https://www.facebook.com/events/144489512937211/
Opening Speech
Thank
you all for coming.
I
am Abhi Toraskar, Hemant’s first cousin. The closest family of Hemant Govekar is
here – his parents, his sister and first cousins, and their spouses. Some of
the best friends, colleagues and bosses that Hemant had in Brisbane are here.
Hemant would have been so happy. He should have been here.
Frankly,
the last few days have been extremely surreal. It’s just weird talking about
Hemant in the past tense. Talking about Hemant, rather than Amol as the close
family knew him. Time standing still while the search and rescue were looking
for him. People from far and wide praying for him to be found alive and safe
even after so many days. The youngest of all us cousins just starting his life,
gone in the blink of an eye.
Hemant,
was from Mumbai and graduated just 4 weeks ago from University of Queensland in
Master of Business. He was tragically taken by the sea at Cape Woolamai, in
Phillip Island, Victoria, on Christmas Day. After a long investigation, the
identification of his remains was finally concluded on Thursday. It was him and
he is no more.
We
conducted his funeral as per Hindu rituals two days ago. His ashes were
scattered at Chelsea Beach on Melbourne Bayside.
I
have held Hemant as a baby, played with him as kids. Though he was much
younger, we were friends and brothers. Growing up, people said he looked like
me, which was a great compliment for me, but a slight for him I feel, given how
dashing good looking man he was.
We
are 10 cousins on the maternal side, but he was the closest of all to me and my
family. We looked forward to spending summer vacations with him, playing cards
and gully cricket, going on trips, running around in the sun. He was a shy,
fun, but an always caring person right from the beginning.
He
never threw tantrums. He never picked fights. He never complained. He was
someone people could rely on. He never expected anything in return.
At
my parents’ home in Mumbai, we celebrated Ganesh festival. After I moved
abroad, my mum needed someone to help with the decorations and the occasion. He
would be the one to turn up without asking, however, busy he was in college or
work. He was the one who added colour to the festivities at home.
What
struck me most was how he matured into a dynamic, confident, creative, but still
always a very kind human being. Back in Mumbai, he led cultural events in his
locality and college, he was a great dancer, he was a brilliant artist. At work
in India, he was recognised many times for his dedication and drive.
He
was keen to learn and do more. Given that a lot of his close family was here,
he decided to come to Australia to pursue further studies and hopefully settle
here.
He
really came into his own and became the person he was in Brisbane. This amazing
city, the university and the people gave him an opportunity to flourish and
showcase his talents. I got glimpses of his personality and involvement in numerous
activities - Dancing, business competitions there, charity events, cultural
events, drums squads. It is just incredible that in a short time, he made such
a deep and ever-lasting mark amongst his friends and communities. All the while
not succumbing to wild, unbecoming behaviour that sometimes is part of uni
life. I got to see his close bonds and camaraderie when I and my daughter came
for his graduation. How did SO MANY PEOPLE end up knowing and LOVING my litte
brother?
The
family visited the places in the university where Hemant studied, hung around with
friends, did dance practices, had quiet time, got his graduation degree. It is
certainly great comfort to us, that he spent his final at such a fabulous
university with fantastic friends and teachers.
The
outpouring of support from people everywhere has been humbling and gratifying
and speaks a lot about how much Hemant meant to all of us. Though he is
physically no more, in this world of 7.5 billion people, he was a singular
individual and it is his love and affection that now binds us in a uniquely
astonishing way. Let’s keep that bond going. Let his kindness be our guiding
light in connecting with each other and being better versions of ourselves.
We
have pair of 28 balloons here. 28 being the age that Hemant will always be. A
pair to represent the places that he made an inedible mark – Mumbai and
Brisbane. If you have any photos of Hemant with you and your group, kindly tape
it to the balloons. Please take Sheny’s or Arundhati’s help to attach. After
the food, we will all release the balloons together into the sky.
Closing
2nd
part
Thanks
for all your touching and thoughtful speeches. It was really good for us to hear
what a multi-faceted and remarkable individual Hemant was. I would like to
thank the people who helped organise this event. The family was in Melbourne
busy with other arrangments for the last week, so your help is even more appreciated.
Amol, Nitin, Bhushan and other members from Brisbane Maharshtra Mandal. Ananya,
Sheny, Susmy, Bhagya, and Akash. Thank you so much guys!! Samira and Alicia
from University of Queensland and Vinayak, his roommate and fellow student
showed us around the university yesterday. Thank you guys for taking the time
out. Apologies if I missed any names. Thanks Mr Prasad for letting us see and
eat in the restaurant Hemant worked in.
Such
tragic accidents serve as a stark reminder of the dangers of the waters,
especially in Australia. Hemant wasn’t a reckless person. I know the number of
times he didn’t go in the water while I and my daughter swam when we visited
Brisbane start of Dec. That fateful day, the stars aligned all wrong!
We would be glad to answer any questions. If there are any organisations that would like to speak to us or would like to support our initiative on raising awareness on water safety, kindly get in touch with me or someone from Hemant’s family. Do share within your family and friends. Hemant did good things when he was alive. Lets make sure that we do good things to keep his memory alive.
