My Story

Born in 1960 in Shyambazar, Calcutta into a humble business family, my Father Late Durgadutt & Mother Late Narbada Nemani raised me as a "pukka" Calcuttan.

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My Maternal Grandfather Late Badrinarayan Todi hailed from Dhaka, Naraynganj, conducting various businesses there. The family members were spread across Khulna, Narayanganj & Dhaka. They moved to India in 1964. 

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On my paternal side, my Great Great Grandfather was Ray Bahadur Ram Pratap Nemani, who was well known for his philanthropic activities in Calcutta in early twentieth century. Even today at the SVS Marwari Hospital, you will find his name engraved as one of the major donors. The house that he used to live in Cotton Street and created a market just below it, still exists today and is lovingly called "Nemani Katra."

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I completed my schooling from Tantia High School,  a simple Vernacular School near Mohammed Ali Park, Colootola. I remember growing up in the by-lanes of North Calcutta, interspersed with Danguli, Rickshaw pullers, Tea Shops, neighborhood Kakus, Kakimas and good old Calcutta "ADDA" over Mohun Bagan - East Bengal, Rabindra Nazrul Sandhyas, a bit of Sonar Kella, Guddi, Abhimaan, Baul and in winters, Cricket!

As like any other Calcuttan, sitting for the JEE was the thing. Jaipuria College, was just behind our house and it became my preparation ground for the JEE in 1978-79.

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I landed up qualifying for Engineering and joined Jadavpur University in the Chemical Engineering Department and completed a Semester. This started my acquaintance with South Calcutta. For the first two months Number 9 Bus used to take me to Jadavpur University and on the way back my friends used to walk me all the way from JU to Ram Krishna Mission, Golpark for a bit of ADDA (again), before L9 brought me back home. Two months of travelling later, I joined the JU Hostel. Yes, Block A, Room#48 was my home for a while along with three other boarders.

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In the meanwhile results for Medical came out and I found that I had qualified for it as well. 

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Babuji (my father) & Ma always wanted me to be a Doctor and a Surgeon and as per their wishes I quit Engineering and joined Calcutta National Medical College. 

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I graduated as an MBBS in 1984. This is where I met my life partner Manak. Subsequent to which I completed my MS from RIMS (then RMCH) in January 1991 in General Surgery. 

With me being at RMCH and Manak at CMC where she was pursuing her DGO, our tryst of "Prem-Patras" started, one of which landed up in Manak's father's hand and soon my father and he were "Sammandhis"

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Manak & I tied our knot in 1990 and have since been blessed with a boy and girl. Nishant born in 1992 & Prachi in 1995.

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Manak, is a practicing Anaesthetist. She holds an MBBS, a DGO and an MD (Anaesthesiology), where she was awarded the Gold Medal in 1994 - All under Calcutta University. Yes, she was always a better student than me!

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Nishant completed his B.Tech in Civil Engineering from NIT-Durgapur, his MS in Structural Engineering from the University of California, San Diego, post which he did his MS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland USA and is currently pursuing his Ph.D at the University of Maryland in Mechanical Engineering.

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Following in the footsteps of her Parents and the wishes of her Grandparents, Prachi sat for NEET, ranking 37 in West Bengal, securing for herself a seat at the Calcutta Medical College (CMC). She graduated with an MBBS in 2019. Later she qualified NEET PG to secure a seat in AIIMS for MD in Forensic Medicine. Here like her parents she met Dr Shanmugasundaram Palanisamy (Sundar), who was pursuing his MS in Ophthalmology. Prachi and Sundar tied the knot in 2022 and in 2023 they were blessed with a daughter, Vihani.  

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I spend my time in an active social life and where possible try to contribute and support right causes.