It was yesterday morning and I was going through my FB, when I read that Manna Da is no more. Unfortunately, I misread it as Manna De. It was only while scrolling down, there was another post on Sailen Manna... and then I realised it was Manna Da.
To few he was Sailen Manna... for the rest he was Manna Da. He was Manna Da to my father... and when I discussed about him with my father, he was Manna Da only.
When did first see him? Maybe when I was 4-5 years of age and when the statue of my grand-pa was unveiled at the Maidan. My dad must have said to me, “Pronam karo” and I must have done the same. I remember he stood patiently with the smile on, when all our family members got themselves clicked with him.
A tall man with a smiling face... what strikes you when you meet him is his simplicity. I have always seen him in white shirts tucked out.
On every occasion that belonged to my grand-father, Manna Da was around... and he was one of the 1st to arrive at the venue. And whenever he arrived, the first thing he would do was to go to the ladies of the family wherever they were sitting, do a Namaskar and enquire about their wellbeing. This happened over the years on every 20th August at Maidan to celebrate Dadu’s birthday.
Manna Da, along with Chuni Goswami, P K Banerjee and K V Raghunatha Reddy, the then Governor of West Bengal, had unveiled the postage stamp and 1st day cover to celebrate the 102nd birthday of dadu.
Every time I heard him speak of dadu on his birthdays, I found him very respectful and he used to talk to the young boys present on the occasions on what they should look to emulate from Gostha Paul. Gostha Paul was “Gostha Babu” to Manna Da, the 1st and 2nd Padma Shris of football and the true “Gharer Chhele-s” of Mohun Bagan.
Even I had an interaction with Manna Da. I was working with Wockhardt Hospitals in Calcutta. On the occasion of World Health Day, we launched “Suraksha Bandhan”, an initiative wherein the young ones would take a pledge to secure healthcare for their grand-parents. The initiative was to be launched at the Raj Bhavan by Viren J Shah, the Governor. I was asked to get couple of celebrities for the event.
I called Manna Da and sought an appointment. I was asked to come down to his house at Park Circus. When I reached, his wife opened the door and made me sit in the drawing room. Soon, he walked in... in a white shirt and lungi. I told him about the event and invited him. He agreed and said that “we are shifting to our new home at Salt Lake and you need to pick me up from there”. I was more than happy. Then, I told him “ami Gostha Paul-er naati, Nirangsu’r chhele”. “Oh... tumi Nirangsu’r chhele, Gostho babu’r naati... khoob bhaalo... chinta koro na, ami asbo”.
He did come down and not in the vehicle that we had sent for him... that broke down midway. He suggested my colleague that we go in a cab rather than waiting for the vehicle to get running again and they came in the cab. He was very happy to be part of the event, he was very happy to meet the Hon’ble Governor. When he spoke, he remember his Olympic days, he talked about Asian Games and he reiterated time and again, he felt good to have been invited to Raj Bhavan. But somewhere I felt what he left unsaid was pain / hurt at being left out in the current day scheme of things.
The likes of Gostha Pauls and Umapati Kumars and Sailen Mannas would have never talked about what they did not get from the current day club officials... they could never talk about being sidelined by the club officials post their prime because somewhere they always felt they were happy to be part of the institution named Mohun Bagan... they never accounted for what they are getting but they believed they are what they are for the Club. They never expressed their sentiments for them, the club was their all. The club officials have always taken advantage of the same... the Gosthas and the Mannas are perfect photo-opportunity moments for them and the power hungry.
There have been years that on my grand-father’s birthday Mohun Bagan club were represented by the gardener of the club. The officials find it difficult to come down to his statue, which is at a stone-throw distance from the club. Did that make us (the family) happy? It was the gardener who used to tell my father and uncles, “Babu, tent-e aasben... chhobita aaj saajiyechhi”.
While there is a huge hue and cry and I see hundreds of Mohun Bagan supporters livid at Manna Da’s daughter for not allowing the hearse to come to Mohun Bagan ground, I am not surprised. My father stopped going to Mohun Bagan ground for a long time when the Mohun Bagan officials showed utter disrespect. I stopped going to the club.
If Gostha Paul has been neglected, I am sure even Sailen Manna has been. Some would say, “Club baro, Institution baro”... Unfortunately, for us, the children, “Baba” comes first.
So, when Anjan Mitra says, “Amra o-ke Mohun Bagan ratno diyechhi”, I would simply tell him, “Mr Mitra, Sailen Manna is a jewel in the crown of Mohun Bagan... Mohun Bagan ratno deoway Manna Da ratno honni”. What people forget is “Actions speak louder than words”.
