Dehradun :
‘Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest/Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum
Drink for the devil and drink for the rest/Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum’.
These lines from Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’ seem to have become the swan song of the mentally differently abled children of Ramnagar in this small mountain state.
Though they may not be aware of the fact, and it was not a lover of Bacchus but the World Duty Free Group that bid 42,000 pounds (about Rs 35 lakhs) for a 55-year-old bottle of vintage Glenfiddich single malt whiskey at an auction conducted by Sotheby’s.
The money will be utilized by the Lotus Flower Trust, which runs the school for the mentally different abled children, to construct a building for the school and hostel for the children.
Uttarakhand has a number of differently abled children in the far flung interiors of this small mountain state.
There are very few schools to cater to the needs of such children and the few that are being run by some philanthropic and religious organizations are in dire need of funds to set up the required infrastructure.
The money has come as god send for the Lotus Flower Trust, which has decided to use it for setting up much needed school building and hostel for the children and thereby light a ray of hope in their lives.
A journalist with over 40 years of experience, Jagdish Bhatt was Editor, Hill Post (Uttarakhand).
Jagdish had worked with India’s leading English dailies, which include Times of India, Indian Express, Pioneer and several other reputed publications. A highly acclaimed journalist, he was a recipient of many awards
Jagdish Bhatt, aged 72, breathed his last on 28th August 2021 at his Dehradun residence.
” …… Drink and the Devil had done for the rest …..” if I remember correctly.