Christmas – The Kolkata Way

BY DR KAUSTAV BHATTACHARYYA The onset of the second week of December makes one reflect and ponder about Christmas festivities. Having spent a few Christmases in cooler climes of Western Europe one feels nostalgic about the ‘snowy’ Christmas termed as the ‘white’ Christmas though more often it was the chilly cold one. The entire ambiance gets imbued with a festive spirit with the streets lit … Continue reading Christmas – The Kolkata Way

How Anglo-Indian Education has Shaped English Learning

BY DR KAUSTAV BHATTACHARYYA For my generation who grew up in ‘Calcutta’ as opposed to Kolkata, there is a certain sense of pride and belonging to the world of English ‘lettres’ (using the word in the French sense where it includes all written words in different forms like verse, prose and essays, i.e. the literary world of English language). We read and devoured English poets … Continue reading How Anglo-Indian Education has Shaped English Learning

Neil

BY DR KAUSTAV BHATTACHARYYA The tragic news of demise of Mr. Neil O’Brien was received with disbelief when I first read on the social media feed and then a pall gloom of grief and nostalgia descended. Media went to town with his obituary describing him as icon of Indian quizzing and tributes started pouring in, but for my generation of Kolkata schoolgoers Mr. Neil O’Brien … Continue reading Neil