Sanjay, you broke our hearts
(Sanjay Srinivasan 21.02.1970 - 12.01.2022)
Sanjay’s
departure has been so sudden that words refuse to come out to express anything about
him. Right from the morning of Wednesday
(12.01.2022) when I came to know about the devastating news, I have been trying
to put my thoughts into words. Whenever I attempted, I
felt like Sanjay coming near me and saying with his sweet smile, ‘for
what?’. (‘Edhukku?’, he would have told
in Tamil)
That was his typical quintessence. He would not say a word which has no relevance or would not be understood by the others. And for that reason, his words carried weight and substance.
Yet,
I could feel some deep pain which I put in the Face book on Friday.
What pains had you carried in your heart Sanjay
That it gave way without even a notice.
What pains you carried about the cadre,
What pains you carried about your colleagues,
What pains you carried over the deplorable spot we are in,
Over your words not understood, over our efforts going waste,
What pains you carried over the back stabbings,
Over the ignorance of the betrayed.
Yet you should have stayed on Sanjay,
For your darling daughter, loving wife and dearest mom at least.
Stay there Sanjay,
Stay on in our lives,
Free from the worries,
Of the mortal coil.
Stay on Sanjay.
Though
I had only kept hearing about him from people like Harish, I came into personal
contact with him only during 2017. From
then on, even three days prior to his sudden departure, he has been in touch
with me.
A
person who had a deep conviction on things that are right and that are
wrong. A person who felt that we had an
obligation to work for getting the ‘right’ established, by the ‘right methods’. A keen, legalistic mind, which would find
Constitutional methods to fight against any type of injustice. And a heart of gold that beat for the
well-being of all his near and dear.
He
was the All India President of the Superintendents’ Association when I was the
Secretary General. We had absolute
understanding. He told me not to await
his signal when important decisions had to be taken at short notice. ‘I am
always with you’, he had assured. Never
did he falter from his commitment. But
the post of President was only a small role for his huge personality. He looked upon it only as another
responsibility given to him.
During
that period he also had some health issues which did not permit him to travel
often and at a particular period of time he had difficulty even in typing on
the computer and handling the mobile. It
was another difficult phase for him.
Earlier
he had to face the great trauma of his daughter’s accident. It took a great deal of determination,
patience and time for the family to get back from that pain.
One
major contribution of Sanjay to his colleagues at Pune is the Group Insurance
Scheme he had envisaged and got running.
Com. Sanjay Kumar told me that even just before his departure Sanjay had
been negotiating with some Insurance agencies for the renewal of the policy for
the current year. Though we have all heard
about the scheme and tried to emulate it in our own places, we have not yet
been successful. That shows his
fortitude, vision and commitment in getting it on its feet and running well.
Another
major contribution for which Sanjay will be remembered or ought to be remembered
by the Cadres of Inspectors and Superintendents of Central Excise (and analogues
cadres in the Income Tax) is for getting the 1.1.96 case on the rails. The demand for retrospective effect of
revision of scales of Inspectors and Superintendents of not only CBIC, but also
CBDT from at least 1.1.96, had not been restored so easily. The notes of the Department of Revenue and
Expenditure had to be accessed. It was
not as easy as one could imagine. Once
when speaking about his efforts in getting the documents through RTI, Sanjay
said that his house had been got raided, ‘just to intimidate him’. ‘My mother even was not spared from the ill
treatment’, he said with his usual smile but I could see the pain in his
eyes.
He
took meticulous interest in filing the case in Mumbai CAT and had travelled
several times between Pune and Mumbai for that case. In fact it was regarding this case that he
had contacted me the Sunday prior to his sudden demise.
In
his official work, he was again meticulous and thorough. For that reason, in spite of being an
Association Office Bearer, the higher officials liked him. I was told that even though he reported to
work by 9.15 to 9.30 every day, he left office only by 7.30 p.m.
His
daughter is yet to complete her graduation. She should be blessed to get his
legal and logical mind.
He had thanked his wife and daughter profusely for their support to him in his Association activities, in a message when he left the Inspectors’ Association. Now, it is very unfortunate that he has left them so suddenly.
For
a person who had very clean habits and was regular in his routine, a heart
attack is something we are not able to understand or admit. But we have no other option. The only thing we can hope is that he should not
have suffered. He ought not to have, for
his noble heart.
Yet,
he has left us so suddenly and so soon that we are yet to come to terms with
it.
What
we could expect to do is only to remember him and his family in our prayers and
try to emulate at least a small portion of his sincerity.
R. Manimohan
17.01.2022
🙏Well said, 🙏
ReplyDeleteTruly expressed about Sanjay Srinivasan.
ReplyDeleteHe had lot of patience and tolerance in persuing the fraternity cause.
The Group Insurance Scheme he proposed in Pune zonal unit and carried out successfully to the benefit of many (unfortunately, including himself) unfortunate families.
He had clarity on every Topic/issue which he took it in his hands.
See the fate...the revision of Pay from 1.1.1996, was pending for admission in Court for last many years; but the Court admitted petition only last week by delay condoned.
May be to fulfill the last wish of Comrade Sanjay Srinivasan and to salute his determination in fighting injustice to Gr-B fraternity.
We really miss him.
Sanjay, has left his impression in our minds and on hearts, by his relentless and untiring work and contributions for the cause of the Cadre. It's indeed very sad and shocking for all and a great loss to the family. In the last email a day before his demise, he did sum up about the Group Insurance Scheme, stating that it started as a dream in 2009, and from 2012 to till date 16 families got the benefit. A Big Salute for his contributions.Om Shanti.
ReplyDeleteJai Hind.
A good human and a great friend. Sanjay lives in our hearts forever.
ReplyDeleteOm shanti.
Adhoora rupiah- He used to visit us and when he’s there he ensured everyone was happy. He specifically cared for me and we played a lot when I was studying and he working he used to say I will spend for you you spend for me when you earn. By that time we all became busy forgot all. We sparingly connected and all enquiries were through indirect contacts. My mother and I still used to remember our childhood escapades and be emotive about. Now suddenly knocked of thinking I lost the opportunity to spend for him the Adhoora rupiah
ReplyDeleteWhen what we expect to happen does not happen, we are disappointed and we suffer pain at some level. The greater the expectation, the greater the pain. Let us grow our happiness by lowering our expectations and growing our gratefulness.
ReplyDeleteकहाँ जगत मे भला कभी कुछ होता है
मन के भावो से ही सुख दुःख होता है
ऋतू बदलने से नहीं कुछ होता है
मन के भावों से ही सुख दुःख होता है
"In summer we like it cold, in winter we like it hot.
It’s the nature of man to always like what it is not."
- Rajan Sachdeva ji
Acceptance and appreciation of what we have, is the way to happiness.