During my recent trip for an
important family prayer, I had the opportunity of meeting one of my old friend
and a great, but most humble and humane former teacher at his home in
Kamakhyaguri, Borabisa in West Bengal. It was short meeting over a sumptuous
lunch prepared by the expert hands at culinary of his wife. Many of his friends,
acquaintances and students have been the recipients of the family’s generosity
over the years ever since he retired his teaching job in Bhutan to take care of
his then ageing father, who had passed away since.
Many people must be aware of
who I am referring to from the above introduction. Yes, I am talking about the
famous and most loved Apchi Sir (Mr Santosh Chowdhury) and his wife Madame
Jasoda. They were legends during their times in Pemagatshel and continues to be
so even now.
“Welcome to Bhutan House,”
declares Aapchi sir, beaming with serene smile. Yes, it looks like a Bhutanese
house with many familiar Bhutanese items from wall hangings to books and even
furnitures. And Mr and Mrs Chowdhury’s goodwill towards Bhutan and Bhutanese is
well known in the local area and so they are the unofficial goodwill
ambassador.
Chowdhury came to work as a
teacher in Pemagatshel in the eighties as a rustic fresh college graduate.
Despite tremendous challenges, he not only survived in the remote Tsebar
primary school but, won the hearts of the both his students and local
community.
In his teaching career spanning to over three
decades, he spent the majority of those years in Tsebar school which was
followed by Nangkor; both in Pemagatshel and finally in Wangchu school in
Chukha. In all these schools, he worked tirelessly for the benefits of his
students. While being strict, he always
loved his students like his own children hence earned the affectionate pet name
of Aapchi sir. Talk to any his former students and they all have their deepest
love and gratitude for him.
My contact with him began
while he taught in Nangkor School where my children studied under him. As the
frequency of our contacts increased I found out that he is an exemplary
teacher. He is the pillar of unquestionable integrity and a man with genuine
desire to help his students become wholesome human being.
Aapchi Sir’s fondness for Bhutan
is well known to those close to him, In fact, he considers it to be his second
home. When I met him recently at his home, he said he received two Noble
equivalent awards from Bhutan. I asked him what those awards were and he said that,
the Bhutan Government’s invitation to attend felicitations ceremonies to former
Indian teachers, one in Thimphu and another in Kolkata were no less significant
to him than winning the Noble prizes he said. He was invited to both the events
and attended them both.
After he left Bhutan, he
taught in a local school back in his village. It was Mr Chowdhury who even initiated
cleaning campaigns in his local area which was way before Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi launched his Swach Bharat campaign.
Mr Chowdhury is a repository of knowledge and information
and that is an indication of him being an ardent book reader. The stack of
books in his room stands as a testimony of how much he reads on daily basis. Among
the stacks of books are copies of Bhutan Observer newspapers which he was fond
of reading right from the first publications.
A thangka of His Majesty the king hangs in a
room where he took tuitions for the local children. On the walls are the
tributes of his students. He calls his room Shanti Niketan.
Mr chowdhury’s home has two separate sections,
the one part is occupied by his younger brother and his family and the other
part by Mr Chowdhury. Except for the separate fooding arrangements, the
brothers live closely. Chowdhury is a strict vegetarian while his brother is a
non-vegetarian.
On the front of the house is
an ample open space where two of Mr Chowdhury’s scooters stay parked. The Bajaj
Chetak scooter is the one he rode on the snaking roads of Pemagatshel and
Chukha and his recent acquisition is a trendier TVS scooty. The last digits of
the registration numbers are a surprise too 0515 and 5016.
And finally when it’s the time
to take his leave, he expressed his surprise. He wanted us to stay as his
guests for a day or two but, when that wasn’t possible, he reluctantly led us
till the highway where we bade good bye with madame Jasoda and my wife chanting
“Palden Drukpa Gyalo,” followed by “Jai Bharat Mata.”
Mr Chowdhury will be joining a
new school in Bihar as a Principal. A deserving appointment and another feather
in his illustrious teaching career.
Tashi Delek la.
Gyembo Namgyal
Pemagatshel
March 17, 2019
