tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post6331657434905378628..comments2024-03-27T13:58:06.458+05:30Comments on Suvro Chatterjee bemused: It bugs me, thisSuvro Chatterjeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027202980259279420noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-79096987873474649422013-06-27T12:29:52.621+05:302013-06-27T12:29:52.621+05:30Thank you, Rashmi, Sayan, Soham, Shameek and Vaish...Thank you, Rashmi, Sayan, Soham, Shameek and Vaishnavi.<br /><br />I shall repeat: if there had been any depth in most people's protestations of love, respect and admiration, there would have been several hundred comments like yours here by now. My increasing cynicism and misanthropy is based on very solid factual foundations! Thousands have visited my blog since I wrote this post, and this is all I get. The Lord only knows why people bother to visit at all. No one has ever given me a sensible answer to that...<br /><br />I noticed today that this post has entered the most-read list. Fastest that has ever happened with any post of mine, I think. I wonder why this sudden interest?Suvro Chatterjeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027202980259279420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-82494603341243081732013-06-26T00:01:12.842+05:302013-06-26T00:01:12.842+05:30Dear Sir,
Rashmidi's comment is sort of an ec...Dear Sir,<br /><br />Rashmidi's comment is sort of an echo of my own sentiments. I am not your ex-student either and my interactions with you began much the same way. I wrote and rewrote a number of comments for this particular post, but I have nothing else to say except that I am heart glad that I met you and I am grateful for your letting me into your life and Pupu's. It's a gift, this, Sir. This wanting to share everything with you, that's a gift in itself, so thank you Sir :-)<br /><br />Regards,<br />VaishnaviVaishnavihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08829055456233904866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-3751213323034023862013-06-25T16:17:48.526+05:302013-06-25T16:17:48.526+05:30Dear Sir ,
I am sorry that i could not comment on...Dear Sir ,<br /><br />I am sorry that i could not comment on this post earlier. I feel privileged to know you. I consider myself lucky and blessed to have got you as my teacher. You a teacher who shows by living example and I am yet to come across another teacher who is this caring and knowledgeable - and maybe the search is futile , as i believe you are one and only, Sir. As i type this , i remember the piece of writing " Who is a teacher " , that adorns the wall of your classroom. A true teacher not only teaches you his subject but also teaches you about life - and you have done the same to me Sir. This is why i feel blessed to have come across you. I have indeed learnt finer things about life from you and i am still trying to. It has been almost been 7 & a half years since that first class , but now i do feel the difference before and after it. Before meeting you , i hardly knew anything significant about life , but you taught me to think , discipline myself and have some real interests in life like reading,writing, watching good movies, utilize my time fruitfully. It has certainly helped me be a better human being.<br /><br />Also , i completely agree with Ananya's comment : "Even when you scold us you try to make us aware of our real interests ans ambitions which shows that you never abuse your pupils out of sheer frustration or hatred.Now I know that you scold me for the good of my own soul and therefore all I need to do is acknowledge my faults and courageously face the challenges you place before me Sir.I know that is difficult but I will never give up because I have lately come to realize that that is absolutely necessary if I want to attain peace with myself and lead a good life" - i couldn't agree more with her on this & i would have written the same...!!!<br /><br />Sayan Da's last comment here also touched a chord. There is truely a genuine tenderness in your voice about the way you say "Haen, baba". With you it is different - every single time one talks to you...!! <br /><br />Sir, you have changed my perception about life , of love and truth. Every time i speak to you , it never fails to amaze me is your extraordinary ability to speak regarding any subject under the sun and yet make us aware of the small things around us , which often go unnoticed with us!! Maybe words cannot fully convey the kind of impact you have had on me and lots of other students of yours , who have known you and have come to be inspired by you in some way...!!!<br /><br />Sir, whether or not some people acknowledge this, you have touched many souls and have contributed to their betterment. I am grateful for all that you have given me. Please take care Sir...<br /><br />With regards ,<br />Shameek .Shameek Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13716348438171054715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-45853418534717948542013-06-17T15:07:17.177+05:302013-06-17T15:07:17.177+05:30Dear Sir,
