Sipra's Diary : BHAI-PHONTA( Brother's Day: Fragments of Memoir)

                                              BHAIPHONTA ( Brother's  Day)

It was on the occasion of the auspicious day of  Bhaiphota for the Bengalese, with my youngest brother "Manu":  wishing long life for brother marking sandalwood sign on the forehead .There is similar type of festival in other parts of India, like Punjab, U.P and Bihar which is known as "Raksha-Bandhan".He was  7/8 and I was like 17 . 

He was a  gentle ,bright and loving boy. After  he completed schooling in RKM Boarding School

(which is equivalent to Eaton in UK or Harvard inUS ),   became successful award winning doctor .

DR.Ardhendu  Majumdar 's name came in WHO'S Who ,while he was too young to achieve  such glory.He was posted in the PG hospital of Calcutta. 

As fresh doctor he served initially  in National Medical College ,NRS Med.college.  Medical college

of Calcutta, and  then  PG hospital. He took the teaching profession He was very popular as teacher among students.

He was loved  and adored for his simplicity ,jovial  nature as well as for his profound. knowledge. 

Though a renowned doctor himself, but he had many health issues from young age. he passed away last year, living behind his only son and wife who is also award  winning successful doctor as well as an extraordinary loving mother and homemaker. They wrote  books jointly on medical subject( published by Harper- Colins)which are translated in different languages and included in the syllabus  of medical college.

Every memory with him  is so vivid , so living to me ; his joy used to burst in  his smile and eyes  whenever I came home  from hostel in vacations.

 He was the first among our  siblings to leave this earth ; The photo pinches me my 'Bhai-phonta" did not work!
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Sipra's Diary: FOOD, FESTIVAL And PETS ( Closer to Home)

                                                           Food , Festivals   and  pets (Home)

Food,  Festival and Pets.   by Sipra Roy 

Words=398.   /       ..........................Essay.  1.

Food festival and pets are closely related to 'home'.

 Food and festivals are intertwined  throughout  the world. India is a land of festivals. Some festivals are provincial while some are national. Among them Dewali, Holi ( festivals  of colour), Durgapuja and X-mas are  celebrated  with pomp and splendour throughout India. They are declared and marked in calendar as national holidays.

Most of the global festivals come within  October to December and related to the position of moon. Like Dewali ,Jewish Hannukkah, X-mas,  China's lantern festival :all are 'festival of lights' and connected to religion trailing interesting stories. Food, and music also are closed to festivals.  variety of Sweet items ,fruits and nuts  are  offered .Festivals are not only center of social gathering of friends and family but  also of business. leading to   commercial gain .  On the occasion people  shop new clothes ,shoes  cosmetics jewelry  and lots of gifts for friends and family. Thus ultimately they add to country's economic growth.

 Pets are related to home, next to food and festivals.They have been integral part of most family, whether living in city or in  urban  area. Among pets dogs, cats  and birds are popular both as useful and as companion.  Senior people are fond of pets as companion, as their children are away from them . With the absence of  three generations living together, value and status of pets  have been  upgraded. Pets also like to be pampered. Cats don't need  to chase behind any mouse for food ;They get nutritious food from pet's shop; so are the dogs. Instead of protecting the house from miscreants staying awake throughout the night, they feel sleepy like young school kids in  early night .They are kept as   owner's pride,  as  if decoration pieces to beautify  the home  and not for utility as they used to be.

In our childhood we were fond of reading comics of 'Aronyadev'(god of jungles) where  all animals live peacefully bonded with love; lamb and lion used to drink water from the same lake.

It seems we are coming near to that state when animals will be devoid of animosity and achieve divinity.

How long the human specie will take  time to be promoted to become. such   pet animals? This   mundane  earth with lots of contradictions and confusions will turn into  heavenly abode ,  not in dream or conference   but in reality ? 

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Sipra's diary: "What's Up?"( Fragments from everyday life)

 I asked my 8-year grandson "WhatsApp"?  

He smiled and immediately, pointing finger with head high  replied promptly,"hmmm, blue sky, birds fly, setting sun and a  plane also.....!"I laughed .

***I am Indian and Bengali. So any good words about Bengal gives me joy;I like to share it with others .

Calcutta is the capital of  BENGAL;Calcutta is a metropolitan city .I am born in Calcutta;I did my higher education in Calcutta.  I love Calcutta of my own time .

       Calcutta has its special charm. In spite of having the same features of all other metro cities of the world, it surpasses something more. It has 'terrible beauty' of contrast: a  cocktail of British sophistication and simplicity of curious native mind that inspires and embraces whoever comes in contact. "City of Palaces", City of Joy", or "Midnight  Children"fail to depict the true spirit of Calcutta, the soul of the city.

