narendrapurians

Dr Kalam addresses students at Narendrapur

2008-01-14T22:16:00.000+05:30

An excited gathering of students assembled to listen to former President A P J Abdul Kalam when he took the stage at the Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur on Saturday.

Replying to a question on which role of life he has enjoyed the most, Kalam said being a teacher had been his dream and he became President to market his dream of developing India by 2020.

Given the occasion was the golden jubilee of the school and the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, the former President quoted Vivekananda several times during the interaction.

Kalam asked the students to acquire knowledge, inculcate creativity, be righteous and courageous and have an indomitable spirit.

Kalam also faced difficult questions from the students, whom he described as responsive and intelligent. “What does ‘Buddha smiles’ mean and how can nuclear arms bring peace?” asked a student. Kalam replied: “Peace smiles and when all countries around us have nuclear weapons it is better to acquire them, as strength respects strength.”

The former President smiled when none of the students present raised their hands when asked how many of them wanted to be a politician. Later, replying to a question on why Presidents and Prime Ministers are old, Kalam said if the youth is not involved in developmental politics, how could they expect young people to lead the country? Kalam had answers for every question — from campus violence to his happiest and saddest moments in life. The former President asked the students to “navigate their time properly”. He chanted the four-fold mantra of success, saying it involved goal setting, acquiring knowledge, hard work and perseverance.

He also felicitated the heads of 10 schools, which are celebrating their centenaries, and released a special cover to mark the golden jubilee celebrations.

[Source: Express India]

Kick-starting the Golden Jubilee celebration

2008-01-10T11:43:00.000+05:30

A procession would start from Ramakrishna Mission Institute Of Culture, Golpark on Saturday, 12-Jan-08 at 6:30 am, To mark the beginning of The Golden Jubilee of Our School. The procession will reach Narendrapur via Southern Avenue, Lake Gardens over-bridge, Prince Anwar Shah Rd, and Jadavpur. It's like reliving our Ramakrishna Janmo Jayanti Prabhat Feri days...

Those who are in Kolkata are urged to join the procession and spread the word to his ndp network.

The schedule of events

Contact info for the upcoming events:

Sw. Yugeswarananda
[Convenor of the Golden Jubilee Commitee]
+919433332005

Sri Tapan Mukherjee (1972)
[Secretary, Vidyalaya Praktani]
+913324552210

Sri Sarad KR. Mirani (1968)
[Co-ordinator, Vidyalaya Praktani]
+913324772206

Welfare works by RK Mission: A report

2007-12-19T20:36:00.001+05:30

The annual general meeting of the Ramakrishna Mission was held recently. During the year under review the mission started a new centre in the State capital Bhopal as also a new sub-centre in Belgaum in Karnataka.

In medical field, the Itanagar centre launched a mobile eye care facility; a medical centre commenced at the Jammu ashram. Likewise the Karmarpukur centre in West Bengal is carrying out a national HIV/AIDS control programme in collaboration with German Leprosy Relief Association.

In the educational field, the following new projects deserve special mention- starting of post-graduate courses and programmes by Vivekananda University at its faculty centres at Narendrapur Swami Vivekananda's ancestral house and Ranchi (Morabad), post-graduate courses in mathematics and Sanskrit at Vidyamandira college of Saradapitha centre in Belur, a number of educational programmes by the Coimbatore centre viz IT academy, online education programme etc and 11-pre primary education centres by Lokasiksha Parishad of Narendrapur centre.

During the year, the Math and Mission undertook extensive relief and rehabilitation programmes in several parts of the country involving an expenditure of Rs 3.87 crore, benefiting 5.67 lakh people belonging to 1.30 lakh families of 2027 villages.

Welfare work was done by way of providing scholarships to poor students, pecuniary help to old, sick and destitute people, etc; the expenditure incurred was Rs 6.25 crore.

Medical service was rendered to more than 85.32 lakh people through 15 hospitals and 173 dispensaries including mobile medical units, the expenditure incurred was Rs 61.55 crore.

Nearly 3.39 lakh students were studying in the Mission's educational institutions from kindergarten to post-graduate level. A sum of Rs 111.60 crore was spent on educational works.

A number of rural and tribal development projects were undertaken with a total expenditure of Rs 18.62 crore.

In rural development field, the following new projects deserve special mention; starting of a rural sanitation project by Itanagar centre, Jammu & Kashmir Earthquake Rehabilitation Programme by starting tailoring centres near LoC area by the Jammu centre, a number of projects related to fruits plantation, spices cultivation, seed production, harnessing spring water for irrigation, residential bridge courses for drop-out village girls etc by Ranchi (Morabadi) centre and a number of socio-economic rehabilitation projects related to vocational training programme for skill development, lac cultivation, dissemination of renewable energy, artificial insemination and animal health care etc by Lokasiksha Parishad of Narendrapur ashram in Kolkata, according to the press release issued by Mission Gen Secy, Swami Prabhananda.

