Punched Card Machine Operator and admitted in M.Sc. (Pure Math)

A punched card, punch card, IBM card, or Hollerith card is a piece of stiff paper that contained either commands for controlling automated machinery or data for data processing applications. Both commands and data were represented by the presence or absence of holes in predefined positions. 
After some application I got a service in Indian Statistical Institute as a Punched Card Machine operator for which I had to undergo an apprentice for 3 months and then permanent appointment would be available. I joined it. But I could not continue tuition of the two girls of Mr. Mukherjee. Mr. Mukherjee asked me to arrange a tutor for his two daughters. I requested Kanti to do it in place of me which he accepted. But after some time  Rupashree, the younger one, showed her unwillingness to take lesson from Kanti. As such I had to take the responsibility of Rupashree and Santashree, the two daughters of Mr. Mukherjee. At first I was going 3 days in a week to teach the son of Mr. Mukherjee. But when I had to teach the two girls, also, my routine was extended to both the shifts, morning and evening.  After getting my job I discontinued to teach the two girls making my morning free to join my service. 
Our apprenticeship usually started at 10 A.M. and ended at 5 PM. After that I had to go  home. But this time after reappointment to teach the daughters of Mr. Mukherjee I used to from office direct to Mr. Mukherjees house.
That is I used to  teach them in two shifts  in the  Evening. I was offered good tiffing at the break of the two shifts.
Learning the prospects of Punched Card Machine I wanted not to continue . Anil Gupta , my friend, gave some tips how I might get admission in M.Sc. in pure Mathematics since I could continue only in  the subject of  Pure Mathematics.

Anil Gupta passed B.Sc. with distinction in the same year as I did and was staying in front of our house of 23/D Sankharitola Streeet. I asked him the details of admission in Postgraduate classes. He was studying M.Sc. in Pure Mathematics My score in Mathematics was not sufficient for admission. I met Prof. M.C.Chaki known to me since I was a student of I.Sc. On hearing from me, Prof. Chaki advised me to apply for admission as a player and he would see that I got admission. Actually I procured certificates of a player in College team  of Bangabasi college, a certificate of  player in V th Division (Allen League) of IFA from my local Club Maitreyee Sangha in which I was a member and applied for M.Sc. With the recommendation of Prof. M.C.Chaki I got admitted in M.Sc. in Pure Mathematics in 1956.
But this time too I could not find time for studying. Moreover, I tried to depend on class notes given by the Professors. Apart from Prof Chaki there were some more good teachers. my daily routine was very simple. I remained out for tuition in morning as well as in the evening. from this time I had to contribute Rs.100/- towards my family expenses.  
     

My College Education (contd-3)

Not only myself, a group of friends  who were once members of Shiksha Samity, began to become close  the members of Ranjit's family. This was possible with the initiative of Habu, grand mother of Ranjit. We got frequent entry into the house of Ranjit situated at Shashi Bhusan Dey Street which was rare in 2-3 years back. This time I got admitted in Bowbazar Batam Samity of College Square, a swimming Club. Ranjit also took his admission there. I rose early in the morning at about 5 A.M., called Ranjit and went to College square for swimming. We had to undergo three courses, 1. messaging oil, 2. swimming and 3. bathing after swimming. We used to come back home at about 7 A.M. Ranjit took admission in Bangabasi College. We had to go to our respective colleges if it was open or we were to go to Santosh Mitra Square for playing Cricket or foot ball.
  These pictures were taken by Ranjit, Pic. left was taken on the bank of the Ganges in Dalshineswar Kali Bari, the other pictures were taken in his studio at his house with artificial light with effects of light and shed.
Everyday in the afternoon I used to go to Ranjit's house. The house was in two attached portions such that each floor was in next half landing so that there were two roofs . One was at 2nd floor and the other was 2 and 1/2. On this floor there was a water tank for delivery of water to different places as required. We usually sat on the tank and pass our time gossiping day after day.
I spoiled so much of time in non-academic activities during this period that I could not get through the "elimination test" in Chemistry Honours Examination held after three months of admission and was transferred to the pass course. When my final examination was very close I came to senses and turned to study. Ultimately,I passed B.Sc. examination with Distinction by studying for 6 months. After passing B.Sc. I tried two things, 1. to get some tuition  for my personal expenses, 2. to apply for job. I gave an advertisement in Ananda Bazar Patrika and got some interviews for tuition of all classes up to B.Sc. ( for Math.), This one came from the son of care taker of the Assembly House.
One day the owner of a big press "Navana" on Ganesh Chandra Avenue called me an interview and talked with me for his son reading in class IX. He preferred me as  private tutor for his son because I got distinction in B.Sc.
One day Mr. Mukherjee,  owner of Navana, asked me whether I had any time to teach his daughters reading in Class VII and Class VIII. I accepted the proposal and went everyday to the the house twice, morning and evening. The family consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Mukherjee, their children, one son Sovan and two daughters Gitashree and Santashree, and mother of Mr. Mukherjee.                