While reading through the comments poste...Dear Sir,<br />While reading through the comments posted above- a sudden thought came to my mind. The way you have influenced many of our lives , acting as a touchstone , changing our lives in a significant way - the term "Suvro Sir" doesn't merely restrict to a teacher manifested in a human form. It exists beyond that. You are constant presence in our minds- shaping our actions, always reminding us to "think", helping us to differentiate between what is trivial and necessary, acting as an inspiration for us to work harder, to achieve our goals-to live by your ideals. We really feel blessed to know you in some manner or other. And as Subhanjanda has said - I too feel the the rare pride when I speak of you in front of someone else- it's really an honour to have you as our teacher.<br /><br />yours lovingly,<br />Soham MukhopadhyaySoham Mukhopadhyayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09564634546372898473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-77189964637651849792013-06-14T08:25:44.680+05:302013-06-14T08:25:44.680+05:30I write this as a continuation of Rashmi's com...I write this as a continuation of Rashmi's comment - We were talking only yesterday about the way you say "Haan, baba" or "Yes, Ma" ... there is genuine tenderness in your voice as a gardener would care for a sapling...From my side, I have never heard those two words ever from my own father, though he is 'sure' that he loves me, and I would give up anything to keep hearing them once in a while, and Rashmi says that the words "Haan beta" were common with her from her parents, yet they smelled of insincerity every time they were uttered and have never cut any ice with her. With you it's so different. Every time, you talk, we feel the 'need' to move closer to you.<br /><br />With love<br />SayanSayan Dattahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10471336056338860961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-16294321554944963972013-06-13T13:12:46.739+05:302013-06-13T13:12:46.739+05:30Arani, we are long past the need for such apologie...Arani, we are long past the need for such apologies, you and I, aren't we? Though I'd be lying if I say it doesn't sound heartwarming every time...<br /><br />Diptokirti, you are much younger, but you are following in the same footsteps, doing BA English at JU. I'd thought I had lost you already, so I am glad to see your comment. I hope you will keep in touch, and the bond will grow stronger, as it has with the likes of Arani, Aakash, and the rest of my most favourite old boys.<br /><br />Ananya, thank you. One thing I'd like to ask of you, if you do comment on Nivedita's blog: assure her I keep trying as hard with my present-day students as I did in her time, more than a decade ago, and if they are unaffected and fall out of touch, it's not because of something lacking in me. They say teachers get more crabby and selfish and uncaring with age... in that sense, too, I'd like to be recognized as different from the common crowd.<br />Suvro Chatterjeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027202980259279420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-30595901934865859492013-06-13T12:56:33.221+05:302013-06-13T12:56:33.221+05:30Dear Sir,
Sir I am really sorry that I did not co...Dear Sir, <br />Sir I am really sorry that I did not comment on this post earlier.I am indeed blessed for having got you as my teacher.You are the single most teacher from whom I have really learnt some(or trying to learn)very important things about life.You have introduced me to some important literary creations, you have provoked me to think, discipline myself but not become an automaton in the process and have some real interests in life like reading,writing, watching good movies, utilize my time fruitfully by engaging myself in various activities without which I am sure to become a victim of depression.Well, the list could go on and on but what never fails to amaze me is your extraordinary ability to speak regarding any subject under the sun and instill all that information into our minds without seeming to lecture us.Even when you scold us you try to make us aware of our real interests ans ambitions which shows that you never abuse your pupils out of sheer frustration or hatred.Now I know that you scold me for the good of my own soul and therefore all I need to do is acknowledge my faults and courageously face the challenges you place before me Sir.I know that is difficult but I will never give up because I have lately come to realize that that is absolutely necessary if I want to attain peace with myself and lead a good life. In fact now I feel that I am always subconsciously guided by you in every situation. I try to think what would you have done in a particular situation and therefore your name inexplicably comes out in everything I do.And now I can say that I have become a much better human being or at least a happier human being than I was two years ago.I had written a composition titled 'Sir's influence on my life' when you had said,"Like me, respect me, always remember what I have said and never get afraid to face difficulties because courage conquers all". I will never forget these words Sir.Sometimes I feel that all your classes tried to make us aware of this world and until then I was merely sleepwalking through life.I cannot distinguish one class from another and it seems that the classes are the simultaneous acts of a play that ultimately coalesce to make me aware of the most important aspects of life.I have often engaged in desultory conversation while chatting with you Sir (I am really sorry for that)but you have always said(compassionately),"I am not angry with you I just want you to think all that I have said and then we will chat again". I have realized that growing up becomes a fun when there is a friend, philosopher and guide to show you the right path. You love and care for your students despite their shortcommings and I really can't afford to lose you Sir.<br />I will read Nivedita di's blogpost and comment too if possible.<br />lots of love<br />AnanyaAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01481121112487783073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-76857988313540787852013-06-12T15:10:48.726+05:302013-06-12T15:10:48.726+05:30Sir,
