Tribute to Our Beloved Kamada Babu – A Centurion

Tribute to Our Beloved Kamada Babu – A Centurion
[19-12-1913 to 23-10-2017]

Amitabha Datta, 1974 Civil Engineering.
Amitava Datta, 1970 Electrical Engineering
পল্লব ঘোষাল, ১৯৭৬ মেকানিক্যাল ইঞ্জিনিয়ারিং

On 19th December 2013, on the day of his 100th Birthday, I had been to his Salt Lake residence in the morning for wishing on behalf of GAABESU, our Global Alumni Association and expressed my desire to know more about him. He asked me to come in the evening for talking peacefully and in length. It was a great surprise for me, for most of the events, he mentioned, not only the years, but the months too.

Professor Kamada Kanta Majumdar was born on 19th December 1913 in a remote village named Mirpur, west of Natore in Rajsahi District (now in Bangladesh). As the small town did not have any school, he alongwith his other brothers was shifted to their maternal uncle’s village named Kalam, east of Natore in the same Rajsahi district. He was admitted to Kalam High School. For better education of his sons, his father himself shifted to Rajsahi town. This happened when Kamada babu was in the ninth grade. He was admitted to Rajsahi High School and he did matriculation from there in 1933 and joined Rajsahi College. From there he completed I. Sc. in 1935 and B. Sc. (Physics) in 1937. Immediately thereafter he came to Kolkata and took admission in Science College (at Rajabazar) in 1937 for studying M. Sc in Physics which he completed in 1939. During this period, he was staying in Science College Hostel at Amherst Street.

After completion of M Sc. Kamada-babu alongwith one of his brothers (who was running a Construction Company at Rajsahi) went out traveling to different parts in India. While traveling they met with two well-wishers, namely Dr. Desai and Mr. S P Rawal, at Ahmedabad where they were running a numbers of Textile Mills. On their insistence, Kamada babu started his service career in one of their Textile Mill at Ahmedabad. This stint turned out to be a very brief. He joined the mill in December 1939 and left in June 1940 to come back to Kolkata, mainly due to his own health problems and as also due to his father’s advice. On his return to Rajsahi, his brother was keen that Kamada babu should join his Construction Company in Rajsahi but he declined and decided to be in teaching profession.

On 1st July 1941 Kamada-babu joined Midnapore College in West Bengal as a demonstrator in Physics Department. In December 1942 he left Midnapore College and joined Hooghly Mohosin College which was a temporary posting. From there he joined B E College in August 1943 in the Physics Department. In December 1944 he was again transferred to Hooghly Mohosin College where he continued till July 1947. After the partition he went back to Rajsahi and joined the Rajsahi College, where he was once a student. Afterwards the family shifted to Kolkata, and he joined B E College as a Demonstrator in Physics Department in January 1948. Before joining B.E. College, he had a very short stint with Islamia College at Kolkata, now known as Maulana Azad College (August 1947 – December 1947). From B E College he retired in 1976. With his desire to be closer to the students he applied for the post of Superintendent of Downing Hostel and in 1954 his application was granted with the strong support from Prof. R. G. P. S. Fairbairn, the then Principal of the College.

Kamada babu used to stay in the Superintendent’s quarter (of Downing Hostel) with his family members. His mother was with him till she breathed her last. It was some time in end of 1969. After retirement he shifted to Labony Estate at Salt Lake, Kolkata where he breathed his last on 23rd October 2017. Till that time, he was living there with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and grand children.

Sir, we salute you for your service as a professor to the Engineering fraternity and especially to our Alma Mater, with the hope that you be embraced as a role model to the teaching fraternity. Sir, you are no more within our reach, physically, but you will always be there with us, in our heart.

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Amitava Datta, 1970 Electrical Engineering, adds:

Downing Hall and Kamadababu.
One of the oldest hostels of BE College was Downing Hall. In a cloudy July Sunday afternoon in 1965, I joined this residential college for a 5 year’s graduation program and was allotted Room no 9 in the ground floor of Downing Hall East. The very first sight of the massive building reminded me of the Red Fort in Delhi. For most of us it was the very first “Boys’ day out”, away from home, parents, brothers/sisters etc. and we were very nervous, to say the least.

Then arrived a lean and thin Dhuti, Punjabi clad gentleman, carrying an umbrella. He was Shri Kamada Kanta Majumdar, our Professor of Physics and also the Hostel Superintendent, we used say in short “Super”. Later, during our stays in the campus, his words of comfort and encouragement gave us a lot of confidence. He used to teach us Electricity and Magnetism in the first year. On one side, he was very strict in the college as a teacher but in the Hostel as our Super, he was a very affectionate mentor.
Every month one of the boarders used to be the hostel’s mess manager. When one of such managers, out of juvenile enthusiasm, wanted to do micro-management of prices, consumptions, stocks of each of the items required for cooking; Kamadababu’s advice was “তোমরা উঁচু পোস্টে কাজ করবে। এত খুটিনাটি দেখা তোমাদের জন্য নয়”. That was a great lesson.

In the first and second year the number of students in each section used to be very large and giving proxy during roll call time was too easy. But one day in Kamadababu’s class, when one of the students did that; Sir said:
স্যার: “ওহে উঠে দাঁড়াও”
The boy stood up.
স্যার: “নাম বলো”
The student gave the name of his absent classmate.
স্যার: ” নিজের নামতো বললে, বাবার নাম বলো.”
The student remained silent.
স্যার: “ছিঃ, ছিঃ, নিজের বাবার নামটাও জানোনা
With these comments, Kamadababu turned to the black board and started teaching. The poor student didn’t know that the absentee and his father were personally known to Kamadababu.

