Remembering Jethu on his 91st Birth Anniversary

Chapter 1

My Childhood Recollections

My Jethu, Mr. Anshu Banerjee, had been like a Father to me. Although being a part of my childhood during my years in Allahabad I literally came under his wings towards the end of 1984 when I arrived in Kolkata with my Father (Mr. Salil Banerjee) and ailing Mother (Mrs. Leena Banerjee). I was 9 years old then.

From that time onwards he was the ideal Uncle (my Father’s elder brother). From being instrumental in admitting me to one of the best schools in Kolkata, to pampering me with all sorts of luxuries that a child can never dream of, he brought me up with ethics and values. He instilled in me a liberal thought process by introducing and guiding me to the path of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. He taught me the importance of life’s struggles, to always accept challenges towards growth and to broaden my horizon about life. His brilliant and unmatched wit and humour were a part of my growing years and reminiscing those unforgettable moments always bring me great joy. He affectionately called me ‘Gadai Master’.

As a child I fondly remember my Jethu painting many a canvas, writing books/ short stories and reading a variety of literature. Many of his paintings were on display at home. He loved to explain to me the interesting world of the ‘Impressionist’ painters during his free time. He would enthral the audience with his eloquence in reading Bangla and English literature. Whenever he recited poetry or read prose, his rich baritone voice and modulation capability was a listener’s delight. I waited for Jethu to recite either from Rabindranath Tagore or read from Sri Aurobindo or from any of his other favourites. He often read chapters from ‘Raj Kahini’ by Abanindranath Tagore to me before bedtime. That story still talks to me in his typical accent. Jethu had written many books in both Bangla and English during his lifetime. Some were published. However, some have remained as manuscripts. I always remember seeing him penning his thoughts on reams of paper. Almost every week we bought writing paper and ink. He was very fond of fountain pens and owned quite a collection. He would always appreciate gifts of books and pens.

Jethu was fluent in Bhojpuri Hindi (as he was from Allahabad) and would often crack jokes in that language. He credited his Mother (my Grandmother: Mrs. Manorama Banerjee) for the inheritance of his sense of humour and anecdotes and we were his constantly entertained audience. Popularly known as Anshuda, he was the always the central focus of a get-together and the atmosphere would be heady with his jokes and stories. He could explain the difference between a ‘luchi’ and a ‘poori’ by the way they fell from a height. He said that, if you throw both from the 3^rd floor of a building, and whichever item would sail its way through the air and fall to the ground is the ‘luchi’. The ‘poori’ on the other hand would reach the ground faster and almost immediately fall flat.

Another story goes about a funny phone call. It was the era of land phones and frequent wrong numbers. Incidentally he received a phone call from a Bhopuri speaking gentleman asking for someone. Although it was a wrong number, Jethu continued the conversation with that person for half an hour, constantly pretending to be a servant and asking him to hold the line as the master was either sleeping, or busy eating, or reading the newspaper. We had to hold our stomachs with laughter till the call ended.

Jethu being a Bengali, loved smoking and a routine peg or two in the evening. He had inherited the habit of smoking from his Father (my Grandfather: Dr. Indu Bhushan Banerjee). My Aunt (Mrs. Mira Banerjee) tried to keep a check on his smoking habit and therefore would impose a ration on his cigarette packets. But he would cheekily buy some loose cigarettes during his morning walks everyday and store them secretly inside his writing desk. Everyone in the household except for my Aunt would be aware of this. My Uncle’s drinking habit was very measured. He indulged in two to three pegs of whisky and some good conversation every evening. There were times he would talk about the past, or read something, or discuss an important household matter with the family. Often I played Jethu’s bar-tender and fixed him a drink or two. He liked to take a medium peg (he called it Mejo) and I had mastered the art of fixing the same for him. Never in my adult years did he offer me a drink. It was only once when I was vacationing in Kolkata during 2007 that he surprised me by offering me some wine.