those who are ungrateful will never really...Sir,<br /> those who are ungrateful will never really understand who you are and what you mean to some people. It has been five and a half years since that first class. A lot has changed since then, my understanding of life, my perception of truth, my understanding of love and relationships. I live in a different city now, attending classes, learning new things, I am studying what I really love, and to tell the truth none of this would have happened if you had not steered me in the right direction, I would have been the same rebel-without-a-cause, an angsty teenager who does not know how to channel his energy into anything useful. You stood for the world outside that well most of us were stuck in with nothing but a very vague desire to escape. You were a rebel, the first one to tell us that watching an interesting film was time well spent, you introduced me to Omar Khayyam and T. S. Elliot, I still remember you in class striding about in those long measured steps, reciting from memory, "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow...". It is sad that people do not really want to be free, they would much rather sit at home, cloistered inside the prejudices that society and families create, and so they pass by some of the most interesting people in the world without batting an eyelid, they are not used to classes being as wonderful as yours, they would rather just have notes dictated to them (as you had threatened to do many a times with that particularly unruly batch that was ours) and sit through a class without thinking about one original or worthwhile thing.<br /> Although I am studying English Literature in a prestigious University, I cannot find any other teacher who is as charismatic or knowledgeable as you, the truth is I have stopped searching for another person as wonderful and have accepted the fact that there can never be another you, getting to know one Suvro Chatterjee (although I do not believe in luck or fate) is a great fortune many do not understand how great a loss it is to themselves, but that really is because they are fools, and I do not think you should bother about these people as well, because fools can only gauge prices, not values. Living the way you have done, you have changed the lives of quite a few people and I think that in itself is a cultural revolution of sorts :D.<br /><br />P.S.- on a completely unrelated note, i was listening to this song, thought you might like it<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_z_UEuEMAo<br /><br /> Yours Lovingly<br /> DiptokirtiDiptokirti Samajdarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11430392803994695486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-38375145805787193652013-06-12T11:30:23.530+05:302013-06-12T11:30:23.530+05:30Sir,
To know that knowledge is power, the power to...Sir,<br />To know that knowledge is power, the power to think and dismiss what Bacon would call 'the tribes of the mind' is something that I owe wholly to you. To know that economics had a public purpose, that man was a naked ape, that political ideals could be pragmatic and non-violent and yet not based on greed and imperialism, to fight the clutter of thought that affected minds cloud you with in the universities, is learnt from you.<br />To 'think'and to think on your own, bravely and reach conclusions that may not agree with most including the fashionably subversive (read the leftist, feminist and subaltern-ist) is something that I honed under you. <br />I remember coming to you in dire need before leaving for Delhi and you realised that I didn't have the money to buy a Volvo ticket. You paid for me. It's not the paying bit but that someone so completely unrelated to could love with such tender care was so endearing, so reassuring. We have spent so many hours of thoughtful conversation together that I know unlike most that there is such tenderness in you. Your voice, your sarcasm and wit, your scathing critique of the moronic belies this tenderness. But, this is what is hurt the most making you inaccessible, incorrigible. And, that is our fault. Many apologies.<br /><br />Warmly,<br />Araniaranibanerjeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08978301292838645138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-43474529255765607352013-06-11T19:58:06.809+05:302013-06-11T19:58:06.809+05:30Debarshi, Aakash, Subhanjan and Suhel, many thanks...Debarshi, Aakash, Subhanjan and Suhel, many thanks.<br /><br />Suhel, did you read my post carefully? Far from gloating over the kind of adulation I have received, I never stop wondering why there is so <i>little</i> gratitude and lasting affection and respect in this world, and why, even where there is some, people want to keep that a closely-guarded secret, while being very free with wanton invective, disparagement and abuse. And I don't know how old you are, nor whether you ever were on 'Suvroda' terms with me, but I'd much rather you used 'Sir', if that's alright with you. With Suvroda I have some very unpleasant memories, and in any case I told my pupils not to use the term in case they left secondary school after around 1995... but you are warmly welcome otherwise to read and comment on my blog, of course.<br /><br />With Nivedita's blogpost, I am going to deal separately as it deserves.Suvro Chatterjeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027202980259279420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-61665400742436621562013-06-11T10:20:18.595+05:302013-06-11T10:20:18.595+05:30Hello Suvro Da,
