Kolkata's centenarians, nonagenarians hope to tide over COVID-19

From the Great Depression of 1929 to the partition of India in 1947, the 1943 Bengal famine and the Bangladesh Liberation war in 1971, they have seen it all and experienced the events from close quarters.

Meet the centenarians and nonagenarians of Kolkata, who are on the final leg of the journey of their lives, but are not deterred by the COVID-19 pandemic.

They are hopeful that the world and the country will overcome it sooner than later.

"I am very sick and I am counting my days. But I am hopeful that the world will tide over this crisis as it had in the past," Dilip Kumar Roy, a 104-year-old classical singer of his times, told PTI over the phone from his Gariahat residence.

Roy, however, says he has never seen such a prolonged lockdown.

Born in 1916, Roy, a bachelor who is being taken care of by one of his students, says his daily routine has been affected due to the lockdown.

For 99-year-old Himendu Biswas, former dean of students of the Jadavpur University, his daily morning walks and regular reading of newspapers have been affected due to the lockdown.

Born in the early 1920s, Biswas still remembers the night sirens and crawling into air-raid shelters during the Japanese bombing of Kolkata during the Second World War and scenes of people begging on the streets for food during the 1943 Bengal famine.

"My daily routine of getting updates from newspapers has been affected, as I had hired a young boy, who used to come every day and read newspapers for me. But I keep a tab on television channels for important news.

"At times, I am concerned about my two sons and their family who live in Mumbai and Bengaluru. I am sure all of us will tide over this crisis," Biswas said.

Although 99-year-old Ashok Roy, former school teacher, never witnessed a lockdown before, he too vividly remembers the Japanese air raids on the city during which all citizens, barring the military personnel, were asked to take shelter.

"When I see people feeding poor and homeless people on the streets, I feel good. During the great famine of 1943, I along with my friends used to distribute kichdi' among the destitute people.

"All those friends of mine have died long ago. I am only concerned about my son and his family who live in the UK. I am not bothered about myself as I have lived my life," Roy said.

Roy, who had lost his wife two decades ago, will turn 100 in May and his son had planned to come to Kolkata for a grand celebration, but the plan is now in limbo due to the pandemic.