Some of Jethu’s other favourites were listening to music… devotional, Western Classical and The Mother’s organ music. Although he looked very smart and handsome in a western suit as well as in a Dhoti-Kurta, he was most comfortable in a simple cotton shirt, lungi and wooden slippers. And most of all he loved catnaps. We would often catch him snoring on a chair, on bed, anywhere actually at any time of the day. He called it ‘haate dhora ghoom’ (sleep within his grip). He said that he would often hold a heavy book in hand and doze off while studying during his youth trying to fool his Mother. And that habit stayed with him till the end. A story goes that when once he was visiting his younger son (Mr. Arunava Banerjee) in Mumbai, he used to read and then doze off for some time after breakfast. His 3-year-old granddaughter (Ms. Aditi Banerjee) would be surprised and ask her Mother (Mrs. Debjani Banerjee) that ‘buro manushera ki breakfast kheye lungi pore ghumoye?’ (do old people always eat breakfast, wear lungi and sleep?). Jethu’s snoring was also quite notorious. Actually most of the male members of the Banerjee family were notorious for their snoring for a few generations. The Allahabad house used to reverberate with this sound at night. Once when Jethu was sleeping with his 5-year-old grandson (Mr. Ayushman Banerjee) beside him, the child woke up horrified and howled thinking that a tiger had attacked him.      

Jethu had learnt to operate the computer also. He bought a desktop and used to write emails and type some of his manuscripts on it. It was inspiring to see that even at 65-70 years he showed great interest in learning to operate a new gadget and grow. For him education was possible at every stage of life.

It’s disheartening that such a loveable and towering personality had to suffer towards the end. The central theme of the party had quietened down. He almost withdrew from the world. His only worldly interaction would be his morning walks with some friends, and grocery shopping at the local market. His world would be his books and his writing. Although it is difficult to accept that my Jethu is no more, I’m sure his blessings are always there for me and he’ll remain in my thoughts forever. His influence in my life brought me in contact with many important personalities, of visiting unthinkable places and it’s all because of my Jethu’s upbringing that I’ve been able to come this far in life. Let’s hope I can live up to his aspirations and be his ideal ‘Gadai Master’.

Chapter 2

The World of Media & Advertising 

A graduate from the University of Allahabad, Jethu began his career as a member of the editorial staff of Amrita Bazar Patrika, Allahabad and was associated with it from 1952 to 1959. Then he worked as an Accounts Executive with J. Walter Thompson, Kolkata from 1962 to 1965. Thereafter he worked as Manager of MAA (Marketing, Advertising Associates) in Delhi and Chennai from 1965 to 1970. He joined Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) and worked as the Manager of its Chennai branch from 1970 to 1972; and finally, he served on the Board of Directors of O&M and was the Manager of its Kolkata branch from 1972 till his retirement in 1989. Jethu also served as the President of the Advertising Club of Kolkata in 1975. He further, underwent Advanced Marketing and Advertising Training at the University of Toronto, Canada to enhance his knowledge and capabilities in this trade.

Jethu was considered a media Mughal of his times and rightly so. During his years in the business of advertising Jethu worked with many important brands (Bru, Eveready, Maruti, Asian Paints etc.) and thereby met numerous people. He also told me stories about these personalities and the interesting lives they led. I had the golden opportunity of meeting many of these people during my growing years such as Mr. Derek O’Brien, Mr. Nirlamya Ghosh, Mr. Sumit Roy, Ms. Bunny Suraiya etc. who claim themselves to be the blossomed flowers of Jethu’s constant gardening and grooming.  Also meeting one of the founding partners of O&M, Mr. David Ogilvy and sharing a meal with him was an unforgettable experience during my teens. Mr. Suresh Mullick & Mr. Mani Iyer were some of the others from O&M who frequented our home and showed equal passion in the work they did together. After Jethu passed, many of his juniors, peers and colleagues stated that he had a knack of making young people feel at ease and of making them talk. People sought his opinion over issues, as he was the one with the most unique approach, the most unpredictable 'I-wish-I-had-thought-of-that' kind of way to solve problems. They also stated that he had a sharp mind and was an astute thinker. Another person who worked as a copy-writer in OBM during Jethu’s time as a Director, remembers him as a much beloved personality who was dominant in the ‘East India’ advertising circles. An anecdote narrated by Jethu’s old colleague Mr. Nirmalya Ghosh goes this way: Post his trip to Auckland, Mr. Suresh Mullick returned to India, and on his first day after his return, he invited Mr. Ghosh out for lunch during office hours. The duo ate leisurely and on their return, Jethu is believed to have commented that a creative director (hinting at Mr. Mullick) can stroll in at 3:00 pm post lunch, but not account executives (hinting at Mr. Ghosh). "That was my lesson number one from the man," mused Mr. Ghosh. Mr. Ghosh also remembered Jethu to be a man of principles, as whenever he walked into office, all the beer bottles were stashed away.

