Tribute to Sumit Sen: Celebrating the life of a journalist and a gentleman

Memorial service of former TOI Kolkata editor Sumit Sen was attended by friends and family members on Sunday.
Memorial service of former TOI Kolkata editor Sumit Sen was attended by friends and family members on Sunday.

Kolkata :

‘Celebrating Sumit’… What could be a better tribute to someone who was so dear to so many and one who made every moment count?
Sunday’s memorial service for Sumit Sen, former editor of The Times of India, Kolkata, who passed away on September 20, was a celebration of the life of a “journalist and a gentleman” – one who was as passionate about his profession as he was about wildlife, music, photography and films.

The gathering at Rabindranath Tagore Centre, ICCR, was a reflection of this — there were members of the judiciary, painters, thespians, actors, senior police officers and bureaucrats and, of course, journalists. MP Derek O’Brien conducted the event that began with a recital of shlokas, followed by reminiscences by minister Amit Mitra, minister and thespian Bratya Basu, The Times of India executive editor Arindam Sengupta, Ei Samay editor Suman Chattopadhyay, British Council director (east) Sujata Sen, industrialist Harsh Neotia and journalists Marcus Dam and Anindya Jana.

Both Mitra and Basu spoke of Sen’s sincerity as a journalist and his eye for detail. Basu mentioned how the former RE had a soft corner for those who joined politics from other fields of life.

Sengupta spoke of Sen’s talents as a team-builder and editor, and his love for wildlife. “He’d tell me that I had seen nothing in life if I hadn’t been to the Sunderbans,” Sengupta recalled, adding: “He did not give in to cancer and fought till the last day. I do not believe that we should mourn somebody like him. We should celebrate the life he lived.”

Sengupta released a memoir, ‘Celebrating Sumit’, and handed over the first copy to Sumitda’s wife, noted Bharatnatyam dancer Malabika Sen. The book was brought out by Sen’s colleagues and friends in only two days.

Chattopadhyay recalled how Sen helped build the Ei Samay team even before he took over as editor. Sujata Sen mentioned how he made “page 2 more exciting than the glamour of page 3”. She also said that she was moved by how he bore pain bravely. Neotia recalled how every meeting with Sen was memorable. And Dam, a close friend, spoke of their days together and their unfinished plan of a vacation together in the Hills. Jana recalled how he looked up to Sumitda as a teacher, though he had never been too close. “I have always wanted to be like him and watched him as Eklavya. I knew Sumitda would never ask for my thumb as gurudakshina,” Jana said.

The next session was more of an adda where journalist Uday Basu, former police commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti, Nepal consul-general Chandra Kumar Ghimire, friend Pritimoy Chakraborty, wildlife enthusiast Joydip Kundu, former journalist P K Chakraborty, former colleague Priyanka Raja and TOI Kolkata sports editor Sumit Mukherjee shared anecdotes of Sumitda.

The former police commissioner, who was a schoolmate, spoke on how Sen would gather information from him but would always cross-check before publishing anything. Pritimoy noted how Sumitda got to know how ill he really was despite efforts to keep the details from him. Mukherjee narrated anecdotes relating to Sen’s passion for Mohun Bagan while Kundu pointed out that the only thing that could cheer him up after a Bagan loss was the latest photograph of a Bengal tiger. Basu spoke of Sen’s younger days.

The event ended with a moving rendition of Tagore’s ‘Tumi Robe Nirobe’ – one of Sen’s favourite songs – by family member Aneek Dhar.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kolkata / TNN / September 28th, 2015

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