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.

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 to talk 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 Rajshahi District (now in Bangladesh). As the small town did not have any school, he along with his other brothers were shifted to their maternal uncle’s village named Kalam, east of Natore in the same Rajshahi district. He was admitted to Kalam High School. For better education of his sons, his father himself shifted to Rajshahi town. This happened when Kamada babu was in the ninth grade. He was admitted to Rajshahi High School and did matriculation from there in 1933 and joined Rajshahi 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 the Science College Hostel at Amherst Street.

After completion of M Sc. Kamada-babu along with one of his brothers (who was running a Construction Company at Rajshahi) 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 number of Textile Mills. On their insistence, Kamada babu started his service career in one of their Textile Mills at Ahmedabad. This stint turned out to be 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 also due to his father’s advice. On his return to Rajshahi, his brother was keen that Kamada babu should join his Construction Company in Rajshahi 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 Rajshahi and joined the Rajshahi 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 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 sometime end of 1969. After his 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.

*******

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 midnight. 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)

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, in a clear and coherent manner.