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Thoughts on CJ Miller - Indian Food on an Exchange
Govind Dhar


When Mr Miller had come to Doon for a Founder's Day in 1996, (I think it was 1996) he was greeted at the main gate near the new auditorium by Prabhindar Chopra and myself. Knowing that we had probably only heard of him as a headmaster, he began to introduce himself. He told us that he was CJ Miller and that we might have seen a photo of him outside the Headmaster's office - "you know, the best looking one," he said.

Anyhow, I had the pleasure of meeting him again in England when he found out that an ex-Dosco, (ie. me) had come to Haileybury College to do his A-levels. He took me and a to be Doon exchange student (Ross Smales) from Haileybury to an Indian restaurant in Hertford, the adjoining town. On getting through the meal, Mr Miller began enquiring about the quality of the food at the CDH in an attempt to prepare Ross for the culinary aspects of Doon. I mentioned that the chapatis had improved at which point Ross expressed his ignorance of the said Indian bread. Not one to waste such an opportunity, Mr Miller ordered a chapati, whereupon two minutes later, we were presented with a puri. "Ah,"exclaimed Mr Miller, "you definitely won't get a chapati looking like that at Doon."

Make what you will of those stories, but the bottom line is that for a man I had never met and only heard of Mr Miller had a paternal charm and an amazing warmth about him. He was kind enought to e even leave me his address and telephone number if ever I needed to avail of such an opportunity.


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