Manas Ranjan Mahapatra, Puri, 26 February 2023
I knew Subhendu Mund from Odia Juba Lekhak Sammelan. I was active as a member and he, as an office bearer. He was a known writer too. So, when the news of his transfer came, my heart bubbled with happiness.
I was in College those days. It was probably 1978 or 1979. Subhendu Mund joined Government Evening College, Puri as a Lecturer. I was in the Day College (as we used to call it….it was actually the college for day scholars and was the main college). I went to meet him. He also knew me as a writer, as my writings by that time had appeared in a few major literary magazines/ pages. He embraced me, took me to the college canteen for a cup of tea. I don’t remember about him, but I was a tea lover!
Subhendu Mund was never our teacher, but my wife and I have always regarded him as one. I had an impression that Munds are actually Mundas (a tribal sect ). But later I understood that his forefathers went as royal teachers from Puri District to Kalahandi. Since I belong to the family of royal teachers of Puri, I found a link and became friendly with him. I took him to our literary organisation, Sanibar Sahitya Sandhya, of which he later became President for many years. He organised many important and impressive programmes including an All India Poets’ Meet.
I have fond memories of Subhas Mukhopadhyay, the legendary poet from Bengal who once came to Sanibar Sahitya Sandhya programme with Pabitra Mukhopadhyay, another well known poet from Bengal, when Subhendu Mund was our President. There was no mobile phone those days….we only knew that they are travelling by Puri Express. We went in a group to the Railway Station to receive them. Some of us went inside, and some waited near the exit gate.
But Subhas Da and Pabitra Da were not in the Compartment. Where were they? We did not know what to do and came back to the exit gate. To our surprise both the poets were standing there!
I asked them, “Dada, apni compartmente to chhilen na….kemon aslen” (elder brothers, you were not in the compartment….how did you come)? Their reply was, “Aami to janta classe chhilam” (we were in the peoples’ class). Then, Pabitra Da narrated the story. They did not get reservation but Subhas Da insisted that since they have promised, the organisers will be disheartened if they don’t go. Subhas Da preferred to travel by an ordinary compartment. Such was the greatness of poet Subhas Mukhopadhyay! And these days, our poets do not go unless they are offered air tickets/AC cars, etc.
Subhendu Mund and I had differences only once when he became member of Odisha Sahitya Akademi for the second time even after his transfer out from Puri. He was a member for the first time when he was at Puri, but after his transfer he should have paved the way for somebody else. This was my opinion. Time washed away that chapter and we remained friends. He was in the true sense a friend, philosopher and guide for me.
Many years later, I was in the Kolkata Festival of Children’s Contents where I spoke about Subhendu Mund. How a teacher can be instrumental in developing literary talent in a student. At the end of the function, one young guardian of a child came and asked me, “Kaka, do you recognise me?” “No”, I replied. “I am Raja, son of Subhendu Mund. We were children when you used to organise Sanibar Sahitya Sandhya. I was thrilled when you spoke about my father”, he said.
“He is a great man. A great teacher and a great friend. He is a fine writer and scholar too”, I uttered in soliloquy….remembering the golden days that Sailabala (my wife) and I spent with him in Sanibar Sahitya Sandhya!
Subhendu Mund is no more. I still remember him and his skill as an organiser. He is dearly missed….