Manna Da, bhalo thakben. Pronam neben.
To few he was Sailen Manna... for the rest he was Manna Da. He was Manna Da to my father... and when I discussed about him with my father, he was Manna Da only.
When did first see him? Maybe when I was 4-5 years of age and when the statue of my grand-pa was unveiled at the Maidan. My dad must have said to me, “Pronam karo” and I must have done the same. I remember he stood patiently with the smile on, when all our family members got themselves clicked with him.
A tall man with a smiling face... what strikes you when you meet him is his simplicity. I have always seen him in white shirts tucked out.
On every occasion that belonged to my grand-father, Manna Da was around... and he was one of the 1st to arrive at the venue. And whenever he arrived, the first thing he would do was to go to the ladies of the family wherever they were sitting, do a Namaskar and enquire about their wellbeing. This happened over the years on every 20th August at Maidan to celebrate Dadu’s birthday.
Chuni Goswami, Manna Da and Shyamal Sen at an event to celebrate Gostha Paul's 113th birthday
Manna Da, along with Chuni Goswami, P K Banerjee and K V Raghunatha Reddy, the then Governor of West Bengal, had unveiled the postage stamp and 1st day cover to celebrate the 102nd birthday of dadu.
Every time I heard him speak of dadu on his birthdays, I found him very respectful and he used to talk to the young boys present on the occasions on what they should look to emulate from Gostha Paul. Gostha Paul was “Gostha Babu” to Manna Da, the 1st and 2nd Padma Shris of football and the true “Gharer Chhele-s” of Mohun Bagan.
Even I had an interaction with Manna Da. I was working with Wockhardt Hospitals in Calcutta. On the occasion of World Health Day, we launched “Suraksha Bandhan”, an initiative wherein the young ones would take a pledge to secure healthcare for their grand-parents. The initiative was to be launched at the Raj Bhavan by Viren J Shah, the Governor. I was asked to get couple of celebrities for the event.
I called Manna Da and sought an appointment. I was asked to come down to his house at Park Circus. When I reached, his wife opened the door and made me sit in the drawing room. Soon, he walked in... in a white shirt and lungi. I told him about the event and invited him. He agreed and said that “we are shifting to our new home at Salt Lake and you need to pick me up from there”. I was more than happy. Then, I told him “ami Gostha Paul-er naati, Nirangsu’r chhele”. “Oh... tumi Nirangsu’r chhele, Gostho babu’r naati... khoob bhaalo... chinta koro na, ami asbo”.
He did come down and not in the vehicle that we had sent for him... that broke down midway. He suggested my colleague that we go in a cab rather than waiting for the vehicle to get running again and they came in the cab. He was very happy to be part of the event, he was very happy to meet the Hon’ble Governor. When he spoke, he remember his Olympic days, he talked about Asian Games and he reiterated time and again, he felt good to have been invited to Raj Bhavan. But somewhere I felt what he left unsaid was pain / hurt at being left out in the current day scheme of things.
The likes of Gostha Pauls and Umapati Kumars and Sailen Mannas would have never talked about what they did not get from the current day club officials... they could never talk about being sidelined by the club officials post their prime because somewhere they always felt they were happy to be part of the institution named Mohun Bagan... they never accounted for what they are getting but they believed they are what they are for the Club. They never expressed their sentiments for them, the club was their all. The club officials have always taken advantage of the same... the Gosthas and the Mannas are perfect photo-opportunity moments for them and the power hungry.
There have been years that on my grand-father’s birthday Mohun Bagan club were represented by the gardener of the club. The officials find it difficult to come down to his statue, which is at a stone-throw distance from the club. Did that make us (the family) happy? It was the gardener who used to tell my father and uncles, “Babu, tent-e aasben... chhobita aaj saajiyechhi”.
While there is a huge hue and cry and I see hundreds of Mohun Bagan supporters livid at Manna Da’s daughter for not allowing the hearse to come to Mohun Bagan ground, I am not surprised. My father stopped going to Mohun Bagan ground for a long time when the Mohun Bagan officials showed utter disrespect. I stopped going to the club.
If Gostha Paul has been neglected, I am sure even Sailen Manna has been. Some would say, “Club baro, Institution baro”... Unfortunately, for us, the children, “Baba” comes first.
So, when Anjan Mitra says, “Amra o-ke Mohun Bagan ratno diyechhi”, I would simply tell him, “Mr Mitra, Sailen Manna is a jewel in the crown of Mohun Bagan... Mohun Bagan ratno deoway Manna Da ratno honni”. What people forget is “Actions speak louder than words”.
Manna Da, bhalo thakben. Pronam neben.
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