The French remember his b’day

Mona

'Expect only the French to do it'…says a pleased Mac Sarin as he shares the happy news of him being conferred Chevalier de l'ordre National du Merite, the second highest French award. This Tuesday called for double celebrations for this eminent attorney and a champion of social causes, the announcement made from the President of France, François Hollande, reached him on his birthday.

Sarin had another such surprise in 1999 when he was given Chevalier des Palm Acadamique, another French honour on his birthday.

"Is this a coincidence that even last time I received the honour, the French President Jacques Chirac was the chief guest at the Republic Day Parade and I had the privilege of meeting him and for our next Republic Day President Francois Hollande has been invited as the chief guest."

This distinguished attorney's relationship with Alliance Française de Chandigarh runs deep. He joined as a student in 1984 and has been its president for 25 years now.

Sarin gets the second highest French award for his great work to promote the Indo-French relationship. The earlier recipients of this huge honour have been various French and foreign kings, diplomats and artistes. Sarin's impressive biodata that runs into 14 pages has two entries which are his favourites - being 115 times blood donor and recipient of highest income tax payee. "Look to get an Oscar you got to lobby, for an Olympic medal you got to train, just by being honest I have been felicitated twice," he chuckles.

With childlike innocence, he shares the purple band he wears on his blazer, he carries the prestigious Chevalier des Palm Acadamique medal for it can only be worn with formal dressing. His new medal is in blue and soon after he formally gets the honour, he can put on the blue ribbon.

His phone keeps ringing as people from across the world call to congratulate him on the special day while Sarin takes us back in time how this fruitful relationship began. "In 1984, soon after I came from France after attending a young lawyer's conference and I vowed to learn French for half the papers read there were in their language."

Next he was the treasurer and in 1990 he became the president, a post that he has retained till today. "As the director I or anyone else in my shoes spend just three or four years, Mac Sarin has ably led the ship for the long two-decades-and-half," says Dominique WAAG .

For Sarin, Alliance is the place he has been pretty attached to. "Not only have we been teaching French but also involved in array of social cultural affairs," says Sarin who loves coming to 36 for its youthful vibes.

The formal ceremony for this honour has been postponed for the Paris attack, a tragedy that has shaken Sarin as much as people around the world. However, he stands with Antoine Leiris, a husband who lost his wife in the attacks and wrote an open letter declaring that the perpetrators of the horror "won't have his hatred" and neither his 17-month-old son whom he intends to raise "happy and free".

Chandigarh that he is proud resident of for last 60 years, he hopes to make a place where foreigners love to come to work. "We already have few, but we can do with so many more."

[email protected]