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Published: 09 January 2024

Last Updated: 18 May 2024

On the 25th anniversary of RMIM, I wrote a book about it; Late Suresh Chandvankar played a role!

From the Preface:

      A few years ago, Suresh Chandvankar, the Honorary Secretary of the Society of Indian Record Collectors, asked me to contribute an article on RMIM for the Society’s magazine, The Record News. I started to write slowly and carefully taking my own time, but soon realized that there was no way to write briefly about RMIM. So I asked him if he could devote a whole issue of the magazine to RMIM! He said that magazine was no longer being published, but why don’t I write a book on RMIM. It was an excellent suggestion, because so much original valuable content has been generated by RMIMers that it should be collected before it disappears. So on the Facebook RMIM group, I started to collect pdf files of various posted articles. It is a work in progress and is continuing.

In the meantime, January 1, 2017 was the 25th anniversary of RMIM. I thought about writing a mini version of the book to go with the Silver Jubilee meet being planned for Bangalore, India. But there was not enough time and I was discouraged. Then, Pavan Jha asked if I was going to attend and Anup Pandey mused that it would be great if I could release the book during the meet. That was enough incentive to get to work. There was no way to include everything, so I had to select. Result is in your hands. The big book is called Omnibus, I decided to call this version the Minibus :)

I decided to keep the book a surprise. I had to have an accomplice from Bangalore to distribute the book at the meet. I chose Chetan Vinchhi, he agreed readily. But when I finished the ms on April 2 and asked my US and Indian printers if they could print and deliver 50 copies to Bangalore by the 7th evening, they said no way. Again Chetan came to the rescue, and he, along with Ashok Dhareshwar, was able to keep the secret and deliver the book on time. Amazing people we have in RMIM!

Chetan, Pavan, guri (and the book), Ganti.

Now You Know!

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Published: 08 January 2024

Last Updated: 08 January 2024

RMIM (the USENET newsgroup rec.music.indian.misc) was started in January 1992.

In 2016, the Silver Jubilee approaching, I emailed Suresh Chandvankar. The exchange follows:

Me:

Hi Suresh:

A while ago you asked me to write about RMIM for the Record News. I looked into RMIM archives. There are a lot of interesting and informative articles in the RMIM archives. They can actually fill a whole issue!

So, my suggestion. Let us devote a whole issue of TRN to RMIM. Of course, you can include local news etc. in the beginning, as usual.

Please let me know what you think.
 
Surjit Singh

His Response:

hello Surjit ji

Just returned from Barcelona attending nice conference
learned lot
see program attached
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Good idea on long article on history and current status of RMIM
- but I suggest to post it on your web site as a special feature
================================================================
This is because we have discontinued publishing TRN's after last issue of 2012
It was mainly to assist Kinnear's work and has lost importance
- since he has resumed back to his work - and reissuing his books online
============================================================
I am planning on special PDF files of my listening sessions
- to be posted on your web site under SIRC page

Sample ppt presentation is being sent via drop box - soon
let us see if we can upload these interactive presentations for larger outreach

rest is fine

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That got me thinking about writing a book on RMIM ......

Now You Know!

First page of the first issue of the The Record News

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Published: 07 January 2024

Last Updated: 07 January 2024

Last time I saw him was when he visited us in San Diego in May 2013. Again we talked about things of mutual interest. I brought my laptop and flash drive for stuff to give to him. He brought his laptop. He generously let me copy whatever I wanted from his laptop.

I promised to meet him whenever I would visit India next time; it was not meant to be.

His contribution to the history of Indian gramophone record industry is immense.

Will be sorely missed.