Mrs. Arundhati Bakshi passed away on 8 December '11
Arundhati has been with us, as a member of the Inter College Women's
Association from its very inception 25 years ago, a very zealous
member indeed. She was a pioneer and worked hard with us, the
other pioneers, to put the association on its feet. Her special field
of interest and service was the Remand Homes. I remember vividly her
travelling with me, Ashok Priyadarshi and others of the group in the
early days, to conduct seminars in various places in order to enthuse
the schools to take up the young prisoners for their field of social
work. She very enthusiastically gave spirited talks on the subject,
when called on.
She took the Remand Homes as her own special field of work also,
and would join the team every Saturday on the long journey to Gai
Ghat, in the heat of the afternoon sun, even though she never kept
really well. However, she was also interested in the other projects
of the association, always, till very recently when she became quite
ill, attending the monthly meetings and enthusiastically giving her
opinions and suggestions. She had very valuable views and, besides
giving them verbally, she would write for the association magazine,
'Waves'. She has been one of the pillars of the association, ICWA.
As recently, as two months ago, even when she was still not at all well,
she was able to be on her feet to attend the monthly meeting, to
everyone's surprise. And, happily, she was there to celebrate the
Silver Jubilee That was her relationship with us and we shall miss
her sorely. May God reward her abundantly for all she did to uplift
young prisoners especially, but also other groups(projects) slum
women and children, women students in colleges, and emotionally
disturbed middle class women. So, we, her colleagues in the
association, have much to thank Arundhati for and she
will always be remembered as an exemplary member of the association
and as a loving and friendly colleague.. May her soul rest in peace!
