Dr Sanat Kumar Kar
Biswanath Bhattacharya
February 9, 2023, 07:12:14
There is a friend of mine. His name is Dr Sanat Kumar Kar, aged about 87 years. By profession a Clinical Psychologist.
His three generations are Doctors only. Grandfather Dr Haripada Kar, and father Dr . Pasupathi Kar.
His son Dr Niladri Kar ( Nilu) is Nuclear Physicist, and his youngest son Himadri (Bubu) is an Agricultural Scientist. Nilu is a widower and stays permanently at the USA with his son. Bubu’s wife Manika is always at the back and call of Sanat da and looks after everything he needs like his own daughter. Sanat da is a connoisseur of good tea and he takes it more than often in a day. And who will serve him the tea other than Monika at every odd hour?
Though 87, his memory is elephantine. That day also he lectured me on the great writer Syed Maztuba Ali and the Rabindranath Researcher Abu Syed Ayub. I have read all the books of Maztuba Ali earlier and many times, but he refreshed my memory. Syed Maztuba Ali was not only a writer but a journalist, travel enthusiast, academic, scholar and linguist.
Whoever has not read Maztuba Ali has missed something in his life.
And Abu Syed Ayub delved into every shelf of Rabindra Literature, His wife Gauri is also equally proficient.
I have no yardstick to measure the erudition of Shri Sanat Kumar Kar, my Sanat Da.
In every field, he roams freely – be it medical science or literature, or philosophy. Santat da also traverses easily and equally on International affairs and has a definite say on each matter. He is not a silent spectator on domestic affairs too- be it the recent budget or Adani issue. I was amazed to see how he dissected the present budget and elaborated all pros and cons of the budget.
Every day in the morning he sits with his patients – the fee is Rs. 50.00 . Treats almost 10-12 patients daily. From the downtrodden patients, he does not take fee, but rather helps them with medicine and also sometimes with money. The local people treat him as a Dhanvantari. The love and affection of the people is his protective shield.
He is an agriculturist too- has vast agricultural fields. Paddy, Mustards are sown there. He not only consumes but also sells a very good portion of his produce and donates it generously. Every evening he goes to his vast field of crops and caresses them like a father, The crops also a beacon to him by swinging their heads. He becomes solely attached to the nature surrounding him and draws his life juice for the day . The vast paddy field calls him, and Sanat da feels that it's time to answer the call and get outside and into the beautiful flora and fauna. The soft morning light blesses him for the day, the comforting smell of rain —petrichor-, the glory of a sunset—and nature allures him in every day and he gains his vitality from nature itself.
I am thinking to go to Howrah to collect some of his crops.
My daily dose is his profuse scolding – until he scolds me, he does not attain peace of mind. That day Sanat da asked me to stay with him permanently. His love and affection for him are paramount.
A child-like personality. He has proved by himself that we do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.
And in the morning Sanat da plays with me. Whenever I do not play with him, he blocks me in Facebook, WhatsApp, Signal, and Instagram as well. Once he blocked me on Facebook, but he was not finding a way to retrieve me. He took professional help to find me a way out.
Many contemporary personality psychologists believe that there are five basic dimensions of personality, often referred to as the "Big 5" personality traits. These five primary personality traits are extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. And Sanat da has every one of these traits in abundance.
Friendship must be cultivated. A lot of effort, time, skill, and manners are needed to have a long respectful friendship- be it online or offline. And I have the patience to cultivate it.
AGE IS A NUMBER ONLY!!!!
A word of caution:
Never call Sanat da in between 1400 hours to 1700 hours. This is his siesta time.
(Tripurainfo)