Pineapple Juice

Recently, I lost a sister to Covid 19. A maternal first cousin, but still a sister.

(Is there a family left in India that has not lost a near and dear one? Someone who is not a statistic?)

She was four years older than I am. We grew up together through birthdays, bhai photas, soirees, feasts, marriages, children, and grandchildren that milestone every life. We shared magical holidays throughout our childhood every Easter, summer, and winter at Tilla Villa, Digha, and what is now Niribili, in the Salboni forests of Jhargram.

Our common grandmother had an unusual sense of humor. All Bengalis have daak naams -nicknames. 'Pamma' was fond of anointing her grandchildren with names of food items that Bengalis love.

Thus Pamma's firstborn grandchild got the name Laddoo, the second, Monda, the third Murki ... look them up, they are all Bengali sweets.

When the fourth grandchild came along she was nicknamed Pinju. 'Pamma' was prescient enough to fool Wikipedia. Figured out what Pinju stands for?

Pineapple Juice.

How did Pamma know she would be turn out to be such a sweet-natured person? The tradition continued when Pinju's own grandchildren came along. Polo, Chikoo, Lichu, Momo are now bereft. They've lost a friend, teacher, and grandmother.

Like many in the Gupta family that she was born into, Pinju had a nightingale's voice. She would sing Pete Seeger and Rabindra Sangeet with equal aplomb. Her Loreto House and Presidency College education meant that she could hold her own in English or Bengali. On any subject.

What she majored in is a subject that isn't formally taught in schools and colleges. Empathy.

Though she was raised in a family with marble staircases, Pinju went even further left than her illustrious father, Sadhan Gupta, India's first blind M.P. who was CPI (M). As well as her mother, Manjari Gupta, who was on the editorial board of Eksathe, a monthly journal of the All India Democratic Women's Association.

Pinju chose to be Marxist-Leninist. That's how she met the talented Ardhendu Banerjee her husband for well over 50 years.

Pinju waged a strange kind of revolution. She gave the boys she taught at Victoria Boys' School, Kurseong, a level head on balanced shoulders. An effective way to make the world a fairer place.

The world knew her as Sudipta Banerjee.

If you look up her Facebook Page you'll now find it flooding with the tributes from generations of Middle School students at Victoria Boys' School who grew up inspired by her positive and caring attitude.

Clearly, she changed them for life, passing on the skill that she was so good at. Empathy.

All said and done, Pinju did live a full life.

Not many have the pleasure of celebrating a Golden Marriage Anniversary with a life partner.

Not many get to see their offspring become acclaimed individuals in their own right. It's not just a matter of passing on the right genes. It is also a matter of raising them with empathy.

Churni, Urmi and Usri.

Not many get to see grandchildren display the talents that will one day make them as accomplished as her illustrious daughters.

Pinju with Momo, her youngest grandchild.

Momo is already telling his father how to balance sound before singing. Pinju's other grandchildren, Chikoo and Lichu, clearly have careers in performance in front of them. Polo, the eldest grandchild, now an adult, has already starred in a movie called 'Rosogolla'.

Which brings us back to Pinju's nature. As sweet and nourishing as Pineapple Juice.