Rajika Kirpalani did not believe in gods of any kind. Yet she must have been beloved of them, for she died young— too young for those who knew her. While speaking on the telephone on the 1st of February, 1974, she was struck down by a massive cerebral haemorrhage. She was just 24.

A year later, her stunned friends are saying. “I still can’t believe that she’s gone”, and sitting over a cup of coffee, they begin reminiscing about Rajika.

About how, when she graduated from K.C. College in 1968, she topped the B.A. (History) University lists. The principal, K.M. Kundanani immediately persuaded her to teach the senior B.A. students. And Rajika found herself lecturing to people, most of whom were older than herself.

About how she started “HI” In November 1968. She felt that journalism was the perfect vehicle to express her million-and-one ideas, and she wanted very much to shake young people into an awareness of life around them. “HI” was Rajika’s baby, and she cuddled it through its early fragile days, handing it over only when it was four years old and strong enough to stand by itself. Mulk Raj Anand says of this venture of hers: “She was Editor. Assistant Editor. Advertisement Manager, accountant, typist, dispatch clerk, and newsgirl all at the same time! She was having a tough time of it. But she was gay.”

About how prolific a writer she was. Her articles appeared in almost all the English newspapers and periodicals in India, and in several foreign publications too.

About how she used to contribute to “The Young Critics Column” in the Current Weekly, and bag the first prize of Rs. 11/ almost every time. Until Current’s editor, D.F. Karaka, wrote and very tactfully asked her to stop writing for a while, since she never gave any of the other contributors a chance of winning the first prize.

About how when she was only four, she walked into a dance academy all by herself and stunned everyone there by announcing “I want to learn to dance”

About how sensitive she was to the unfortunates of society. A not very well- known fact is that she adopted a blind girl who lived in Parel. Every week Rajika would unfailingly make the long trip there to spend some time with, and teach, her “ward”. She was also great friends with a little urchin who lived near her home.

About how shortly before her death, Rajika became interested in the poems of Pablo Neruda, the Mexican Nobel Peace Prize winning poet. When he died, she wrote an article on him in tribute, entitled ‘Neruda- Art and Revolution’. Anand took this to Moscow, where he was to attend a Peace Conference. A lot of delegates there were all praise for her style and awareness.

Rajika seemed to have made her personal prayer through some lines by Neruda, which she quoted in her tribute to him:

“Give me the struggle,
the iron, the volcanoes
Let bodies cling like magnets
to my body
Come quickly to my veins
and to my mouth
Speak through my speech
and through my-blood”

One year after her death, Rajika Kirpalani still lives on.