28 th January 2006 ….. 18-00 hrs …. Place : B.E.S. High School, Dadar. There were about  125 chairs neatly lined up and in front 2 tables were covered with white cloth cover with two mikes at dais.

At the entrance, there were 2 tables where registration was in progress and Prodyot, Sheeladi, Bibek Bagchi ,and a few ex students had just gathered… with nervous expectations … will all the people come ? Did every one receive the invitation ? The traffic jams should not be the villain once again….  ( these were the thoughts in our minds ).

And soon the floods started… ex-students started arriving in small batches and what a thrilling moment… every one meeting others after a long long time ( decades ) and recognition was indeed difficult…

Dileep found one of his old childhood friends and hugged him crying Hi Deepak! To this Mr. Bhattacharya  reacted with murmur …. 'Are you Ranajeet Lodh ? You have become fatter than what we last saw you in schooldays!'  When Dileep told him that he was Dileep and the sobre  person standing next to him was Mr. Lodh  … Deepak was aghast! How every ones` appearances have changed with time!!! This experience was happening all over the hall… old friends meeting and hugging and exchanging old sayings/jokes and memorable moments/events. At 18-45 hrs. the hall was moderately filled with some 40 members and the meeting was called to order. Dileep welcomed the participants and briefed all about 75 glorious years of our school`s enviable history. Very rich tributes were paid to the founding fathers of the society viz. S/Shree Biren Sen, Jagadish Chandra Moitra, Shib Chandra Banerjee, Smt.Kalyani Bhattacharya, Smt. B.N.Sen, Shri S.C.Mukherjee, Dr. S.K.Bose and along with these visionaries, the services and efforts of all the selfless and dedicated members of the various Managing Committees thru the long 75 years were placed on record with great appreciation and heartiest reverence. Beloved and revered Teachers and staff were also remembered … starting with Principal J.C.Bhattacharya, Smt. Biva Sen, Principal Shri Gukul Chandra Pain, Deb maste, Sri Jogendranath Bhattacharya ( Pandit sir ), Sri Abony Roy ( Science Sir ), Smt. Rama Gupta, Sri P.Roy ( Hindi Sir ), Sri Ranen Dasgupta ( Dasgupta da ), Smt. Gauri Sen ( Head Mistress ), Smt. Renu Choudhury, Smt. Noor jahan Dutta, Smt Leena Bardhan, Smt. Nalina Nayak, Shefalidi, Rekhadi, to recent teachers viz.Raj lakshmidi and Sheeladi and many other dedicated teachers who devoted and spent all their efforts in cultivation of the minds of the students over past 75 years !

Lifelong contributions of the staff members like Maali ( Shinde ), Shantaram and Haripada  were also acknowledged on this solemn occasion.

The history and efforts of the ex-students associations formed earlier under the banner of PRAKTANI   with office bearers such as S/Sri Kamal Basak, Ashim Banerjee, Smt. Sibarani Chakraborty ( Jollydi ), Binapani Chakraborty, Chitra Chatterjee and in the second formation with Dr. Jayanta Banerjee, Bimal Basak, Pradeep Chatterjee, Bimal Deb, Mrinal Dutta were remembered and their untiring devotions and contributions were high lighted.

The need for Alumnibes to resurface at this period of time was spelt out and our dreams of making the school upgrade from its present stage to a multi discipline faculty up to the Graduate/post graduate levels were pronounced.

By now the attendance had picked up to nearly 80 and the hall looked very colorful with young ladies and  the mood turned festive.

The gracious and dignified Sheeladi informed the audience about the present state of affairs in our school and narrated the tough times faced earlier due to severe financial crunch and how the Shibnath Chakraborty led management steered the ship thru troubled times and brought it to  safety. She suggested that our school`s future expansion plans could be carried out in another area by acquiring land and constructing new facilities. However to achieve such a dream, we all need to work unitedly and extremely  hard and with total dedication. The entire gathering greeted these suggestions with approval and applause. Rubbishing the fear of Bengali Language being discarded, she suggested that we can attempt to introduce teaching Bengali in more schools where there are students desirous of learning the language! She greeted the festive crowd and cried that the pleasure and happiness of meeting old and long lost friends is unfathomable and we should have many more such occasions.

