Timeline

  • Birth: 1931

    Born in Kolkata but after his mother passed away when he was just a month old, he was brought up by a loving aunt in Digholi village in the Dhaka district of East Bengal, now Bangladesh.

  • Early Childhood: 1931-1940

    Early childhood and initial schooling were in the sylvan surroundings of Digholi in Bikrampur, in the large joint/multi-generational family home situated right on the banks of the mighty river Padma. During monsoons, Padma flooded the entire region and boats were the only means of transportation, including for the excited children going to school. These years were relaxed, peaceful and joyful.

  • Later Childhood/Youth: 1944-1949

    Moved to Kolkata for further education, enrolling at at the Mitra Institution school for 9th and 10th grades. At this time, the family lived in a rented house in Bowbazar in the older northern part of the city. This was the critical time of India’s independence from the colonial British rule, formalized in 1947. This period saw bloody riots and violence in India, and specifically in Kolkata, leaving a deep impact in the heart of young Batakrishna, who witnessed many such incidents.

  • Education: 1949-1953

    BA (Honors) in Economics at the prestigious Presidency College and then MA in Political Science at Calcutta University. Batakrishna was a brilliant student, and also played football (soccer), table tennis and hockey for the university. But his passion remained writing poetry. After his graduation, he joined St. Paul’s Cathedral College as an Assistant Professor.

  • Marriage: 1956

    Married Uma Bardhan, his university classmate from their MA (Political Science) days. Uma was known for her beauty and grace, played the sitar and had a remarkable artistic temperament. After her masters degree she did a diploma in early childhood education, and taught at one of the best pre-schools that was a part of University of Delhi’s Lady Irwin College.

  • Writing Career in Kolkata: till 1957

    From the time Batakrishna started writing poetry and songs till he left for Delhi, marked a prolific period for the young poet. He published poems, short stories and essays in leading literary magazines, and earned wide recognition. His first book of poetry, “Manogandha,” was published during this time. He also became well-known as a lyricist, having written many songs that were composed and recorded by the top artists of the time, produced by HMV and other music companies.

  • The Delhi Years: 1957-2003

    Batakrishna moved to Delhi in 1957, after qualifying for civil service with the Government of India. The focus of the years in Delhi was his career in public administration, notably senior positions in the Home Ministry and Department of Telecommunications. He got a Masters Diploma in Public Administration and another Masters degree in Public Administration at the Institute of Social Sciences in the Netherlands. He was an invited speaker, training coordinator, and consultant at several government institutions, business schools, banks, public sector undertakings. These were happy years with wife Uma and daughter Sreyashi, and alongside, he continued to write and publish poetry, articles and songs that were recorded by well-known artists.

  • Present: 2003 onward

    After his retirement as the Secretary of the Telecom Commission in the Government of India, Batakrishna and Uma returned to their roots in Kolkata. He once again started devoting much of his time and energy to his writing, publishing over 10 books of poetry, in addition to other writings such as essays, newspaper columns and songs. During this time, he has been recognized for his life-time achievements in Bengali literature, and has received many awards and felicitations. He continues to write every day, still expressing his joy and wonder of life, publishing poetry books and songs.