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The Rediff Special/ Placido P D'Souza

In memoriam

Placido P D'Souza salutes the memory of Indrani Rehman, the famed dancer who passed into the ages last fortnight

It is somewhat surprising that little, if any, attention has been paid by the Indian media to the passing away of Indrani Rehman earlier this month in New York. She was certainly a renowned exponent of Indian classical dance in her time -- one of the all-time greats in her line who did not let advancing age stop her from promoting Bharat Natyam overseas.

Her name hit the headlines when she won the Miss India title some time in the '50s. At that time, this contest was something of a novelty, and pictures of Indrani in a classical dance pose were on the front pages of almost every newspaper.

Little did I realise then -- still at university -- that I would be meeting Indrani in person. This took place when I was appointed Indian consul-general in New York in the early '80s. She came for one of the functions organised by the consulate and I found her a friendly person, anxious and willing to help us in our work.

One of the "perks" of being the Indian consul-general in New York is the opportunity to visit Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean for Republic Day celebrations by Indian communities there. This has been a tradition for many years now, and provides welcome relief from the winter in New York.

During my first visit to Puerto Rico, an Indian professor at the university complained that nothing was being done to make the people aware of India's rich cultural heritage. He said he would be happy to organise something in this area with help from the consulate.

On my return to New York, I spoke to Indrani Rehman about the possibility of her giving a dance performance in Puerto Rico the following year. She responded enthusiastically and, along with her daughter Sukanya, accompanied me to the island the following January.

Her performances at the university and on television were highly acclaimed, and I am grateful for her help in providing the inhabitants of Puerto Rico with a glimpse of India's culture. It was particularly gratifying to have someone like her on that trip as she was most charming and friendly towards all those that she met -- quite unlike some other artistes that I have had to handle in my overseas assignments.

We kept in touch thereafter, off and on, exchanging Christmas and New Year greetings. During the last few years, whenever I visited the United States, I would call her and chat about what she was doing and what the Indian cultural scene was like in New York.

Last summer, she told me about her work of teaching and training American girls in Indian classical dance. She invited me to attend an open-air performance by two of them in a park in downtown Manhattan.

It was a fine performance -- a tribute to Indrani's own expertise and teaching skills. In fact, I would not have realised that the girls that were dancing that evening were Americans had she not told me.

I congratulated her on her achievement and we talked about the other Indian cultural events that were taking place in New York at that time. She was grateful for having finally received the video cassette of her dance performance in Puerto Rico -- something I had misplaced in my wanderings around the world.

More recently I wrote to her about a survey that our journal New India Digest was conducting with prominent individuals on the subject of India and the coming millennium. There was some delay in her reply.

She finally sent a fax in December, explaining that a stroke had kept her in hospital for over a month. In spite of her illness she was determined to go on working, and wrote: "I am on medication for life but hope to continue teaching with an assistant, and promoting good dancers as usual."

Her responses to the questionnaire were short and to the point. According to Indrani, India's principal achievement in the preceding century had been to hold free and fair elections. Its major failure -- religious fundamentalism.

On the question of her concerns for the future, she wrote: "I fear India, once great, will not reach greatness internationally next year, in spite of brilliant individuals" and felt the fault lay with corrupt politicians.

It is a pity that one who had done so much during her lifetime to increase awareness of Indian culture abroad should have passed away somewhat pessimistic about the nation's future.

Placido P D'Souza, a former Indian diplomat, currently edits New India Digest

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