Dileep initiated the second session of Honoring the achievers by informing the gathering and paying  richest tributes to the nightingale of Indian Film music Late Smt. Geeta Roy  ( Dutt ) who was our ex-student in the early fifties and then invited the Senior most Alumni present that evening Sri A.Chatterjee ( 1953 batch ) to offer Flower Bouquet to the Queen of  Ghazals Ms.Chhaya Ganguly. Chayya was overwhelmed and happily shared the task of introducing and honoring the other ex-students who have distinguished themselves in the Music world of Bombay. Jolly Mukherjee ( the Chubbiest kid ever to study in our school during early sixties) was felicitated by Chhahya for his achievements in Film music /TV ; and Jolly fondly remembered how he got motivated and inspired during his school days. Sabyasachi Deb ( younger brother of the Deb sisters Monjushree and Geetashree ) who has created ripples in the field of Drama in Bombay was also felicitated by his class mate Chhaya. Sabyasachi acknowledged the role played by various seniors and teachers in shaping his interest in this art and thanked the school for also providing the platform for development of cultural activities.

Moving on to field of literature, the glorious heights in journalism  reached by Shoma ( Ganguly ) Chatterjee were read out and her sister Aneeja informed the house about the TWO President`s medals received by Shomadi and more than 25 books written and published on a wide variety of subjects which have brought laurels to her from all the National and Inter National Fora. Dileep proudly announced that during the next Annual Alumnibes REUNION scheduled for the 1st week of January 2007, Shomadi will be felicitated and requested her brother Anando and sister Aneeja to inform her in advance so as to keep herself free to be present for the occasion!

Rich tributes were paid to Ashok Roy for his Pioneering  achievements in the Advertisement world  and  his book Music Makers which have created waves in the cultural atmosphere of our country. On his part Ashok Roy recalled he was named as KABI during the 11^th std. farewell function and justified the same by reciting a Hindi poetry composed by him specially for this occasion. Shri Binoy Dhar ( brother of Basana, Monju and Shyama Prasad… 1953 batch ) presented the flower bouquet to Ashok and wished him many more achievements to crown his outstanding career.

Sucharita Sarkar  was mentioned for her outstanding work in translating Bimal Mitra`s  Saheb Bibi Golam in English  which was co-authored by her along with her father and has since  received tremendous popularity and critics` acclaims. Dileep  made a personal request to her to consider translating Bimal Mitra`s immortal classic Kori Diye Kinlaam  in the near future to benefit the English readers with the history of step by step account of the development of the city of Kolkata!

Anjonavo Dutta `s critical comments and remarks during the meeting had reminded all about his talent and wits and when he was invited to the dais for felicitation for his painstaking efforts in researching, collecting and translating the idioms of various Indian languages into ‘Bangla Chanda’ in his maiden book Saat Paak`er Satero Fankra. Our Chhaya came yet again and praised Anjonavo for his talent and efforts in Music Composition reminding every one that “Gana to har koi sikh kar gaa sakta hain, lekin Kalakaar wo hi banta hain jinke dil me dard ka ahsaas ho.”

Anjonavo was clearly over-whelmed at such gesture by the ex-students and enquired if he could contribute anything for the good and noble cause of the school through the Alumnibes. Dileep concluded this second session of honoring the achievers by quoting from Bimal Mitra`s Kori Diye Kinlaam `s last chapter “ Amader anek e anek oonchu o sanmaan janak shikhar e pouche che ; kintu sab cheye baro katha holo ei je  amra ei school er theke sikkha peye sabaai MAANUSH hote perechi.”

The final session was perhaps the most enjoyable and entertaining of the evening. Dileep invited every one present in the hall according to their year of passing out and asked them to introduce and express their feelings. From 1953 batch ( 4 members ) to 2000 batch ,every one expressed their satisfaction and happiness in participating in such an event and requested that such events` frequency should be increased and our Alma Mater`s  future growth and expansion shall be most desirable in every one`s minds.

Young Sanjeev ( 2000 batch  )  while praising the efforts of seniors ;opined that this forum could also offer career guidance to the young members and this was very well received.

In the vote of thanks Partha Bose thanked all our sponsors ( many of whom could not attent the function ) who contributed liberally to make the event a grand success. All the Alumni were thanked for having made to this evenings memorable program and for their active and enthusiastic participation. Our honoured Alumni Ms Chhaya Ganguli, Anjanabha Dutta and Ashok Roy who were felicitated on this grand occasion for their respective achievements were also mentioned. Our host for the evening Dileep Chatterjee was profusely thanked for having broken the ‘distance barrier’ by arriving from Hyderabad specially for this grand occasion for carrying the evenings program on his shoulder and enthralling the audience in his own inimitable style. 

Dinner organised by Sudevi Karmakar and Prodyot Nandy was simply SUPERB and every one enjoyed the dinner amidst Sheeladi`s  reminding Dasguptada`s slogan “ Khachho kemon  ?....... Bhalo ….. ( louder please )  Khachho kemon  ?...... B h a l o…

( aaro jor e )  Khachho Kemon ? …….    B……h…..a….l…..o…..

