"
TP ISSAR
: A FEW GOOD MEN"
They say that during one's childhood
we are influenced by those around us, leaving everlasting memories and
creating our heroes. These they say are our Parents, Grandparents, Teachers,
Uncles and Aunts and all those that come within the small dream world of
the child. This is the foundation, and later on when you grow up into an
adult, all the values that have been inculcated while a child shows forbearance
in the character of the person. These signs are exploded in one's ways
of talking, gesturing, patience, leadership, mimicking and many more. They
say that one really does not learn anything more later on in life, only
one develops areas that were already existing and developed from childhood
within ones' self. Somehow this seems very unrealistic when meeting a person
like T.P. Issar (Note, I don't say 'the late' , as he is present-continious
in my memory and I am sure in many Bangaloreans), meeting him ,one can relearn
so much, and start anew.
My first contact with the gentleman, 'TP' was in 1995, when
I was writing an article on Bangalore which was later published as 'Down
Memory Lane' in one of the Dailies of Bangalore. I had written what I felt
about the City, and showed it to 'TP' for his comments and suggestions,
which I must say till date continue to influence me, as I treated him as
my 'mentor'. 'TP' published three 'coffee-table' books to my knowledge.
"City Beautiful', 'Blossoms of Bangalore' and 'The Royal City' (which was
on Mysore).
The first book 'City Beautiful' has the greatest influence on me as
through it he had captured much of the past 100 years of the way Bangalore
looked and felt by many photographs of old Colonial and 'Pensioner's
Paradise' Bungalows. What struck me further was that many of these elegant
bungalows photographed in his book have been destroyed for concrete and
glass, and so I was challenged to try and trace the path of his book, and
capture what was left. This dedication of T.P. Issar would be seen on my
Internet site on Bangalore called 'Hello India! Bangalorewalla Nanaskara!'
which has seen seven years of growth with hundreds of photographs and stories
of Bangalore, and all because of the man who did something for Bangalore
that many others did not even try, that is to keep the 'memories' of the
'Garden City' perpetual.
Having met 'TP' in his 'den' at the rear of his house on Bellary Road
for many a 'chat' on his favourite topic 'History of Bangalore', one was
always greeted with a nice cup of hot tea. He was one to take immediate
action on any point brought to his attention, and his interest in Bangalore
was really genuine. He was quite amused when I had mentioned him on my
page on the internet, and jokingly remarked that he had become 'world famous'!
Yes, indeed he had already become a household name for any old self-respecting
Bangalorewalla who cherished the memories that he left for us in 'print'
through his books.
I take this opportunity to thank the family of TP Issar what
what he has left us, and to tell them that they have him always around them,
for as long as the people of Bangalore try and save the essence of the City,
the charm and fragrance of her flowers, parks and gardens, the still fresh
air and the architecture of her past, and not fall into temptation of
'too fast' and too much 'modernization' and 'progress' ( as it is gleefully
referred to in business circles). Many have asked me to write a book on
Bangalore, how can I ever do so when the best book has already been published,
and no matter what anyone else publishes, it cannot match up to 'City Beautiful'?
There are a 'Few Good Men' who keep fighting for Bangalore, some of
them that influenced me are Mr. Kora Chandy, Admiral O.S. Dawson, Fredrick
Joseph Heredia & late R.A. Mundkur, and of course the greatest effect
was from 'T.P. Issar'.
Respectfully, T.P. Issar, surely Bangalore and Bangalorewallas
will miss your contribution as I do.
Ronnie Johnson
5/3 King Street,
Richmond Town
Bangalore 560025
Ph: 2240145
e-mail: ronniejohnson@vsnl.net
Vijay Times published the above Tribute to T.P.
Issar
with a few drop-outs, Thank You ,
Editor of Vijay Times
.
Please note that Times of India , Indian Express , Deccan Herald
and The Hindu were not interested to publish the above article on T.P.
Issar, ... "Mr Johnson, I sent a copy of your article to the Features chief
of The Hindu Metroplus.I am afraid she says they cannot use it. I did go
through the item and it seems to have been written with a lot of feeling
so you will probably be quite disappointed. I thought I would inform you
right away, instead of keeping you hanging of tenterhooks, so to speak."..."Dear
Mr Johnson, Thank you for your wishes. I had passed on your article to Mr
N C Gundu Rao, our Associate Editor. He has asked me to inform you that he
cannot use the article. With regret ..", only Vijay Times (which is
only a year old and making a niche in Bangalore) has made an effort to do
so, three cheers for them!!. I shall remember this in future when the Newspapers
that rejected my article want to use any of my material or photographs from
my pages.
I had earlier in December 2003, sent a mail out to all the Newspapers
regarding the 'Bangalore
Habba'
which was celebrated in the Bangalore between December 7 - December
2003. I had requested that a "few good men" like 'T.P. Issar' should have
also been given a slot as one of the supporters of the 'Heritage Culture'
of Bangalore (not knowing that he would not be around exactly a month later),
nobody bothered. Nothing was printed. Now that 'TP' has passed away, it's
too late to add him to the celebration.
From : Ronnie Johnson Sent : Tuesday,
January 27, 2004 2:36 AM To : ronniejohnson@hotmail.com
Subject : Kora Chandy : Another Good Man , goes forgotten
Dear Editors and Friends,
A few days back, I had sent you an article called "T.P. Issar : A few
Good Men" , in the article I had mentioned a few people who had really supported
the idea of keeping the environment of Bangalore's History alive, namely
F.J. Heredia, Kora Chandy to name a few. (Extracts of
Article by Kora Chandy from 'City Beautiful
')
Last week, I helped bury F.J. Heredia, and yesterday my dear friend
Mr. Kora Chandy passed away!!!.
I hang my head in shame that both these gentlemen could not find a mention
in your newspapers because you had all rejected my article. I don't think
there are very many 'good men' left, and I suppose the last of those I can
name is Admiral O.S. Dawson and his Agram Cemetery Project.
Thank you for at least reading the article to reject the same, and I
restrain myself from commenting more.
Thank you Editors for your wisdom,
cheers
Ronnie Johnson
The Bangalorewalla
In response to
this mail to all the English Daily newspapers of Bangalore,
Times of India came out with an Obituary
on 27 Jan 2004 (the day of Kora Chandy's funeral), and
Vijay Times came out with an Obituary
on 28th Jan 2004. Deccan Herald come out with one on
28th Jan 2004
(but from the way it was written, it did not look like a response
to my mail, but one could never tell). Deep down inside all the Editors
must be really feeling rotten about the way the handled the 'TP' article
I sent them. Only Vijay Times accepted and published the article on 17th
Jan 2004. Here is probably one of the last comments
by TP Issar
on the promotion of Toursism of Bangalore, which appeared in the Times of
India, October 19, 2003. (BBC also had an article on TP's comments on their
website. I found it while searching for 'TP Issar' through the
www.google.com
search engine).
[There is to be a Memorial Mass for F.J.
Heredia at St. Francis Xaviers Girl's School Chapel on Saturday 31, January
2004 at 11 a.m., and a Thanksgiving Mass for Kora Chandy at the residence,
113 Ranka View Apartments, 145 Richmond Road, (Rathna Ave)., on Friday 30the
January 2004 at 4 p.m. ]
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Thought for the Day:
" Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed
are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you
who weep now, For you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate
you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name
as evil, For the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for
joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, Fon in the manner their
fathers did to the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, For you have
received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger.
Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when
all men speak well of you, For so did they fathers to the false prophets."
Holy Bible: Luke 6:20-26