DADON: My Biggest Cheerleader

 DADON: My Biggest Cheerleader

-        Prateeti Das

 

All of these preparations started on the evening of July 1, 2022. It was our youngest cousin, Jyotishmita’s, Annaprashan. After the programme was over, after the guests left, only the immediate family members were sitting and chit-chatting, when Choto Dadu placed his idea in front of the whole family of how he was planning to start a biography for Dadon. We might ask, why this? Because he deserves it. Because he is the most selfless and giving person I have ever met.

If I have to write a few things about him, I will have to start from Day 1, the day I was born, the day he got his new identity, the day he got a new title, the day he became DADON. I am their first grandchild, the first born of their eldest child. Obviously, they were the happiest that day, like c’mon; I was literally their apple of the eye (which I still am though).  At that time, Dadon was the Principal of Bidyamandir H.S. School. They used to stay in the school quarters where I too stayed after I was sent back from the hospital.

I remember Mamuni telling me that he distributed sweets to the whole hospital and school the day I was born. He was very happy. He even stayed over in the hospital that night. He used to chores for me; he used to wash all my clothes, even the ones filled with the potty. The first thing he used to do after coming back from school was to take me in his lap. I am very attached to my grandparents, both Dadon and Dida, probably because both my parents are working and I have spent the majority of my childhood at my grandparents’ place. I remember they used to hide and come back from our place, otherwise, I always used to cry my eyes out for them to take me with them.

He was the proudest on my first day of school. He always used to teach me something or the other, be it teaching numbers or rhymes. And his teachings were never the boring pen and paper method, he always used to come up with fun activities to teach me any topic. I remember I used to love listening to stories and I always used to bug him for telling me one. So I remember one incident when I told Dadon to tell me one story. He started it with, “two lions are fighting for food, they are still fighting. So let us do a thing, let us take a nap and after we wake up, we can see if they stopped fighting or not.” And that is how he used to get rid of me.

He has been proud of even the tiniest things, be it getting ‘good marks’ in maths, my first dance performance on stage, or simply just anchoring a programme. He has always been hyped about everything. He always asked me about my studies. I remember him always taking me to the book fairs and getting me lots of books. He even used to attend my school science day with me. He taught me maths with fun activities and he always did science experiments at home, with the things available at home. When I grew up, like the typical teenager that I was, we got distant because he always brought up the subject of studies but I did not enjoy it. Even I used to be scolded by him as well, be it for studies or for misbehaving with someone.

I am astonished how a man has so much knowledge about everything and about all the subjects. Literally, ask him anything and he has the exact explanations with proper proof if needed. You cannot make him believe in any religion or any superstition until and unless he finds a logical and scientific explanation to it.

So after my masters, he wanted me to clear my NET and get a Ph.D., which did not happen and I took up B.Ed. Here again, very proudly I can say that I completed my B. Ed course from none other than Dadon’s college. West Guwahati College of Education was founded by him. My friends used to tease me that why am I even attending classes when I am the literal ‘malkin’ of the college!  But I am very glad that Dadon came up with this college where along with me, thousand other students successfully completed their courses surrounded by such wonderful teachers. This is the only private B.Ed college that provides the science course. For his immense contribution towards the college, a building of the college is to be named after him. Which for me, as his granddaughter, is a thing of privilege. Along with this college, he was also the founder of Kharupetia College and West Guwahati Commerce College.

I have learned a lot from Dadon and he never ceases to amaze me. His principles, his discipline, and how to get adapted to any environment. So, as a promise to Dadon, I will get the Ph.D., maybe not right now but very soon. Hope till then you will still be as proud of me as you used to be.

Last but least, cannot forget Dida, without whom Dadon could not have done so much for society. Without that lady, none of these would have ever happened.

Also, Choto Dadu, thank you so much, for giving us this platform and making it possible. We can never thank you enough for making this happen.