Correspondence between Naresh Bhowmick and Dr. Triguna Sen (March 1965)

From: Naresh Bhowmick,
23/1, Kumartuly Street, Calcutta-5.
Dr. Triguna Sen, Padma Bhusan,
Rector, Jadavpur University,
Calcutta-32.
Respected Dr. Sen,
March 16, 1965.
Please excuse me for encroaching upon your valuable
time, although, under compelling circumstances, I have been
forced to write you this long letter in the hope that you
would be kind enough to refrain yourself from damaging the
political role so long played by you in the public life of the
country.
It is an admitted fact that you have established
your career as a veteran educationist in the life of the
country today by virtue of your German Doctorate alone and
thus lined up with the Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi and
Kabiguru Rabindra Nath. But your sudden appearance in Calcutta
Corporation politics without facing the peoples' verdict and
placing yourself in the position of first citizen of Calcutta
had amazed many of us. In the first term you had full support
from the Congress but on the eve of your re-election for the
2nd term you were vehemently opposed by the Congress and it
was the opposition (U.C.C. and some independents) who saved
your position by bringing pressure on Congress to enlist its
support for the 2nd term. This clearly shows you had no
particular political philosophy but played Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde in order to maintain your personal prestige.
During the language movement in Cachar, so far as
I remember, you had made so many strong speeches against the
ruling party and even had been to Delhi with the Cachar
Language Delegation with a view to make them swallow the
sugar-coated tablet of the Shastri Formula leaving the fate
of Assam Valley Bengali in the lurch. You had thrown a
challenge to Mr. B. P. Chaliha that you would set up an ass
against him if he at all contested from Cachar. Although,
Mr. Chaliha could not contest, his arch follower Mr. Mainul
Haque Choudhury who practically acted as spokesman of Mr.
Chaliha during language movement was returned to the Assam
Assembly from Cachar without any opposition from your side.
I had been in Cachar during the last general elections and
opposed Mr. Haque along with Mr. Gulam Osmani, Bar-at-law.
During the election campaign Mr. Haque's followers once
attacked us with deadly weapons in broad day light and man-
handled our men and also damaged our car. Where had you been
at that time, when you had shown so much interest during the
language movement? Have you any knowledge about the funds
raised by the Ananda Bazar Patrika for erection of a memorial
for language Sahids? I think no memorial has yet been
erected. Where is the money and why you are silent over it.
During Save Pakistan Minorities movement last
year, you made an inflamatory speech accusing left leaders
at the University Institute Hall and thereby posed yourself
as the only bonafide public man of Bengal. I had been to
Bongaon when the movement was launched. I know the entire
history of the movement and how the leaders were arrested
and released as also how the movement was conducted. Where

(2)
had you hidden yourself during the movement? I could not
sven see your face at the Maidan meeting on the eve of the
movement where Dr. Ramesh Chandra Majumder was present.
Deshbandhu C. R. Das and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and
also other patriots of Bengal had played positive role in
politics. They never wanted to be a leader without shoul-
dering any responsibility nor were they afraid to face risks
Mere sermons will not solve our problem and we need men of
action. In a country where a lady of Miss Ava Maity's
stature is considered to be a great thinker, there is
certainly no dearth of intellectuals. Our society, therefore.
needs men and women of action.
Most harmful is your role in respect of the
ensuing Calcutta Corporation election. You want to send men
to the Corporation who can rise above petty politics and
party considerations. Then, why did you form the Progressive
Citizens' Bloc in collaboration with Forward Bloc and SSP?
What astonishes us, therefore, is your statement in the pres
suggesting that the fittest candidates - who, by implication
may be staunch congressman or retired government stooges as
should be given votes in the Corporation election
indicates opportunism and lack of principles. When you have
no hand in the selection of candidates why was your name
included in the manifesto of P.C.B.? You have no right to
appeal to the voters without naming the right candidates.
Who are the fittest candidates? Have you made any list to
place before the people? If the candidates of P.C.B. do not
have your blessings, why have you put your name in the
P.C.B. manifesto?
well
-
It appears from your present game that you are
not only damaging the prestige of P.C.B. candidates but alec
of the U.C.C. and are indirectly working for the old guard
of the Congress party. Your decoration with Padma Bhusan
by the Congress Raj reveals an inner loyalty to the congres
party who know whom to exalt and whom to humiliate. As a
matter of fact congress never glorify any persona non-grat
with such awards. Dr. Ramesh Chandra Majumdar is a glaring
instance of congress narrow-mindedness.
I have every regard for you as an educationis
but would request you not to turn your coat at the elevent
hour thereby letting down the P.C.B. candidates.
Yours very truel,
Sd/- Naresh Bhowmick
Copy to
-
2. Shri Hemanta Kumar Basu, M.L.A., Secretary,
1. Dr. Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, President, P.C.F
3. The Secretary, Forward Bloc, West Bengal.
4. The Secretary, SSP, West Bengal.

Jadavpur University.
Calcutta 82.
March 19th.,1965.
-
Dear Mr.Bhowmik,
I have received your letter of the 16th.
It is not my intention to write to support or contradict your charge-sheet
against my behaviour.
any
I understand from your letter that you are a political leader of our country,
always participating in all the movements to help change the shape of things
for us all, the common man. I am therefore agreeably surprised that you had
been taking so much interest in me and my actions. I thank you for the same.
I am however afraid, that you have been labouring under certain
misconception. Firstly, you should not have/doubt in your mind that I ever
desired to be a leader.I am aware of my limitations and shortcomings.
If ever I have had any ambition, I would not have antagonised the Congress
party in the Corporation, as you mentioned, nor would I have courted displeasure
of the Left leaders by my utterances in the University institute, which you
kxxx stated in your letter.
Secondly, it is not true that I have formed the Progressive
Citizens' Block, I was not even consulted and, I was not aware of its formation.
I did not put in my signature to the Menifesto, you mentioned, to form any Block
On my return from Lucknow, I was told about it, and my name was frequently
mentioned. Is it Mr.Bhowmik, political dishonesty to state that I was not a
party to it? or, does it not, according to you, conform to your "Political
principle"? - to tell the truth?
You are a political leader, you have framed long charge-sheet
against my behaviour, as such, I do not think you should give so much importance
to me or to my statement of facts. I am sure, as you are, that nobody will take
any notice of, or will be influenced by a statement of an "opportunist without
principle."
You need not worry.
With regards,
Yours truety,
S. Pen
(Triguna Sen)
P.S.May I seek your permission to publish your charge-sheet aginst me,
as wellas this reply of mine ?
I thank you for your statement that P.C.B.was formed with the members of
the Forward Block and S.S.P., to have a triangular fight in the election,
which was not known to me.

esh Bhowmick,
3/1, Kumartuly Street,
Calcutta-5.
Dr. Triguna Sen, Padma Bhusan,
Rector, Jadavpur University,
Calcutta-32.
Respected Dr. Sen,
March 23, 1965.
19.3.65.
I feel obliged for your explanatory letter of
Publication of our letters in the press just
on the eve of the civic poll will-cause immense harm to
the innocent P.C.B. candidates. The motive of the so-
called organisers of the P.C.B. who did not care to use
your name with your prior consent amounts to a gross
violation of decent public conduct.
Therefore, I would request you not to publish
our letters and I am really sorry for the misconception
created by the organisers of the P.C.B. in order to give
vent to their long standing antagonism against the U.C.C.
at the cost of ignorant election seekers.
With best regards,
Yours very truely,