Monday, May 1, 2017

Science Express at Barrackpore Railway Station, West Bengal



It is afternoon of summer time, the 1st May of 2017, the Science Express which has started its journey 77 days before from Delhi Safderjung Station under Northern Railway) on 17th February 2017. This is 29th Railway station this train has opened for the visitors.



Such trains are running in our country since 2007, this is Phase IX in the series. This time theme is Climate Change. It will run 19000 kms and reached 68 railway stations till 8th September 2017. There are six Central Government agencies they are from Department of Science & Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Indian Railways and Vtkram & Sarabhai Community Science Center & wild Life Institute of India. All the exhibits are in 13 railway coaches. The staff are there to explain the exhibits, some exhibits are interactive.

The Scouts & Guides with their adult leaders of Bharat Scouts & Guides of Eastern Railway, Barrackpore Railway Group are there as a volunteers.  This train will be opened at Barrackpore Railway station till tomorrow. Next day it will be stationed and open at Kalyani Railway station.

A stall of publications of Botanical Survey of India is also there.

Local organiser should have planned more publicity for the benefit of local people.

Monday, April 24, 2017

Rock climbing training of the Institute of Exploration of Kolkata






A programme on handing over certificates to the participants who have done Rock Climbing course at Sushunia, Bankura of West Bengal.There were about 95 trainees from the state of West Bengal. It was a 4 days programme. Participants are mainly youths of both the sex.The organiser was The Institute of Exploration (TIOE) of Kolkata. This was their 48th Rock climbing course. They had started such training since 1971. The training area is generally at Sushunia Hills where the trainees get the opportunity to learn to climb  the rock, rappelling, negotiating crevasse, use and maintenance of rope and other climbing and camping equipment. The instructors and other organisers are all volunteers. They do pay for joining this training programme.There were young aspirants who were given to learn nature, Basic, Advance and Method of Instruction .  TIOE is having their office at central Kolkata at Creek Road. The members assembled here on Saturday afternoon.

This time they invited Bipin Ganatra, a civic volunteer to help in fire accident and felicitated him. The young trainees were inspired by his talk.
 Ardhendu Sekhar Nakar, Director Field Training of 48th RCC gave a report of this course



The best trainees were presented was medal. A team of Medical practitioner joined for giving medical service to the local people of the surrounding villages. They were also volunteers.



M A Nabi, the General Secretary of the IOE gave a report of the activities for about last one year.

In 2017 the IOE has organised Ronti Saddel round trek at Uttrakhand. The leader of the trek prsented a slide show 
The slides on Mount Polo Ganka (6632 meters) of Ladakh area was presented by Prasanjit Roy. Leader was MA Nabi 



44th Graduation Ceremony of TIOE

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Voluntary donation of blood at Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical Hospital for a patient who is admitted there


Do you remember when you have donated blood ? In case you are regular donor, it is difficult to remember. Any able body can donate blood once in three months. There is a regular system in our body to generate blood in a normal way.






In the past I had given blood for the patients when it were required. I came to know need of one of our friend from Bangladesh had come our city for treatment, I went o donate blood for him. In 2015  one organisation of north Kolkata organised blood donation for Indian Army, the representatives from Command Hospital (East) had collected blood.



An ex student of Rabindra Bharati University Subash Singha is now admitted to Nilratan Sirkar Medical College, Haematology Department, Sealyham. He required blood & blood products for transfusion as per medical advice. Subash is from Purba Midnapore, he is the elder son, The blood donar cards have been collected from Civil societies, State Bank of India Officers Association (Bengal Circle) & others. The required blood product are not available most of the time at Blood Banks  Government of West Bengal at Kolkata.

Recently one of the representative from patient called on the Director of Blood Bank of NRS Medical College, he verbally agreed to help to collect blood from volunteer(s) at the premises of NRS Medical College Blood Bank , Ground floor and same will be available to the, hopefully to Subash Singha who is admitted there at.

You can give your opinion about donate blood and your experience of donating there at. Please take initiative to save by voluntary donating blood. The representative of blood bank will examine your health before blood collection.


Monday, January 30, 2017

My memory with Himalayan Club

It was in 1970, we were 7 members who went to Amarnath (J &K) following the normal route.
Brief on trek to Amarnath

We hired sleeping bags  and inner fly of artic tent ( condemn items) from Himalayan Club, the store was located at 63/E Mahanirban Road,, South Kolkata, we had a good experience of weting inside the tent at Panchatarni in the month of August.We shared one sleeping bag among two of us. The getting mountaineering equipments at Kolkata was not so easy at that time.

Next year in 1971 we had established The Institute of Exploration at 11/B Indian Mirror Street, the chamber of (Late) Dr Manindra Lal Biswas.. We started visiting National Library searching information on Indian Himalayas including Himalayan Journal.(HJ)

The Institute of Exploration received 5 volumes of HJ from Himalayan Club., it was a great gift for us.


Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Intial days with Indian Army

It is difficult to recall the events of the first day in the office of your service life. For me, it was a 10 months pre-commissioned training at Officers Training Academy, Chennai, then 5 months Young Officers (Artillery) Course training at Artillery School, Deolali, Maharastra. I gave the option for high altitude and field area posting. The posting was to an Artillery unit which was located at North Sikkim, accordingly, I was planning to travel to New Jalpaiguri. I wrote a  Demi Official letter to my unit, mentioning that I have been posted there. I got a reply from the Adjutant of the unit and I was told to reach Dharampur Railway station not to New Jalpaiguri, It is located between Kalka to Shimla railway line of Northern Railway.
I reached on the due date and contacted my unit over landline. I was told to wait at the railway station. The representatives from the unit reached with a garlanded made of the cones of the pine tree, a parachute in a pack condition, a rammer, this used for ramming in the barrel of an artillery gun and a megaphone, used by the Gun Position Officer at the Command post of an artillery battery. This was for passing verbal order to the gunners.
The location is a part of Shimla Hills, we could see towards the south the street lights of Chandigarh during clear sky of dark hours of the day. Towards the north, we could see the snowy peaks at a far distance beyond Shimla.  It was 31st October, the winter was coming. My first night was under the tent, An officer was dressed like a helping hand, we call them ‘sahayak’ for me, he was Capt (then, later Col ) Ravindra Kumar, a resident of Chandigarh. The Commanding Officer dressed like a driver, he was driving Jonga. A detailed plan was chalked out for misguiding me in every step and the newborn officer had to overcome those fun.
The senior subaltern had the privilege to educate newborn officer on unit matters including Officers Mess customs e.t.c.   The new officer is welcome to be a member of the Officers fraternity in a process which we have followed from British Army. The dinning in, of Officers Mess, is the program for the Officer and his family after their arrival at the unit location and dinning out before their departure from the same location. This event is also called winning in, it was the first day for testing wine in a ceremonial way. The procedure the officer will take a post like a gunner, the wine is served in a bowl may be cocktail and he has to gulp it in one go.  It is difficult to forget those customs even after 38 years of leaving this unit. On Christmas Day of 1974, I went to check the guard duty during  the midnight when snowing started. The next day morning we find the area was completely covered with white snow, it seems covered by white bedsheets. It melt within a few days of sun rays. We had visited the cinema at Ambala and Chandigarh whenever we had visited those locations. This location was come and quite specially during dark hours of the day. A public school for the boys was there. Their parent were mostly NRIs. Apart from Officers Mess’s social event, the other mode of entertainment was radio, I had a 3 bands transistor, it was my good friend  for about the next 10 years. We had a orchestra team who played nice western and Hindi songs and tunes, they are all soldiers.
The Indian Army was raised from British Indian Army in 1950, and 15th January is observed the Indian Army day. I had the opportunity to watch the first Army Day parade at the Garrison Ground of Delhi in 1970, I was then NCC Cadet and joined NCC Republic day camp thereat.
After my release from Indian Army, I had attended a programme which was held at Siliguri in 1982. I saw my coursemate of OTA was one of the Pilot of the event, I could not mate him there, I got a chance to speak to him  over phone after 35 years when he was at New Delhi after his retirement from the Indian Army.
I learned to undergo about one month Commando Course as early as possible after Pre Commissioned training, we were then in good health condition. This course is run by the Infantry School, Belgao, Karnatak.  I was told to undergo this training with a notice of 10 hours, I do remember to leave my living accommodation when the down training was crossing the tunnel and I reached the railway station to aqvil the said train bound to Kalka Railway station. I was the fittest person in 1975 in my life for which staying about 4 months on the Himalayas and keeping space with those foreigners was possible by me.
There was hardly any spare time to think for self and family though I was bachelor then. I had a keen interest for doing mountaineering, I got the chance to be an Indian Liaison Officer first with USA team to Mulkila Six, in Himachal Pradesh, it was about one and half month. Then with a team from Japan Self defence Forces (JSDF) to Sickle Moon in Kishtwar Region of J&K. Both the team members were 12 members, JSDF had 2 ladies in their team. They had no experience in Indian Himalayas, except Leader of USA team Dr Lute Jerstard who had climbed Everest with the USA team in 1963. He had vast experience on India.
The USA  expedition was successfully climbed Mulkila Six (20,600 fts), in Lahul & Spiti of HP. We called on Fakurudin Ali Ahmed, then the President of India at Rastrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. The USA team had a strong desired to climb a virgin modest peak, but in October 1974 a team from Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) had climbed this peak.  
I had a problem with the Japanese language. We lost one Japanese climber Lieutenant Takachi and Indian Havilder Ang Chotter of Indo Tibetian Border Police (ITBP) during the Japanese expedition. He was from Darjeeling. and  was the only member who was a member of Indo Japanese mountaineering expedition team  of 1973 to Sickle Moon in Kishtwar region of J&K.
Before joining Army I had done the Basic Mountaineering course from Western Himalayas Mountaineering Institute, Manali, Himachal Pradesh & Advance Mountaineering Course from Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling.


