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Idris and Bilkees Latif: The Fragrance Lingers On is a tribute to one of the most iconic couples of the Indian Air Force. The Latifs have left a mark of excellence in many fields. Their lives cut an arc across such a large swath of life, extending from the Services, diplomacy, gubernatorial assignment to social work and environmental concerns! They shone in every field.

Despite their formidable achievements, fame rested lightly on their shoulders. Every article in this commemorative book brings out this ‘humane’ quality in the personas of the Latifs. The wealth of perspectives on them as individuals and as a couple from a very distinguished phalanx of contributors, who knew them closely, is what gives this volume a special dimension. To use the title of one of the books by Bilkees Latif, The Fragrance of Forgotten Years, we want that fragrance to linger on to keep inspiring us for times to come!

Contents: Prologue/Hamid Ansari. Foreword/BS Dhanoa. 1.The unforgettable Latifs: an introduction/Ushi Kak. Segment One: The Web of Love: Sky is not the Limit. 2. Air Chief Marshal Idris Latif: a compassionate leader/V N Sharma. 3. Idris and Bilkees Latif: a personal tribute/L Ramdas and Lalita Ramdas. 4. The Latifs I knew/N C Suri. 5. Idris Latif: a charismatic chief /A Y Tipnis. 6. Idris Latif: an exceptional chief/S Krishnaswamy. 7. ACM Idris Latif: an officer and a gentleman/S P Tyagi. 8. Humwatani/NAK Browne. 9. An adorable military leader/Arup Raha. 10. A Star in the firmament/S Raghavendran. 11. Air Chief Marshal Idris Latif: a peerless leader/B D Jayal. 12. The Latifs: that special touch/S S Ramdas. 13. A distinguished duo/Tirlochan Singh. 14. An Air Warriors’ Air Chief: Idris Hasan Latif/Bharat Kumar. 15. Air Chief Marshal Latif: a profile in excellence/Philip Rajkumar. 16. Magnetic Latifs: in the eyes of a doctor/Satish Dham. 17. Lifelong Jugalbandi: a poetic tribute/Anil Chopra. 18. Nonpareil Idris Latif/C V Parker. 19. The Latifs: a timeless legacy/Kapil Kak. 20. Idris Latif: passing on of a Titan/T K Sen. 21. The Latifs: outstanding human beings/Kuldeep Sahota. 22. Idris and Bilkees Latif: an inspirational couple/Farokh J Mehta. Segment Two: Able Administrator: Governance with Heart: Governor of Maharashtra (1982-1985). 23. My Recollections of a Popular Governor/Julio Ribeiro. 24. Remembering the Latifs/Bakul Patel. 25. My Memories of Bilkees and Idris Latif/Wajahat Habibullah. 26. The Latifs/K S Nair. Segment Three: Diplomacy Par Excellence: Amazing Achievements: Ambassador to France (1985-1988). 27. The French connection/Asha Suri. 28. Latifs in Paris: diplomatic savoir faire/P R Parthasarathy. 29. The Latifs: a couple extraordinaire/Sharat Sabharwal. 30. A grand gesture is never forgotten/Ritu Bhatia. Segment Four: Myriad Missions: A Vast Canvas. 31. Bilkees Latif: Courage and Compassion/Maneck Davar. 32. Latif on Latif: a candid interview/Shyamola Khanna. Segment Five: Distinguished Lineage: Ties that Bind. 33. Our air force family/Asad Latif. 34. Heroes in every sense/Rahim Latif. 35. The Latif legacy: looking forward, looking backward/Syeda Imam. 36. Bilkees Mumani and Idris Mamoo/Laila Tyabji. Segment Six: A Bouquet of Tributes: Affectionately Yours. 37. Air Chief Marshal Idris Latif: in memoriam/Abhijit Basu. 38. Growing up: my thanks to the Latifs/Robey Lal. 39. Chief for all reasons/Pushpindar Singh. 40. The king of diamonds, the queen of hearts/Shikha Vohra. 41. The Latifs: an endearing couple/G S Sachdeva. 42. Bonds of friendship/Vijay Crishna. 43. A Moment of Chief Latif’s Time … Eternity for Me/Subir Sen.