The 'Flying Sikh' recalled his old association with Dara, saying he was a self-made man who had risen from a humble rural background.
"He was just like a brother to me. I recall in 1955-56 we stayed in a same hotel in Mumbai when we were practising in that city for a sports event," Milkha told PTI here.
He said that whenever Dara used to visit his Chandigarh residence, which was adjacent to Milkha's house in upscale Sector 8 here, the latter made it a point to visit him.
"Whenever he was in Chandigarh, first he used to come to my house early in the morning after a walk. We used to have a cup of tea and have breakfast together. Our free-wheeling chats for hours used to cover topics from films to sports etc," Milkha recalled.
Milkha shared his heart-felt sympathies with the members of the bereaved family and prayed to the Almighty to give courage to bear this irreparable loss and grant peace to the departed soul.
