India, July 26 -- He was a familiar face at all protests, but few knew about his colourful life. Dawood Khan, who passed away on Saturday, had been a soldier and a trade unionist; he'd rubbed shoulders with leaders ranging from Ambedkar to Morarji Desai, without ever taking advantage of his acquaintance with them.

The last time I met Dawood Bhai, as he was called, was two years back, at an Eid Milan function at CST, for which he'd travelled all the way from Goregaon. His spirited speech energized the hall; the 91-year-old urged those half his age never to give up.

His fighting spirit must have come from his experiences in three wars: 1962, 1965 and 1971. The two medals he received would adorn his shoulder at every Republic Day function....