CHAPTER - 1
It was the foundation day of the Eastern Regional head
office of Rainbow International India Private Limited. The long auditorium used
for territorial or regional conference was rearranged like a small theatre hall
lighted with powerful lamps on the walls and two big chandeliers hanging from
the ceiling. There was a dais on one side. Though there was a holiday in the
office all staff members, officers and managers were busy in the afternoon and
seemed to be waiting for a particular moment.
Overseas Director, who was the head of all overseas units
of Rainbow International, came to Calcutta for
the first time to be the chief guest for the function which would be
inaugurated by the Managing Director of Rainbow India . There were also half a dozen
senior managers of Indian head office and factory of Rainbow who used to
accompany the Managing Director always during his visits to regional and branch
offices with audiovisual system.
I got a cyclostyled copy of the program of the function.
There would be prize distribution, break for two hours and the cocktail and
dinner.
Function was supposed to start exactly at four o’clock in
the afternoon beginning with the introduction of the guests and welcome speech
by Chanyaka Nag, General Manager (East) of Rainbow International India.
Leonidus Rozario, first Indian Managing Director of Rainbow would deliver his
inaugural speech. Robert Kelvin, Overseas Director of Rainbow International
would deliver his lecture as chief guest. Iris Stephen, young and beautiful
private secretary of Chanyaka Nag would garland Kelvin and Rozario. Haladhar
Jana, the oldest peon of Rainbow, Calcutta
would thank the Indian management conducted by Rozario for honest, generous and
kind attitude towards the employee on behalf of third and fourth class staff
members of the Eastern Regional establishment. On behalf of sales, medical and
chemical representatives of Rainbow India ,
Eastern Region, Gouri Sankar Chatterjee would thank Kelvin, Rozario, and head
office executives, Chanyaka Nag and other managers of Rainbow India , Eastern Region for excellent
management and administration. He would then recite an English poem written by
him for this special occasion.
Second part of this function consisted of only prize
distribution ceremony.
Mandakini Nag, wife of Chanyaka Nag kindly consented for
distributing the prizes to the winners of various events as organized by the
Rainbow sports club of Eastern Regional head office. She would be aided by
Binoy Bhusan Bhar, administrative officer of the Calcutta regional office. Bhar loved to be
called as “B cube” by Nag for the first letter B for his first name, first
letter B for his second name and first letter B for his surname. He did not
like to be called “B cube” by any other member of the office and the field,
since he was an officer, not ordinary staff. However, he was called as B cube
by everybody in his absence.
Binoy Bhusan Bhar was on the top of the list of
recipients of the prizes. He would get the first prize of debate competition.
Besides, he would get MD special prize for arranging all the functions of
Rainbow House systematically. His name was recommended by GM (East). The best
cricketer prize would go to Debpratim Dutta, District Sales Manager of Home
Products Division. Prodyot Kumar Sanyal, familiarly known as PK who was
District Sales Manager of Ethical Products Division would be awarded the best
chess player prize. Stores clerk Budhadev Sinha would be awarded first prize
for recitation. Atanu Samanta, Product Manager of Ethical Products Division
would get a best actor prize for his superb acting in the office drama.
List of prize winners was quite long. Indoor and Outdoor
sports competition in Rainbow sports club used to be held twice in a year,
along with a family get-together. Wives and children of the office and field
staff including managers were free to participate in various indoor events.
Joint winners of Bridge tournament were Chanyaka Nag and
Swapna Ganguly, wife of Tarit Ganguly, Divisional Manager of Home Products.
Jolly Nag, daughter of Mr. Chanyaka Nag and Amit Talukdar,
son of Ethical Products Divisional Manager Ramani Ranjan Talukdar would get
their prizes for dance and music respectively. Consolation prizes would go to
Badal, son of Accounts officer Jagabandhu Adhikari and Basabi, daughter of
Despatch Assistant Fatik Nandi. Lastly, special award for sincerity and
obedience would go to Ramchandra Mondol, personal peon of Chanyaka Nag.
I did not see when Fatik Nandi stood beside me. I could
know when I heard his voice, “Sir, gone through the programme?”
“Yes! Good arrangement for entertainment,” I said.
Nandi said in his low voice, “There is a small programme
after the prize distribution and before the break.”
“But it’s not mentioned in this cyclostyled copy!” I said.
“Yes Sir! You are right. This programme would be announced
by Chanyaka Nag.”
Fatik Nandi said and continued, “It’s a confidential
programme to be known by the public abruptly."
