Brothers the Sada Bari or White House is situated few k.m. away from Kolkata and this is nick name of the administrative building of Ramakrishna Mission Students Home, Belgharia, Kolkata.Viewers, sorry I am not here to make a documentation about the RKM Student Home, but share my past experiences, which are covering for all the time no matter where I am. (Ramakrishna Mission Shilpapiha is polytechnic college under WBSCTE, which is sister institute of Ramakrishna Mission Students Home. Here I have completed my Diploma in Electronics.)
It was an usual day in college and some boys came in the class room to inform us about the VSC classes, which is held on every Monday on Tiffin hours, some sadhu will take the class. The group came that day, I knew few of them, because earlier we had an introduction session which I mean to say soft ragging. This is for information, 2 boys out of the group has become sadhu in Ramakrishna Order.
When I chose the college in counseling, I thought RKMSTH will be a college run by sadhues like others institute say, RKM, Narandapur, RKM Rahara etc. You find there are nos. of boys who has keen aspiration to study in such kind of institute, surely to get good environment for study and others nourishment which can make them perfect human being. Fortunately I was not from amongst socially established family who get good knowledge to run their kith & kin in a right direction. Because if so, then I am not able to get in touch with missionary activities in a different, so humble and down to earth ways.
Sorry, I am shifting from my goal……., fortunately the teachers, principal were not sadhu, so that would be my first chance in VSC class to interact with a sadhu to get knowledge about them. Before join the class I was hammered to listen some unsocial activities of mission and asked to get away form them. But during my last 9 years of experience I never come across such kind of things, I don’t know why people guess and through any comments upon them, it is true with all the religion communities.
10.04.08, During college days this was a habit to be a WT (with out ticket) and travel in Local Trains. This habit was grown from my college, because by the virtue of the student of City College or any college in Shealdha area like Bongabanshi College, Surendranath College, Scent’s Pauls College, we the students feel happy to travel in Local Trains as WT. The concept was like that the govt. took consolidate amount of money from our fees, so we should feel proud to travel in local trains in Shealdha division (I don’t know the situation in Howrah Division). So let the Local Trains as your own properties (baap ka mall) still you are a student in Calcutta University, and if found any problem then just tell to the T.T, who u are (rail montroker dara chhattra der kach thake onnai bhabe ticket amdani manchhi na…….. manbo na…….., Chatra Porishod porichalito amader dabi mante hobe, mante hobe………….) I don’t think I brought tickets more than 5 to 10 times during my 3 years studentship in City College. All though I had to walk a lot to save my pocket money also, from shealdha to city college it is nearly 2 k.m. distance.
Disappointment: In Mumbai I seldom get such kind of thing which can “chakka jam” the city.
Our college was just adjacent to Student’s Home, and one day afternoon I went inside, along with one of my friend. That was my first entry in side the mission through Sada Bari (original name Vivekananda Dham), You will feel great to see the views when ever you enter in the student’s home, there was a big pond and there is the Temple just on the opposite side where now are standing. If you turn your face 180 D left and Right you see there are 3 dham’s each on your left and right, and back the white house.
12th January, the National Youth Day, we gather in centenary hall to celebrate swamiji’s birthday. There were several programs few of them was Tabla Jugalbandhi by Abhishek-Monzul, recitation by Sourabh Das, some elocution by Santanu. That time the secretary of vivvsc was Atanu da. Debu ( khuni, name given by Subrato oroffe Commred), Saikat da, Gibinda Da (bhandari), Alokesh, Sonjay Da was active members of the group. The typical event in the program was questionnering session by Subroto Maharaj ( he was the secretary of RKM Student’s home and presently transferred to Varanashi RKM Math). The people were given a piece of paper and asked to write their questions in religion or spiritual ground. The moment was wonderful and every body were stunned by listening the speech/conversation by the majharaj. But beg a part, I think there are few common questions in every body’s mind which reflects in the pattern of questions they asked that day, and they asked those few questions in the next year also.
RKMSTH, In my 1st year I had good class metes, among them Sanjoy(bias), Anup, Sumon (boudi), Sourabh (tumpa), Prodipto, Anupam, Rathin (ragg), Dibendu those name I recollect. I have still contacts with Sanjoy and Anup. Sanjoy used to be a good chap and having healthy relationship with all others and with teachers also, he used to be group leader like person, always helpful and full of humor. On the other hand Anup was person of free mind, he always wants to be his carrier in networking, and now he works in Capgamini. Last year he came to Mumbai and I met with him, we went to lokhanwalla for shopping. He present me a shirt, which is still hangs up on the hanger in my room in front of my eyes. A good memento. And Sumon was very studious amongst us and scored top in lateral B.E, now works in IBM. He always busy in study, but good chap. We used to gather in his mess during our exam, he is the only way to help out us given us exam notes and suggestion. Some time I get oppose form those for making close attachment with mission, but always maintain a good relation with both the side, so I did not misbehave, although listing some hearting words, but carry forward them. Last January when I went in Calcutta, me and Sanjoy set together for 2 hours in a coffee pub in esplanade opposite to music world, Anup had to be there but unfortunately absent. Apart from Sanjay and Anpu, I do not have contacts with others.
There were others friends also like Sudipta (DEE, now he is in Mumbai and recently married, seldom we have talk), Dhruba (DEE, now works in GE, Hydarabad), Kushal (DEE), Sisir (DCE, he was in Guwahati, and now probably shifted to Calcutta).
Sada Bari/ White House/ Vivekananda Dham