[News Source: Central Chronicle]

Herbal juices: keeps diseases at bay

2007-10-28T13:27:00.000+05:30

A recent study revealed that popularity of herbal juices is currently on the rise for their ability to provide natural immunity against common and some critical ailments.

Nothing new, I assume. It’s our centuries old Ayurveda which we completely ignored so far for the sake of instant-relief packages of cosmetic medicines. How ironical that could be – re-imposing faith on our home-grown assets only after they find credibility on foreign soils. Nevertheless, the Vedic rishis got their dues finally; albeit very late. Below is a chart that shows how some of the herbal juices can keep you out of heavy medical expenses with minimum investments. Health is wealth after-all.

Neem juice: A liver stimulant that also purifies blood. Good for Diabetes, Chronic fever, cough, Dysentery and Skin diseases.

Karela juice: A natural Pancreas stimulant: good for Diabetes, Indigestions, and Chronic fever.

Tulasi & Pudina juice:Good for heart, cold, cough, Asthma, and controls Cholesterol; purifies blood.

Ginger & Lime juice: Good for digestion, Gas troubles, cold, cough, and throat infections.

Amla juice: Rich in vitamin C; useful for eye, Hair & Heart, good appetite, acidity, and Petic Osteo Arthritic Gynaecological problem. Helps in stopping white hair growth and rejuvenation therapy.

Kokam juice (Garcinia indica): Good for skin diseases, reduces acidity and useful in absorbing summer heat.

Jamun juice (Black berry): Good digestive drink: specially good for diabetics; controls burning sensations, boils, and skin problems.

Carrot juice: Rich with vitamin A and nutrition for health and eyesight.

Belpatra juice (Aegle Marmelos): Good for Diabetes, stone problem, and Joint pains.

Beet Root juice: Helps increasing Hemoglobin and purifies blood. Good for weakness and eyesight.

Wheat Grass juice: Good for Blood Pressure (High & Low), acidity, Asthma, Piles, and Anemia etc.

Festivals: Or sheer Disposals?

2007-10-17T14:39:00.000+05:30

For various reasons, festivals fail to bring any special flavors to me anymore. They all look the same; the perpetual waste of resources galore. What makes me sad is the sheer amount of waste--money, effort, natural resources, and what not! imagine a little of these going to the needy. The consumptions and their subsequent disposals in the name of God/Goddess are extra ordinary. Cant we prune them a little and give it away some where else? may be the poor kid you see everyday on your way, the old sick lady on the foot path... only a little off your spending budget can enlighten their life, albeit for a brief moment.

Wish you all a very happy Durga Puja / Dusshera / Eid / Navratri...

Save A Child: An Appeal from Loksiksha Parishad

2007-10-09T12:31:00.000+05:30

Loksiksha Parishad, the development unit of RKM Narendrapur, has been engaged to carry welfare and development work following the ideas of Swami Vivekananda from its very inception.

It has embarked upon a task of integrated rural development in about 4,000 remote villages of 12 districts of west Bengal, especially the child development because it believes in holistic approach of development in which child plays the central role.

Child development activities consist of education for the pre-school children through 600 early childhood education centres, non-formal education for the children in the age group of 6-14 years and 350 mobile physical fitness units covering about 50,000 children within its area of operation.

The Details of the Appeal is here

Subho Pujo

2007-10-08T14:10:00.000+05:30

Aar daWsh din por-e pujo.

Tar mane, paanch din pore mahalaya, shokal chArte-te ghum theke uthe akashbani-r shei haunting tune ta. Aar aro haunting oi "matlo re bhuban, bajlo tomar alor benu". bochorer ai ekta din coffee allowed chilo..i wish, i really wish.

joy goswami ekbar likhechilo:

shorir anonde pure khak,
kal bhore ponchishe bosihakh"...

Economy of words, so powerful. Ei raate anonde pure khak howa, kal bhore mohaloya; eta ekta habit chilo, ekta obhyash. I wish again.

Narendrapur-e shokal charte-te uthe radio shonar dour kokhono hoyeni (block-er kone maharaj-er ghorer shamne, dining hall e worker ra, onek jayegate kintu sujog chhilo )...kintu shedin shokale prayer hall-e ekta lomba "oi giri nandini, nandito medini, bishwa birupini, nandanu te" hoto. Abaar shei shorir anonde pure khak. Dilipda, jituda-r ekta pet gaan chilo -- "dosh haate oi, dosh dike ma, choriye elo anondo, ghore ferar bajlo banshi, boichhe batash shumndo..anondo re, anondo" -- i could literally hear the banshi. Shedin amader usually monthly test-er last exam thakto. Seshob mathaye uthechhe...bari kokhon jabo....ar shai bari ferar pothe raater kolkata...raastar mor-e mor-e pandel bandha hoye gechhe...jeno ek ekta jomat bandha anondo.

deshantori chele meye,
mayer kole elo dheye,
shishir nir-e elo neye,
snigdho okal boshonto,
anondo re, anondo"

.... deshantori chhele, huhh...i wish, i sincerely wish.