Came across your blog from Nivedi...Hello Suvro Da,<br /><br />Came across your blog from Nivedita's post on you. Have never had the pleasure of meeting you, but have heard stories that border on folklore from numerous friends and cousins. Co-incidentally I also completed my high school from Durgapur and had many classmates who were in awe of you. Funnily enough, and perhaps unbeknownst to you even now you come up every now and then in their conversations and you should see the impact you've had on them. To see that kind of hero worship for a real person, just like us, but far more gifted, is incredible. Most of us would give up whatever little we'll achieve in our lives to get the kind of adulation, respect and love you get from your students.<br /><br />Will be coming back to the blog for more.<br /><br />Thanks,<br />SuhelSuhel Banerjeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05417830486248572310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-57902256715746209132013-06-10T12:56:03.276+05:302013-06-10T12:56:03.276+05:30If there was anything like real memory and gratitu...If there was anything like real memory and gratitude and affection and respect in this world, there should have been several hundred comments like the above here by now. And I still have to silently tolerate young people gushing 'Sir, don't be so cynical... we'll be different, you will see'. Famous last words.Suvro Chatterjeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027202980259279420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-91403872923374677762013-06-09T23:25:39.520+05:302013-06-09T23:25:39.520+05:30Dear Sir,
You have rightly pointed out in some pl...Dear Sir,<br /><br />You have rightly pointed out in some places that a teacher's job is 'un-cool' and there is a perception in society that the people of this trade have 'not much work' as such.<br /><br />A teacher's job contributes to human resource development at the grass roots, a fact that our society has neither the brains to realise nor the willingness to listen to someone asserting so.<br /><br />So the greatest gift for a teacher is the love, respect and acknowledgement of his students. And I know how valuable and important that is. In my classes, I pay respect to you very frequently by talking about a great teacher that I have in my home town and the standards that he stands for. It is an honour for me everytime I talk about you Sir to someone. It has always been an honour.<br /><br />Yours Sincerely,<br />SubhanjanSubhanjan Senguptahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10447346907885975431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-617642797256618672013-06-09T21:43:38.043+05:302013-06-09T21:43:38.043+05:30Dear Sir,
When I and many other friends of mine t...Dear Sir,<br /><br />When I and many other friends of mine then met you for the first time on a June morning in 1997, we didn't know what we were in for. At the end of that academic year you had us convinced that there was a life beyond the quarters of ASP and DSP.<br /><br />You told us that it was not wrong to philosophise, write poetry and most of all think. You guided us through a time when it is easy to lose ones way.<br /><br />After all these years, I am not in touch with most of those 'friends' I shared the class with from 1997 to 1999. And, after all these years you are more of family and friend to us.<br /><br />I do not belittle you by saying thanks, but for want of a better word, thanks, nonetheless.<br /><br />With regards,<br /><br />Aakash Aakashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14189885992621793067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-89775785511237202142013-06-09T21:37:44.914+05:302013-06-09T21:37:44.914+05:30Many people have read snippets about 'celebrit...Many people have read snippets about 'celebrities', some have assimilated a great deal of knowledge about truly great men who taught us about the incomprehensible mystery called Life- and some lucky individuals have met men who practise what they preach. Sir has never quite been the 'preachy' teacher- he prefers committed actions with the best of intentions over words any day. That is the greatest reason why Sir has influenced my life, and continues to do so every single day- I can relate to him, try to think like him, pose questions to myself like 'How might Sir have approached this situation? Would he prefer that I act like him, or even try to- or would he want me to find my own path?' and finally conclude that he has always advised me to be guided by the best of principles, and yet find my own unique path to tread on lightly. Every act of his is 'Zen' in spirit, and rooted in reality. In a world that's buffeted by chaos, where gaudy neon lights force one to shy away and cower behind assumed personalities- comes along an individual like Sir, who says that- 'To rise above one's bestial nature is the only true victory, as the texts say- and to remain true to that nature is the only true expression of oneself.' This individual is worth following, worth loving, and definitely worth caring for. If you love a rose, any being of beauty- you treasure it, you nurture it, you care for it. One isn't afraid to proclaim to the world that one loves a being of beauty- at the end, when all is 'from ashes to ashes...from dust to dust', then one's memories of this being of beauty is the only thing that matters. A man who teaches us to live every moment while we die away slowly as the clock ticks- is not propounding an oxymoron. He is one who is asking us to be awake to our reality, to return to what we all were. It is this mindfulness to all the chaotic and buzzing activity of Life, that is Sir's greatest gifted treasure to me. I thank him every day for that.