I was very sad and sorry to hear that uncle/jethu had passed away, as I have so many fond memories of him from ever since I was young, when my parents and he and aunty would regularly exchange family visits. He was always so kind, caring and generous with everyone, and always maintained a cheerful and positive attitude. He always saw the best in everyone else.
My late father had told me how my uncle and aunt were one of the few people he knew in the UK when he first emigrated from India around 1967, at which point my uncle had already been living in the country for some seven years. They had been very hospitable to my father, and my uncle and aunt again kindly took my father in when he returned from India the second time in 1990, after a few years of living abroad.
I last met my uncle and aunt in person when I visited Manchester and stayed at their house for a few days in autumn 2019, and I was in touch with my uncle by phone and e-mail since then until July this year.
During my trips to Manchester in 2005 and/or 2009, I began to realise in addition how much of a huge positive role my uncle was also playing in his community through various organisations in a number of capacities. He regularly visited Hindu inmates at a local prison as a Hindu priest/chaplain to give comfort and advice to prisoners and give them hope for the future and act as a positive role model. He taught science to youngsters at a Muslim school, even though he himself was Hindu. As a community leader, he was invited to, and took part in inter-faith forums to promote peace and harmony between people of different religious faiths and their communities. Finally, he was also one of the early founding members of one of the first Hindu Bengali pujas in the North of England, which he continued to be involved in well into retirement and later life.
I shall miss uncle's words of wisdom from many decade's of life experiences and as a community leader, as well as missing him as a relative. I shall especially remember his moving and inspiring speech during Diptisdada's wedding in 2011.
I am sad that aunty, Smitadi and Diptisdada are having to arrange uncle's funeral and sraddha and other matters under especially difficult circumstances during the current pandemic and local lockdown around the Manchester area, but I know that you will be strong and get through this.
If any of you need anything whatsoever from me at any time, I shall always be very happy to try to be of help.
Condolences and best wishes,
Vaskor Basak (Rontu)
Vaskor
21st September 2020