Saptharishi Iyer passes away
I had never seen him; Never talked to him yet I feel I have lost a close friend. He wrote just one article for us - Merry-go-round, but you could see him frequently in our Message Board having contributed more than 100 messages.
In response to one our CobWeb pieces, he had posted the following poem in the Message Board
Cut no trees
Grow more trees
Trees are our friends
Save the trees,
and our environmentWaste no paper
Use no plastic
Recycle is the key word
To save our environmentRemember this poem
For a better world to live
Green as ever
For you and for meSaptharishi
Suresh Nair, his friend pays a tribute:
One of my close acquaintances from the Department, Saptharishi Iyer left us all for heavenly abode in the late hours of Saturday. He was just 39 years of age, Inspector from the 1992 batch, a hard working and sincere officer. A cruel and massive cardiac arrest ripped apart this dedicated soul from us.
Saptha (as he was fondly called by his friends and loved ones) was genuinely interested in the nuances of the Central Excise and Service tax legislation. His stint with the Review section triggered his first article for TIOL titled “Merry go around”. I cannot forget the long discussions he had with me on different issues around indirect taxes and it is difficult to reconcile with this tragedy. His popularity with his friends was demonstrated by the fact that most of his departmental colleagues and senior officers made it to his residence at Karghar (Navi Mumbai) in the early hours of Sunday morning, from the length and breadth of Mumbai and its outskirts
He was posted with the Audit section of Mumbai II Commissionerate and was among the rare breed of officers who would carry his files home and work even on holidays. A very cheerful and committed officer, his company was always a delight for his team members and seniors. For someone who never hurt anyone during the seventeen years of Departmental stint, his passing away is a shock for me and all his close friends which probably only time will heal….
Saptha is survived by his wife Maya and nine year old daughter Janani. I could not face the little one and her heart shattering tears. We have no answers to the designs of the Lord and can I add more?…
Words are difficult to come but I have only one request to make through this piece and that is to those who can make the difference. I hope that Maya is offered a job in the Department on compassionate grounds - to show that we care for our family members. Whatever be the limitations, I can only hope ……
May his good soul rest in peace and God give his family the strength to tide over this irreparable loss. For me and many of his friends and acquaintances both within the Department and in the Trade, Saptha would remain in our hearts forever….