Kolkata: Members of the Presidency Alumnus Association met Nobel laureate Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee at his South Kolkata residence on Wednesday morning.
Banerjee welcomed the six-member team of the Alumnus Association led by Bibhas Chaudhuri, secretary of the association. Chaudhuri was accompanied by vice-presidents Sutirtha Bhattacharya and Animesh Sen, treasurer Amit Choudhury and members Champak Bhattacharya and Kathakali Sen.
The Presidentians handed him over a box of sweets from Nakur Chandra and Sons, the favourite outlet of the Nobel laureate. Two copies of the bicentennial volume of Autumn Annual were given to Banerjee as well, where there is an article on Dipak Banerjee, renowned Economist and Abhijit's father, by Maitresh Ghatak.
Banerjee had a little adda session with his college seniors and juniors and plunged into the discussion about the old days of Presidency College and some of the great teachers who had taught him.
The Association will confer the prestigious Atul Chandra Gupta Distinguished Alumnus award to Banerjee in January 2020, during his next visit to the city. Some of Abhijit's teachers and contemporaries will be invited to interact with him.
A letter written by the ailing Nabanita Deb Sen, president of the Alumni Association requesting Abhijit to see her, was handed over by Bibhas Chaudhuri. Banerjee went to the house of the author on Hindusthan Park and spent around 40 minutes with her. Deb Sen congratulated Banerjee for winning the Nobel prize and presented him a copy of her book Bhalobashar Baranda. Both Amartya Sen and Nabanita Deb Sen are close to the Banerjees and Abhijit calls her mashi. Banerjee also visited a shop at Hindusthan Park and bought some kurtas. He will be leaving for USA on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, Srinjoy Bose and Debashis Dutta met Banerjee at his residence and presented a jersey of Mohun Bagan Club. The National Club had earlier given him life membership.
It may be mentioned that the state government is planning to accord a civic reception to Banerjee at the Town Hall during his next visit to the city. Banerjee had arrived from Delhi on Tuesday evening and was received by Mayor Firhad Hakim and Bratya Basu at the airport. Huge cutouts of the Nobel laureate were put up along Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and at different important areas in the city like Esplanade and BBD Bag.