Remembering Prof. Sankar Sen (Compiled through informal talks at his residence).

Remembering Prof. Sankar Sen (Compiled through informal talks at his residence).
By Asim Deb, 1977 Electronics & Tele-Communication Engineering.
Udayan Chakraborty, 95 Architecture also adds:

Prof. Sankar Sen was born on 1st December 1926 at Kolkata. His father was Pramod Chandra Sen, Professor of Physics at Bangabasi College, Kolkata. His mother Manoroma Sen was a housewife.

Prof Sen, in his childhood was taught at home by his father. He got admission into primary school at Tirthapati Institution, Kolkata and studied there till 1942, the year he passed his matriculation examination in 1st division with distinction and star marks in Mathematics & Additional Mathematics. However the admission for next Intermediate studies was delayed because of India’s 1942 freedom movements. During that time, Prof Sen was influenced by the Quit India movement and took part in demonstrations on the streets of Kolkata. He was arrested by the British police on charges of riots. He was sent first to Dumdum Cantonment jail & then to Alipur Central jail & remained in custody for 61 days during the months of September and October 1942. He was given the bail, but he refused. Finally, being juvenile, he was released unconditionally after 61 days. Soon after release, Prof Sen was influenced by Gandhiji’s Secretary Prof. Amiya Chakraborty who was his father’s friend and a regular visitor to their house. Prof Sen moved to Sabarmati Ashram for two months, from December 1942 to January 1943, where he get the teachings from Gandhiji. Gandhiji addressed the group of students that India would soon become a free nation; and then country would need brilliants students to develop the future. So, he stressed that all students must study seriously.

During those turmoil days of 1942, all the schools were closed. So, Prof Sen never faced challenges of academic delays. On his return from Sabarmati, he joined Intermediate in Science at Bangabasi College, and completed the I.Sc. in 1944, again with distinction; and star marks (known as “Letters”) in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics & Biology. Though he had good marks in Biology, he enrolled his name with Bengal Engineering College, for the undergraduate course in Electrical Engineering in 1944. (Actually, his elder brother could not get admission in engineering because on the day of admission, his brother’s bus was jammed in traffic. That’s the reason Prof Sen decided to opt for engineering due to family interest).

Prof Sen studied with merit cum means scholarship for 4 years. In graduation also, he earned distinction, in 1948 with the Calcutta University Gold Medal for his 1st rank. He earned Sir Asuthosh Mukherjee medal for his 1st rank and Hemanta Kumar Nag Gold ring Silver medal in 1946. He also received stipend for buying books for professional developments.

In 1949, he was the first in independent India to receive Govt. of India Research scholarship in engineering and joined BE College in 1950 with stipends. He was also offered opportunities for teaching. In 1952 he became the first student of London Imperial College to enroll for Doctorate program in Electrical Engineering. He was offered Govt. of India’s full scholarship. With the honour of being the first Doctorate of Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, he returned to BE College in 1955. A post for Reader of Post Graduate Studies was created for him by the then Principal AC Roy. At the same time, Prof. S.R. Sengupta, the then Head of IIT Kharagpur also offered him a teaching position at IIT but Prof Sen decided to join BE College. In 1965 he became the Head of Electrical Engineering department. Finally, he moved to Jadabpur University as the Vice Chancellor in 1986 and continued till 1991.

During teaching, he was the Research Guide (Ph. D) for 13 students, and published 25 papers. In 1958, he guided Promothesh Mukhopadhyay who become the 1st Doctorate from BE College in Electrical Engineering. Promothesh Mukhopadhyay later became the Pro Vice Chancellor of Roorkee University.

During his tenure in BE College in teaching, he made few reforms. In 1958, he was instrumental to introduce 30 marks for class tests. In 1973 he became the President of BE College Teachers’ Association. In 1973, after persuasions of years, BE College had its first computer TDC 316 and the new department of Computer Science was formed. In 1979, he was the first to introduce rotational system for HODs and offered the same to Prof JK Sen to head the Electrical engineering department. His vision was that HODs should have administrative experience also.

In 1997, he received the Eminent Alumni Fellowship from London Imperial College. He also received Hon D.Sc. from Kalyani University, North Bengal University, Sambalpur University and Burdwan University. Prof Sen was also the Honorary Advisor to the Chief Minister & the State Planning Commission of Sikkim. He was also an Advisor for Energy to the Chief Minister of Assam.

Extraaaaas:
Prof Sen was a student and a teacher throughout his life at BE College, and then joins Jadavpur University as the Vice Chancellor. He says “I played for whole life with Mohon Bagan, and then became a coach for East Bengal Club”.

At the end of our talks, he narrates two incidents. He remembers the day around late ‘70s, when a student was smoking inside computer centre, and Prof Sen immediately removed him from there. “Sir” then says, probably he could have explained Tishanpati instead of asking him to get out. Second incident (he can not remember the student’s name) is a greeting card from Venezuela, his ex-student writes “Sir, its now raining in Venezuela. I remember, on a rainy day, you escorted me with your umbrella from college to Downing Hostel, then you returned to your quarter at Bishops’ College”.

Sir said, he often remembers these two incidents of Tishanpati & the greetings card from Venezuela.

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Remembering My Jethu,
Udayan Chakraborty, 95 Architecture adds:

(Udayan spent his entire childhood and young days at BE College campus. Being the son of a faculty member of Architecture & Regional Planning department, he could spend his childhood in the surrounding of eminent teachers.)

Flooded by an avalanche of memories when I try to pen a few lines in remembering Jethu. Trying to make sense of this irreparable loss is meaningless. So is any attempt by me to speak about his extraordinary credentials in his public life. Much better to limit myself in reminiscing about the wonderful human being who effortlessly pervaded my childhood in that beautiful campus. So much so, that none of my memories about those times are bereft of Jethu and Mashi’s love.

Their home, A-38, Professor’s Quarters, was a true wonderland for me. The doors were always open which made me wonder how did they ever lock them, even if they wanted to. And once you enter, every nook and corner was full of my most favourite thing in the world —- books and magazines!! Literature side by side with current affairs, Anandamela along with barely comprehensible SPAN, Tintin along with Mahabharat, Russian kiddie stories with Thakurmar Jhuli. In those days, it felt like I could spend all my life there. Much later, I realised what those books represented, the diverse interests and repository of knowledge. In other words, Jethu himself.

I still remember his twinkling eye and his indulgent smile when he caught me reading what I wasn’t supposed to for the content beyond our own little magazine – complete with poems, stories, serials and even advertisements e umpteenth time. I think this had something to do with his irrefutable faith that knowledge can never be bad. To further encourage my love for the written word, Jethu went to the ext!!

I still wonder how he could find time to entertain a ten year’s old so thoroughly in the middle of all his academic engagements, his textbooks, his cooking, his knitting and his loving family. And then I realise, I am thinking about a real-life Superman. The only one I have seen in my life.

ভালো থেকো জেঠু, আমাদের মন থেকে কোনোদিনও তোমায় মোছা যাবে না। প্রণাম নিও।

Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.
Japanese Proverb

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.
– William Butler Yeats