🪝Married to Shipping and through Shipping!

From Biswajit Basu:

When I was in school, every Pujo, Sujit Bagchi, a neighbour's son would come home and sometimes dress up in uniform.  He looked so sharp and dapper and had stories of distant ports and strange people (hearsay, of course).

So, seeing Jujuda (his nickname was Juju), I wanted to be like him and follow his footsteps. After passing out from school, I appeared for DMET entrance examination and passed 5th on the Calcutta merit list.  After a strict medical test, I joined on 3rd August 1966 and passed out in August 1970.

_{(DMET is now known as the Indian Maritime University)}

I joined Scindias and after issue of my Continuos Discharge Certificate (CDC), a document more valuable than a passport, I joined the Jalavijaya taking a flight to Madras on an Indian Airlines Caravelle in and sailed to Calcutta in September 1970 to commence loading for Russia.  So, in fact, my first trip as a professional was from Madras to Calcutta!

Added on May 11, 2024 by Biswajit Basu:

This is how I started my career in 1970 after FPO from DMET.

For me the choice was made as to which company to join and I had decided to join Scindias for an unusual reason.

The reason was my father.  During the Second World War after fighting in the Western theatre (including North Africa and Europe), Germany collapsed.  So as an army doctor, my father was transferred to the Eastern theatre of War for the evacuation of Singapore which was about to be conquered by the Japanese.  At that time he was posted as medical officer on the ships evacuating Singapore and he was on the ships of Scindias (Jala Govind if I remember right).  He said he liked the discipline, dedication and loyalty of the ships’ staff.  

So my destiny had already been charted out before I was even born.  I told this story to  Mr SA Joseph, Engineer Super, who attended our FPO dinner.  I came home to Delhi for a week to say goodbye to my family and on 29 September 1970, I joined Scindias.  Rest is the story of my career which ended in September 2011 when I retired from IHC Holland 41 years later.

Post Script by Piya Basu Kapoor: 

Baba was in Delhi - Stephens with Maths H but (from) there went to DMET in Kolkata. That’s where he met Manu (Shibesh Ghosh) and ended up marrying his best friend’s sister (Swati Basu)!

<sub>Biswajit & Swati Basu, 1974


With sisters Monisha Choudhury (Moon) in the center and Anuradha Bose (Runki) on the left


With the Jorbagh cousins Bashob De (Nene) and Anuradha Bose (Runki)</sub>