Not only was he an advertising genius, he was also instrumental in imparting his knowledge via various educational and training programs. He served as a lecturer at the Bhavan College of Communication, Jadavpur University Marketing Section and Ashutosh College (B.B.A. Hons. Course). He was the Faculty in Advertising Course run by Advertising Club, Kolkata, in 1975 and also in the Ogilvy & Mather International Training Course held in Nepal and Kashmir in 1979 and 1980 respectively as well as in the Federation of Automobile Dealers’ Academy training seminar held at Kolkata in 1979. He was also involved in training the salesmen of Bajaj Group of Dealers in Kolkata for 5 years after his retirement.

Jethu made sure that my life gets enriched during his passionate involvement in media. O&M was the exclusive media partner for ‘Asian Paints’. Every year an interesting and glamorous entertainment program called ‘Asian Paints Sharad Shamman’ was held in Kolkata. Eminent personalities from art, culture and music participated in this program. I was perhaps one of the luckiest girls to be the audience of a jugalbandi by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and few dance recitals by Mallika and Mrinalini Sarabhai and others. Another such star-studded event was the recording of the Kolkata chapter of famous video ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ for Doordarshan in 1988. The project was handled by O&M and was conceived by Mr. Suresh Mullick. Jethu left no stone unturned to guarantee that I attend the recording at Rabindra Sadan Metro Railway station and witness distinguished Indian citizens (musicians, sports persons, movie stars etc.) such as Leslie Claudius, Gurbux Singh, Arun Lal, Suchitra Mitra, Amala Shankar, Ananda Shankar, Nirendranath Chakravorty, Sunil Gangopadhyay, Chuni Goswami, P.K. Banerjee and Mrinal Sen. Excitedly I collected autographs of this elite group and it’s still a part of my proud collection.

Retirement from O&M in 1989 did not deter Jethu’s spirit and passion for the work he did. He continued his contribution to the trade with consultation for various brands, guest lectures at various places as well as writing journals and books. Jethu’s post-retirement stints included working with Amrita Banzar Patrika & Jugantar, Kolkata again as Director Marketing (1993 to 1995); and with Auto Centre Group, Kolkata, as Marketing Advisor (1996 to 2002). Simultaneously he was the editor of the ‘Federation of Automobile Dealers Association’ Journal during this same period. He was also the President of the Rotary Club from 2001-02. After 2002, Jethu devoted all his time to completing his book rightly titled ‘The Business of Advertising’ which is like a text book tracing the evolution of media & advertising from ‘Babylonian’ times so to speak, until the advent of social media in 2005. It was published in 2010.

Chapter 3

The Path of Yoga

Jethu was introduced to the Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother by his future Father-in-law Mr. Promode K. Sen in Allahabad. He continued to attend many study circles to discuss and read on Sri Aurobindo and The Mother and was guided by the devotees and believers in the study group. Thus his journey began on the path of Yoga and he never looked back. His belief and devotion influenced the family greatly and with time the Banerjees were devoted to Sri Aurobindo and The Mother and became part of the Aurobindonian community.

