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Download the PDF Version of the newsletter
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Download the PDF Version of the newsletter
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Dr. Suranjan Das, Vice Chancellor, Calcutta University addressing the delegates on the
felicitation ceremony, 29th July 2007, Pashchimbanga Bangla Academy.
“Eso Kichhu Kori” team with Nandadulal Das, EKK Study Tour at Sonamukhi B.J. High School,
Bankurah, 8th September 2007
Origin of Medha
Onkar Prasad Ghosh
(Volunteer, EKK)
It was about 5.00 P.M. of 16th August 2006. When we reached the staircase of Madhusudan Mancha of South Kolkata I found around 10-12 persons gathered there. Incidentally I knew a couple of them. One was my good old friend Tirthankar and the other was my senior Tilak Gupta. The convenor of that meeting was Smt. Madhumita Datta, one of the leading journalists of Bengal. The purpose of that meet was to find out a way to extend support to the economically challenged meritorious students of Bengal. In that meeting one great decision of forming a registered society was taken (as a result of which EKK was born) and another pertinent question was asked which remained unanswered that day. The question was like this- “We are thinking of financially helping needy meritorious students. For arguments sake, let us assume that those students excel in future. But what greater benefit will it cause to the country? Will it at all give any direction towards betterment of the society they belong? And last but never the least, what if some of those students fail to perform?”
This question haunted us for the next few months. Honestly, except Madhumitadi and Tirthankar, none of us had any experience to deal with the problems of such students. Our venture got a significant dimension when Dr. Asim Gupta joined us. He knew some grass-root problems and their solutions. On the basis of our collective wisdom and experience we tried to come out with a document. We are grateful to Dr. Manasee Mishra, an acclaimed Social scientist, and her friends for their kind help to fine tune our document. The document came out as a model for betterment of the society as a whole keeping a view to financial and other resource constraints. With the primary objective of providing support to these students we tried to address the three major aspects of development namely education, health and alternative source of employment to the extent possible. This document was named as “Project Medha”. We knew that our platform is too little to address such a vast requirement but without such holistic approach we cannot resolve the basic questions raised in day one. Even if we fail to do miracles in all these aspects we can always create a reasonable awareness about the need of such interventions.
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Eso Kichhu Kori on steps, 29th July 2007, Pashchimbanga Bangla Ekademi
MOTTO & SPIRIT BEHIND ESO KICHHU KORI MOVEMENT
Asim Gupta
(President, EKK)
“Eso Kichhu Kori” sounds very simple but with a deep embedded meaning. We, in general always try to do all the works for us, our family, relations & acquaintance, our self interest & everything only surrounding us. Hardly any time we do think or give time for thinking of others, in specific for the deprived, downtrodden & neglected hundreds of people of the society. This self query always prompts to an old Bengali quote,
“Aapanaare laye bibrata hate aase naai keho abani pare
Sakaler tare sakale aamraa pratyeke aamraa porer tare”
It means that we are not born in this world to think about us only. All of us are here for the cause of others & every one is for the other.
This attitude of helping others struck me about four years ago by some young energetic students staying abroad who sought my help in helping the furtherance of educational needs of meritorious & financially backward students of rural Bengal. I geared up all my might to their call & started helping these students of Rural Bengal. First year was itself a tremendous success & I was immensely satisfied within myself to have done something good for the deprived class of the society. After continuing for three years I met the newly formed Young & energetic brigade of ESO KICHHU KORI through the courtesy of our beloved Madhumita with whom I had acquaintance earlier. I found the motto behind the movement almost similar to that followed by me for last three years. Hence I gladly accepted their invitation to join their movement।
I still remember that day of August,2006 when I met the founder members of Eso Kichhu Kori like Madhumita, Tilak, Onkar, Abira, Subhrangsu, Sreya, Nilarya & others where the members strengthened their earlier pledge to go ahead with helping the deprived & meritorious students of rural Bengal as a first step towards their motto of doing something for the community. At the outset, I pointed out that such type of works require members to dedicate some of their busy time essentially for this cause, if they mean business.
I am glad & proud to announce that today hardly after a gap of almost one & half year Eso Kichhu Kori gained a strong footing amongst the society as well amongst themselves with a harmonious bondage of friendship & a dedicated team for the cause of the society.
I must admit, that at the beginning of our work there were several hiccups but with the introduction of the young Boys & Girls from different cross section of society the picture changed totally. That result reflected on the grand success of the celebration of our Medha & Sopan ceremony in July, 2007 & accorded huge praise from all quarters.
But friends, that is the beginning of our doing something for the community development of have-nots. We are to go a long way on a continuous spree together as a team. It is really heartening that we could inculcate in a small way, to start with our unique community development program amongst the recipient’s families in rural Bengal. This is a special feature of our work program never thought before, which is now taking shape under the able leadership of our ever smiling & enthusiastic secretary Abira & her life partner our beloved Onkar . Great kudos to them.
Hence we should understand that by doing our present work dedicatedly, we are only serving God existing in them. We must not forget that we are being privileged to serve them & not feel any vanity for that.
So, friends, with the motto of doing something for the betterment of underprivileged in the society, let us UTTHISTATA JAAGRATA PRAAPYA BARAAN NIBODHATA.