Binoy Bhar was going towards the auditorium. He stood in
front of me and said,
“Good afternoon Sir! Anything I can do for you?”
I said, “Thanks!” Binoy Bhar lowered down the upper
portion of his heavy body as a mark of respect and again straitening his
stature left in the auditorium.
“Sir, please don’t mind, he is a number one hypocrite;
never open your heart to him.” Said Fatik Nandi.
I joined Rainbow about a week back. Whenever he got the
chance, Fatik Nandi tried his best to give me details of Rainbow Calcutta
office for my guidance. Though initially I did not like his unwanted talks and
would avoid him, after two days used to enjoy his company in my chamber. I got lots
of information from him regarding Rainbow within these few days.
Rainbow International is a prestigious multinational
European company in the field of medicines, including bulk drugs, laboratory
chemicals, agro-chemicals, paints and consumer goods. In mid-sixties Rainbow
set up their own establishment in India
with head office in Bombay
and factory in it’s suburb. Till then famous Kipling and Kingsley company used
to deal with Rainbow products and distribute through reputed medicine
wholesalers in the cosmopolitan cities.
Not only Rainbow products, Kipling and Kingsley company
used to import various ranges of products of many other multinational companies
of the world. Afterwards, they manufactured some medicines, insecticides and
whiteners of foreign companies under loan license in Calcutta and suburbs. In the fifties and
sixties Kipling and Kingsley company was a very popular name, particularly for
young graduates desirous of joining the sales profession and to less known
foreign companies interested to market their products in India used to approach
first Kipling and Kingsley.
Though in the market Kipling and Kingsley company was
known as multinational foreign company, in fact, it was purely an Indian
company run by two English gentlemen, Robert Kipling and John Kingsley. They
were retired army officers and good friends. Both of them were posted in the
North-East Frontier province
of India Calcutta
from Kohima in Nagaland and settled in this city. In those days of mid-forties
houses were available at very cheap rent. Robert and John got one large house
near Calcutta
police headquarter in Lalbazar and formed their partnership company Kipling and
Kingsley. Initially they used to import foreign liquors, articles of toilet and
fancy dresses. Within a year they started importing medicine mostly from
European countries. Before the independence of India , there were very few
manufacturers of pharmaceutical and chemical products. Life saving drugs were
largely imported in the subcontinent. So the business of Kipling and Kingsley
got increased by leaps and bounds. They opened their branch offices in Bombay , Delhi and Madras .
After independence, many English families left India for England . But Robert and John stayed
permanently in Calcutta .
They purchased a two-storied bunglow at Alipore from the heir of a vassal
state. After renovation in English style they shifted their residence from Lalbazar
to Alipore. Three-storied building at Lalbazar was fully converted to office
and warehouse. Warehouse was on ground floor, general office at first floor and
Directors with management staves on the second or top floor.
Nandi could not finish the story of Kipling and Kingsley
that day as I had some meeting with Chanakya Nag. The next day I got the
opportunity and called Nandi in my chamber. I requested him to finish the story
of Kipling Kingsley.
“Sir, what should I tell you, it’s not a story but a fairy
tale. Nobody will believe how great were those two ‘Sahibs’!” Nandi said and
after a short pause continued, “I was hardly a boy of seventeen, I joined
Kipling and Kingsley company as an errand staff. Starting from the bank, sales
tax office, corporation etc., I got to go everywhere as per advice of two
beautiful private lady secretaries of Robert and John. I was made common
personal secretary of both of them for doing their personal outdoor work. They
used to call me by my first name Fatik.”
Nandi could not finish the story of Kipling and Kingsley
that day also as he got to leave my chamber to make statement of despatch
particulars of medicine samples sent to representatives of Eastern
India .
Within a day or two all the representatives of
pharmaceutical, chemical and home products division would come to Calcutta to join the
function of foundation day to be followed by cocktail and dinner.
He was very much free and frank in opening his mind to me
as he could learn, before joining Rainbow as their Divisional Manager,
Agro-Chemical Division, Eastern Region; I had worked for Kipling and Kingsley
for a year as a manager of their Insecticides Division. But this Kipling and
Kingsley company was not that as owned by Robert Kipling and John Kingsley. It
was owned by Topilal Sarbatwala, a share broker and estate agent who purchased
the company without changing the name.
Nandi told me, “Sir, what a coincidence! Both of us are
from KK. I mean Kipling and Kingsley family.”
With a smile I said, “Good! I feel at home to get someone
from my ex-employer. I mean the company, not the owners.”
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