With just two SAM issues in a year, it becomes a yearlong gap before you get another chance to read another one if you miss an issue. The last issue of SAM didn't carry a newsletter; so there's lot of news in this one. Here goes!

The beginning of the year saw Ajay Sawhney superannuating and consequently leaving RITES. Just prior to his retirement, Ajay ran into medical problems and had to be operated very soon after he retired. Happily, all's well that ends well; he has recovered now and appears his usual self, albeit a bit pulled down. In October last year, wedding bells chimed in the Sawhney family: younger daughter was happily married in far off Bangalore. The marriage was followed by a reception in Delhi, where one saw the pride of Delhi's Sams accompanied by the ever glittering and elegant Simis. Prominent friends like Anita, better half of Vinod Vij'62, helped by looking after the Sawhney grand children. The status of honorary grand mother seemed to suit Anita; is a Vij household marriage round the corner?

While on the subject of marriages, four more RITES' Sams have made marriages in their households. Brahmanand'63 married his son last year while Subhash Saxena, also 63,celebrated the marriage of his daughter this year. In between, in December, both Y.B.Sharma'64 and J.L.Singh'65married off their children on the same date. The venue of the marriage was the same as was the guest list. Lest you start believing in coincidences, it will be fair to inform you that this was because was that of JL's son and YB's daughter. Elsewhere in this issue, you will find that such marriages of SAM children getting married is not too uncommon, the trend having been set by the 40's batches.

Such a Sam-Biradari marriage is something that this chronicler would have enjoyed reporting and finding enough masala for an independent article. However, his style is a bit cramped in this case as on day in question, he was busy promoting himself into a father-in -law.

Marriages apart, the other prime activity has been an exodus of Sams of all hues into RITES. Sumit Sinha'71 has joined the Quality Assurance Division followed by V.K.Jain'73, also in the same Division. They were followed by Ravi Kochak'74. The latter has strong Sam connections. Son of the legendary S.S.Kochak'36, he is the co-brother -in-law of A.K.Rao'64. He is also a cousin nephew of A.K.Chakravarthy'68. There aren't too many such total Sams. The last to join the gang was Anuj Prakash'80, but it has been learnt only on this day of writing (10th August) that B. C. Bhatta'75 is also on his way into RITES. Once '75 batch gets into RITES, you can say that the ultimate has finally happened.

A quick resume' of all Sams in RITES is perhaps in order. G.K.Malhotra'56 continues to be Chairman. H. R. S. Tyagi'61 has taken over as the Director Technical. G. Shanker'59 is the Executive Director of the project office at Nehru Place while C.P.Agarwal'60 is the Executive Director for Corporate Planning. Subhash Saxena'63 is doing marketing while his batchmate Brahmanand is exporting railway rolling stock all over the world. Y.B.Sharma is preparing designs, nothing sinister, only of wagons. J.L.Singh'65 went off to Tanzania again and looked for buffaloes with broken skulls but found none. He's back to training people. Anil Madan'66 is a bit moody these days as he has just sent off his first born for studying in far off Singapore. Atul Sud'69 is the country's last word on ropeways. Sumit Sinha'71 and V. K. Jain'73 are both in Quality Assurance while Ravi Kochak'74 loves travelling across the country to learn about finite element analysis. Anuj Prakash'80 is also at Nehru Place while Sanjay Chadha'81 is romping around in Sri Lanka these days trying to sell locomotives.

So all's quiet with the Sam community in RITES. We're only waiting for BCB'75 to land up and start some excitement.