Surprisingly,  I felt sameness in both tone and tune between  Calcutta and  NewYork in many points.  Obviously, I don't mean only the landmass of New York.  But the people of New York.  European  snobbery  cocktailed with chivalry and native simplicity with heterogenous diversity walk parallel, peacefully; crossing over the conflict of race religion wealth.

Anyway I wish to share the  accumulated glories of my birthplace with others .I jot down  the long list but I will mention  only some of them. Bengal holds the 4000 thousand years old   civilization and it is world's 3rd ethnic community, right after Arabs and Chinese Huns.

Calcutta is the first metropolitan city, first Metro rail, first University of India, ( estd in Jan 24, 1857). First college of India. Presidency College (1870) First male  graduate is Bankim Ch. Chatterjee. ,First bank of India, Bank of Hindustan( 1770),later known as State bank of India ((1806)

First Nobel prize winner  in literature is R.N. Tagore (1913).

*** Indian National Anthem : Written by R.N. Tagore. National Anthem "Janagana-mono.." is declared as the best anthem of the world by UNESCO. 

First newspaper is published  in Calcutta  BENGAL GAZETT (1780)

World's largest drinking water tank is TALA TANK. of Calcutta (Estd 1909)

Largest National Library (1903) situated in Calcutta.

First "Miss Universe from India (1947) is Promila from Calcutta.

Calcutta high court (1862)

Second largest stadium in the world :  Salt Lake Stadium in Calcutta.

Founder of BJP:  Shyamaprasad  Mukerjee from Calcutta.

Tenjing Norgay from Darjeeling(Bengal) is the first to climb Mt. Everest.  The first Indian to promote Hinduism in the West was patriotic saint Narendranath Dutta. (Later known as Swami Vivekananda)( 1993).

*********************************************************Today I went to the school of my grandson (8years)as they had fete and day of winter closing. My grandson did not come running to me nor to my son, his father. It is a private school. 

My son's  schooling was in St.Xaviers and daughter's was in Mt. Carmel;  both in Durgapur ( W. Bengal).I was ruminating the superb performances of the  elementary students, the dedicated and efficient teachers, the elegant school building  of my children  compared to this private school of America with poor performance and exorbitant  charges!

I felt sad both for my grandson and for  my son  who is lacking  required fatherly vision, in spite of being extraordinary student himself. I was thinking of good Boarding school of America  where my grandson can be shifted.

I volunteered several times  here, in US with students of grade four and five in  elementary school. It was so disappointing experiences. for me. I won't be astonished  if within 25 years this land become one of the poorest country in knowledge, education and economy. The  future of nation is potential  within each and every child ; they are the future leader of the country.  A country with diverse nations, races, religions and languages must have something unique to mould  them, to unify them  as a nation. There is no national anthem in  regular school curriculum . The syllabus is bogus and superficial; neither teachers nor students understand well the head or tail of it;both teachers and students are overburdened with extra-curricular activities which spare little empty time, free space to think ;most dangerous symptom that I felt  is  the decay of curiosity and imagination  in kids which is the amazing world of creativity; Story books enriched the young brain!  

  There should be some sagacious 'base' of selecting the Storybooks for reading,  considering  their emotional   hunger and curious mind of the kids, of the teens; story books are not  less but rather more important than syllabus books. *******************************************************

So many publishers, so many writers, so many books but few proper English  reading books suited to the grades of  students ! When I entered the  classroom of grade five (in US) first time with Indian mind,  I noticed the 'freedom' of students in contrast to my country.The British left India ;but they left  back many  valuable imprints such as rules regulation, 'discipline' which are still  prevalent in all good schools...Anyway, the noise decreases  as  each table with 3/4 students with one volunteer teacher  settled  down. I noticed in every class the girls were smarter than the boys; although all seemed equally intelligent ;boys were relatively quiet. The young teacher was too gentle and polite while talking to the students. I diagnosed some extra-cautiousness in her body language instead of students. It was just reverse in our school life. In the past the relationship between teachers and students was mixture of fear and reverence accompanied with distance. Now the relationship  between the two is more friendly but  absense  of distance has stolen  desired respect about teachers.                                                              

I was never asked any question  by students. Once the title of  reading piece of the story-book was"keep Quite".  

Mahatma Gandhi ,who was called as father of the nation, preached three lessons : 'keep quite',  'don't lie','don't listen rubbish'.

I asked, the students 'Do you know in which country mahatma belonged to'?

One of the students answered,'yes, it is India'.

'Thank you !'do you know I am also from the same country?

'Nobody showed any interest about me .'Who can say the other two lessons of  him?'

 Nobody raised hands. I myself answered but nobody paid heed to me.

Though I had in my mind  to say few words about 'Mahatma' to enrich their G.K. but I checked myself.

Curiosity is dead or may be gasping. and curiosity is the 'Mother of Invention !'

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