Shebar, 1997 er pujo. Shei usual madox square-e shobai meet korechhi. Atri (chasha), arunabha onek deri kore elo. Partha (traang) sharadin-er jonno esechilo, raate bari firbe bolchhe. Anindya (Gupi) aar aami chesta chalachhi oke kono bhabe atke rakhar. Shara raat theke kalke shokal shokal kete porlai to holo. Naa, Jagulia naki onek beshi cool. Chasha-o bolchhe thakte parbe na--borojor raat barota. Beriye pora jak tahole. Ekta anonde shorir ta purchhe...this collective happiness...pujor lighting e notun jama gulo kemon adbhut onnorokom dekhaye. Moloy bolchhe bari firbe. trang-ke kichhutei raji korano jachhe na. Gupi ekhon phik phik kore haschhe. Thik achhe, porer bochor ar jholash na. Porer bochor hobe; aschhe bochor abar hobe....

I wish i knew that was going to be my last pujo till date, ten years...i wish, i wish from the depth of my soul.

Aamar mayer mukher haashi,
sharat aalor kiron raashi
komol bone uthchhe bhashi,
mayer gayer shugondho,
anondo re, anondo

"shubho pujo" to all of you...

Author: Saikat (Ghota) Ghosh is a 1993 madhyamik alumnus, presently doing his Post Doctorate in MIT, USA.

US Officials visit Narendrapur

2007-10-08T13:25:00.000+05:30

U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab accompanied by senior U.S. Government officials, meets with Swami Viswamayananda (Tushar da) of the Ramakrishna Mission during her brief visit to the mission’s production centre at Arapanch near Narendrapur, April 14, 2007. Ambassador Schwab was on a daylong visit to Kolkata...

[Photo source: US embassy site (New Delhi) ]

U.S. Consul General Henry V. Jardine interacts with farmes whose paddy harvests have increased with more efficient use of natural resources. The program is under the U.S. Government-funded grant project to the NGO Ramakrishna Mission. U.S. fund grantee Narendrapur Ramakrishna Mission Lok Siksha Parishad Director Swami Asaktananda (Bishnu da) is seen escorting him.

[Photo source: US Consulate site (Kolkata) ]

Swamiji in Kashmir: A rare photo

2007-08-26T22:37:00.000+05:30

Here is a rare photograph of Swamiji in Kashmir. According to the website of Vivekananda Vedanta Network, Josephine MacLeod, Swami Vivekananda, Mrs. Ole Bull, Sister Nivedita are on the houseboat.

[Source:Vivekananda.org]

From the site:
--------------
Swamiji received the terrible news of Goodwin's death while he was staying at Almora. Apparently he had become impatient and restless to leave the place where he had received this sad news. According to the Life, "It was decided to spend some time in Kashmir. On June l1, 1898, therefore, with the women disciples who had come with him from Calcutta, he left Almora for Kashmir."

Although not shown in the photograph, Mrs. Patterson, wife of the American consul general in Kolkata and friend and admirer of Swamiji, was also in the party. In the four dungas (houseboats) their memorable travel began. Josephine MacLeod "was fascinated by the practicality of the dungas. She described them:

These boats called dungas are about seventy feet long [perhaps thirty feet] and broad enough to have two single beds in them and a corridor between, covered with a matting house; so wherever we wanted a window we only had to roll up the matting. The whole roof could be lifted in the daytime and thus we lived in the open, yet knew there was always a roof over our heads. We had four of these dungas, one for Mrs. Ole Bull and me, one for Mrs. Patterson [who accompanied them only to Anantnag and then left them to join her husband] and Sister Nivedita and one for swami and one of his monks. [Until the end of their stay in Kashmir Vivekananda was alone in the boat. It was only just before they left the valley that Swami Saradananda was sent for to join them.] We stayed in Kashmir four months, said Joe, the first three in these simple little boats until after September, when it got so cold, we took an ordinary houseboat with fireplaces and there enjoyed the warmth of a real house. "

The Western pilgrims were in raptures. In the words of Sister Nivedita, "The whole was a symphony in blue and green and white, so exquisitely pure and vivid that for a while the response of the soul to its beauty was almost pain!" They were all enchanted by the company of Swamiji who charmed them with his knowledge of the countryside and its history. He was often so deeply absorbed in his own thoughts and various exalted moods that he completely forgot all thought of food or drink.
--------------

Swamiji wrote the poem Kali the Mother when he was on a houseboat on Dal Lake. It may be this boat. Here is the poem.

