An Obitury to A Gallant Lady

Mrs Suranjan Das, w/o Late Gp Capt Suranjan Das

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thru Vivek Bopaiah

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She was Mrs Veronica Das who died on 27 Dec 2010 at the ripe age of 88 years.

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Most of us would be able to recall Gp Capt Das and hero worship him, for the ace test pilot that he was. He had test flown the Marut before it was introduced into service besides many other aircraft.

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Mrs Das was in the WACs during WW II. After the tragic demise of her husband in an air crash she took on the responsibility of running the Cheshire Homes in Bangalore, and then headed it for nearly 40 years, till she retired a few years ago. With her single minded devotion she was amazingly successful in transforming the lives of its wards for the better. She was not only hero worshiped by them but many treated her like a child does a mother. In fact a paraplegic person, Dhanalakshmi, who works in Manipal Hospital, was in tears all the time. She was abandoned by her father when she was 7 years old and eventually landed up in the Home where Mrs Das motivated her to finish graduation. Dhanalkshmi tearfully told that Mrs Das was the only mother she knew and that she saw God through her.

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After serving in the Womens Auxiliary Corps in the British Army during WW II she was commissioned in the Corps of Signals. She met Gp Capt Suranjan Das 48 years ago when he had gone on TD to the UK. They got married a little later. Das tragically died 10 years later. (He had already spilt from his first wife who had taken off with a famous minister of West Bengal Govt. She had two children by S Das).

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Gp Capt Das and Twigs, as Veronica Das was known (being very tall and slender). An amazing number of orphans benefited from her dynamic dedication to go on to build comfortable lives. Very recently many of them with their families got together in her house and hosted a lunch in honour of her. As one can expect, tears of joy flowed from her ever grateful ex wards.

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A really unforgettable and unassuming person who touched the lives of many!

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I (Vivek Bopiah) was part of her bridge group and found her to be intelligent, immensely energetic, independent and eternally on the move. She lived alone in CV Raman Nagar.

May her soul rest in peace!