Jethu visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry several times with his family during his lifetime. I’ve had the good fortune of visiting the Ashram with him as a child in 1986 and in 1990. I observed that he never smoked or drank alcohol during his stay there. He visited the Samadhi regularly to pray and meditate. He also participated in many discussions with Ashramites and shared memories of the old Ashram days. He was perhaps the happiest during his brief stays at the Ashram.

Although Jethu did not particularly educate me about the path of Yoga the family was following, however, I felt a strong attraction towards Sri Aurobindo and The Mother from a very young age. My visits to Pondicherry strengthened my belief. For many years we both went to the Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, Kolkata every evening. Being a Trustee of the Bhavan, Jethu participated in important meetings and discussions with the other members there. Thereafter, I used to observe him meditating at the Shrine for some time and then leave for home. It seemed he surrendered all his day’s earnings (good & bad) at the Shrine every evening and would gather fresh force and energy from there to begin the next day. He was a quiet devotee and his sincerity and faith showed in his silent work for the Divine. He was fortunate and blessed to have had Sri Aurobindo’s Darshan in 1950.

However, Jethu never lost his wit and humour even in these spiritual gatherings and one could often hear sounds of laughter whenever he was around. One Mr. Biswajit Ganguly was part of the Bhavan Trustee group. He and Jethu often joked and laughed about trivial things. Jethu called him ‘Nater Guru’ or the ‘head of the play’; thereby teasing him that he rules all the games at the Bhavan. When a Mr. Anirban Ganguly started visiting the Bhavan regularly, Jethu jokingly announced that another ‘Ganguly’ has thrown his hat in the ring!

When I was while recuperating at home after my surgery in 1998, Jethu always used to ensure that I have a positive frame of mind. I recall his constant encouragement to be optimistic and feel fortunate and blessed by the Almighty. He often read Sri Aurobindo’s epic ‘Savitri’ to me. He told me it did not matter whether I understood the content or not, it was important to listen to it as ‘Savitri’ has healing powers. Jethu was also a Reiki Master and gave me Reiki healing during those days.

Jethu’s sadhana was in his writing books on Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. He was always researching on content on them and had written in both Bangla and English. His published works include masterpieces such as ‘Surya-Pathik Sri Aurobindo’, ‘Mayer Lekha Mayer Katha’, ‘Agniyuger Agnikatha’ and ‘Kolkataye Sri Aurobindo Smriti Tirtha’ (this book was later translated and published in English). He was the recipient of the prestigious ‘Sri Aurobindo Puraskar’ in 2010 for his book ‘Agniyuger Agnikatha’. I remember his extensive research during the years he was writing this book.

The Aurobindonian community of Bengal lost one of its most beloved and revered members on 1 November 2011. He will be remembered as a noted scholar, author and thinker. He will also be remembered by his contemporaries and posterity as one of the most sincere and faithful children of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

Written by: Gargi Banerjee

Event: To commemorate Jethu’s 92^nd birth anniversary on 3rd July 2020

Winter Memories

Winter always brings back memories of childhood and school. Foggy mornings, woolly clothes and rushing to school with friends. The air is thick with Christmas cheer, Santa Claus, sweet meats, songs, carols and many colours.

All this reminds me of a long-lost song:

Sing a song of wintry weather,
Snow flakes light as downy feather
Hill and field and road together,
'neath their mantle hiding.

Hear the merry laughter ringing,
Girls and boys are gayly singing,
Glad that winter time is bringing,
Days to go a sliding.

Sledges ready off we scurry,
Clad in coats and mufflers furry,
To the snowy hills we hurry,
Where the drifts are lying.

Skillfully our sledges guiding,
Faster-faster onwards riding,
Through the drifts we keep gliding,
Past each other flying.

Happy Christmas and New Year to all.

2013-2014 Winter.

Roadmap to stamp-out child labour

To work towards the goal of combatting the various challenges to end the worst forms of child labour a ‘Global Conference on Child Labour’ was held in May 2010, at The Hague, The Netherlands. This was organized by the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment and the ILO. The outcome of this conference was ‘Roadmap for achieving the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child labour by 2016 ’. ‘Global March Against Child Labour’ was one of the civil society members of the Consultative Group at the Conference.

