Dipika Talukdar: A Tribute

The sudden demise of our eldest sister Dipika Talukdar in Kolkata after a brief illness was like a bolt from the blue. Only eighteen days back we lost our brother Sankar who had been suffering from liver cancer and had been under treatment in Kolkata. With her love and motherly affection what she was to us is beyond my capacity to express.

‘Didi’, as we fondly called her, had to shoulder the heavy responsibility of our family following sudden expiry of our father. As an earning member of our family she had to serve as a school teacher at a younger age. Our youngest brother was born as a posthumous child with a hopeless health condition. But it was Didi who took intensive care of our brother with motherly affection and to stand against all odds. She was very keen in keeping the house in a tiptop condition and used to take active part in household matters. She had a penchant for flowers - particularly Rajanigandha. She loved to beautify her garden with Rajanigandha exclusively. She continued to maintain her hobby even after her marriage with Nagendra Nath Talukdar, an official of the Indian Railways posted at New Bongaigaon, who encouraged her in fulfilling het desire.

Together they also ventured some welfare measures like establishments of a children’s school , Mahila Samity etc at New Bongaigaon. Bhindeu Nagendra Nath Talukdar after taking voluntary retirement came to Guwahati to stay at Santigram Housing Complex for a brief period. But soon after ‘Didi’ and ‘Bhindeu’ went to stay at Mukundapur, Kolkata at the invitation of their daughter and son-in-law. Following Bhindeu’s death a few years back , ‘Didi’ stayed on permanently in Kolkata where she breathed her last on March 10.

From her childhood, ‘Didi’ had a deep interest in literature, music and arts. She used to take part in dance-drama, recitation etc in the Rabindra Jayanti programmes of the school. She was equally interested in Goalpariya folksongs and dances.

It was ‘Didi’ who was behind the donation of Rs one lakh by Bhindeu to Asom Sahitya Sabha towards the publication of ‘Biswakosh’. Prior to her death, she received a belated felicitation organised by the Kolkata branch of Asom Sahitya Sabha as a recognition to her contribution in the month of January this year. An expert cook, ‘Didi’ used to get pleasure by feeding others. My daughter-in-law, after meeting ‘Didi’ in Kolkata for the first time expressed her impression thus - ‘ Jethi is so cute ! ’ I think no better adjective could be applied to express Didi’s inner beauty than this. ‘Didi’ is no more with us. But her sweet memories haunt us every now and then. May her departed soul rest in eternal peace !

Trinesh Barua