The stars are blotted out,
The clouds are covering clouds.
It is darkness vibrant, sonant.
In the roaring, whirling wind
Are the souls of a million lunatics
Just loosed from the prison-house,
Wrenching trees by the roots,
Sweeping all from the path.
The sea has joined the fray,
And swirled up mountain-waves,
To reach the pitchy sky.
The flash of lurid light
Reveals on every side
A thousand, thousand shades
Of Death begrimed and black-
Scattering plagues and sorrows,
Dancing mad with joy,
Come, Mother, come!
For terror is Thy name,
Death is in thy breath,
And every shaking step
Destoys a world for e'er.
Thou Time, the All-destroyer!
Come, O Mother, come!
Who dares misery love,
And hug the form of Death,
Dance in destruction's dance
To him the Mother comes.

[originally posted by Arijit Chatterjee in Rkmvidyalaya-narendrapur yahoogroups]

The sacrilege...

2007-08-14T11:52:00.001+05:30

It seems the management of Vidyalaya is awash with funds these days. So much so that they had to return the development fund to the central authority for being unable to spend it!!! that strikes me hard. no expenditure on development? There's also report of full-blown mismanagement regarding the upcoming Golden Jubilee celebration. It may do a little good to the cause by toning down the discorded symphony—that is, how it's at the moment—lest the overdose spoils everything. A faction of the management (specific names withheld) is firing all the salvo, albeit at wrong targets; and hitherto showing zero accountability over their agenda.

Dear authority (if you're listening), WE, the alumni, are always strongly attached to our belief in serving the institution at its behest, but let's not forget that the money comes a hard way for everyone; and it's not too much to ask for a transparency in the system. The last thing we expect from YOU is this autocratic attitude.

Blind Boys academy: a success story

2007-08-12T23:25:00.000+05:30

At Sealdah, keeping track of train movements, separated travellers or even sounding simple alerts are six visually-challenged persons who come to the aid of the commuters, making nearly a thousand announcements a day on an average.

Trained at Narendrapur Blind Boys academy and Calcutta Blind school - Arup Chakraborty, Ranjit Choudhury, Dilip Bala, Pradip Dey, Polly Bhattacharya and Manju Basak are the members of this announcement team at Sealdah, which functions from the control room of the divisional railway manager. Middle-aged, some married and with grown up children, these Eastern Railway employees work together with their colleagues, doing the same hours, and refuse special treatment.

Here is the full article on Kolkata newsline.

A little moment of fame??

2007-08-01T12:55:00.000+05:30

In a classic (scary too) example of how web power can put you into the public limelight, five classmates (L-R: Aapel, KaLee, Dadoo, Kutsab and GooLee) of 1993 madhyamik batch were featured on ‘The Statesman’ last weekend; completely unaware of the event. Pritam’s (aapel) relative spotted him on the article and sent a congratulatory note!!! Whoo whoo. A little more digging found out the real story. It was our puja get-together of 2004; after a hectic long day filled with fun (laced with khisti, old school events and many other things which cant be explicitly told but should be understood by all the readers :D ), we decided to unwind a bit at the peaceful ambiance of Dhakuria lake in Southern Calcutta, before we headed for a short puja vromon. Later, we put up the photos at our site narendrapur.com like we always do for any trip, get-together or similar events. Little did we know that a naive photo from that travel journal will pop out on a print media after three years, that too on the page of a popular newspaper?

A simple image-search for the term 'adda' on Google, and this photo comes right at the 2nd page, front row. They (the author and the content developers?) picked it up without bothering to obtain permission or informing to the owner, and went on to use it for the article “The Adda Funda”! Do we sue?? 

This makes me wonder how vulnerable we are at this internet-age to the extent that anything and everything you put up on this public domain might be used/abused/misused somewhere else w/o you even being aware! Scary, naa?

Note: i couldn't find the web version of this article from the newspaper's online archive. if anyone can find it (titled "The Adda Funda"), please forward the link. you candownload the scanned copies of the article here. Finally, thanks to the Google God for attributing this momentary lapse of printed fame!!!

Narendrapur on radar of high investments

2007-07-23T12:51:00.000+05:30

According to recent reports, Kolkata has left behind other metros in terms of real estate investments. cheap living costs despite high growth is what attracting the real estate developers to the city, who have identified Garia-Narendrapur, Behala-Joka and Howrah as three major locations where development growth will see high escalations in the coming days.

Here is the report published in The Statesman.

A cultural evening at Blind Boys

2007-07-15T14:30:00.000+05:30

As part of its golden jubilee celebrations, Ramakrishna Mission Blind Boys’ Academy presents an evening of classical music featuring tabla-tarang by students of the Academy, vocal music by Bishnudeb Chakraborty, and a jugalbandi by Amlan Halder (violin) and Saumya Adhya (sitar). Also, felicitation to Pandit Manilal Nag and Swapan Gupta.

