Jassi Says:“Dada Jaisa Koi Nahin!”

The St. Mira’s College invited the TV celebrity, Mona Singh to be the Chief Guest and receive the Best Alumni Award for the year 2005, and give away the academic prizes on January 10.

The moment Mona and her mother arrived at the Pune Airport, she enquired if she could visit Dada (who was ailing at that time) and receive his blessings.

A meeting was arranged.  And Mona felt so excited and overjoyed when she came and met Dada in his room. Tears flowed from her eyes as she looked at Dada and received his hand of blessing on her head.  She recalled with great enthusiasm her stay at the St.Mira’s Hostel on the Sadhu Vaswani Mission Campus.  She recognized all her old friends who had come to meet her.  Her joy knew no bounds when Dada read out a beautiful thought for her and wore round her neck a gold chain and pendent with Sadhu Vaswani’s portrait on it.  Dada showered her with a lot of gifts and reading material in the form of books.

It was a memorable meeting, which will not be easily forgotten.And wherever she went, the crowd followed her and loud chants of Jassi, Jassi rent the air.  Someone even stepped on her toes in all the commotion, but apni Jassi, didn’t mind it at all. “The crowd simply went berserk when they saw Mona,” said Bhagwanti Nanwani, who taught her Business Administration.  Her Professors remember her as a bright student and a ready participant in cultural activities.  As for Mona she walked bare foot to visit Dada J.P.Vaswani’s sanctuary on the College premises and was pleasantly taken aback when one of her teachers fetched her sandals from her car. 

And when it was time to leave Singh was tempted to once again say ‘Hi’ to the students.  She waved to her young admirers from the buildings first floor while on her way to the College’s Canteen.  “I have always loved this Canteen’s vada-pav,” said Mona, munching on one.

But the surprise was kept for the last.  After a free check-up in Principal Gulshan Gidwani’s cabin, Mona was thrilled to know that her Alma Mater had donated Rs. 1 lakh in her name to KK Eye Hospital.