ड देख कर
सकपका गया..
साफ-साफ कह गया --
'प्लीज़ डॉक्टर,
मुझे भैंस बनने से
बचा लीजिए!'

-- विजय के भटनागर  (1970)

'गेस्ट'

'गेस्ट'

डॉक्टर ने मरीज की
परवाह छोड़ दी,
मरीज ने रोग की;
और रोग एक रात
चुपचाप
गठरी बांधे
यह कहते
चलता बना -
'ऐसे ट्रीट किया जाता है
गेस्ट को!'

- विजय के भटनागर
        

'आस'

सखि -
वो आए,
बैठे,
मेरी गठरी बंधाई,
आप उठाई;
फिर अस्तबल में जाकर
बोले-
मुझे कब डालोगी --
घास?!

--विजय के भटनागर
   (3.4.1980)

दर्द-ए-दिल

--"सखि, कोई माथुर साहब आए, बोले --
न तो मैं तुम्हे देख रहा हूँ, न तुम्हारे इन उपलों को;
मैं तो देख रहा हूँ, तुम्हारी उपले पाथने की दीवार।
मेरी हालत भी इस दीवार जैसी है --
कोई भी आकर एक उपला-सा चेप जाता है --
कि माथुर साहब, सारी गड़बड़ियां
आपकी शिफ्ट में ही क्यों होती हैं?!"

घोषणा: इस हास्य-कविता (1997) के सभी पात्र, नाम एवं घटनाएं काल्पनिक हैं। किसी वर्तमान अथवा रिटायर्ड शिफ्ट-इंचार्ज से दर्द-ए-दिल मिल जाना महज़ इत्तफाक ही समझें !

- विजय के भटनागर