Citizen Dunlop

DUNLOP SAHAGANJ

A Nostalgic journey down memory lane

I joined Dunlop India’s Sahaganj factory in Sept. 1971, and was living at Lat Bagan, which was about 1 km from the factory.In August 1972 Titli was born at the Dunlop hospital. Purobi and me along with Titli, who was just about a year old, shifted to the Dunlop Estate in Sept 1973. We were given a small but cozy, newly built flat at the back of the Dunlop Tennis Club. The CRP camp was behind our flat, and that gave us security.

We were the first ones to move in to that locality which was at the rear end of the Estate, tucked away from the hum-drum of the inhabitants living on the Link road. Following us Taposh& Binita Sarcar along with their son Ronju moved in adjacent to our flat.

Titli & Ronju Sarcar ----- the first toddlers in Chetla

Later Ashok Dasgupta and Tutu along with their son Joy moved in to a flat above us.

Joy Dasgupta & Titli 1973 - early toddlers at Chetla

Gradually Monu Puranesh, B M Basu, D K Banerji, Khullar, Subir Sengupta, Arnab Bhattacharya, Arup Deb, Kanai Choudhuryand others moved in. The families coalesced into a small community. Like minded families also joined the neighborhood; most active amongst them were Sailen & Pranati Roy Choudhury. Harry Sen & Subir Sengupta moved in with their new wives. Purobi, Tutu and Binita gave them the traditional Bengali welcome given to new brides. All the new flats were occupied within 2 years. Most of us had a toddler or two, and surely the stork visited our locality often with bundles of joy. Work in the factory was not stressful, and the ladies soon formed their own group, oblivious of the Dunlop Ladies Club which was headed by the GWM’s wife. The GWM at that time was Arthur Smith. Entertainment outside the campus were far and few, but we enjoyed and made merry with frequent pool dinners, pot luck parties and picnics by the old pond, or nearby gardens. We even organised and staged “Borsha Mongol” at the Dunlop Cinema Hall. While the ladies were busy with the toddlers, we men tried our best to be good fathers.

An old pond at the end of our row of flats provided us excitement. We made bamboo fishing rods, bought fishing hooks & strings. Bhiku,Subir’s man-Friday made the fishing tackles and the bait was simply flour dough, and he taught us fishing too. On holidays ladies and gents gathered around the old pond to fish. Though our catch was not worth mentioning, but the chain supply of hot Pakoras and coffee provided by Mitra Sengupta and Sudha Puranesh made such adventures very entertaining. By mid-1975 the community started calling itself the Chetla Gang.

Picnic at Kundu-babu’s Ambagan (Just after Gurupur Nursery)

Basab Sen became the president, and me the secretary of the Dunlop Tennis Club in 1975. When I took over, the coffers of the club had money just enough to pay the staff which comprised of Zakir, Nirmal, bar man Ram-babu, and Raju the billiard marker. I sold the unused billiard table, raised the price of the drinks, and soon we had money to increase the value of the prizes given to winners of the various competitions, added books to our library, and started holding lavish club nights and new year parties with live band and a crooner.. We had a very pro-active young committee, of whom Sujit Baul was a tireless enthusiast. By this time many young management graduates had joined, the Bower was full, and the club became buzzing with sports and cultural activities. We even got the then famous Chuni Goswami to our club. Unfortunately I don’t have pictures of that day.

Manju Chak receiving a prize from our then GWM Arthur Smith.

New Year Party at Dunlop Tennis Club

Some members of the Chetla Gang at a New Year Party at Dunlop Tennis Club

Titli’s birthday 1976 - gathering of kids.
Most are today beautiful ladies and gents in high corporate jobs. Spot yourselves.

Kids perform on the Annual day at Dunlop Tennis Club

R N Banerji Sr. and his wife Tapati sing at a cultural function at the Club

Growing up girls sing and stage a skit at the Dunlop Tennis Club.

By 1975, many of us moved to bigger flats on the link road. Nevertheless, the spirit and friendship within the Chetla Gang bloomed. Many more joined in. The kids grew, new arrivals added, and pressures in the factory remained congenial.

The biggest event in the Chetla calendar became the Saraswati Puja. The management was gracious enough to lend us an empty flat, and for 2 days it was just fun and fun. In fact the excitement started building at the planning stage. The ladies did all the marketing, we boughta mid-sized idol from Hooghly, and Komol-da was our cook, later when the crowd became large, caterers were employed. On the “Chothurti” we had egg-curry for dinner. Later we used to call it “Deem Chothurti”. On the “Ponchomi day” it was strictly vegetarian. The evening was about kids performing and elders dancing. For the “Bhasaan” we used to take the idol around the estate shouting slogans ---“aasche bochhor abaar hobe”, to the Ganges Ghat. Later we had Mutton curry & rice before dispersing. This Saraswati Puja grew bigger and bigger every year, and luckily we got bigger flats to celebrate.