In our last night at Downing Hall, some of us went to Jharna cinema at Bataitola for a late night show. After returning to the hostel well past midnight we did something quite mischievous and Kamadababu came to the spot. He was livid with anger. Apart from rebuking us very severely and ordering a clean-up; he threatened us that the matter would not end there. We were very worried and could not sleep that night.

Next morning, before leaving Downing for the last time, we went to his residence and stood in front of him like “গরুচোর ” and without a single word. Kamadababu stared at us silently for a little while and then said “কি যে করো তোমরা। আর কখনো যেন না হয়।”. Much relieved, we touched his feet and he said “সাবধানে বাড়ি যাও। ঠিকমতো ফিরে এসো” His eyes were moist. This was in April 1966.

Kamadababu left us at the ripe age of 101. We shall like and need him to be our “Hostel Super” as and when we join the “Downing Hall” at the “other side”, as per our turn.

Meanwhile, Pranam Sir.

File photo: On 30th January 2011, we the class of 1970 met in the Bengal Club, Calcutta to celebrate 40 years of our graduation. In that function we felicitated Kamadababu. He was physically fit and mentally alert. He delivered his speech standing erect, in a clear and coherent manner.

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হল্ট, বাঁয়ে মুর
পল্লব ঘোষাল, ১৯৭৬ মেকানিক্যাল ইঞ্জিনিয়ারিং:

১৯৭১ সাল, সবে কয়েকদিন মাত্র হলো ডাউনিং হস্টেলে এসেছি। ভয়ে ভয়ে থাকি, কারণ একে সিনিয়র দাদাদের কাছে ভয়, আবার স্কুলের জীবন পিছনে ফেলে রেখে এসে কলেজের জীবনের নতুন পরিবেশে স্যারেদের কাছেও ভয়। আর বিকেল গুলোতে ওয়ার্কশপের স্মিথি শপে গিয়ে হ্যামার আর চিজেল চালিয়ে গা-গতর ব্যাথা করে ফেরা।

সন্ধাবেলাটা প্রানভরে গালগল্প, চুটকি, এ ওর পেছনে লাগা। এরই মাঝে প্রতিদিন সি আর পি এফ বাহিনীর সান্ধ্যকালীন মহড়া আমাদের হস্টেলের পাস দিয়ে যাতায়াত-এইসব দেখা। এইভাবেই দিন কাটে।

সেদিনও সন্ধাবেলা সি আর পি এফ সারিবদ্ধ ভাবে চলেছে। হঠাৎ আমাদের ডাউনিং হস্টেলের (পশ্চিম) উপর তলা, মানে সুপারইনটেনডেন্ট শ্রদ্ধেয় কামদাবাবুর ঘরের সামনে থেকে কে বা কারা যেন উচ্চস্বরে ওই বাহিনীদের দিকে বার কয়েক বলে উঠল,”হল্ট, বাঁয়ে মুর, ডাঁয়ে মুর, এটেনশন।”

এর পরেই শুরু হয়ে গেলো আসল নাটক। সি আর পি এফ ঘিরে ফেলল গোটা হস্টেলকে, আর আমরা ওদের হাতে বন্দী হয়ে গেলাম। তারা মার্চ করতে করতে আমাদের হস্টেলে ঢুকে পরলো। এর পরে শুরু হলো একটানা প্রশ্ন। আমাদের প্রত্যেকের অবস্থাই তখন করুন। আসল কালপ্রিটদের ওদের চাই। তাই প্রশ্নের ফুলঝুরি। আর আমরা নির্বাক, স্পিক টু নট। আমাদের সদ্য গজিয়ে ওঠা বাহিনীও অনড়, একদম চুপ। চারিদিকে পিন ড্রপ অফ সাইলেন্স। ওরাও ছাড়বেনা, আর আমরাও ঐক্যবদ্ধ।

ক্রমশ রাত হতে থাকে, কোন মীমাংসা নেই। আমরা বন্দী অবস্থায় আটকে পড়ে আছি। সে এক অসহনীয় অবস্থা। এর পরেই ত্রাতার আর্বিভাব, সেই মহান মানুষটি ওদের সুবেদারের কাছে ছাত্রদের সমস্ত অপরাধের দায়ভার নিলেন আর আমাদের বন্দীদশা থেকে মুক্ত করলেন।

আজও সেদিনের ঘটনাটা মনে পড়লে কি রকম যেন হয়ে যাই। তখনকার ছাত্র শিক্ষক সম্পর্ক, ক্যাম্পাসের পরিবেশ, পরিস্থিতি ছিলো অন্যরকম। ওই মহান মানুষটি সেদিন ওই সময়ে আমাদের মতো বাউন্ডুলে গুলোর পেছনে না দাঁড়ালে কি যে হতো কে জানে।

যারা ওই বৈপ্লবিক কান্ডটি ঘটিয়েছিল তাদের নাম এখন আর মনে নেই, ক্ষমা করবেন। একটা নাম মনের মধ্যে উঁকিঝুঁকি দিচ্ছে, হয়তো সঠিক নাও হতে পারে, নৃপেশের নাম। আগাম ক্ষমা চাইছি।

সেই দুস্টু ছেলেগুলো এখন কালের নিয়মে বৃদ্ধ। তাদের কি আর এসব নিয়ে চর্চা করার বয়স আর সময় আছে?

*******

Partha Sarathi Banerjee, 1974 Metallurgy Adds
Kamoda Babu was my icon of love and also was benevolence towards young scoundrels like me. I used to roll down an iron pipe down the iron stairs after well beyond mid night. Few days later, his kept his hand over my shoulder, and said “রাতে কি তোমায় ভূত ভর করে?”
উফফ. এই স্নেহ ভরা বকুনি এখনও মনে করে প্রণাম করি৷
(সে কাজ আর করিনি)