I never thought when I brought an abrupt end to writng about The Bhattacharyyas of 41, Deblane (http://masb6.blogspot.com/?m=1) that I'd be putting pen to writing about The Bhattacharyyas again. But judging by the ways things are shaping up lately, I decided to write about a few more of them. Therefore, today I write about another brother, ahead of the brother, who was his elder and more successful in the earthly sense of the term, than this brother of mine.
I must have written about some eight of The Bhattacharyyas including my eldest sister, Mrs. Tapati Bhatta (http://masb6.blogspot.com/2013/12/tribute-totimeless-tapati.html?m=1) and the sister next to her, Mrs. Arati Guha. (http://masb6.blogspot.com/2013/12/arati-guha-true-illuminating-daughter.html?m=1) All of them, including my late father, Principal Jogesh Chandra Bhattacharyya, (http://masb6.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-invincible-spirit-that-was.html?m=1) who also was subjected to disgrace and humiliation due to a cruel stroke of Fate - were successful in their own ways. Amitabh Bhattacharyya, in my humble opinion, ought to have been amongst the most successful of The Bhattacharyyas. But 'men proposes and God disposes' is a maxim as deeply ingrained in our systems as one wouldn't like to admit!
He was born the fourth of the nine sons my late parents had. He was not really so attractive as to stand out in a crowd. Neither tall nor handsome as far as the handsome go, the most striking feature about his appearance was the pair of his sharp, compassionate eyes. Fair-complexioned, with a mass of curly hair in his youth, his pleasant personality was what drew people to him. Till quite late in his life, he was gentility personified. Respectful to a T even to the juniors and the strangers, he had this habit of addressing everyone by adding the respectful 'Da' (elder brother) at the end of the name. Be it the sweeper or the domestic help, he would address everyone by his/her first name followed by the respectful addition of 'da'. So, if someone, much younger than him, was called 'Dipu', my brother would call him 'Dipuda'!
41 Deblane has seen a lot of talented people over the years, like some of my siblings, my cousin brothers and sisters, and almost everyone of the generation next. But I can't think of anyone, excepting possibly another brother of mine, who could teach nearly a dozen subjects with such ease, competence and aplomb.
The fact that academically and resultwise, he could never be successful, was a mystery to all. He studied for Honors in Political Science, after HS but education, within the confinement of the four walls of the classroom, was something not for him. The strangest thing is later, he would help not only students pursuing a major in the subject but also students opting for a major in other subjects as well!
He was first and foremost a teacher just like Mejda, Dhiresh Bhattacharyya, (http://masb6.blogspot.com/2013/12/dhiresh-bhattacharyya-teacher.html?m=1) in the truest sense of the term. I mustn't be interpreted wrong when I say that he was the first of The Bhattacharyyas, who taught many students free, without bothering about the tuition fees. For poor parents, Chhotonda, that's what he was popularly known as, was nothing short of a god-send. This proved to be a weakness as there were some parents always taking advantage of his helpful nature.
He was meant to be a teacher and he remained as such till the last day of his life. If Dame Luck was a little more kind to him, Amitabha Bhattacharyya would be there some where at the top of the list of the Most Successful of The Bhattacharyyas.
I still remember those days in my school, Entally Academy. He came to our school on deputation while pursuing his B. Ed from the prestigious David Here Training College, arguably the best teacher training Institute in Bengal at that time. His gentle and friendly nature, amicability, knowledge of the subjects, endeared him to one and all at the time. I picked up many of the qualities which were to help me later on in life when I too, landed up being a teacher in The Happiness Country called Bhutan., from him. There was a hue and cry to bring him back to the school after he had left it and obtained his degree. But it was not to be!
From Entally Academy, he found himself working at Tiljala Brojonath Vidyapith, where Mejda was the Head Master. The younger of The Bhattachaeyyas became such an instant hit with the students that even Mejda was pressurised to reinstalling him back in the school after his (Amitabha's) term came to an end. But Mejda was too firm in his resolve not to favour his brother's cause and be accused of nepotism afterwards. Despite the camaraderie between the two brothers, Amitabha still remained jobless.
He also taught at the famous Ramkrishna Mission, Rahara on deputation, nearly for a year. His popularity with the students continued unabated to such an extent that the Swamiji, the Head of the institution, someone akin to the Chief Abbot of a church, promised to take him back if there was a vacancy in the immediate future. My brother kept on waiting for the call but as luck would have it, it never materialized!
That was when, my brother must have realized that he was not cut out to be a permanent teacher for any of these famed institutions with his kind of integrity, honesty and friendliness. Though he applied to a few more schools for a teacher's job even afterwards, his heart was not in getting one, any more.
Culturally, socially, he was a man much in demand. A friend of him, popularly known as "Kelte Khokon", a very talented singer, practically stayed at 41 due to his close friendship with my brother. Amitabha was also the Founder-President of a club called Benji Club. Together, the duo of my brother and Swapan Roy ( the good name of Kelte Khokon) popularized many songs, written and composed not only by some great Bengali poets but also by some less familiar figures as well.
Benji Club was the Champion Club for five consecutive years among other clubs in various contests conducted by the most popular English daily, The Statesman, at that time. He often had to play multiple roles like that of the director, composer and so on for the success of the club.
He was a huge fan of the Bengali great, R. N. Tagore and could recite and sing from his works at will. That doesn't mean, he was any less familiar with the works of the other Bengali giants like Nazrul Islam, Sukanta Bhattacharyya. I can still hear him reciting from a poem called "Haat", (Village Market) possibly written by Tagore again.
Haater dichala mudilo nayan, / Karo tarey tar nai ahoban. / Baje bayu ashi bidrup bashi, /Jirno shakhar shakhey… (The shutters came down in the market. There was none to give a welcome to. Like the flute, the wind, rushtling through the withered branches, whistled contemptupusly.)
I would like to mention a story he read out to me once. It was called "Tiktiki" ( Lizard). I wasn't even familiar with the genre, allegory, at that time! The kind where you have the animal characyers representing the humans of the society. It was a symbolical story that would make writers like Nirendra Nath Chakravarti or Manik Bondhopadhyay proud.
Such a talented man, ought to have been successful in every field one could think of. Unfortunately, the worry of finances crippled him from his late thirties. He got married in order to move on in life, and sired a son, who turned out to be a First Class Second from the renowned Calcutta University in due course. Amitabha also enrolled to study about indigenous medicine, homeopathy from an Institute and won a gold medal as well. But we live in a society where one's true worth is assessed not by merits but in terms of the money one has earned or made in life!
Dame Luck turned a deaf ear to all his pleas in this respect. He became much withdrawn and introverted over the years, especially in comparison with his younger and more successful brothers, financially. He was believed to have known about his incurable disease, leukemia, much earlier but he kept it to himself. In October, 2015, he was hospitalized and consequently breathed his last soon after.
Amitabha Bhattacharyya, a man who showed much promise from early on, was born to be an angel but died a defeated, dissatisfied man in his mid-sixties!
Looking at his life, in hindsight, we get to learn that there is a Greater Power overruling our lives and we are nothing but mere puppets in His hands.
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