In Memoriam: Professor Partha Chanda, writes Pritam Bhattacharjee

May 21: There are fundamentally two kinds of teachers in any field – those who teach and those who inspire. The teachers who inspire are those who can make the business of study an organic part of the greater business of Life. Thus, as we grow old, many subjects and disciplines we have been taught are either forgotten or go dim in memory. But we seldom forget the teacher’s approach, his anecdotes, his mastery and his persona. I think this ability of a teacher can be loosely called charisma. Professor Partha Sarathi Chanda, above all, was a very charismatic teacher. Sheer knowledge, efficiency or presentation cannot substitute charisma. You cannot acquire it – this comes naturally and he was born with it.

In addition to my direct teacher of English in GC College during 1990-1992 (I remember Hall 4 Gallery when there were no walls, no present college uniform which is so clinical, dull and lifeless in colour) and Professor Chanda entering without any register with a typical gait and teaching Julius Caesar, if the treacherous mistress called Memory is still loyal) he was my neighbour. His residence remains one of the most picturesque locations of the town overlooking the Barak and we used to often meet there. I had discovered then, that as a teacher he was charismatic and had a personal charm, again you either have it and cannot acquire it.

I met him for the last time during January this year when I rushed to Silchar with my family when my father Pranab Bhattacharjee suddenly expired, quite like his own sudden demise and he came as a social elder and met the family members. Again, he did not lose his sense of brevity which is the soul of wit and made a sharp observation on the human condition. While consoling me, he had told me, I quote : “Your father was a good man. Nothing more needs to be told.”

As Barak Valley was celebrating Unishe May (উনিশে মে), Professor Chanda chose this memorable day to depart – softly, silently and tragically for all of us- very suddenly. But I think there is a poetic justice in that although on another plane, we find it hard to reconcile the suddenness of it.

A teacher of his calibre never dies. He lives in the memory of students, across generations although Death appears to have told like Hamlet – the rest is silence – but his young and old students like Horatio will continue – “leaving felicity awhile, to tell his story.”

** Pritam Bhattacharjee, Class of HS Science’ 1990-1992, Student of Professor Chanda, GC College, Silchar

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