An initial step of commitment towards ratifying the ILO Convention 182 (Worst Forms of Child Labour) as well as ILO Convention 138 (Minimum Age of Employment) was taken in 2006 by the ILO member states through the adoption of a ‘Global Action Plan’ to create a world free of any child labour by 2016. However, the passage of years did not see much progress towards the achievement of this goal.

Roadmap 2016 & the Garment Manufacturing Sector

Since the adoption of ‘Roadmap for achieving the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child labour by 2016 ’ was not an end in itself, but a means to the end goal, the urgent need for commitment by all the actors involved was emphasized upon in the conference held in 2010. Twelve months from its implementation, an international consultation was organized by ‘Global March against Child Labour’ on May 11, 2011 in New Delhi, India, to evaluate the till-date status and progress and to underline the key challenges remaining in tackling rampant child labour practices. This was to ensure decent working conditions along with implementation of core labour standards in all the levels of the garment manufacturing supply chain in India.

‘Global March Against Child Labour’ is a worldwide coalition of trade unions, civil society and teachers’ organizations, in its struggle to eliminate the worst forms of child labour practices, protect and promote children’s rights to provide education and freedom from economic exploitation across the planet. Through the promotion of decent work, education, social protection and poverty alleviation, the organization advocates policy changes and coherence amongst the above all levels of the organized and un-organised work sectors.  

The main objective of this consultation was to facilitate a dialogue and engagement between multi-stakeholder groups, national government representatives, domestic and international manufacturing and retail companies, national and international trade unions and civil society organizations, national and international certification and social compliance initiatives, UN agencies and international organizations and other interest groups present at the conference. Such an exercise brought forth a grand effort of coherence and solidarity amongst all the above mentioned bodies in an endeavor to bring together the various individual public and private initiatives which already exist to achieve Roadmap 2016. This international consultation also provided a platform for sharing of experiences and expertise, building partnerships, thereby elaborating the broader picture of the current environment of the garment sector and the realizing the burning necessity to facilitate highly structured reform wherever practicable.          

The forum saw some eminent actors of the above mentioned organisations who shared their knowledge, experience and best practices as well as the many obstacles faced by each of them. The talks given by the various personalities such as Mr. Kailash Satyarthi (Global March), Mr. Ashok Singh (Ministry of Labour, India), Ms. Tine Staermose and Mr. Ben Smith (ILO), Mr. Peter McAllister (ETI), Ms. Lakshmi Menon Bhatia (FLA) among others, were very informative. Although we see child labour practices around us everyday, the consultation gave us an insight into the underlying facts. The speakers imposed that constant criticism and accusation by the civil society needs to be replaced by active participation in educating the parties involved (children, parents, employers). Subsequently, the gross lack of coordination and coherence between NGOs, unions, stake holders and manufacturers which lead to failure of eradication of child labour practices was highlighted. Convergence of  the existing gaps between the local child protection laws, current government policies and initiatives tackling the child labour menace has become the need of the hour. Hence, the 3 C’s (convergence, communication and collaboration) amongst the various stakeholders was emphasized to move further towards the goal.

At the end of the discussion round, both the industry and the non-industry groups emerged with their individual lists of pledge and expectations (from each other) in order to make Roadmap 2016 an achievable reality. Both groups agreed to and committed the following practices in their role to wipe out child labour from the garment sector:

• To collaborate with each other;
• To implement stricter monitoring practices;
• To create awareness and address issues at all levels of the supply chain;
• To associate and connect the individual practices of stamping out child labour so that the actual goal can be achieved;
• To recognize the complexity and build partnerships based on trust and confidence;
• To be able to deal with media expose (if any for the brands), take onus and commit towards appropriate action to combat any child labour issues.

Finally, it was understood by all present that 2016 is the deadline for elimination of the worst forms of child labour (as per the commitment made at The Hague), which could only be reached by initiating and implementing all the opportunities evolved out of the consultation. It remains imperative that all the working groups promote and follow the recommendations which emerged from the event. It is also crucial that they coordinate with open and frank exchange of ideas, and correlate each others’ actions. This remains the most effective way of working towards stamping out child labour.