When: July 15 at 7 pm
Where: at Ramakrishna Mission Blind Boys’ Academy, Narendrapur, Vivekananda Centenary Hall

Research campus for math

2007-07-05T11:32:00.000+05:30

An institute for higher study and research in pure mathematics, theoretical and mathematical physics, and theoretical computer science will soon be set up in Belur.

School of Mathematical Sciences, to be set up by Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, will make its debut in 2008 with an integrated M.Sc-Ph.D course in pure mathematics. The following year, a similar course will be launched in physics. Integrated courses from B.Sc through Ph.D in all three subjects will be introduced later.

Researchers from reputed institutes across the world, including Nobel laureates, will be invited to deliver lectures at the school.

The plan for the school was announced by Moolchand Sharma, the UGC vice-chairman, at a programme to mark the second anniversary of the university at RK Mission Residential College, Narendrapur, on Wednesday.

“The teaching-learning system at the school will be different from other universities. Our main focus will be on grooming students to develop an inclination in research,” said Swami Atmapriyananda, the vice-chancellor.

“Once a student completes graduation, it becomes difficult to motivate him/her to pursue research. So, the remedy is to set up institutes, like our proposed school, which can provide the grooming from the undergraduate level,” he added.

The university has sought Rs 59.26 crore from the UGC to set up the school and another institute, School of Indian Heritage. “The UGC is examining the proposal. We will provide all necessary help to the university to set up the two schools,” said Sharma.

The university has bought a 7.5-acre plot in Belur for Rs 14 crore to set up the institutes.

Swami Smaranananda, the vice-president of Ramakrishna Math and Mission, and Swami Prabhananda, the general secretary of the order and chancellor of the university, were present at the programme. Also present was Swami Asaktananda, the secretary of RK Mission Residential College, Narendrapur. [but where was gobaa??? :)]

[News and Photo source: Telegraph]

Book Bank at Narendrapur

2007-06-27T18:46:00.000+05:30

The objective behind the project is to help the needy students of the area encompassing 100 km radius of this unit covering both urban and rural areas. Besides giving text books of different classes up to Higher Secondary level, other educational aids in the form of note book, school dresses, instrument boxes, bag etc. are also given to cater their educational needs. This aid is given every year to students of different classes, the total number of which exceeds well over 600 every year.

The Book Bank under the Rural Development unit of the Ramakrishna Mission Narendrapur is not having any school under it but it is providing educational aid to 83 schools covering 695 students (323 boys, 372 girls) and a total 4047 books have been distributed during 2006-07(upto September 2006).

Original source of this article is Here

Praktani: Update II (as on 21st June 2007)

2007-06-21T18:47:00.000+05:30

Atri Mitra of 1993 batch forwarded this mail which he received from Debdut-da (1975), an active member of the Praktani. kindly go through the mail and fwd this to your batchmates...

We will be meeting at Narendrapur on 24th June at
Narendrapur for a general meeting at 10am. Lunch will
be provided.

Golden Jubilee Activities:

##--A Proposal--##

Inside Narendrapur

1. Golden Jubilee Gate.

2. Goden Jubilee Open Air Theatre.

3. Golden Jubilee Bio Technology Laboratory.

4. Golden Jubilee Computer Centre.

5. Improvement of the Arogya Bhaban.

6. Improvement of the Prayer Halls of all the
Hostels.

7. Golden Jubilee Gym.

8. Guest House for the Ex-students with a office of
Praktani.

9. Funding the orphan houses run by Swami
Debendrananda (Shashanka Maharaj) around Narendrapur.

10. Golden Jubilee Ecopark at Narendrapur.

11. Special fund for the welfare of the employees of
Narendrapur.

12. Upgradation of the Museum.

13. Videography of Golden Jubilee Celebration.

Outside Narendrapur

1. Adoption of a village at Ajodhya Pahar, Purulia

2. Funding the different Social Activities Carried
out by different batches.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Progress of Golden Jubilee Celebration of RK Mission Narendrapur School
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The chronology of events; as it happened...

19.02.2007

Pradyut (1986) and Kamalda (1974) contacted me for arranging a Press Conference at Press Club to announce the Golden Jubilee Celebration of our School.

15.03.2007

A meeting was held at Press Club, Kolkata. Debiprasad Bandyopadhyay (1969), Tapanda, Secretary of VidyalayaPraktani (1972), Kamalda (1974), Udayda (1974), Pradyut (1986), Anirban (1994) and myself were present. The Press Club were booked finally for 3 rd
May (the date was deferred due to the sudden illness of Bishnuda). Food packets were ordered. Payments made by Tapanda.