The dinner was over but not the evening as many utilized this time to go round and meet every one and promises to meet, contact and see each others regularly from now on. It was good bye then till we meet again!

1. Ms. Sandhya Naha  ( 1953 )

2. Ms. Ella Bhattacharya ( 1953 )

3. Shri Sushil Kumar Chatterjee ( 1953 )

4. Shri Binoy Krishna Dhar  ( 1953 )

5. Shri Rathin Roy  ( 1959 )

6. Shri Rabindra Sinha ( 1962 )

7. Smt. Sheela Roy ( 1962 )

8. Shri Ranjit Lodh ( 1962 )

9. Shri Deepak Nath Bhattacharjee ( 1962 )

10. Shri Biswanath Bose ( 1963 )

11. Shri Ashok Roy  ( 1964 )

12. Smt. Sudebi Karmakar ( 1964 )

13. Shri Dileep Chatterjee ( 1964 )

14. Smt. Swapna Mukherjee ( 1964 )

15. Shri Suresh Ghosh ( 1964 )

16. Shri Partha Bose ( 1964 )

17. Shri Prabir Ghosh ( 1964 )

18. Shri Swapan Lahiri ( 1964 )

19. Shri Prodyot Nandy ( 1964 )

20. Smt. Nandita ketkar ( 1964 )

21. Shri Ashok Kumar Bhattacharjee  ( 1966 )

22 Shri Karnaditya Neogi ( 1966 )

23. Shri Subrata Burman ( 1966 )

24. Smt. Anija D’Mello ( 1966 )

25. Shri Deepak Dey ( 1967 )

26. Shri Anath Parui ( 1967 )

27. Shri S Deb Barman ( 1968 )

28. Ms. Chhaya Ganguli ( 1968 )

29. Shri Anjan Kumar Biswas ( 1968 )

30. Partha Pratim Roy ( 1968 )

31. Smt. Shailaja Fernandes ( 1969 )

32. Smt. Latika Jalui ( 1969 )

33. Ms Amrita Mitter ( 1969 )

34. Shri Mainak Chatterjee ( 1969 )

35. Shri Pradeep Kumar Jalui ( 1969 )

36. Smt. Bulbul Parui ( 1970 )

37. Shri Aurobonda Das ( 1970 )

38. Prasanta Karmakar  ( 1970 )

39. Shri Ananda Ganguli ( 1970 )

40. Smt. Sandhya Deepak Borkar ( 1970 )

41. Smt. Nibedita Roy ( 1970 )

42. Shri Vijay Choudhury ( 1970 )

43. Ms. Rita Bose ( 1970 )

44. Ms.. Rita Mukherjee ( 1970 )

45. Shri Dipankar Sanyal ( 1970 )

46. Shri Kirti Guha  ( 1970 )

47. Shri D. S. Chatterjee ( 1971 )

48. Shri Prabir Roy Choudhury ( 1972 )

49. Shri Santanu Dam ( 1972 )

50. Shri Deepak Majumdar ( 1972 )

51. Shri Debkumar Mukherjee ( 1972 )

52. Ms Kamala Dey ( 1972 )

53. Shri Shivaji Dam ( 1974 )

54. Shri Kaushik Banerjee ( 1974 )

55. Ms Bijita Guha  Roy ( 1974 )

56. Shri Swapan Saha ( 1975 )

57. Shri Subrata Dey ( 1975 )

58. Shri Uttam Dey  ( 1976 )

59. Ms Sucharita Sarkar

60. Shri Swapan Bhattacharya ( 1976 )

61. Shri Bibek Bagchi ( 1978 )

62. Shri Tapan Karmakar ( 1978 )

63. Ms Kakoli Chatterjee ( 1978 )

64. Smt. Vivekita Gupta ( 1979 )

65. Shri Anup Bhattacharjee ( 1979 )

66. Smt. Sarbani Dhavan ( 1979 )

67. Shri Debabrata Roy ( 1979 )

68. Dr. Mukesh Shah ( 1981 )

69. Ms.Swati Mukherjee ( 1981 )

70. Shri Shubho Ranjan Sanyal ( 1982 )

71. Shri Rajeev Jayaraj Mambakaran ( 1988 )

72. Shri Vijay Perla ( 1988 )

73. Shri Abeer Dey ( 1989 )

74. Subrata Karmakar ( 1992 )

75. Shri Shyamal Mazumdar ( 1995 )

76. Shri Saumya Pal  ( 2000 )

77. Shri Jolly Mukherjee