NEW YORK (TIP): A man who has been deeply loved and admired for his gentle and polite ways and for his readiness to help the Indian American community, Ambassador Prabhu Dayal hung up his gloves, February 28, 2013. If the community held him in respect and loved him, Mr. Dayal too has had great admiration and affection for it. In his most recent and exclusive interview to The Indian Panorama, February 15, he spoke highly of New York and the Indian American community. He said, ” New York is the center of the Universe.

Although I have served in many other places, I would say the stint in New York is different because of the sheer bunch of activities here. I enjoyed every single moment. I wouldn’t say I had any lows. Of course there was the court case which was filed by my former domestic assistant which gave me a certain amount of stress. But that is happily now out of the way. That has been settled. As far as my highs, I had several many because New York is the best. East or West, New York is the best.

I really enjoyed my posting here. Particularly for the fact that I came to such close contact with some of the most distinguished members of the Indo-American community. And the Indian American community of New York is very vibrant. It is a bridge of friendship with India and the United States of America. This is the high point, so to say as I had the opportunity to serve such a vibrant community.” Mr. Dayal who was born in 1953 and holds a Masters Degree in Political Science from Allahabad University had joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1976. During the last 37 years, he held a number of foreign assignments.

But his refrain has been “East or West, New York is the best”. No wonder then that he chose to move, after his retirement, to a place in New Jersey which is quite close to New York. As for his future plans, he said in the same interview, ” I haven’t really decided to do with the remaining part of my life. There are a million ideas in my mind, but there aren’t any clear agendas.

For the near future, maybe play golf, meet and greet our family in India; that would be the uppermost priority.” The community showered on him much affection which was evident from a spate of farewell parties that started a month before he was to retire. Some of the parties are being described below. Know his feelings for the community from the Urdu couplet that he liked so much to recite: “Fakirana Aaye Sada Kar Chale , Miyan Khush Raho Hum Dua Kar Chale”. Khush Raho, jahaan bhi raho, Mr. Dayal.