25.04.2007

A meeting was held at Press Club, Kolkata, to review the progress of the agenda of the Press Conference, Scheduled at 3rd May. Tapanda, Kamalda, Udayda, Pradyut, Anirban and myself were present.

03.05.2007

Press Conference held at Press Club, Kolkata. Bishnuda (Secretary of RKM, narendrapur) and Ashokeda (Head master of the School) addressed the press. Tapan
Maharaj (Swami Jogeswarananda) Sharad Mirani and Shaktida were present from Narendrapur. Many ex-students of various batches were also present.

After the Press Conference some of the members of Praktani had a long discussion to pinpoint the role of the praktani in the Golden Jubilee Celebration of our School.

15.05.2007

Again a meeting was held at Press Club, Kolkata and we discussed a serious problem about the differences between the President and the Convenor of the Golden Jubilee Committee. We decided to sit together to solve the issue to make the Golden Jubilee celebration a success. It was decided that we would sit at the office of Kamal Banerjee on 27th May, 2007.

27.05. 2007

The meeting was held as scheduled at the Office of Kamal Banerjee (1974) at Behala. Members present were Tapan Mukherjee (1972), Arijitda (1974), Udayda (1974), Debashish Chandra (1979), Aruni (1979), Pradyut (1986) and myself.

We decided to organise a meeting of representative of most of the batches on 10th June outside Narendrapur.

Tapanda took the responsibility to book the hall. We took the responsibility to mobilise the ex-students to attend the meeting. Tapanda was requested to inform Ashokeda about the meeting to avoid the further complication. It was decided that Tapanda and Pradyut would request Sharad da to attend the meeting.

06.06.2007

Some of us met in the Press Club, Kolkata on immediate basis to discuss the agenda of the meeting of 10th June. Tapanda informed that he has already booked a hall at Bhowanipore for the said conference. Alida (1965) and Samarlalda (1969) were present among the others. We were told that Sharadda will attend the meeting of 10 th June on behalf of the President Praktani.

10.06.2007

In a very short time we could assemble 35 ex-students representatives of 26 batches starting from 1966 to 2006. Sharadda was also present. Many important things were discussed. Many proposals were taken.
It was suggested that (1) An Alumni Register will be made so that we could contact each and every members of Praktani when needed, and (2) A representative of the Praktani will meet Ashokeda and Tapan Maharaj at Narendrapur on 16th June to explain them the sentiments of the ex-students regarding the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the School.

A team comprising of Samarlalda (1969), Tapanda (1972), Dipankarda (1974), myself (1975), Debashish Chandra (1979), Pradyut (1986), Anirban (1994) and Debamalya (2003) was formed who will visit Narendrapur on 16th June.

16.06. 2007

The team led by Samarlalda met Ashokeda, the President of the Golden Jubilee Celebration Committee as well as the Prasktani and explained the present situation to
him. Tapan Maharaj was not there as he was ill (as reported by Ashokeda). We could not bring the two leaders across the table.

After meeting Ashokeda we decided to meet Tapan Maharaj as he was ill. But surprisingly we got to know that he was fit and working in his office in the 1st
floor of the Central Office. We went there and took Tushar Maharaj with us.

We had some heated arguments with Tapan Maharaj, where Tushar Maharaj intervened and fought in support of our cause. In one stage he wanted to resign from the post of the Convenor if two Joint Convenors were added as proposed by the Praktani. However Ashokeda did not oppose the proposal.

Although we was confused, however some important things came into light and two important decisions were taken:
(1) Tapan Maharaj disclosed that he is facing some problems to work with Ashokeda and there is a big communication gap between the two. Tapan Maharaj agreed to have an one-to-one discussion with me and the date was fixed. Tapan Maharaj told me to come at 9 am on 20th June, 2007.

(2) We will have an ex-student meet at Narendrapur on 24th June, 2007. Ashokeda not only approved it, he was even kind enough to announce that the School will provide lunch to all participants.

(3) We decided to meet Shyamalda (Swami Jitatmananda) for his guidance for the preparation of the Golden Jubilee Celebration.

(4) Praktani promised to take active role to make the Golden Jubilee Celebration a success, provided that our sentiment is looked after with due respect.

19.06.2007

(1) Tapan Maharaj cancelled his appointment with me. So there was no scope to hear from him about the problems faced by him.

(2) But Shyamalda agreed to sit with us in the evening. A team comprising of Samarlalda, Arijitda, Dipankarda, Kamalda, Udayda, Nirupamda (1974) and myself went to Swamiji-r bari to meet Shyamalda.

On behalf of the representation, I explained the situation to Shyamalda and requested him to guide us to formulate a concrete proposal which would be permanent in nature.
Shyamalda was very kind to give us two hours and promised to help us in near future. He has also given us some concrete proposals. He also promised to be present at the meeting of 24th June, provided Ashokeda requests him to attend the said meeting.