The kids always presented some dance items or skits. And the elders had fun dancing.

This picture is to picture the gathering rather me. J

Saraswati Puja pictures through the years.

By the end of 1979, Mr. Raj Bhandari took over as the Works Director. There were many changes in the top management in the factory. The factory started modernizing, and pressure started mounting. Inter-department tolerance narrowed, and friction with the unions became sharp. But, life in the Estate, especially amongst our Chetla Gang, remained joyful. We continued to have “Khat Parties” and the growing kids were encouraged to hold performances.

The week-end golf trickled to 4-5 members when in one of the annual Golf Club (I was the secretary for 10 years) parties Mr. Bhandari announced that golf did not bring promotions.

The kids celebrated Rabindra Jayanti. The ladies worked hard to train the kids to organise cultural functions. We men provided the structural support only, and hid our rum in Coca-Cola.

Apu makes a point much to the chagrin of Sona.

Moon took on the responsibility of choreographing the young dancers

Holi in the Estate

Titli celebrates her birthday

In-between, the kids played cricket on the spacious lawns in front of our link-road flats.

And we continued to have our get-togethers

When I joined Dunlop, I was not acquainted with either Golf or Horse racing. The euphoria regarding both started from Thursday every week. I was told,even the GWM asked for racing tips while on his morning rounds. The pseudo British Culture comprising the Native Shaabs was also new to us. There were the Chatterjees, Mukherjees, Sens, Raos, Malhotras, Kapoors etc etc who were born and brought up in native India but behaved as if they came straight from the Buckingham Palace. Coming from a traditional middle-class Bengali family, and after spending the 1^st five years of my job-life in a PSU it took me long to get familiar to the new world. But, when we got familiar with the Saab People we found that beneath their veneer they were all normal likeable Indians.

On Saturdays, Purobi took a rickshaw from Lat Bagan to the Bandel station. While I had a quick lunch at the Bower and took a bus to catch the 1:28 PM Bandel local to Howrah. Incidentally, that was nick-named as the “Race Train” amongst the Punters from the factory. The Bower was then full of youngsters and most had a fascination-it was about the Compound where the senior officers& their families lived, which had high boundary walls and a huge manned iron gate. There was an awe and mystery surrounding the Compound.

We and some others moved to the Compound in 1987.Arnab & his family had moved in earlier. The Compound was maintained like a garden --- trimmed hedges, manicured lawns, flowering trees, and the Ganges flowing along the outer boundary. It had its own exclusive club and a bar. I was promptly made the Club Secretary. Initially we found the Compound boring, sedate and most had a tight upper lip. The ladies moved around like the characters of Tagore’s “Tasher Desh”.

To break the monotony I organised a Barbeque Night. The ladies took keen interest. I got a Barbeque oven and skewers made in the factory. (being an Engineer had many advantages), the cook Abdul & bearers did the marketing under the guidance of the ladies. And we had a grand Barbeque Party by the riverside.

Ladies cook Sheek Kababs under the watchful eyes of the club bearer Abdul.

Holi was celebrated with enthusiastic fervor.

Boys stoke the Holi Fire the night before.

Men enjoy their drinks by the fire.

Kids & ladies play Holi

Relaxing after Holi play

Kids splash in the swimming pool after Holi.

Some boys in the Compound.

Youth in the Compound

Compound Club functions & parties ----- Pictures

Korobi wrote, directed and presented a play by the ladies.

Purobi & Chitra Sen in a drama staged by ladies in the Compound.

Basanta Utsav in the Compound - these were unheard of in the earlier years

Shyamal-da’s Night for children

And work goes on . . .

Arindam Datta discusses a point with Monu Abraham

B M Basu and me with Japanese Officials.

Compound Club get-togethers and parties continue

New Year Party Dance competition - the game was to give the MC something away every time the music stopped. It started by members giving hanky, belts, shoes, socks etc etc. Near the fag end I found late Chandi Mullick and me as the remaining dancers on the floor, both of us in our trousers only.

Late Chandi Mullick dresses back

The next time music stopped, I quickly snatched Liza’s shawl, wrapped it around myself and gave away my pants. I won. Pic shows an embarrassed Liza, and me very happy.

Christmas Party