MyCollege Education (contd-2)

( Pic left -Surendranath College, Calcutta, Pic centre and right is of myself after passing I.Sc. examination)
We three, Myself, Kanti and Abhoy, took different lines we took different lines according to our own choice after  passing I.Sc. examination in 1953 but were separated in different lines.
Kanti took an apprentice in Post and Telegraph, Engineering Supervisor, Abhoy went to the Commerce stream and was admitted in B.Com in Goenka Commercial College  Myself got admission in B.Sc. in Surendra Nath College with Hons in Chemistry for two reasons, 1. Openning of Chemistry Hons was, more and wide, 2. My marks of Chemistry secured by me was good.
The activities of Shiksha Samity had been stopped for want of administration and the attendance of the members was gradually deteriorated and came to zero..At this time I got a new friend, Ranjit Ghosh formerly known to me as he was also a member of Shiksha Samity.We and some other friends of Shiksh Samity formed an organisation of outdoor games ( foot ball and cricket) in the ground
( Sontosh Mitra Square) near our residence. Formally, out games of Shiksha Samity were held in Wellington Square. A new friendship was developed with some of our old known youths. specially with Ranjit Ghosh. The intimacy with Ranjit Ghosh went up to the members of his family for two reasons. 1. This year (1853) Ranjit passed  S.F. examination after 2/3 attempts. 2. His grand mother was fond of playing cards (auction Bridge) and invited me to play cards in the evening. We, four , used to participate in the game. The game required four persons in two teams called opponents. Myself and the grand mother of Ranjit (called by all, Habu) beccame my partner and Ranjit and his sister formed another team. Thus intimacy began to grow day by day. Ranjits to a upper middle class family. They possessed 2 or 3 houses in Calcutta. They lived in one and the other two were used as property of rented building. Ranjit's grand father was a medical practitioner. All these properties were earned by him. Ranjit's father did not have higher education and used to look after the property left by his father.He were having two wives and Ranjit had two mothers. It was assumed that one of them, some sort of unfair in complexion , might be elder than the other, called by all, Manima,  and not so good looking was married by his own choice. The marriage of the other one , fair and good looking and soft in nature, was arranged by his parents. Probably, after the death of his father, Manima was brought home to live together. Manima did not have issue. It was heard that Ranjit's mother was so soft that one day she began weeping noticing Manima to weep. She without asking her any question, sat by her and began to weep.    
     

My College Education (contd-1)

The activities of the club, Shiksha Samity, was gradually deteriorating in regards to its attendance and its activities after two/three years of Independence of India. Some times our club would also attend outside call with our band party. I remember, a "pravat ferry " from Deshabandhu Park of Shyambazar to Deshapriya Park of Ballygunge attended by Shah Nawaz Khan (left), G.S.

