It was during my internship at Prayasam,
I had just returned from my morning session at Pragati, Prayasam's
Multiple Activity Centre for the children in the brick kiln at Ichhapur
and was literally pulled into the Mochchob (Prayasam’s Pantry) by
Prashanto da. He heaped my plate with spaghetti and chicken and pastry
while I just looked on in confusion. What was going on? Then he breaks
out into a smile and tells me that it was Debashish da's birthday and
Amlan Sir was playing the chef for the day...and that it was the
tradition at Prayasam to celebrate each and every member's birthday. So,
over the evening cuppa, I asked Saptarshi da, "are there more such
traditions?" Immediately he said, "we prefer to call them Prathas". And
then he didn't need any prompting. We just kept talking and the next
thing I know, it is almost time for dinner. It has been on my mind ever
since to write about some of the unique "Prathas" at Prayasam. But
talking about traditions is incomplete without the people who embrace
them. Hence I thought I would take this opportunity to give you a
glimpse into the Prayasis (members of Prayasam) and their Prathas
(traditions).
Well, although Saptarshi da went on forever with the traditions, to speak of a few, At Prayasam
1. Everything begins with "PR"...well, almost everything.
2. There are 25 english alphabets. "I" is missing. It is always about "WE".
3. Everyone sits down together for tea/coffee twice a day, every day.
4. Whenever anyone goes for work-related trips, Sir sees them off at the airport or railway station.
5. Any good news sees everyone breaking into spontaneous applause.
6. Evenings are the time for "Adda" on the terrace with office-made lip smacking snacks.
7. No member is given a farewell...because Prayasam is not about bidding adieu.
8. Ex-President Sir blesses everyone with a hundred rupee note who visits the retreat and touches his feet with abir on the day of Holi.
9. Every bhaiphonta and rakshabandhan sees Piyali Ma'am going out on lunch with all her brothers at Prayasam.
10. Everyone gets a gift on Mahashashthi of the Durga Puja.
11. Sir makes it a point to get all the male associates dressed in the traditional "Dhoti" on Vijayadashami and Saraswati puja.
12. Sir cooks Bengali delicacies for everyone on the Bengali New Year Day and everyone has to attend the roof dinner get together wearing new dresses gifted by Sir.
After he was done with the never ending list of interesting traditions and customs, I probed him further to get to know about the people who have worked with Prayasam over the years and have contributed to what it stands for today. The first names that he mentioned were of Gopadi from Pragati, Shyamalidi, Shipradi and Dinanath from Shikshajyoti and Rimpa from Sahajpath, whose hard work with the children will always be a reminder of what is at stake. Then of course, the people in the Maidan (the workstations)- Prasanta da and Moumita di's never ending enthusiasm, Debashish da's impeccable accounting and subtle witty remarks, Chitra ma'am and her organisational capabilities, Piyali ma'am and her immense responsibility of PR (Public Relations) and most importantly, Amlan Sir's conspicuous presence...and of course, the person I was talking to...Saptarshi da, the Techie. He was very emphatic in expressing his gratitude for the Pramila Bahini (women group) of Prayasam, who have time and again handled precarious situations effectively through their sheer will power and perseverance. He ran out of fingers while counting the names before he gave up. However, the volunteers like Mitali, Shibani, Rekha, Ratna, Keya, Mina, Sunita, Susweta, Gopa, Devjani, Angana, Manjari, Kajari and Anusua whose incessant support and hard work has made the place all the more lively, found special mention in our conversation. He became nostalgic while recalling Arijit da's untiring hard work; Purnendu da’s generosity; Kajari di’s contribution to make possible Prayasam’s association with UNICEF; Samya, Satya da and Ritapa di’s immense belief in what Prayasam stands for; tax officer Late Amitabha babu’s determination to attract sponsors; brilliant organization of local kids by Chaitali and Shuktidi; and the facelift that Rupsha and Debolinadi gave to the Documentation Desk at Prayasam. It was then that I understood the significance of the custom of never giving a farewell to its members. Because, they have never left. Through their work they have stayed on forever within the walls of Prayasam and beyond. And just sitting there, listening to Saptarshi da, I wondered how it would be to see all those people again...ringing the door bell, coming in through the door, like nothing had changed in Prayasam's journey of seventeen years. But like most people, I had left the most important people for the last-The children and their parents. Had it not been for the support of the parents and the perseverance of the children in the communities, the very inception of this idea called Prayasam would perhaps have not been possible. Salim, Shikha, Mitu, Kajal, Ratna, Priyanka, Rinky, Rama, Bina, Biren, Puja, Rimpa, Shibashish, Shyamali...I could go on and on. Having witnessed their indomitable will power first hand, I often felt dwarfed by the vision they have for their communities. And I don't think I can do enough justice to their work by talking about it. So, I would just sign off saying...
