For the Captain, forever
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.'
Walt Whitman penned O Captain! My Captain! in 1865 in memory of his father-like figure, US President Abraham Lincoln. Though the poet never met Lincoln, his verses became a lasting bridge, binding admiration, reverence, and the Captain's enduring legacy.
Such bonds are rare in an age where loyalty often masks betrayal. Forget verses, which friend would pour their savings into treating the poor, purely in memory of a friend? Few, if any. Yet, in the quiet town of Manapparai in Tiruchy, a man on whose face time had etched the wisdom and weariness of seventy-odd years, R Chandrasekaran, has been doing exactly that for nearly three decades — keeping alive the spirit of service of his dearest friend, the late Dr V N Lakshmi Narayanan.
Hailing from Valanadu village, Chandrasekaran, a Political Science graduate, ran a modest medical shop with his wife, C Mangaiyarkarasi. The shop stood opposite Dr Narayanan's hospital, and from across the road grew a friendship grounded in shared values. Dr Narayanan devoted his life to treating the poor, often refusing payment or accepting only small contributions from those who could afford it. The two families had been close for decades. Chandrasekaran's father and Dr Narayanan were neighbours, and incidently, Chandrasekaran himself was born in the doctor's hospital. Over the years, the bond deepened. 'Our friendship went beyond working together,' Chandrasekaran recalls.
In 1994, tragedy struck. Dr Narayanan died suddenly of a heart attack, leaving behind an irreplaceable void. Nearly two lakh mourners gathered for his funeral. Chandrasekaran stood alongside the doctor's adopted son, V N L Srinivasan, performing the last rites as though he were a son himself. For him, the loss was personal and profound. Yet in grief, a resolve took root: his friend's work would not end with his passing. 'I wanted to continue what Narayanan had started,' he says.
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New Indian Express
10-08-2025
- New Indian Express
For the Captain, forever
TIRUCHY: 'Exult O shores, and ring O bells! But I with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.' Walt Whitman penned O Captain! My Captain! in 1865 in memory of his father-like figure, US President Abraham Lincoln. Though the poet never met Lincoln, his verses became a lasting bridge, binding admiration, reverence, and the Captain's enduring legacy. Such bonds are rare in an age where loyalty often masks betrayal. Forget verses, which friend would pour their savings into treating the poor, purely in memory of a friend? Few, if any. Yet, in the quiet town of Manapparai in Tiruchy, a man on whose face time had etched the wisdom and weariness of seventy-odd years, R Chandrasekaran, has been doing exactly that for nearly three decades — keeping alive the spirit of service of his dearest friend, the late Dr V N Lakshmi Narayanan. Hailing from Valanadu village, Chandrasekaran, a Political Science graduate, ran a modest medical shop with his wife, C Mangaiyarkarasi. The shop stood opposite Dr Narayanan's hospital, and from across the road grew a friendship grounded in shared values. Dr Narayanan devoted his life to treating the poor, often refusing payment or accepting only small contributions from those who could afford it. The two families had been close for decades. Chandrasekaran's father and Dr Narayanan were neighbours, and incidently, Chandrasekaran himself was born in the doctor's hospital. Over the years, the bond deepened. 'Our friendship went beyond working together,' Chandrasekaran recalls. In 1994, tragedy struck. Dr Narayanan died suddenly of a heart attack, leaving behind an irreplaceable void. Nearly two lakh mourners gathered for his funeral. Chandrasekaran stood alongside the doctor's adopted son, V N L Srinivasan, performing the last rites as though he were a son himself. For him, the loss was personal and profound. Yet in grief, a resolve took root: his friend's work would not end with his passing. 'I wanted to continue what Narayanan had started,' he says.
