A man of pure wit and erudition. Added to all that was his infectious personality - his somewhat diminutively rough exterior belied the grandness of a kind man he was deep down. When he spoke, his voice retained that rare show of lustre and quality but above all else, it had authority. And that was what made him a 'leader' - in my line of profession at least. An exceptional orator - a polymath indeed in every sense of the word. I relate to him more than others perhaps, not least because he came from my own social background. Also important to me is the fact that he knew a great deal about Gurkha history, and doubtless he had great many of his followers within the wider Gurkha fraternity in the British Army, yours truly included. His untimely death now marks a sad end to all that association. My deepest condolences. Carpe diem