Reflections

The pictures are of Mr Sen, the first one taken last year and the other in 1969, just one year after the floods. Whatever else my blog may or may not have done, it has brought me in contact with several men and women whom I would never have met, or been in touch otherwise. Among others, it brought me in close touch with Nipon ( of Niponwave and Bong Buzz), Pranab ( Of Septicemia) , and many others . My latest friend (if I may be so bold as to call him that) Is Swapan Sen. Mr Sen was brought up in North Bengal, passing his Higher Secondary Exams from Jenkins School In Cooch Behar. Founded in 1861, this school recently completed 150 years and is still one of the better schools in the region.. In 1961, Mr Sen went to study Civil Engineering in the Bengal Engineering College in Shibpur, today a Deemed University. After passing out, he worked for a couple of years as Assistant Engineer of the Irrigation and Waterways Directorate of the West Bengal Government and was posted in...

It is sometimes incredible to reflect on how friendships develop. Charles was an ex Calcutta man who after many adventures and vicissitudes ended up in Pokhara and was working as a travel agent. I was there at the same time ( 2003) working for the Manipal College of Medical Sciences. I met him in the famous Pokhara Lakeside one day when I was shopping around for somebody to take us to the Bardia National Park. It had been almost out of bounds for a long time because of the Maoist rebellion but recently there had been a cease fire which made it possible to visit it now that the guns were silent. Anyway he organized a marvelous trip for a group of us faculty members and students who had a really wonderful time, rafting down the river while watching birds and gharials, not to mention a Gangetic dolphin. However more of that story another time. As it happens,soon after this, Charles was brought to our hospital as a critically ill patient and he unfortunately passed away of a massive hear...