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Farewell to Clive Kunder: ‘He hasn't left us; he's only flying higher now'
MUMBAI: At the Sewri Christian Cemetery on Thursday afternoon, under grey skies and swaying trees, God was a palpable presence at the funeral of Clive Kunder, the 32-year-old co-pilot of the ill-fated Ahmedabad–London flight. Rain whispered across the leaves and gravestones as mourners gathered beneath a gazebo to remember a man who was, by all accounts, as devoted to his family and faith as he was to the skies he flew. 'Seventeen years ago, we met Clive for the first time. Since then, we watched him grow, evolve, and soar,' said Steffi Miranda, a close friend from Wilson College, addressing an emotional gathering that included Kunder's parents and younger sister, Camille. 'But today, we are here first and foremost for his family—because for Clive, family always came first.' From the early years in Kalina to the cockpit of a Dreamliner, Kunder's life was marked by quiet determination and deep affection. Arun Balachandran, a fellow Air India pilot and long-time friend, offered a glimpse into their shared past. 'I first knew Clive not as a colleague, but as a schoolboy,' he said. 'We used to wait at the same bus stop when he was just 10 or 12. We played football together. To see him grow into the 6-foot man he became—and then to fly beside him—was an honour I will carry with me forever.' After earning his undergraduate degree in science, Kunder trained at the Bombay Flying Club's College of Aeronautics before heading to Miami to complete his pilot training. At Air India, he served as a first officer on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, amassing over 1,100 flying hours. 'Clive was the kind of person who brought both precision and cheerfulness to his job,' said Balachandran. 'He was immaculate in the cockpit and always carried a smile.' Those who knew him best also remembered the deeper currents of his life—his unwavering religious faith and the love he held for his younger sister. 'Clive was deeply spiritual, rooted in a personal, steadfast version of tradition,' said Miranda. 'He was incredibly devoted to Camille.' She concluded her eulogy with Walt Whitman's O Captain! My Captain!—a fitting tribute to a man who had lived with purpose and heart. 'Though grief surrounds us, there is pride too—in who Clive became. He hasn't left us; he's only flying higher now.' The service, steeped in music and memory, was led by Father Sam Munnir of UBM Christa Kanthi Church in Kurla, the congregation Kunder was raised in. 'Clive grew up in the Christian faith. I watched him grow in the church, attend Sunday school, and confirm his faith under my guidance,' said Father Munnir, reading from letters of condolence sent by reverends across the globe. 'He had reverence not just for God, but for all people—a true servant in every sense.' As the church choir accompanied his coffin into the cemetery, mourners sang hymns—soft, solemn notes rising into the stormy air. The service closed with a moving rendition of Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross, echoing over the final resting place of a young man remembered not just for how he flew, but how he lived.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Time of India
Co-pilot laid to rest in Sewri, Dombivli bids goodbye to young flight attendant
1 2 Mumbai: Air India co-pilot Clive Kunder, 32, who was killed in the Ahmedabad air crash on June 12, was buried in Sewri cemetery on Thursday. His family accorded him a ceremonial farewell complete with a formal invitation card, funeral band, black hearse and floral wreaths. And in Dombivli, throngs of people converged to mourn young flight attendant Roshni Songhare, 26, whose death has left her parents bereft of their main breadwinner. Around 9am, Clive's family brought his coffin to his residence at Sunteck City Avenue 1 at Ram Mandir, Goregaon West. A small ceremony unfolded in the lobby and after an hour the coffin was taken up to his house. Capt Kunder's parents Clifford and Rekha and sister Camille sat by his body. A neighbour said, "He was a kind soul. Such a tragic incident should not have befallen him." Executives from Tata Trusts, the owner of Tata Group of companies, gathered at his funeral service. They stood alongside his family and friends to pay their respects and share in their sadness. A large wreath of white flowers with his name was placed on his coffin by Tata Trusts executives. At 1pm, the hearse drove to Sewri Christian Cemetery accompanied by a funeral band. Under the grey, drizzling sky, the ceremony began at 3pm. Clive's remains arrived in a white-silver casket with white rose wreaths and bouquets of red roses. Lifelong friends Stephie and Raya spoke of his selflessness and his loyalty to his family. "Let us take a moment to gather our anger, sorrow, frustration, but mainly, our pride in Clive. He has not died, he is only flying higher." Then, like a mantra against despair, they intoned Walt Whitman's 'O Captain! My Captain!' Next came Arun Balachandran, who knew Clive as a schoolmate he bumped into at Kalina bus stop. "We used to play football together," he recalled. Pastors of UBM Church Kurla and Ambernath followed with the remainder of John 11:30-44, reminding the mourners that even Jesus knew the sting of sorrow. The choir struck up Horatio Spafford's 'It Is Well with My Soul' accompanied by guitars and violins. In Dombivli, flight attendant Roshni Songhare was cremated in Dutt Nagar. At 9.30am, the coffin reached her house in Rajaji Path where her wailing mother Rajashree waited in vain to see her one last time. Since the body was damaged and packed in a coffin, the family was instructed not to open it. The last rites were performed the same way. Senior Air India officials were present including Saurabh Agrawal, executive director and group CFO of Tata Sons Pvt Ltd, and Ju Li NG, divisional vice president and head of cabin crew of Air India. Mourners including Shiv Sena MLA Rajesh More watched as Roshni's father lit the pyre. Meanwhile, Badlapur cabin crew Deepak Pathak has not yet been identified. His brother-in-law and sisters are still waiting in Ahmedabad.
