Remembering Mother Teresa

I organised a function last weekend at the Max Mueller Bhawan Kolkata to mark the occasion of Mother Teresa’s first coming to Kolkata almost eight decades ago. On the occasion, a 22-minute documentary Saint to Sainthood by Payal Mohanka was screened, Usha Utthup sang some songs that she had composed while eminent artist Sanatan Dinda’s special painting (picture) of Mother Teresa was unveiled by the Governor.

This function was organised in collaboration with Prasenjeet Chatterjee and his company Idea Creations. It was an hour-long program that was graced by Governor of West Bengal M K Narayanan and his wife Padmini Narayanan. The program started with the lighting of the lamp by the Governor and H M Bangur, Chairman, The Bengal, Sunil Gangopadhyay (President), myself (Secretary General), Payal Mohanka and Sanatan Dinda.

The Bengal board member Roopa Ganguly handed over a bouquet to the Governor and his wife and also assisted in lighting of the traditional lamp (picture). After the programme, the Governor and Payal Mohanka were presented by a sketch of Mother by Sanatan Dinda as a memento. The best part of the evening was that the Governor has decided to speak on the occasion although his office has earlier informed that he was not going to speak since it is just a screening of a documentary.

It seems that the mix of documentary, songs and painting made him change his plans, more so as it was just a day after the gory killings in Lalgarh and remembering the Apostle of Peace and spreading her message of love and compassion was but natural. Sunil da also touched upon this topic and reiterated the message of peace in his speech.

The evening was graced by the presence of diplomats (picture), industrialists, Sisters from the Mother House and of course members of The Bengal team Dolly Basu, Agnimitra Paul, Arpiat Chatterjee, Arindam Sil and others.

Sunita Kumar, the former official spokesperson of Missionaries of Charity, had to leave with her husband Naresh Kumar without seeing the documentary as Max Mueller Bhawan does not have any elevators to the auditorium located on the 3rd floor.

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