<br /><br />With love and best wishes,<br />Debarshi. <br />Debarshi_Sahahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03600508755050924360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-56528242893136378752013-06-09T19:34:58.050+05:302013-06-09T19:34:58.050+05:30Shilpi, you are too old to gush. But yes, thanks: ...Shilpi, you are too old to gush. But yes, thanks: I do believe, after so many years of what I have tried to be to so many people, I do deserve a bit of that...Suvro Chatterjeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027202980259279420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-25808056335994813032013-06-09T18:34:21.807+05:302013-06-09T18:34:21.807+05:30You’ve shared fast-paced snapshots from your life ...You’ve shared fast-paced snapshots from your life with your readers. I’ve been thinking, brooding and even smiling, feeling quiet with some insistent and deep questions which keep me pre-occupied - while looking at what you’ve been doing and from different povs.<br /><br />Through the years I can see better of what you mean about people gushing in private, coming to you for the immediate needs, never daring to express what you mean for them, why they value you and find you incommensurable or even that they love and respect you and can’t do without you; nor would I have known about the handful who do value you. I got to see the place of teachers within a society and more of what used to perplex me, academically, intellectually and personally. I’d not have known it as much as I have if it hadn’t been for the last couple of years and through the hours and hours of conversations in which you have engaged in with me. <br /><br />It really is easier for people to openly gush about celebrities. They’ve already been labeled as famous by others. It’s also easy enough for groups of people to be concerned, excited and sympathize about very visible, noble and necessary social movements and their leaders: nothing wrong with this but I can’t help thinking and feeling that all those who silently admire you would have not been so silent had you been famous.<br />I won’t express all my own connected thoughts on the matter. <br /><br />From a personal pov: Across nine months, when I first came to Purdue, I wrote to you about everything that I saw, felt, did and thought; about what bothered and bugged me and you wrote back long letters addressing the personal and also about Marx, Weber, Durkheim; socialism and capitalism; sciences and the humanities, socio-economics, psychology, the environment; religion, philosophy, and humour; detachment, balance and love…When I ventilated about coursework and shed tears over statistics, you wrote back telling me about books which I could look up. You sent me your essays on the Buddha, women, India, civilization… your stories and you got me interested in poetry again. You also made me laugh. For the first time in my life I knew how utterly lonely I’d been before that. I used to think sometimes like a kid that there was no reason for you not to listen to me and not to write to me although I could never quite figure out how you found the time. I know that my real education and what is worthwhile happened with you and from 10,000 miles away and through letters/conversations with you. And that was a long time ago. <br />And even before that, one day when you didn’t have to come and meet a raggedy, very sick and abandoned youth who had never opened her mouth to speak to you through 10 years – you came over to listen and talk with me because I needed you and had yelled out for you to come (and you had exams the following day). I cherish that you came to see me and it was the first ever meaningful conversation I had in my life with another human being. I owe you for who I am today. When I write and speak about anything that makes for human comprehensibility, when I read what matters, when I think with clarity and calmness, when I feel with the sensitivity that a human being is capable of, when I walk and sometimes laugh and when I breathe and know I am who I am…for you, with all your attributes, have got me to become more and more human through very many long years and through your ways. Yes, some are quite inscrutable. I don’t always know what you want me to do and I may grumble or glare but I’ve learnt not to take my grumblings seriously. The best experience is getting to know you.<br /><br />So much for now. <br /><br />P.S: I’ll comment too for your previous poem and poetic post sometime soon but I think the oddity of that one (and it’s also bizarre) hit me more than the beauty on first reading. In terms of oddity it probably only compares to your picture post.Shilpihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03106170029106184978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-73324994286979886912013-06-08T22:26:01.848+05:302013-06-08T22:26:01.848+05:30Dear Sir,
