Some words seem to be tailor-made for some people. ‘The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and ability to impact those around him positively’- famous lines from singer Bob Marley, that is my fitting tribute to an extraordinary person, Dr.Satya Gopal Basu – well known Radiology specialist for the Indian Railways, territorial armyman, administrator, social worker and above all, a devout family man ! As we celebrate his 90th birth anniversary, reminiscing life and times with him is a fascinating journey down memory lane.
Born in Asansol on 19th August, 1928 to Shri Probodh Chandra Bose, a govt. servant of the Eastern Railways, young ‘Satya’ was always a bright student who took up the noble medical profession having graduated from R.G.Kar Medical College and later specializing in Radiology from KGMC,Lucknow and also becoming a part of the Territorial Army serving in rank of a Major. What followed was a truly spectacular career of success and goodwill, spanning forty years which entailed travels across the country from home-state West Bengal to exotic Jodhpur in Rajasthan, to DMO in the Railway Hospital, Allahabad in UP culminating as the prestigious MS in New Delhi.
However, his real ‘karmbhoomi’ so as to say, was Allahabad city where he served for 18 golden years between the years 1969 to 1987 and earned great respect not only as a renowned doctor and administrator but as a citizen and eminent member of the Bengali community and a popular social figure. This also was where fortune smiled at me when I got married to Tandra, his only daughter in 1980 and came to appreciate the person that Dr.Basu was !
Of his many remarkable qualities were his genial ‘physician’s bedside manner’, a smiling persona suited to the sobriquet like ‘Mr. Congeniality’. For my family, he was always the panacea to all our problems. One would find him brightly responding with his ‘Ekdum fine!’ and horsing around with his grandsons relating funny tales ! However, what amazed me about him was his versatility and range of in-depth knowledge of diverse fields like music, literature, theatre, films, sports, stock markets, finance, politics, amazing cooking skills in Bengali cuisine and sheer passion for gardening !
After hanging up his boots, he involved himself in various pursuits that included some foreign trips but in April,2005, fate literally dealt a cruel ‘stroke’. He went into a sudden coma from which he never recovered and left us this day, thirteen years ago, though relatively young at the age of 76.
I couldn’t ever emulate his range of excellence but have found some of that genius in his progeny. We all firmly believe that larger-than-life men like Dr. Basu never fade away into oblivion for they leave legacies that never die. For me, his greatness came from being simple yet great at many things and living for many causes that elevated and made the lives of others happy !
Working on Living 
What a beautiful ode to your father in law. Loved it Sanju Da.
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