However, it remains to be seen how much can be achieved by the industry and the non-industry groups towards remediation of child labour practices. It is a daunting task in India to primarily map school drop-outs, work done by children at various sub-levels of the supply chain and child labour trafficking practices, etc. Ultimately, it all depends on the actors, to not just adhere to the 3 C’s, but to be the change they want to see, in order to realize the goal of Roadmap 2016.      

No Age of Innocence

Some days ago when I overheard a conversation in the local market, something inside me asked a question. Is the age of innocence really over? Is humanity and compassion of no value any more? Does money talk all the time? Does one always need to have money in his pocket to be able to show his worth? It is truly disheartening to see that the world is heading towards a black hole which lacks innocence, values, and virtues.

Nowadays most children lash out at their parents if their demands are not granted. They throw tantrums all the time and it seems as if their demands are never-ending. It’s understandable that peer pressure is a major cause of such behavior, however, parents also willingly agree. Moreover, this attributes to a great extent to parents’ affordability and that they cannot devote much time for the children. Further, a recent survey revealed that 70% of 13-18 year olds agree to deceit to attain success. If this is where the value system has reached, how is one going to cultivate morality in their child? What has happened to the current generation? Where are the kids who used to be happy playing ludo, carom, chess, monopoly, scrabble and other simple and family board games? Even dolls are not liked by little girls these days. Everyone wants to play with complicated and expensive games. I remember we used to play gulli-danda, pittuk, hide& seek, dark-room and other similar local games, hurt ourselves and be blissful. Why are such games unheard of today? Thankfully atleast, some local kids play simple versions of badminton and cricket on the streets and parks instead of spending that time with the computer, TV or video games. Moreover, friendship has become more virtual that real. Greeting cards are hardly bought, leave alone drawn and painted by the children. And then again I was quite taken aback to come across a children’s salon in one of the malls. It looked more fashionable that an adult’s salon. Are these kids made of a different matter altogether?

Truly the society has metamorphosed greatly. This is evident in the advertisements and commercials. The products, the attitudes, the expressions tell us that simplicity and innocence are passé. One can only survive if one changes oneself in thought, word and deed. Also the current songs, movies, TV serials portray a similar picture. Brands are the need of the hour-- for adults and children alike. Aggression, rudeness, impolite behaviour, arrogance, intolerance, impatience, dishonesty, etc. are the current behavioural traits. Perhaps that’s why we hear of road rage, serial killers, frequent mass shoot-outs of innocent people, kidnapping by children etc. everyday. Cheating, killing, and robbing are commonplace nowadays. People are ready to boast at the drop of a hat. And none bats an eyelid when they observe a misdeed. Every negative action seems to be acceptable in today’s world.   

Who is to blame for all this? Why has it come to this? Is this how we intended to see our future evolve? I feel there’s still time and scope to change for the better and correct ourselves if we pay attention, think positively and understand the dent that we’re making in the society at large. This is my appeal to all to continue the good work of cleansing our culture, and to help bring back those who have moved away from the right path. 

If Mobiles Could Cook

The single most important device that one cannot do without today is the mobile phone. Correction! I would rather name them the I-Phones, the I-Pads, the Tablets, the Smart phones. All these can be used to read books, write letters/stories/blogs, draw pictures, surf the internet, purchase products, book train, flight, movie and theatre tickets, play games, do official work, do monetary transactions, etc. etc. etc. And, by the way, they are also used as phones. About 7-8 years ago, I had once heard a line about a mobile phone: “It’s a phone, you call, and you hang up”. But I suppose, it’s not that simple anymore. This gadget offers multitude of services or apps which help you with almost every possible need in life today.  