"The Revolutionary Optimists...the Agents of Change...take a bow"
-Ritabrata Bhattacharya
Well, although Saptarshi da went on forever with the traditions, to speak of a few, At Prayasam
1. Everything begins with "PR"...well, almost everything.
2. There are 25 english alphabets. "I" is missing. It is always about "WE".
3. Everyone sits down together for tea/coffee twice a day, every day.
4. Whenever anyone goes for work-related trips, Sir sees them off at the airport or railway station.
5. Any good news sees everyone breaking into spontaneous applause.
6. Evenings are the time for "Adda" on the terrace with office-made lip smacking snacks.
7. No member is given a farewell...because Prayasam is not about bidding adieu.
8. Ex-President Sir blesses everyone with a hundred rupee note who visits the retreat and touches his feet with abir on the day of Holi.
9. Every bhaiphonta and rakshabandhan sees Piyali Ma'am going out on lunch with all her brothers at Prayasam.
10. Everyone gets a gift on Mahashashthi of the Durga Puja.
11. Sir makes it a point to get all the male associates dressed in the traditional "Dhoti" on Vijayadashami and Saraswati puja.
12. Sir cooks Bengali delicacies for everyone on the Bengali New Year Day and everyone has to attend the roof dinner get together wearing new dresses gifted by Sir.
After he was done with the never ending list of interesting traditions and customs, I probed him further to get to know about the people who have worked with Prayasam over the years and have contributed to what it stands for today. The first names that he mentioned were of Gopadi from Pragati, Shyamalidi, Shipradi and Dinanath from Shikshajyoti and Rimpa from Sahajpath, whose hard work with the children will always be a reminder of what is at stake. Then of course, the people in the Maidan (the workstations)- Prasanta da and Moumita di's never ending enthusiasm, Debashish da's impeccable accounting and subtle witty remarks, Chitra ma'am and her organisational capabilities, Piyali ma'am and her immense responsibility of PR (Public Relations) and most importantly, Amlan Sir's conspicuous presence...and of course, the person I was talking to...Saptarshi da, the Techie. He was very emphatic in expressing his gratitude for the Pramila Bahini (women group) of Prayasam, who have time and again handled precarious situations effectively through their sheer will power and perseverance. He ran out of fingers while counting the names before he gave up. However, the volunteers like Mitali, Shibani, Rekha, Ratna, Keya, Mina, Sunita, Susweta, Gopa, Devjani, Angana, Manjari, Kajari and Anusua whose incessant support and hard work has made the place all the more lively, found special mention in our conversation. He became nostalgic while recalling Arijit da's untiring hard work; Purnendu da’s generosity; Kajari di’s contribution to make possible Prayasam’s association with UNICEF; Samya, Satya da and Ritapa di’s immense belief in what Prayasam stands for; tax officer Late Amitabha babu’s determination to attract sponsors; brilliant organization of local kids by Chaitali and Shuktidi; and the facelift that Rupsha and Debolinadi gave to the Documentation Desk at Prayasam. It was then that I understood the significance of the custom of never giving a farewell to its members. Because, they have never left. Through their work they have stayed on forever within the walls of Prayasam and beyond. And just sitting there, listening to Saptarshi da, I wondered how it would be to see all those people again...ringing the door bell, coming in through the door, like nothing had changed in Prayasam's journey of seventeen years. But like most people, I had left the most important people for the last-The children and their parents. Had it not been for the support of the parents and the perseverance of the children in the communities, the very inception of this idea called Prayasam would perhaps have not been possible. Salim, Shikha, Mitu, Kajal, Ratna, Priyanka, Rinky, Rama, Bina, Biren, Puja, Rimpa, Shibashish, Shyamali...I could go on and on. Having witnessed their indomitable will power first hand, I often felt dwarfed by the vision they have for their communities. And I don't think I can do enough justice to their work by talking about it. So, I would just sign off saying...
"The Revolutionary Optimists...the Agents of Change...take a bow"
-Ritabrata Bhattacharya
