I have not been in touch for last 2 weeks,although I have seen the
email exchanges on our get together between
you,Ajit,Prasanna,Ajay,Upendra about photos etc on your blog.
On return from our Batchmates get together at Konark,I attended my
mother's death anniversary(barsikiya)at Cuttack ,returned to Delhi on
9th and then all family members went to Sangam,Allahabad for 'asthi
bisarjan' on 15-16 March.Immersing the mortal remains of parents,leaves
one with inner voices.Then in between I had to prepare for a meeting.
Today I have reached Brussels and I will be here till 25th March.
I have been appointed by European Commission as an expert for EC-
Health-Cancer area activities.So this meeting is in this connection.
It is time to share a few things on what we all did together-
Batchmates-MKCG-1975-at Konarkon 07 March 2010.
The get together,venue,all arrangements and connecting with all were
definitely the efforts of Prasanna,Sadasiv,Mihir,Sachi Panda and
Upendra.Our heartfelt apreciation to these idiots.(the movie 3 Idiots
is to have a sequel with many more characters like you all!).
Some of us descended at Konark on 06 March night and had the Sunrise and
morning walk at Chandrabhaga.
By breakfast at 9.30 on 07 March,many more reached the venue at Yatri
Nivas,Konark.
A total of 26 of our batch came to share the day.Around 18 came with
family,an overall gathering of 55.
Morning time was to meet,hug(jhappi!)and see the balding,greying,pot
bellied ones.We had amongst us only one lady of the batch-Niyati.She
would have got a good knowledge about male ageing process,seeing is
believing!How the males of her MBBS time look now 35 years later!
Then we had a few minutes to each,stand in front of every one,and
describe briefly what has been our professional,family and life
journey.We prayed for our departed friends-Narayan Dash,Natabar
Swain,Usha Acharya(in 1st year, Pushpasree Das and Pradeep Samantaray.
Highlights of morning session were Prafulla Bhaina starting the programme with a sloka for Lord Jagannath.Golakh reading out a note on the Batchmates.Arun Misra,Purna Misra,Dhruba Satpathy and Rabinarayan Kar were the 'lost and found'items!Ajay Upadhyaya coming on skype,we could see him live from his home in England(how electronic age is amazing,could we have imagined this in 1970s!).
Upendra,Sadasiv and Pradipta Das pulling people here and there inside the hall(typical pranksters of Golakh's class!).
Sudarshan arrived almost after 2 PM and Satchi and Mihir were making frantic requests to Yatri Niwas authorities to arrange lunch for Sudarshan's wife. Uday seemed totally unmoved by it.
It was real nice sight to see some of the batchmates coming with spouses and children.One couple was proud to display grand child(their identity-Sadasiv an Niyati)!
Post-lunch well bunched to gether and went to Konark temple.Lot of photo ops for the handsome ones in our group- Sudarshan,Pradipta,Sachi,Mihir,Ramesh-they wanted to be there in every camera frame!
Bhagaban came from Kuwait and the most attcked person by "Friends" in the group was Nishakar.
Evening was at Yatri Nivas lawn,tea,pakora,gossip,bart-alap! Arun Misra
played Banjo,Niyati sang some Akshya Mohanty songs from college days and Laxmi Nivas snored. The weighty suggestions from friends like Ramesh and Sudhansu will certainly haunt us for some time.
We all felt very much that many of our batchmates are not keeping in touch,they are rather ignoring us,they will get old as we all will grow old and we cannot see them.What a pity!Is life meant to abandon the friends of youth!!
We have decided that now we should try to meet ONCE EVERY YEAR.
Next get together will be at PURI/BHUBNESWAR(am I right?) in the month
of FEBRUARY 2011.
Many of us hurried back from Konark by the late evening to our own
places.
P.S.In case any points,highlights are not mentioned in my note or are
incorrect,then you should fill up the matters,and say to all'here is
someone of our batch by name Bidhu Mohanti,heading towards senile
dementia,early onset Alzheimer's!
Warm wishes(it is still pretty cold here!)to you and Niyati.
Bidhu Mohanti
Bibhuti Pradhan
Bibhuti has posted his reaction to it by mail and published here as a comment.
Bidhu bhai, I object to your comment i.e."We all felt very much that many of our batchmates are not keeping in touch,they are rather ignoring us,they will get old as we all will grow old and we cannot see them.What a pity!Is life meant to abandon the friends of youth!!" It is untrue. May be many like me follow each mail- versions between the batch mates , thanks to Sada- alias Bhakua. And follow each nerve of us who make an attempt to contact any one, but time have taken its toll of many of us. Can u think that I am se4nding this mail typing in left hand only, though I am absolutely right hander? I can not move my right hand at this moment, still sending this mail only to protest that every thing is not gone. Your idea of get-togather of yearly phenomenon will certainly bring some colour to many of us. - Bibhuti Pradhan
ReplyDeleteDear Bibhuti Pradhan,
ReplyDeleteIt is so touching of you to post this comment,and to mention about typing on left hand!Sadasiv had told us about your present infirmity.
Please donot mistake my intention of the statement doesnot point to any particular individual(especially not at all to a caring one like you!).
You can understand,the gathering of 26 was something which can be bettered.
It is just my pleading to everyone to make it to the get-together next time and plan well ahead(of course health and circumstance permitting).Basically my words are putting the sentiments ahead of the horses of life,a bit nataka baji!Here I will request that those not coming should tell well ahead(AND SEND A CLEAR WELL JUSTIFIED STATEMENT,which will be read out in the get-together next time!).Again joking,dear!!
Do I assuage your hurt and will you pardon me.
I have to go to my meeting place in European Commission.Work keeps us going.
No more,rona dhona!!
Warm wishes.
Bye for now.
Bidhu MOHANTI,Brussels