Kamla Dalal

Kamla is the eldest child and daughter of chacha Jai Lal.  She was born on 15^th of August, 1939 in our native village.  She struck the father of the Presenter, from the very beginning as a very intelligent jolly girl, very quick in conception of ideas, their easy delivery and an aptitude to know more and more.  Kamla showed an apparent promise at a very tender age. She possesses exceptionally sharp memory, like her eldest Tau Hari Ram.

Kamla received her early education under the watchful eye of her parents. She topped in Matriculation in Ambala Division. After graduation, she did her Masters’ in English from Government College, Ludhiana where her father was posted. Later on, she passed L.L.B Examination, while in service. She topped in the Punjab State Civil Services (PCS) Examination in 1963 and was the first Jat girl from Haryana to achieve this position.  She is a very strong-willed and determined person.  When she was just 10 years old, she participated in the 3 weeks long “National Volunteer Corps Training” programme and stood first in military drill and use of 303 rifle.  Later, during the PCS training also she stood first in revolver-shooting and horse-riding in her batch at the Police Training School Phillaur, Punjab.

After her training, Kamla was appointed as General Assistant (GA) to Deputy Commissioner Hisar in 1967. Subsequently, after some years, she became Administrator Municipal Committee, Rohtak. In this capacity, she brought many improvements in the township and developed a Public Park named ‘Mansarovar Park’ right in front of the Park-View Hotel on Rohtak-Delhi road. She was instrumental in removing illegal encroachments in Rohtak town with a firm hand and succeeded in her hard errand. She was then transferred to Karnal in 1975 as Special Collector and later as SDM and moved to Ambala in the same capacity. Later on, she was posted as CEO of SFDA and Administrator of Ambala City Municipal Committee. In 1977, she was promoted to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre. Subsequently, she moved to Chandigarh in 1981 as Deputy Secretary, Labour & Employment and thereafter as Director Industrial Training where she worked for a few years. She worked as Labour Commissioner, Director Social Welfare and retired as Commissioner& Secretary Labour & Employment.

Kamla was under PCS training in Chandigarh where the elder sister of the Presenter, Susheel was also studying in PU, where both of them used to spend spare time and at times stayed together in hostel. So there was a joint-family like bonding and ‘We-Feeling’ during those days instead of nucleus family structure of these days. Such feeling is still continuing and whenever Kamla moves towards Hisar, she makes it a point to visit Susheel. Similarly, while in service she used to visit the house of the Presenter in Delhi. In my personal opinion, such inter-family visits in Dada Roop Chand Parivaar should be encouraged and the younger generation should learn from such events.

She was so much attached to everyone that when she had her first posting as GA to DC, Hisar, she stayed with her Tau-Tai ji till she got her formal official residence. During those days our family members used to take food in a simple way by sitting on floor and the mother of the Presenter used to cook on old time cooking method ‘chulah’ with wood fire.  Kamla used to sit with us, like one of us on floor to take food instead on dining table in the dining room. She was so simple and used to share days’ events with my mother as her own mother.

Kamla was a well-known honest officer, strong disciplinarian, able administrator, and compassion. After retirement, she has settled in Gurgram, where she is engaged with social work and helping needy people. Kitchen gardening and growing of beautiful flowers is her main hobby and area of special interest. Wherever government accommodation was allotted to her, she turned that into an abode of lovely flowers and green carpet of lawns.  While living in a government bungalow in Chandigarh, she was awarded a special prize during the Annual Rose Show for beautiful maintenance of lawns and flowers.

Kamla was married to Dr. Amar Chand Chaudhary, who is M.S and from village Dhani Phogat near Charkhi Dadri, who   belongs to a renowned Phogat family. The couple is blessed with a daughter, Manjaree and a son, Tejveer Singh.  Both children are well settled and have done exceptionally well in life.

Manjaree popularly known as ‘Jugnu’ is an extra-ordinary brilliant and very cultured child. She did Masters’ in English like her mother and Law from Punjab University, Chandigarh. Thereafter went to UK for Masters’ in Law as Felix Scholar to School of Oriental & African Studies, London. Today, she is most successful corporate lawyer. She worked for almost two decades with GE, a renowned MNC and is currently General Counsel in Maruti Suzuki in Gurgram.

Tejveer Singh, lovingly called ‘Guncha’, is an IAS officer of the 1994 batch in Punjab cadre. He is also most brilliant and soft spoken child, who studied in St. Stephen’s College and London School of Economics.  He served as PS to CM, Punjab and currently posted as Principal Secretary. His wife Jaspreet Talwar is also an IAS officer in Punjab cadre, who is very polite and soft spoken child. The couple is blessed with a loving daughter Amisha who is currently pursuing a LLB course.

The Presenter was the local guardian of Tejveer when he was studying in St. Stephens’ College and was visiting his hostel regularly. He was always found studying in his room and with so much concentration that at times he did not know about my presence. He is a genius child and always regards elders. He has good rapport with my daughter who keeps getting administrative and other advice pertaining to service matters from him. Similarly, Jaspreet Talwar is also very supportive and helpful. During advance stage of pregnancy, she went to pick up the daughter of the Presenter to her residence for treatment from her hostel in Chandigarh when she was hurt by honey bees. She is really a kind hearted human being.