Compiled by Debdut Ghoshthakur (1975)

Who am I???

2007-06-17T10:06:00.000+05:30

I am 59 years old. I am an ex-student of Narendrapur Ramakrishna Mission Residential College. I was a monk of the Ramakrishna Math & Mission and was posted at Narendrapur, Belur Math, Madras Math, Singapore Mission. I was a maths teacher at Narendrapur School. I was headmaster at Barrackpore Vivekananda Mission High School. I am in teaching profession from 1967.

Love for maths or trying to hook fishes? Could he be Hari da, who fled RKM Narendrapur after a scandalous affair...? unlikely though. Any clue, who this self-claiming Maharaj is? Nevertheless, it's interesting to see another deluded ONE trying to return to the mainstream! opens another channel of thought. check out urself!!

Where is thy Green?

2007-06-13T11:53:00.000+05:30

On the way back to hostel after the summer / puja vacations, Kamalgazi used to be my breaking point. My sensors could acutely catch that smell of wet green as soon as our car would drive past the area. At this point, the sense of returning-to-the-cage was so overwhelming that the vast emptiness around the campus would grip me hard. Later, as i grew up, this would turn into a sense of peace as soon as the wheels would reach Mandir Gate. It was then, a bliss, within the world of screeching horns, dirt and noise. Little did I anticipate that this bliss would eventually be grapled by the polluted resonance of the city? Today, Narendrapur has completely lost its neighboring serenity, which eventually are making impacts on its own environment. The Realtors are baying for every inch as the area is attracting investments thanks to the metro extension to Garia.

I wonder - down the line, 25 years from now, will there exist a 160 acre green campus?

Here is an interesting analysis by Business Standard on the current real-estate scenario on newly emerging Calcutta.

Praktani: Update

2007-06-12T11:58:00.000+05:30

As mentioned in the last post, Praktani had a meeting on 10th of June to discuss primarily about the Golden Jubilee celebration. The immediate concern that emerged out of the meeting was 'non-availability' of a consolidated/updated contact information of the members (ex-students). they're meeting again on 24th of June. so, kindly inform your respective batches to send atleast one member as the batch representative. we're thinking of a platform to build up the database. for now, a group may be formed to reach out to every alumnus personally. i guess, the recent batches have their respective mail-groups. Praktani will now consolidate this mail-group info and reach out to the moderators to pass on any new communication. this, although an untidy and lengthy process, looks to be the starting step towards the consolidation.

keeping that in mind, this blog will try to bring all the alumni together on the web-sphere. do subscribe to the blog and pass on the message to others as well. those, who want to contribute their write-ups/posts, please do send us your email-ids (preferably google mail), so that we can add you as authors in the blog. we're currently looking for atleast 2 bloggers from each batch. Write to Us at -

Kindly update your current information from here. This will help us consolidate information until we launch an interactive database. Do write your suggestions.

Story: a 100 million donation

2007-06-05T16:15:00.000+05:30

A University of Illinois alumnus announced he will make a $100 million donation to his alma mater, the largest gift in the university's history.

Thomas M. Siebel, the founder and former chairman of Siebel Systems Inc., pledged to give the gift to the Urbana-Champaign campus upon his death.

Read the full story...

Noticeboard: Praktani meeting on 10th June

2007-06-04T13:27:00.000+05:30

To discuss about the upcoming Golden Jubilee celebration, Praktani (Alumni) has arranged a get-together on 10th of June @ Hazra, Kolkata. it will be great if atleast one representative from each batch can be present there. So, if you're in Kolkata that time, do drop in.

For further details, please contact Mr. Anirban Bagchi (1994 Madhyamik) - cell no:+91-9830942391 | email: bagchi_anirban@yahoo.co.in

The D day: Fund handover

2007-05-21T02:24:00.000+05:30

On the eve:

The carnival spread over last few months was poised to enter its moment of truth. As I was updating the list and amounts at Santacruz airport in Mumbai, thanks to the usual delays by the airline, Avijit’s email a few days ago sounded so true. Beyond the noble objective of supporting RKM in its various social efforts, the Fund has found a profound collective joy in all of us. It’s like an annual summer festival that mobilizes the dormant child inside us. Sei bhavan janmodiner preparatory din gulor moton. Raat jege kagojer chain, stars, jhalor banano... The artistes in work; warring blocks trying to dig up each others assets and preparations; plans being made and re-made to accommodate more incoming materials… much like those days. hundreds of calls by co-ordinators like hungry paonadars consolidating money trails; frantic mails and appeals -- poking dormant heads and causing irritations to many J; exhaustive online tracking (thanks to online spreadsheets); countless updations and consolidations; flaring emotions and counter-punches; all of those would finally sum up to feed a larger cause – and the day was inching closer every minute.