 I was also organised and member of mountaineering expedition to Central ( 20 620 ft.) & Lion (20100 ft.) peaks of Lahul & Spiti of Himachal Pradesh. This was the first time NCC flag was hoisted on a top of a mountain peak.
The Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) is the apex body of our country IMF , they appoint Indian Liaison Officer with foreign mountaineering expedition.


 I was called by the Army HQ, Military Service Co-ord. Branch for this assignment. My unit was not happy that I was called by name for this assignment, I left for New Delhi from practice camp after completing my role in this training. I was aware of mountaineering activities in Indian Army; The Army Mountaineering Association (AMA) was at Sena Bhawan under the Directorate of Military Training.
I had the experience to form an association at Kolkata in 1971 when I was a college student and organised adventure activities such as training and expedition. The name of this organisation is The Institute of Exploration


Climbers ( extreme left & right) Asit Roy & Keshab Mukherjee. other members Maj S K De (R) & Swapan Pal ( L to R)  of Central (20620 fts) & Lion (20100 fts) of 1972 expedition of The Institute of Exploration










Friday, December 16, 2016

Remembering 1971 at Kolkata during Bangladesh Liberation 1971



It was 50 years back, I was a college student,
 appeared B.Sc final examination of the University of Calcutta, an NCC Cadet of Army Wing. We few active NCC Cadets of Kolkata formed an NGO for persuasion of adventure. We were manning 7x24 hrs our civil Defence Casualty service. We planned our first rock climbing training program at Sushunia Hill, Bankura district when the war was declared. We were mentally disturbed about our rock climbing training program.  All India Radio was main source of our information apart from daily newspapers. We heard the cease-fire declaration. I was spending some time at the Indian Red Cross Society (West Bengal), Disaster Training Institute at Gokul Boral Street of Central Kolkata. It was a two-storied building, one day I found plasma was stacked on the ground floor without any temperature control system in an open space. This was relief material received from foreign countries.

Surrender ceremony of Pakistani Army at Dhaka on 16th December 1971

We had our first Rock Climbing Course as per schedule. We had invited General Officer Commanding of Bengal Area, Major General Pemenshu Chowdury, PVSM,  to be our Guest in Chief  of distribution of certificates to the trainees of this course.  He accepted our request and program was held at BNR ( South Eastern Railway) Tent of Kolkata Maidan.

Vijaya Diwas Memorial service held at Kolkata on 16th December 2016 (.From Lt to Rt)  Lt General Parveen Bakshi, AVSM, VSM, ADC, GOC-in-C, EC, Vice Admiral Harish Bisht, FOC-in-C, ENC & Air Marshal C Hari Kumar, VM, VSM,, AOC -in-C EAC

In 1983,  I was doing annual training camp of Territorial  Army, we went to Bengdubi, North Bengal, I saw the cemented platforms of EPIP tents where the prison of the war of the Pakistani Army were kept. I visited Bangladesh by road in 1987 only at Dacca and again in 1997 this time Dacca and Sylhet. I have friends who are amateur wireless operators. I inspired Bangladesh youths to start adventure activities in their own way, they can visit the Himalayas which will inspire them mountain adventure. Bangladesh Army started this activity.






An  Artillery unit, 90 Field Regiment  of Indian Army who took part Cactus Lily  they captured some of the souvenirs from then East Pakistan, those are
Insignia of Pakistan Navy


Foundation stone of Chittagaon Naval Base

At the left Lt Gen ( then Lt Col) V P Gupta (Retd) Commanding Officer of 90 Field Regiment

Artillery Gun captured during Operation Cactus Lily of 1971



  


Sunday, November 20, 2016

Memory on Indira Gandhi at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India

It was 26 years back at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Darjeeling, she was then Prime Minister of India and President of HMI. The occasion was to celebrate Silver Jubilee of HMI on 1st October. The inaugural function was at the lawn of HMI, there was no public address system, only one mouthpiece was there for AIR Kurseong for the audio recording of the event. i was there as an ordinary member of HMI. I had an intention to record her speech by a record player, the security personnel directed me to record from the delegates arena. There was a table which was covered with various prizes and mementos. This was handed over during the event. I took a chance to place the record player on the table from where she was giving her address.



i prepared a memento made of ‘Khada’ ( a silk scarf) used to honour the people by the Buddhists.  All the participants of this event had given their autograph on this ‘Khada’ , Indira Gandhi took interest to give her autograph, others were Jyoti Basu, then Chief Minister and T N Singh, Governor  of the State of West Bengal, Sir Edmund Hillary, Peter Hillary, the members of last Indian successful Everest Expedition of 1965.
This was her last visit to Darjeeling. She was keen on adventure and Himalayas. I remember her on her centenary year
19th November 2016