Dear All, Thank you so much for the enthusiastic response!
Firstly, too many Das' in this forum! Secondly, the news piece was meant as an illustration of how the pursuit of learning transcends gender, age and social ethos. The fruits of freedom that we relish today have been earned by the revered freedom fighters of our land, and we will always be indebted to them for the same. Let's just keep it at that, and celebrate the will to pursue learning and the freedom that enables us to find a way! Best regards, Arunjana On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 5:04 AM, <promit.hatikak...@emc.com> wrote: > Hello Mr Das, > > > > Good Afternoon !! > > ( Disclaimer : I don’t know Mr Bholaram Das or Mr Paniram Das or late > Banshi Sharmah by any means. ) > > > > I checked the news articles again after ur mail below. but did not get to > see if Mr Bholaram Das is a self-imposed freedom fighter. If media calls him > freedom fighter for what so ever reason, that’s alright. Why probe the same > ? The news was a 100 yr old's desire to do PhD. not to investigate his > detention period or to why he is being called so. > > > > If we have to go by ur definition of freedom fighter, then many persons who > participated in the movement, but not jailed for 6 months or doesn’t possess > any proof of being jailed (?) are not freedom fighters. Or only those who > have a Tamra-patra are freedom fighters ? Is it correct to question or raise > fingers at that old generation - who fought for our freedom ? > > Then whom do u call an assamese ? who stays in assam or who speaks assamese > ? in either case many of us are not assamese. Then who are we ? > > Are not this kind of definitions/remarks break a society and creates > division ? > > > > Regarding, Late Banshi Sharmah of kalaigaon , *its very unethical to > criticize a dead man in an open forum.* > > Not expected from a prolonged social activist at all. > > > > Just google the news about Mr Bholaram Das & his PhD… the whole world's > media and universities are going ga-ga over him. > > Everyone is praising his enthusiasm. Is not it a proud moment for him and > in a greater sense to us ? Lets applaud together for him and wish him on his > bday/phD and for health. > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Thanks & Regards, > > Promit Hatikakoty > > EMC Corporation, Bangalore > > M : +91 9886 202 510 > > "Life isn’t about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain." > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > > > *From:* NorthEastIndia@yahoogroups.com [mailto: > northeastin...@yahoogroups.com] *On Behalf Of *Dr.Bikash Kumar Das > *Sent:* Monday, October 18, 2010 11:16 PM > *To:* Assam DC; North East; Arpita M Gogoi; Partha Gogoi; Prashanti Dutta; > Loni Nath; pranjalhazar...@gmail.com; Arunjana Das > *Subject:* Re: [NorthEastIndia] Fwd:100-year-old freedom fighter pursues > PhD > > > > > > While I respect this man, but I fail to get his detention period by > British.To be called as freedom fighter, one man need to be under 6 months > of detention by RI. Would love to know it.Beacause I never heard of this > person in my active social life till today.??? > Not to feel bad.I found even the thief was also given freedom fighter > status!! ( Late Banshi Sharmah of kalaigaon, who was jailed for theft) > Regards. > Dr.Bikash Kumar Das > 4th Son of veteran freedom fighter Sri Pani Ram Das. > Founder,Rhino Jungle Adventures, Bangalore (India)0091-9480618880 > www.rjadventures.org i...@rjadventures.org > > --- On *Mon, 18/10/10, Arunjana Das <arunjana....@gmail.com>* wrote: > > > From: Arunjana Das <arunjana....@gmail.com> > Subject: [NorthEastIndia] Fwd:100-year-old freedom fighter pursues PhD > To: "Assam DC" <assam_dc_me...@yahoogroups.com>, "North East" < > northeastindia@yahoogroups.com>, "Arpita M Gogoi" < > arpita_go...@hotmail.com>, "Partha Gogoi" <partha_go...@yahoo.com>, > "Prashanti Dutta" <prashanti.du...@gmail.com>, "Loni Nath" < > nath.l...@gmail.com>, pranjalhazar...@gmail.com > Date: Monday, 18 October, 2010, 8:44 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [image: Bholaram > Das]<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/100-year-old-freedom-fighter-pursues-PhD/articleshow/6764127.cms> > > *Bholaram Das at his home in Guwahati. (TOI Photo)* > > > <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/100-year-old-freedom-fighter-pursues-PhD/articleshow/6764127.cms><http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/100-year-old-freedom-fighter-pursues-PhD/articleshow/6764127.cms><http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/100-year-old-freedom-fighter-pursues-PhD/articleshow/6764127.cms> > 100-year-old freedom fighter pursues PhD > > > > GUWAHATI: Freedom fighter Bholaram > Das<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Freedom%20fighter%20Bholaram%20Das>marked > his 100th > > birthday this weekend by announcing that he was going back to school. > > Das has enrolled in a PhD program at Guwahati > University<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/search?q=Guwahati%20University> > in > the northeastern state of Assam - making him perhaps the oldest university > student in this country of 1 billion. > > "In my 100 years, I have done many things in the sphere of society, > politics, governance and religion," said Das, dressed in a suit, tie and > white Gandhi cap at his birthday celebration Saturday. "I thought I must > work towards a PhD that could satisfy my hunger for learning." > > Das was 19 when he was jailed for participating in a 1930 protest against > British rule. He spent two months doing hard labor and went on to study > commerce and law. > > In 1945, he joined the Congress Party that led India's drive for > independence, achieved in 1947. > > Das worked as a teacher, a lawyer, a magistrate and a district court judge > before retiring in 1971. With his wife > Mandakini<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Mandakini>, > he had five sons and a daughter. > > For his doctorate, Das plans to study a subject close to his heart - how > his native Bohori village helped in the spread of neo-Vaishnavism, a liberal > and monotheistic stream of the Hindu religion credited with breaking down > social divisions in Assam, one of India's easternmost states. > > The centenarian said he wanted to pursue his interest and belief in the > religion's philosophies of one God and humanism. > > "It is indeed rare to find a student who is 100 year old," said the > university's vice chancellor, O. K. Medhi. "We are thrilled because Das can > be an inspiration for the youth with his formidable spirit and dedication to > public service." > > Das, who now has 10 grandchildren and a great-grandchild, is being advised > in his studies by one of his granddaughters, a university professor, and > other family members. His wife died in 1988. > > "It amazes me that, 40 years after retiring from service, my grandfather is > still mentally strong and wants to do new things," said grandson Abhinab > Das, an engineer. "This is indeed inspiring for all of us in the family." > > > > > > > > -- > आ नो भद्रा: क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वत: | > Let noble thoughts come to us from every side -Rig Veda > > http://groups.google.com/group/shreyah > > > > > > > > >