The D Day:

So, it was decided that the Admiral (Deboo), and his sepoys and support crews would meet at ndp latest by eleven in the morning, BST. Determined to hold on the bongo punctuality, I set out at quarter to eleven, braving the scorching sun and dripping sweat. I and Deboo quickly updated the final documents in a cramped cyber-café at Behala chowrasta before Rudra came in, and we finally headed towards narendrapur only to be frequently abused in every 10 mins over the phone by other waiting sepoys, who breached our trust on Bengal Standard Time!!

Needless to say, the mouthful came at us like giant tidal waves as soon as we got down. There they were – the ethereal shri poga with his ‘Happydent’ smile and colorful personality; the legendary ABP reporter Shri Chasha who is believed to be a Bartoman spy on a mission to shut-down ABP like he did with Khaas-Khabar; agitated but smiling Dhruba with a receding hairline, anxious to depart even before the story started; the next-to-be-domesticated shri Aniruddha with tension all over his face; a healthy looking shri ‘chakka’ aka Maity with a bright yellow shirt like a shining coal – except for the JK (Jammu-Kanyakumari) express, who was as usual running pretty late. Shri Kali was very eager to join the team, but alas, he was getting prepared to wear that tri-shonku topor with dual jhola bichi. [Kastha had his glowing smiles captured here]

After a round of tea at Gopal da’s dokan outside the main gate, Dhruba handed over his baton to JK, who finally arrived on the scene with muchki muchki haasi that blew away all khistis reserved for him. So, it was time for a heavy lunch at Karmi bhavan with Mridula-da before we would hand over the fund to Bishnu-da at his guest-house. An elusive cellular negligence on the spreadsheet got us entangled in a lengthy battle of calculations and re-calculations, which finally proved to be a sweetener as the amount suddenly swelled up by a fat 4K. With a jaw-dropping amount of 1,90,287 INR, our Admiral saab and his battalion reached the final moment. Bishnu-da lauded the effort put up by the batch, conveyed his blessings with a tinge of emotion for this bunch of guys, who were the only ones to have returned to the mission in its history of 50 years with “water and sunshine for all its leaves”. The joy and happiness were too big to have them scripted here, as we walked past the blind boys working hard at the field, trying to enter into a world that has only darkness for them.

After a couple of sessions with Sunil-da (Blind Boys academy) and Bhanu Maharaj (Loksiksha), we embarked on a journey into the memory lane. It was where we spent those magical years… TWENTY years ago!

Suspicious package at New York

2007-05-10T18:47:00.000+05:30

I haven't seen this make the news headlines yet, as of 9 AM Eastern time. So I guess things may not be clear yet.

This morning as I was coming out of Penn Station to go towards my subway station, the regular exit from the station was blocked by US Army soldiers. Once we took the alternative exit (from the Madison Square Garden side), we saw the entire stretch of 7th Ave between 33rd and 34th Streets being blocked by ambulances, fire trucks and police cars. People were lined up on both sides of the streets. They had cameras and cell-cams in their hands, and were merrily clicking away. I thought it could be anything - some celebrity, some foreign dignitary, an accident, etc.

Then I asked a cop what it was about and he said that they have found a suspicious package. And it ceased to be interesting anymore. My first instinct was to get as much distance between me and Penn station as possible. As I started walking away, I realised that most people were more interested to be part of the story. They wanted to be there as more information was obtained. And the questions that started coming to my mind were, why would one insist on being near a scene can prove to be potentially dangerous, if not disasterous. Have New Yorkers and Americans in general have gotten so used to the idea that there may be a terror attack lurking at every corner (much of it is hysteria and paranoia, but some people would disagree citing the recent Fort Dixon plans), that they see something interesting in it?

I don't know the answers, but something about this doesn't fit in at all. Or maybe, someone can argue that New Yorkers are so tough that they have taken this in their stride and refuse to bow down to any sort of pressure. Who knows?

Narendrapur RKM to celebrate golden jubilee

2007-05-06T11:16:00.000+05:30

Narendrapur's Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, established on April 22, 1958, plans to celebrate its golden jubilee by starting a year-long celebration from January, 2008. for this they're appealing to the alumni and various sources to raise money.

Swami Satyatnanda, Headmaster of the Mission, said, “The celebrations will include an inaugural function with a five-day-long exhibition (23 to 27 January, 2008), publication of a golden jubilee souvenir, Swarna Smriti, felicitation to monks, members of the staff and persons of qualities and values, teachers’ meet, alumni meet, workshops and seminars, cultural programmes, inter-school competitions, study camp for local school students, presentation of literature and mementos of Ramakrishna, Vivekananda and distribution of clothes and study materials to deserving students.”

Read here [Source: ExpressIndia.com] or here [Source: Yahoo] for more.