E-Paper
Passing of an era
Kewal Mehra, 82, passed away last week of pneumonia. His demise brought to an end another chapter in Indian cricket's colourful history, writes KR Wadhwaney.
In 1933, the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) was born in British India. It took on a new life with the involvement of Anthony de Mello, that most visionary of Indian sports officials, who became president after he captained Delhi in the Ranji Trophy in 1940-41 and 1942-43.
Post Independence the DDCA was briefly controlled by Harjas Malhotra, who abruptly quit after the news of his involvement in a grain scandal broke. In came Ram Prakash Mehra, a leading businessman from Lahore.
Ram Prakash, called "Lattoo", made a quiet entry but his innings at Kotla was steady and consistent.
Soon, Kotla became his "abode". He spent at least 10 hours a day at the Willingdon pavilion doing this and that. A teetotaller, he smoked like a chimney while watching every kind of match from Kotla I to Kotla III. He was feared and respected by players, veterans and youngsters alike.
And as he rose to become president, he brought in his nephew Kewal (KK) Mehra as secretary. They ruled Delhi cricket with a firm hand and enjoyed a more or less trouble-free tenure for over a decade. Then, Bishan Singh Bedi, the 'Sardar of Spin', migrated from Delhi to Amritsar. With him, Delhi won the Ranji Trophy in successive seasons, 1978-79 and 1979-80. The Mehras were overjoyed.
But their troubles were beginning. As the players grew in stature, they became a force to reckon with in Delhi cricket. Bedi sent a charter of demands to Ram Prakash. The letter suggested 20 reforms, Ram Prakash accepted 19 without batting an eyelid. But he declined to accept the last — that of replacing Kewal Mehra with a young and energetic secretary.
Negotiations failed and the battlelines were drawn. Armies were posted at pivotal points and proxies were collected. In the ensuing con test, the players triumphed in massive strength. Bedi became secretary while Kamlesh Sharma, a bureaucrat from Posts and Telegraphs, became president.
But Bedi and Sharma fought and their alliance lasted only a year. In the meantime, disappointed and dejected, Ram Prakash passed away on March 7, 1983. His chautha was held on the Kotla pitch with over a 1,000 people in attendance.