I haven't known you, except for a c...Dear Sir,<br /><br />I haven't known you, except for a chance encounter in 1997 (this happened soon after my ICSE results were out; I had gone to your house with a friend who was your student, and she wanted to let you know her results. I tagged along, and I have a faint recollection of seeing your baby daughter and wife as well), and through this blog. However, growing up, I had heard a lot about you. Most of it was in the form of rave reviews from students who admired you, and I am sure even if they don't come back and acknowledge it, they ascribe an iota of their success and/or their worth in life to your tutelage. <br /><br />You are famous, Sir; there is no doubt about that. All these people who speak ill about you behind your back, are living proof that you are not just another human being living just another ordinary life. Mediocrity doesn't attract such attention in the intellectual/academic circles! <br /><br />Wish you everything that you wish for Sir; may you get your wishes granted manifold times! <br /><br />Regards,<br />Sumitha Rachel KurienSumithahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02371376211292089623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-49449250669836458072013-06-08T21:25:04.143+05:302013-06-08T21:25:04.143+05:30Dear Sir,
I had realised only a few days back tha...Dear Sir,<br /><br />I had realised only a few days back that before the age of sixteen, I hardly knew anything significant about life and its many pleasures and pains. I simply sleep-walked through life although I had many ‘academic awards’ by then. Then I met Sayan and a year later, I began interacting with you. I was a no-one to you then. I was neither your ex-student nor did you know my parents. You knew absolutely nothing about me except that I was a confused, sad, young stranger on the internet who desperately needed someone who would trust her and guide her. My grades were terrible then. My confidence level was very low. I was also trying to cope with an emotional turmoil in a personal relationship. I had written a comment on your blog one night and posted it. Early the next morning, I received a reply from you, encouraging me, assuring me and welcoming me to your blog and you world. You had also given me your email i.d. in case I wanted to write to you personally. It has been more than four years since and your love, your help, your kindness, your involvement, your care and your concern has only increased.<br /><br />I have learnt a few things in life and from life since then and have formed a few opinions and read a few good books and thought a lot. It is only because of your guidance and Sayan’s support that it has been possible. If I am a better person, a better instructor and a better family woman, it is only because of your presence in my life. You have always lovingly said –“Not too busy for you” whenever I have needed to talk to you. You have always been appreciative and warm and have stood by me in my troubles.<br /> <br />I know you demand certain minimum things in a relationship: sincerity, punctuality, honesty, consistency and a genuine eagerness to know you and care for you. And I also know that it is impossible to maintain any relationship with you without a certain minimum strength of character. To be with you means to constantly acknowledge our faults and honestly attempt to rectify them. All that is difficult, I agree, but there is nothing more meaningful and valuable in life. When we complain that you ask too much of us, we forget that everything that you ask us to do is for our own good. You would never ask your loved ones to do anything that will harm them in the long term. You were born a teacher and a father. Always correcting and always worrying- you cannot help it. What selfish interest can you have in motivating your old boy and his wife to read more, think more and work more? Meeting you last week has shook me violently from my stupor. It is the test of my courage now. Do I want to walk on the path to long-term happiness or do I want to continue living a mediocre, insignificant life. <br /><br />You have shown us what love is and how it has many forms. One doesn’t love only when he is talking lovingly. He loves even more when he scolds for the right reasons because he does it even as he suffers pain and fear. Your love enlightens the soul and persuades us to reach for higher and more significant things in life. I hope and pray that all your loved ones understand your love in a clearer manner and acknowledge it if only for the good of their own souls.<br /><br />Sir, I am privileged to know you and am ever grateful for all that you have given me, that which you ask in return is a very tiny fraction of it. I wouldn’t want to lose you at any cost. <br /><br />Love and regards<br />RashmiRashmi Dattahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04125416218229246687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-55674745748220103782013-06-08T19:19:23.319+05:302013-06-08T19:19:23.319+05:30Dear Sir,
