SATYANESWAN

My last post was written in Bengali. I would prefer to write the same in normal fashion straightway on the blog. I tried but Bengali script could not be written straightway as the required font is not available. This has created a problem for the readers as they found it impossible to read. I shall seek advice from the persons who know better and sure to try to overcome this problem. Meanwhile,I would request you all to take further trouble and just click once on the paragraphs ( there are two paragraphs).The image shall instantly be bigger for you to read comfortably. I sincerely apologize for the inconvinience caused due to my paucity of knowledge regarding the use of scripts.

Since morning on the fourth day of our hunger strike, guardians and relatives of the students started arriving at the college campus. They were worried and excited. They formed groups among themselves and were engaged in agitated discussions. Me and Barun, one of my closest friends, were sitting near the first lobby and witnessing the progress of what was going on. During the last four days we had no visitors from our respective families. Barun belonged to a family of musclemen. Perhaps, expression of affection was not much in vogue there. As for myself, being a fugitive, I did not expect that barring my mother others in the family would be too keen to enquire about me. While on the first lobby, we were spotted by one of our senior professors, who incidentally came out from his office. He found no students nearby other than us. He called us both and started rebuking us for joining the hunger strike. Like all the conservative teachers, he found no virtue in our movement....

It all happened during summer of 1967. It is more than four decades now and I do not remember the exact date and month . To attend some occasion at home I extended my weekend and remained away from my Hostel.Yes. I am talking about our days at BE College. I was then a student of second year class and staying in hostel number 10.In the evening, while I was all set to start for hostel, my father summoned me.All India Radio just announced that a student agitation in BE College against police atrocities had started right then. He promptly rang up and talked to the Proctor,Shri.SK Chakravorty at length.The Proctor advised my father to keep me confined at home till the situation was controlled by the authorities.My father summarily instructed me to stay back and not to start for hostel. It never was a custom in my family to ask father much about his decisions.He,too,being a busy doctor,never found much time for explanation .In effect, I swallowed his words but just could not digest. From th...

Rao Bahadur (also Raobahadur and Rai Bahadur; abbreviated R.B) is a title of honor issued in India to individuals who have performed great service to the nation. Literally translated "Rao" implies "prince" and "Bahadur" means "most honorable." This title was awarded to Indians, both Hindu and Christian. During the British Rule, the Rao Bahadur was accompanied by a medal. The equivalent title for Muslim and Parsi subjects was Khan Bahadur.-Wikipedia Raibahadurs are extinct now. But it was not so even around five decades back. In and around Rashbehari, Bhowanipur and Ballygaunge areas there were a number of mini palatial buildings with gardens at the front behind large wrought iron gates which used to display names of the owners of the buildings prefixing "Raibahadur" . In my early years, while I was in my morning schools I developed the habit of walking around the Kolkata roads most of the day. I could find a number of those build...

Arun da was never interested in his studies. He used to boast that he did not read any subjects other than General Science. This fact used to be reflected every year when results came out.He fared well only in General Science. Starting from perhaps 1957 onwards,Arun da religiously appeared at the school final examination and came out unsuccessful.Ultimately,Arun da passed school final perhaps in 1964 when the board decided to do away with school final and switch over to higher secondary.His friends opined that that year board did not have other option but to push him through. My intention here is not to make fun with his unsuccessful attempts. Arun da was one of the close friends of our elder brothers.As was the custom in those days in the middle class localities, we used to receive lot of affection and attention from the friends of our elder brothers. Sometime, they seemed to be more dependable than our own brothers.The question of making fun,therefore,does not arise.But the ba...

I read somewhere that while two Britishers meet they form a club and while two Bengalees meet they initiate a Puja.Now I understand that Gurudas,my elder ,aged 10 years then and me,8 year old were gifted with both the traits.We initiated a club way back in 1956 with an ulterior motive to organise a Saraswati Puja. The Goddess used to be worshiped in our household in most humble way but we looked for something more gorgeous.The nearby club in the locality, "Dilip Smriti Sangha", used to perform Puja with usual pomp and gay but we were not much accepted in the group as we were fairly new to the locality. We felt neglected. Neglect of this kind, sometimes, ignite a spark within the mind of persons who are creative by nature. I heard that Sir Jamshedji Tata came up with the famous Taj Mahal Hotel as he was not treated favorably in some British five star hotel.Unknowingly we followed suit and decided to establish a club. Space was not much of a problem as the roof of our house ...