Retired Principal of Women’s College Parimal De passes away at 93

Dec. 28: At the fag end of 2021, Barak Valley lost one of the eminent educationist Parimal De. She was 93. Parimal De retired from service as the Principal of Women’s College, Silchar. She started her career as a teacher in the department of History at Lady Keane College, Shillong. From there, she shifted to Women’s College in 1964. For the 1st 6 years, she taught in the Department of History and then she became the Principal of the college and served in that post with efficiency for long 19 years.

Apart from a teacher of wide fame, Parimal De was also an administrator par excellence. Recalling her yeomen services, Manjusri Dey, retired Head, Department of English of Women’s College, Silchar, who was then serving under Prof Parimal De said, “She was a guardian like figure to us. It is indeed very difficult to find such an able administrator who was successful in taking forward the college to new heights.”

Born in 1929 at Bhubandar Tea Estate, she did her schooling from Govt Girls’ School, Silchar and graduated from GC College. She stood 1st in her Intermediate Exam (IA) in undivided Assam. In the year 1952, she completed MA in History from Calcutta University. She was married to Jyotindra Ranjan De, a professor in the Department of English, GC College in 1964.

Parimal De was also an expert singer. She was a trained musician and rendered Rabindra Sangeet in a number of programmes. Her death was mourned by many as a great loss for the academic world. Expressing his views, Chandan Paul Choudhury, President of ACTA Cachar Zone said, “We deeply mourn the demise of of Prof. Parimal De. Silchar has indeed lost a great teacher and able administrator.”