I have never attended your private toto...Dear Sir,<br /><br />I have never attended your private totoring sessions, but you definitely were my teacher for one subject at school. That experience I loved. But I have known you much more from your blog. And that is something I deeply cherish. Now, in some movies I have seen the following concept : "If you run into some problem in life, open a random page of the Koran and look for answers. You should find it". Something along those lines has been true for me with respect to your blog. I have used your blog to find answers in times when there have been doubts in my mind. <br /><br />I can only imagine how blessed are the boys and girls who study several years under your tutelage. To have a teacher who shows by living example and by inspiring words what it is to be a broad minded thinker is a rare privilege. Those who do not realize this, surely do this later in life, provided they are observant enough and learn to deal with their ego problems. <br /><br />May you have the strength to continue doing what you love to do and may you have the strength to tolerate the bruises given by ingrates and those whom you allowed to come closer to help them but who have hurt you. <br /><br />Nirmannkrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02258439759392201270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-77102399130698687442013-06-08T18:56:30.388+05:302013-06-08T18:56:30.388+05:30Debopriya Bose, who was my pupil in the late '...Debopriya Bose, who was my pupil in the late '90s, has written the following comment on this post. I am putting it up on her behalf, since she said she couldn't send it from her office.<br /><br />"Hello Sir, <br /><br />I started reading your blog about a year back but have been a more frequent (yet a passive) visitor over the last couple of months. <br />I wanted to reply to a couple of your earlier posts but never did. However, your post ‘It bugs me, this’ compelled me to try to reach out to you without procrastinating any more. (I read your post on my android on my way to work. I am at work and hence this reply will be short. However, I do hope to communicate more frequently to you in future).<br /><br />I have been fortunate enough to have met not just one (you) but another teacher in M.Sc. who went beyond translating words in text books and helping students to relate and learn from the lessons in textbooks. It is fortunate for people like us who get an opportunity to meet teachers who in today’s world, look beyond helping their students score a 1 point in their subject but work on their overall personality development, teachers who do not judge students merely by how many marks they scored in their paper, teachers who realize that their students are vulnerable and feel compelled to help them with their advice and despite all the hurt keep doing that. Mankind is so prone to be tempted to value only near term gains. Hence, it is not surprising to meet people who promptly forget you once they have got the piece of advice that they needed from you for the moment. It is a malady of the race which is to stay till the last of the species breathes its last breath. But Sir, it is people like you that God has planted amidst the confused lot that are there to guide the herd. Whether one wants to make the most of the opportunity of having guides like you, it is absolutely one’s own choice or should I say depends on one’s own capability to recognize the opportunity that one has been given! However, Sir there are definitely a lot that you have made a positive impact on – some communicate it, some do not and I guess some haven’t yet realized. What I am trying to say is that you have touched so many lives in a positive way – more than you know or you would never know or as I said earlier, more than many of us still have realized. <br /><br />From helping me realize my love for English to giving me the confidence to believe in myself (for while I was growing up I did realize that I would not agree to most of what people around me said and that made me wonder if what I was thinking was correct or not) to opening your doors to the occasional evening addas at your home….there have been so many things about you that makes me thankful that I met you. <br />So please Sir don’t lose heart. Amongst all those that promptly dismiss you, there are so many that really value you as a person. There are quite a lot that do communicate with you through your posts and believe me there are more still who are not in touch with you but treasure your impact on them. <br /><br />Rest later….but THANK YOU Sir and to GOD for whatever you did for me. I turned out pretty good, though not a typical demure Indian girl."<br />Suvro Chatterjeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027202980259279420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-35748485249912433112013-06-08T10:36:37.876+05:302013-06-08T10:36:37.876+05:30Dear Sir,
When I need a book for some examination...Dear Sir,<br /><br />When I need a book for some examination and it is not available in the market, I know the only person who can help me out is you. I need a secure net connection for some important purpose and I don’t have internet at home, you instantly say that your personal computer is at my disposal which I can use anytime I need. I am in financial crisis and you are there to solve it. Things are not going smoothly and I am feeling low…I know that I will be revitalized the moment I talk with Suvro Sir. From many petty matters to serious issues, from financial problems to moral dilemmas- you are always there to assist me. I can never thank you enough for what you have done and still doing for me. I only hope that I never take you for granted and pray that God will allay your pains and bring a little more sunshine into your life because I know that this sunshine will be reflected with far greater intensity and touch some more souls on a much grander scale.<br /><br />With regards,<br />Saikat.<br />Saikat Chakrabortyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15868010301131014776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-86734130228803671072013-06-07T23:20:31.447+05:302013-06-07T23:20:31.447+05:30Dear Sir,