Dhilan (top right), Lakshmi Sehgal (left), etc moving in a jeep car, in front of the "Pravat ferry" . The  was extended from Daeshabandhu Park to Wellington Square. Our Club participated in this rally with its band party and about 40 volunteers with all white dress including a white Cap on our head. Such rally took place two / three years from 15 August 1947, on the same date.
On another occasion in our club, a camp was organised  in Baruipur, (south ) 24-Parganas with about 40 volunteers.Probably, our fund was very limited. In the camp we were offered a dinner of Roti and Alur Dam . But there were less amount of potato pieces. The young generation attending the camp were demanding more pieces of potato. Karida, our commander-in-chief,  ordered that no more extra pieces of potato would  be supplied, one potato piece for one Roti. Many of the younger generation got up half fed. In the camp fire I pointed out that some volunteers of younger generation were half fed. Karida disagreed and with a
( photo  of mine during leisure in the camp)
 threatening voice, asked whether there were any. Karida was like Yama and there was none to say against him. I was trembling and thought there would be none to rescue me. But to my astonishment, 3-4 young volunteers came one step forward and replied in the affirmative. At once, an  arrangement was made to hold another dinner on the same night with sufficient potatoes cooked later. Actually, I was liked always by the younger generation.
There was a second occasion of my grievances against Karida.
A competition was held to determine Captain, a newly created post,  of our club. The competition included drill, commanding, band playing (both general and single), Stick game, knife game, athletics. The volunteer stood first in aggregate would be awarded a gold medal with the logo of the club and a badge of Captain ship.  It took about one month to complete the competition. I took seriously the competition and practiced the items everyday. When the result was out, it was found that I stood first and got the badge of Captain. But Karida, our commander-in-chief  started remaining absent from the club. Everyday in the ground I saw there was none senior excepting me. One day, on the 15th August , in flag hoisting of our club in the club ground, I put the Badge to the cap on the head  of the youngest volunteer present on the occasion. Suddenly, Karida came and saw it. He plucked the badge and asked me why it was done by me. I replied instantly, " I think him fittest for this badge." He simply put it in his pocket and went away. Other things happened as it was.
From that day Karida did not come to the club again.  That was almost the end of our club, Shiksha Samity.                          

My College Education

There were some renowned professors in Bangabasi College in our time. Among them Prof. M.C.Chaki of Mathematics,  Prof, Jagadish Bhattacharya of Bengali, Prof Niren Roy of English etc were worthy of mentioning . Prof. M.C.Chaki was my mentor who influenced me to become Professor of Mathemaics in my career and did a lot for me. His method of teaching, his delivery of speech and  his style of  arrival in the class, everything I tried to adopt in my life during my career. He lived in Savoy Hotel situated on Shasi Bhashan Dey Street near Bowbazar Street. I met him many times while passing through the same street. I was in the habit of bowing down my head and take dust from his feet.

My college education started from Bangabasi College because that was within our walking distance and the authority allowed me to get admitted with half free studentship. It was a big College considering its no. of students. In I.Sc. there were many sections with about 200 to 250 students per section. The authority decided to admit the best students, coming for admission, in two sections. Section "B" was meant for the students with botany as additional subject and section "C" for students with Biology as additional subjects. We three, Myself, Kanti and Abhoy, was admitted in section C.
We, three myself, Kanti and Abhoy , got admitted in Bangabasi College in I.Sc. with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology (a fourth subject). A long, hall type, class room , no.22, with doors one at the front and two or three at the rear side of the room. All the classes were not held in this room . Only Science classes , in which Black Board work was necessary There were changes of rooms in each class. The language classes were held in the room almost square in size.  A  "run and occupy" system was in vogue to occupy the first bench of the class room .
My father was in favour of two things. 1. Early to bed and early to rise. He ,too, woke up early in the morning and called us to get up and to go to the park near our house (Santosh Mitra Square). Myself and my elder brother, Rangda, as I called him, went to Santosh Mitra Square and took a run there. One day I got a ball lying on the ground within some shrubs. I took it and came to our house. My father, on seeing the ball, inquired about the ball and knowing that I got it from the park, he asked me to go there and keep the ball in the place, where I got it To him "honesty knows no bound". My father had to go to Bombay off and on for some of his office work. One day he returned home with so many things. 4/5 Carpets , 2/3 bags packed up with materials, one tin-made conical box filled with medicine etc. After taking some rest my father opened the story of all these things that while getting down from the reserved compartment , he was the last person to get down and the coolie asked him, "babu, would you not take all such things". He saw that many luggage were left by a passenger  of the same train. he took all the luggage, put an advertisement in three renowned news papers and got one Some Dr. Chatterjee of Ballygunge  who left all these materials. One fine morning he came with a lorry and took away all his belongings. We became astonished that he did not show any gesture of gratitude to my father.