New Delhi: ‘Pinki uncle,’ the beloved Bhelpuri seller at Delhi University’s North Campus, is no more, but his memories are most cherished among the students and teachers of the institution. For nearly three decades, Sunil Sethi, or Pinki Uncle, as he was called by the students, ran a small stall outside the campus and created lasting memories with his funny nature and delicious Bhelpuri.
On November 17, Sethi passed away, leaving a special and popular corner near the old building of the university’s Law Centre deserted. Both students and professors say his death marks the end of an era at the campus for them as they would visit him not just for a plate of Bhelpuri but for love, laughter, and a stressbuster break.
A DU alumnus says Sethi fed Bhelpuri to several generations in the university and was an important part of the DU family rather than a vendor. “Since 1983, he had been running a Bhelpuri stall outside the university's health centre. Every day, a large group of students gathered at his stand. His Bhelpuri, together with his witty and funny talks, drew everyone,” he says.
Sethi's stand was a meeting point for many students, and countless friendships and love stories were formed there, he adds.
With the advent of social media, Sethi became more popular as his videos of jokes and laughter went viral while his vlogs invited millions of views.
AK Singh, a professor of Hindi at the university, says he would have Sethi’s Bhelpuri regularly and tasted it all along his journey from being a BA student at DU to becoming a professor. “Pinki Uncle’s small, witty, and funny conversations were unique and refreshing, which would enhance our taste buds and minds,” he says.
Another professor says that when someone would ask Sethi what he was making when mixing Bhelpuri with chutney, he would reply, “I am making you mad.” “Similarly, if someone asked about his chutney, he would respond funnily, ‘It costs money to tell; first give me money, then I will tell.’ People were drawn to him because of this amusing approach.”
Sethi would also make fun of his age by responding that he is just in his 20s but later wink and say he has been selling bhelpuri for the last 40 years.
Prof Singh says that one day in 2021 he went to have the Bhelpuri and got a plate made for Sethi also by saying, “You feed everyone, but no one feeds you.” “This gesture of mine made him emotional. Now, when Pinky uncle is no more among us, I feel a sense of emptiness while passing to the point of his cart,” he says. “His memories and the taste of his Bhelpuri will always live in the hearts of the people.”
After knowing about Sethi’s demise, several students and teachers visited the location where he would set his stall and prayed for the departed soul.
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