I agree with all that you have said, ...Dear Sir,<br /><br /> I agree with all that you have said, and especially with your observations in the penultimate paragraph (discounting the post-script): this 'celebrity culture' is indeed deplorable. It's not only the deaths of the celebrities which lead to such outpouring of 'grief', either: even when Shah Rukh Khan undergoes a minor surgery on his shoulders, there are tearful 'prayers' for his recovery, and when David Beckham recently retired from professional soccer, a lot of people behaved as though they have lost a parent or a sibling. Actually, that's a wrong comparison, because even parents and siblings don't seem to matter much to people these days--I remember you telling me about that girl who expressed a wish to go on a shopping spree a mere four months after she lost almost her entire family in an accident. I am entirely in agreement with you that it is because teachers are so deeply a part of our daily lives that we tend to take them, their help, their goodness and their guidance for granted. It's regrettable. I am reminded here of Tarashankar Bandopadhyay's short story 'Madhu-master' and even the story on the Panditmoshai in Syed Mujtaba Ali's 'Chacha Kahini'. Men like these are far more valuable and important for the society than most celebrities can ever hope to become. I wonder if people shall ever realize that. For my part, I shall always vouch that you are the kindest and most august mentor I could have ever hoped for. I still remember how you jokingly asked me, "Tui ki khub kheye deye eli naki?" when I turned up late for your class the very first day, and I remember how meticulously you taught each and every text, how you livened it all up through myriad means, how you introduced me to some of the most essential works of literature, how we went on bicycle rides, and of course, the many talks and discussions--each enriching in its own way--we have had since I ceased to be an official student of yours. Those who can't value these experiences can only be pitied. You ARE a valuable contributor to the betterment of the world, whether or not some people acknowledge the same.<br /><br />With regards,<br />Abhirup Mascharak.Abhiruphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08036710365229814106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-46670111985904380632013-06-07T21:44:58.822+05:302013-06-07T21:44:58.822+05:30Soham, Tanmoy, both Sayans, I cannot tell you how ...Soham, Tanmoy, both Sayans, I cannot tell you how thankful I am. Especially because I compulsively compare with all the ingrate rascals of both sexes who are reading this (more than 300 visits already) and cannot find it in themselves to get back the way you have, and yet I know whenever they need me, for whatever petty selfish immediate reason, they will turn up at my door, assuring me how their love is deep and true.Suvro Chatterjeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027202980259279420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30819742.post-5938981597658068752013-06-07T21:14:59.402+05:302013-06-07T21:14:59.402+05:30Sir,
I know something about the privilege...Sir,<br /> I know something about the privileges of being your ex-student,one of which is the warmth of reception you always provide us whenever we visit you at your house.But I agree that,abusing it in any manner,big or small,is akin to disturbing you.There was this small incident once when I had called you and told you that I would come to your house at some time in the evening on that day,for some reason.But I did not come and also did not call you to inform the same.I suddenly came knocking the next day,without any information and tried to drag you in to chat with me even after you told me that you were busy with your work at that point of time.I made up some flimsy excuses about not informing you and unsuccessfully made some irrelevant comments to strike up a conversation with you.You promptly told me to get out immediately and not to disturb you any more.I was initially shocked in disbelief and could never think that you could have said something like that so angrily.Well,about four years have passed since then and I am still in touch with you and visit you ,without any malice.<br /> What I want to say is that,you made me aware of the fact that everyone is entitled to his or her own private space and some amount of gratitude is expected from a student like me- not to abuse that,even if someone is closer to me than other teachers and jovial to me,or that,helping me in some way does not mean that he or she should be taken for granted. You often said that while teaching younger students,you noticed many distasteful traits in some of them and you used to joke that many of these students are going to be 'responsible' fathers or mothers within a decade or so,forget about you and then later,when the time is ripe,their children might flock to you for tuitions and then you would be able to identify them by the similarly disturbing traits in their children too.Sadly,that is the bitter truth.When parents are teaching their children that it is a mark of a "smart" person to stab others in the back and only to cling on to others(friends and teachers alike) during personal gains,then who are to be blamed squarely? <br /> I admit that I am not exactly what is meant by the sociable type and as you sometimes nudge me,a little laid-back in certain matters. But also,I am one of those “people who are lonely and confused and tired and sad, and show a need for my[your] company and counsel” and I would not trade off this relationship for something petty or trivial.<br /> ---------- Sayan Roy.Sayan Royhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04161344130073229422noreply@blogger.com