HAIL MT. HERMON: A TRIBUTE

(125^th Anniversary - 1895-2020)

LEST WE FORGET: Old Walls Hold Memories

    Before the events of Covid 19 fades into memory we need to remember three Hermonites who died in recent months. One was my teacher (Mr. John West), one a student (Christian Pariat) and the other a friend (Robin Wason).

Mr. John West passed away peacefully at around 2 a.m. at his home in Darjeeling on March 11, 2020. “He passed away of acute asthmatic attack,” according to Nina (Manidira Dam) West, who was beside him when he breathed his last. Many Hermonites were present in Darjeeling on this historic day for celebrations of Mt. Hermon School’s 125^th Birth Anniversary.

    Mr. West may have chosen to leave us on this special day for MH and the Hermonites. It would have been better if he left us after meeting us. But that was not to be so. We feel privileged to have attended his funeral on March 12 and pay our tribute and last respects.

   Mr. West taught us Chemistry but more than that he taught how to fight hard on the football field. Some of us, including myself, were in the school’s 1^st XI Football team, with Mr. West as a very strong defender. We happy many memories of our struggles, defeats and triumphs on the football field. The highlight of my footballing career was when we defeated the Indian Army’s Gorkha XI in 1971. Most of the players of the Gorkha XI were ex-footballers of Sikkim’s Kumar Sporting, the best team in the region during that period.

   On this Fathers Day (June 21, 2020) I remember and pay respects to my teacher, teammate, and father of two of my students, Mark West and Karen West. Mr. West left MH and continued his teaching career at St. Joseph’s School. But for many Hermonites Mr.West will always be remembered as one of the main pillars of our alma mater. Rest in peace, Sir.

Robin Wason was one of three kids of Mrs. B. Wason, my junior school teacher in mid-sixties and one of MH’s oldest teachers from the Stewart era (1953-1963). Robin was also the younger brother of my classmate Neena (Wason) Harkness and Hermonite and college mate in Bombay, Brij Wason.

   Robin was one of my younger football fans in school along with Brij. When he was in the navy back in the early eighties he used to come to see us in Bombay. We kept in touch ever since. I was hoping to see him again in Shillong last September during Mr. Wason’s birthday. Unfortunately, I missed it. That meant that I could never see Robin again as he passed away recently, perhaps of heart attack.

Christian Pariat (in the pix he is on my left in 1976 when I fractured my left arm during a foota match at NP) was one of my favourite students in my class (4K) in 1976 (I think!). His elder brother was Hermonite Gregory Pariat. It appears that Christian, too, died of heart attack in Shillong, his hometown.

   Christian was a very friendly and lovable child. He was very fond of me as I was of him. Rest in peace, Christian and God Bless.

Old friends are loyal friends,

Friends of happy days.

Now we must say goodbye

And go dividing ways

Breathe then your benison

On me as I depart,

I'll keep your memory

Warm in my heart.

(MESSAGE: In my forthcoming book: “Hail Mount Hermon: A Tribute”, I have not been able to include many aspects of the school and its alumni. I hope this endeavour (Facebook page: Hail Mount Hermon: A TRIBUTE) will, to some extent, make up for my lapses in the book, and also encourage Hermonites to pitch in and throw more light on the subject and pay their own Tribute to MH during its 125th anniversary year (March 11, 2020 to March 11, 2021) and thereafter)