I never had a chance to meet Dr.
Papiya Ghosh but as a student of
Patna University from 72-74 doing
intermediate from Patna College, I
do not remember if she was senior to
us or contemporary but her name as a
student was famous among the history
students. Later she joined the
teaching and commanded a great
respect among her students and
colleagues. Those days during our
times, Patna College respected the
senior students or I would say the
brilliant students and they were
seen with very respectful eyes. I
remember Papiya and her younger
sister Tuktuk's names were famous
not only among the students but also
among the teachers who used to talk
about their academic qualities in
the class. It happens when you have
not met someone but have developed
regards for the person. Dr. Papiya
Ghosh was one of them.
My nephews and nieces who were her
students idolised her and felt proud
to be the students of Dr. Ghosh.
My very humble homage to her and the
family. May her soul rest in peace
and give strength to the family and
her students to bear this loss. -
Rajesh Srivastava, Student of Patna
University '72-'74 - Dec. 4, 2006
Murders or murderers, I believe,
always had some motives, some
enmity, some negative emotions
towards the victim, but any of these
with Papiya Ma'am? I cannot relate
the person I knew as Papiya Ghosh
and the tragedy that hit her.
Extremely strict as a Professor who
gave zero upon fifty to her History
students in their tests but her
warmth as a human being couldn't be
missed out by those close to her.
Packed with energy, clad in Khadi,
excellent command over language and
those roaring lectures... You'll
remain close to our hearts, always,
our Papiya Ma'am!! - Aradhana
Pradhan - Dec. 4, 2006
Gruesome murder of Dr. Ghosh and her
housemate by some miscreants again
reflects a black chapter in the
history of Bihar.
I pray to the God for peace to their
souls.
Bihar government should catch those
who have done this heinous act as
soon as possible and give proper
punishment. - Bibhuti
Bikramaditya, Daejeon, South Korea -
Dec. 4, 2006
Today when I opened PatnaDaily after
a lapse of sometime I never expected
to see this - Oh my God – I am
stunned and don’t have words for it
– Ms Papiya Ghosh certainly did not
deserve this –the Nitish Government
must do something to find the
culprits. It will be a shame if he
fails in this task. Law and order in
Bihar has gone to the gutters anyway
refusing to bury its ugly head but
Papiya Ghosh will be one of its
casualties was unthinkable. Bihar
being synonymous with anarchy has
never seemed so true.
Ms Ghosh’s integrity and reputation
as a teacher of history was
exemplary – I remember at a time
when we were still being taught in
traditional ways with yellowing age
old notes, from books that were
written in historical times limiting
our ability to question , Ms Ghosh
introduced us to the wider world
teaching us to research in new ways,
refer to new publications, query
traditional views on Modern Indian
History and most of all respond to
them in an innovative manner. It was
HER teaching of Modern Indian
History – I still think that made me
ready for greater challenges in
universities/world outside my
comfort zone of Patna.
"Simple living high thinking" sounds
so clichéd but in her case it was
true in every sense. Oh, as
students, how we idolised her for
her intellect and how well she
combined it with her simplicity - I
admired her as one of the true
intellectuals of modern Bihar.
She was such a popular student of St
Joseph's known for debating skills
in the sane old days when Patna was
the intellectual capital and not the
crime capital.
In my view, she was the history
teacher with a difference – for good
reasons of course, that we had in
our college days. Her knowledge, the
lectures, her impeccable English,
her commitment to work and the
humility with which she performed
her task - cannot be praised enough.
She was also a stickler for time –
her three words as she entered the
classroom dot on time “bolt the
door” before she started the
lectures is resounding in my mind.
Even now, I would imitate her when I
would ask others to close the doors
behind them! She had excellent
opportunities outside Bihar but she
chose to stay there and she was one
of those role models who had
traveled and studied around the
world but always came back to her
place of birth. It is a travesty of
injustice that that same place has
let her down so badly. She was a
good soul and will rest in peace but
the killers who did this despicable
act should never ever be allowed
this by the Nitish Government – it
is a challenge for him. Having some
understanding of the crime scene
there, one has to be a complete
idiot to believe that it was a
simple case of robbery.
Ms Papiya Ghosh was one of the few
shining lights in that decadent
atmosphere of Bihar – Alas that
light has gone so violently and so
frivolously! Through PatnaDaily, her
former student who would admired her
immensely would like to convey her
heartfelt condolences to Ms Ghosh’s
friends, family and the academia of
Patna University. - Padmaja -
Dec. 5, 2006
I have known Professor Dr Papiya
Ghosh and her sister Mrs. TukTuk
Kumar IAS for the past 32 years ever
since I joined the MA course in
History at the University of Delhi
way back in 1975. Papiya will always
be remembered as an excellent and
warm hearted person ever willing to
help her colleagues. I was utterly
shocked and traumatised at her
brutal murder along with her live in
maid, Malti Devi. I cannot imagine
why anyone in the world would like
to harm such a person as Papiya. She
has earned a reputation for herself
as a dedicated researcher in the
field of modern Indian History. Her
students will miss a good teacher
and the country has lost a leading
historian.
The crime needs to be investigated
and the criminals who perpetrated
this ghastly act be brought to
justice. From the reports that have
been published it appears that the
police in Patna are treating this as
a robbery and murder. However, all
aspects need to be investigated and
the academic community reassured
that such crimes will not go
unpunished.
My deepest condolence to Dr (Mrs)
Tuk-Tuk Kumar, her younger sister
and the rest of the family. -
Bahu Virupaksha, Pondicherry - Dec.
5, 2006
I
was a science student, and did not
know Dr. Papiya Ghosh personally.
But I had heard a lot about her from
my sister, who was her student and
from my aunts, who are professors in
Patna Women's college. I was deeply
saddened by this horrifying news. It
is heart breaking to read about
professors like her and other good
and learned people meet such fate.
I pray for her family and hope the
killers are nabbed and severely
punished. - Anjali Prasad - Dec.
7, 2006
As
an alumnus of both St. Joseph's
Convent and Patna women's college I
pay my tributes to Dr. Papiya Gosh.
She was an inspiration for everyone
at PWC and her intellectual pursuits
will reverberate forever in the
corridors of Patna University and
further beyond by her students and
admirers. Hopefully this ghastly
crime will spur the government and
the public into making Patna a safe
place for people who do not make
their livings from crime and its
associated business. - Dr. Jaya
Vatsyayan, Pittsburgh, USA - Dec.
10, 2006
I
was a student of Patna Women's
College and Papiya and I both in the
same year. I was doing Geography
honours and she was doing History.
We were good friends. I was thinking
of seeing her in Feb 07. I am coming
to India, Patna for the reunion of
some close friends and I am sure I
will miss her. She was a great
person a good reliable friend and a
scholar.
My condolence to the family and well
wishers. Although I live in London,
my feeling for Patna has never been
any less. - Nuzhat Ahsan khan,
London, UK - Dec. 13, 2006 |
