Newsletter

Volume 1, Issue 1 January-April 2008

Come, let us do something

Inside this Issue:

From Editor’s Desk …..1

Origin of “Medha”..…..2

Motto & spirit behind

Eso Kichu Kori ..............3

Borenyo Somman’08
…….4

“Budhsandhya” …….....5 Dr. Suranjan Das, Vice Chancellor, Calcutta University addressing the delegates on the
felicitation ceremony, 29th July 2007, Pashchimbanga Bangla Ekademi

Columns from abroad

……….....6 From Editor’s Desk

Members of EKK ……..7 Every beginning of an effort lets its sleeping possibilities go for a
stir. But to sustain it is quite another effort itself.

Eso Kichu Kori has also travelled quite a way in its first year that
Way to EKK ………......8
was largely successful, exciting, demanding and at times, stressful too.
We had our hands out in the sun and kept them busy working together,
picking up bricks after bricks.
Editor:
Sayan Kumar De We had felt an urgent need to speak our minds one year back.
This newsletter perhaps maybe able to add some light on what we were
Sub-editors: up to the whole last year through glimpses and snippets.
Aveek Choudhury
Kushal Saha Working with EKK has become a ride of life. It is fun with
Kinjal Ghose obvious ups and downs and we are undoubtedly going great guns….

In coming days, EKK would strive to become a rolling stone with

least care for the moss!!! And we are firmly prepared to face the
“When you want uncertain future.
something, all the
universe conspires in The baby has in fact, a long way to go….
helping you to achieve
it”
….. Paulo Coelho
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 Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 1 January-April 2008

Come, let us do something

“Eso Kichu Kori” team with Nandadulal Das, EKK Study Tour at Sonamukhi B.J. High School,
Bankurah, 8th September 2007

Origin of Medha
It was about 5.00 P.M. of 16th July 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.
Onkar Prasad Ghosh
(Volunteer, EKK)

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Volume 1, Issue 1 January-April 2008
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MOTTO & SPIRIT BEHIND ESO KICHU KORI MOVEMENT

“Eso Kichu 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 KICHU 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 Kichu 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 Kichu
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.

Asim Gupta
(President, EKK)

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 Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 1 January-April 2008

Come, let us do something

Smt. Abira Ghosh conferred the memento to our “Borenyo” Sri Subhash Chandra Kundu, 17th
February 2008, Basirhat (Inset: Maanpotro)

Borenyo Somman’08
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 Kichu 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.

Aveek Choudhury
(Member, EKK)

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 Newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 1 January-April 2008

Come, let us do something

Mr. Asim Gupta & Smt. Abira Ghosh received the cheque from Shri Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya,
Mayor of Kolkata, 22nd September 2007, Rabindrasadan

Budhsandya & 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’.

Abira Ghosh
(Secretary, EKK)

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 newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 1 January-April 2008
Come, let us do something

EKK meet in California, 26 December 2007

Columns from abroad

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.

Contacts: Mailing address for donation checks has changed.

New address:
Rituparna Sen,
3331 Seabright Ave Davis,
CA 95616
Name on check remains same: Rituparna Sen.
Best way to reach me is by email at jhumpasen@yahoo.com

Rituparna Sen
(Chief-co-ordinator abroad, EKK)

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 newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 1 January-April 2008

Come, let us do something

Eso Kichhu Kori on steps, 29th July 2007, Pashchimbanga Bangla Ekademi

Members of EKK
President: Dr. Asim Gupta

Vice-President: Smt Madhumita Datta

Secretary: Smt Abira Ghosh

Joint Secretary: Shri Tilak Gupta

Shri Kaushik Das Sharma
Shri Saikat Ghosh

Treasurer: Smt Sreya Sen

Executive member: 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 Subhadip Banerjee, Smt. Rita Dey, Mr. Pitam Chattopadhyay.

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 newsletter
Volume 1, Issue 1 January-April 2008

Come, let us do something

Way to EKK
All interested donors ma kindly send cheque/ demand drafts (of
Indian Banks & in Indian Currency) in favor of “ESO KICHU KORI” to
the following address:

ESO KICHU KORI

C/o. Tilak Gupta
B- 4/1, Brahmapur Northern Park
Kolkata - 700070
West Bengal, India
Phone:: +91 94323 63300
Email:: esokichhukori@gmail.com
Website: http://www.ekk.org.in/

Indian citizens staying abroad may kindly contact to any of our

following coordinators:

Dr. Rituparna Sen (Davis, CA)

3331 Seabright Ave Davis,
CA 95616, USA
Phone:: (530)752-7623
Email:: jhumpasen@yahoo.com

Mrs. Madhumita Datta (Boston)

Phone:: (732)666-3340
Email:: data.madhumita@gmail.com

Dr. Indrani Talukdar (South California)

Phone:: (858)220-5791
Email :: indranital@gmail.com

Mr. Koushik Bhowal (New Jersey)

Email:: kbhowal@nycsca.org

Mr. Rajat Das (San Francisco Bay Area)

Email:: aami.rajat@gmail.com

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