However, it’s pitiable that mobile phones have not yet been programmed to cook for us. That’s one app which the world might be waiting for. Food at the press of a button! Wow!! Imagine feeding the device with vegetables or meat and masala/spices of your choice, and lo behold… the dish is ready. No stoves, no fire, no utensils, no waiting and preparation time. You can throw away all the cooking tools and buy only cutlery and crockery. Just think of the dish, input the ingredients in the app, and that’s it. Your plate is full. A new cuisine everyday!

Now imagine this! Breaking News: ‘Chefs lose jobs, restaurants, vegetable and meat shops and grocers close down- Reason: Mobiles can cook’.  ‘Huge sales of mobile devices for cooking apps’, et al.

Are we ready for this revolutionary electronic food yet? Or are we satisfied and happy to eat normally cooked food?

31 Oct 1984: My story

The train stopped with a jolt mid-way into the station of Konnagar, a quiet hamlet at the outskirts of Howrah District. It was 3:00 pm and we presumed it was one of the usual unscheduled stops during an Indian train journey. I was about 10 years old and was accompanying my Father, my maternal Uncle, a doctor and my ailing Mother, and we were headed to Kolkata (then known as Calcutta) from Indore. Hence, I was infact more of an observer than an actor through most of the events which were to follow.

When the duration of the halt seemed rather extended it dawned upon the passengers to make enquiries. Rumors and stories flew in from all sides and it seemed that the people were making much ado about nothing. However, it was finally confirmed that the then Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi had been assassinated by her security guards in New Delhi. This news opened Pandora’s Box and literally all hell broke loose.

Panic and chaos spread like wildfire. Roads were blocked and trains were stopped in their tracks. People were distrusting each other and were ready for violence at the drop of a hat. Gradually there was a scene of sheer madness all around us. Amongst this commotion my Father pleaded with the station-master to arrange for an ambulance to take us to Kolkata and also announce our non-arrival at the Howrah station so that our awaiting family could be informed accordingly.

The ambulance eventually arranged, my Mother, Father, the doctor and me took off towards Kolkata and my Uncle stayed on with the luggage in the train awaiting its arrival to the Howrah Station. Our journey was often obstructed by the many barricades built by the locals. I remember seeing plenty of road rallies and demonstrations. I also remember feeling quite nauseated due to motion sickness. Thank God I’m quite cured of that now. Bracing similar obstacles aplenty, we reached our home in Kolkata after several hours.   

27 years have passed since Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s assassination, and till date each of us can recall the obstacles faced on that unfortunate day. Young or old, healthy or ailing, I’m sure all of us have a story to tell, and even while you’re reading this your hair has surely stood on end with memories of the similar or worse incidents in your lives.  

October 2011

My Jethu

My Jethu, Mr. Anshu Banerjee, had been a Father to me. From being instrumental in admitting me to one of the best schools in Kolkata to pampering me with all sorts of luxuries that a child can never dream of, he brought me up with ethics and values. He instilled in me a liberal thought process by introducing me to the path of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. He taught me the importance of life’s struggles, to always accept challenges towards growth and to broaden my horizon about life. His brilliant and unmatched wit and humour was a part of my growing years and reminiscing those unforgettable moments always bring me great joy.

As a child I fondly remember him painting many a canvas, writing and reading a variety of literature. Jethu used read the works of Sri Aurobindo, explain the interesting world of the ‘Impressionist’ painters and gave me Reiki healing while I was recuperating after my surgery. I recall his constant encouragement to be optimistic and feel fortunate and blessed by the Almighty. His influence in my life brought me in contact with many important personalities, of visiting unthinkable places and it’s all because of my Jethu’s upbringing that I’ve been able to come this far in life.

Often I played Jethu’s bar-tender and fixed him a drink or two. He liked to take a medium peg (he called it Mejo) and I had mastered the art of fixing the same for him. Never in my adult years did he offer me a drink. It was only once when I was vacationing in Kolkata that he surprised me by offering me some wine.

It’s disheartening that such a loveable and towering personality had to suffer towards the end. Although it is difficult to accept that my Jethu is no more, I’m sure his blessings are always there for me and he’ll remain in my thoughts forever. Let’s hope I can live up to his aspirations and be his ideal Gadai Master.