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Members of EKK
President
Dr. Asim Gupta
Vice-President
Smt Madhumita Dutta
Secretary
Smt Abira Ghosh
Joint Secretary
Shri Tilak Gupta
Shri Kaushik Das Sharma
Shri Saikat Ghosh
Treasurer
Smt Sreya Sen
Executive members
Shri Biplab Sarkar
Shri Shuvrangshu Chakraborty
Shri Suman Kumar Ghosh
Shri Kaushik Mukherjee
Shri Aveek Choudhury
Shri Sayan Kumar De
Shri Nilarya Talukdar
Shri Ananda Banerjee
Other general members
Ms. Rituparna Sen
Shri Sayantan Laha
Shri Malay Kundu,
Smt. Tania Dey
Smt. Sohini Roy
Shri Manasij Nandi
Shri Suvadeep Banerjee
Smt. Rita Dey
Mr. Pitam Chattopadhyaya
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Smt. Abira Ghosh conferred the memento to our “Borenyo” Sri Subhash Chandra Kundu, 17th
February 2008, Basirhat.
Borenyo Somman’08
Aveek Choudhury
(Member, EKK)
Sri Subhash Chandra Kundu is such a person who is more of a saint than any conventional teacher.
He is a man of extreme caliber; a teacher with an indomitable passion for education. To every student irrespective of age of Basirhat (North 24 Parganas) and nearby areas, ‘Sir’ is akin to demi-god and more of a parent than their real parents. And to the general people, he is a living legend. The magnificent physics laboratory set up at his home entirely by himself speaks volumes for him.
His care, dedication, diligence and determination are a lesson for lives to come. In this booming world of increasing glamour & glitz and diminishing values & ethics, Sir stands tall. Life challenged him with all its usual tricks & plays and he could do only one thing – challenge it back!!! And he emerged victorious to make an ideal of a lifetime.
We could not have found a better recipient for EKK’s first ever 'Borenyo Somman’ in 2008. February 17, 2008 marked the beginning of a new chapter in the diary of ‘Eso Kichhu Kori’. In a simple, non-glamorous yet compact program, ‘Sir’ was conferred with a bouquet, a shawl, a memento, a copy of ‘The Theory of Everything’ by Stephen Hawking and the address of honour (Maanpotro) by members of EKK at his residence at Basirhat.
Sir told us about the life and the time. He found our efforts exceptional & promised to be there with us whenever we would need his invaluable help. He was specifically more inclined to help students by teaching them free of cost.
We carried back the perseverance, dedication and inspiration profusely oozed by his lean, soiled figure and feel inspired enough to give it a try to become as selfless and focused as he is.
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Mr. Asim Gupta & Smt. Abira Ghosh received the cheque from Shri Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya,
Mayor of Kolkata, 22nd September 2007, Rabindrasadan.
Budhsandya & EKK
Abira Ghosh
(Secretary, EKK)
It was a bright sunny day of August, 2007. It was about 12 o’clock noon suddenly the mobile rang, I heard the voice of a lady who introduced herself as Smt. Malabika Dutta, and she is the Secretary of an organization of ‘Budhsandhya’. Immediately, I felt an excitement mixed with a fearful sensation. From my college days, I read about this organisation especially in ‘Desh’. I could only remember that all eminent writers, painters, sculptures are associated with this organization. Smt. Dutta said that this is the 25th year of ‘Budhsandhya’ and this year they selected EKK for financial support. She also invited us in a series of programmes they were going to stage. It was like a Providential Moon had reached our hand. The most happening programme was on 22nd September in Rabindrasadan. It started with the collective reading of Tagore’s play ‘Muktadhara’. As the curtain raise, I found the entire galaxy starting from Sunil Gangyopadhyay, Soumitra Chattyopadhyay, Buddhadeb Guha, Nirendranath Chakrabarty to Subodh Sarkar.
Next three quarters of an hour passed enchanting us. Then the magical moment came. In presence of mayor of Kolkata, Shri Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya, Shri Gangyopadhyay along with other dignitaries called us on stage and handed over a cheque of Rs. 30000 as their contribution towards the cause of EKK.
The evening ended with Nabanita Deb Sen’s play ‘Avigyan Dhushmantam’.
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EKK meet in California, 26 December 2007
Columns from abroad
Rituparna Sen
(Chief-co-ordinator abroad, EKK)
Publicity: A get-together was organized by Gayatri in Santa Cruz, CA. An article on EKK was published in Sacramento Durgapuja magazine, Utsav. We are planning another get-together in Storrs, CT on May 24th or 25th. Email me with your availability. I have copies of flyer available.
Please contact me if you would like me to mail them to you to distribute/display during social/cultural events. Collections: Last academic year 27 donors contributed for EKK. So far, this year, we have received contribution from 8 donors. I would urge all past and prospective donors to send their contributions as soon as possible. The students that we supported last year will be in 12th standard this year and will need continued support. In addition, this year we plan to support at least the same number of new students who appear in Madhyamik and get admitted to 11th standard. Thus we need to double our funds to be able to support all these students. I would sincerely urge all donors to get at least one more person from his/her acquaintances to donate to EKK.
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