Calcutta Club’s new president, Abhijit Ghosh, has held many posts in the club since he joined in 1992, and even outside as a medical practitioner. With 40 years of experience in ophthalmology, Ghosh has led many medical groups including being the past president of the Ophthalmological Society of West Bengal, Eastern India Zonal Ophthalmological Congress and NRS Medical College Student’s Association but the presidentship of a club like Calcutta Club which has a rich legacy and a cosmopolitan milieu is quite different for him and comes with new challenges. Ghosh’s focus is to promote the heritage values of the club among new and young members. A chat with Ghosh.
You have held so many prestigious posts outside the club. How is the presidentship of the Calcutta Club different?
It is very different. In the doctor’s fraternity, we head a group of professionals who are valued for achievements in their respective fields. Here the members are very different; there’s a cosmopolitan crowd with doctors, lawyers, engineers, professors and people from all walks of life coming together for a purpose which is outside of their professional purview. Some members have sporting interests, others just want to relax, socialise and have fun, and some might have culinary interests. So, the ideology is remarkably different. This is a social organisation, ruled by social and club norms. Also, Calcutta Club is a traditional society and it is quite different from other clubs in the city. We have a very important cultural heritage and I want everyone to have knowledge about it and be proud of it.
Calcutta Club File picture
Tell us about your journey with the club...
I joined this club in 1992, that is more than 30 years ago. When we are young and pursuing a profession it becomes difficult to give time to social life and especially club life but later when the race is over you can give more time to the club. So it’s important to give time. And I could feel that I could give much more time now.
Do you have a focus area now as the club president?
Calcutta Club is passing through an interesting phase. Traditionality is being slowly amalgamated with corporate ideas now. We are not a corporate institute but we acknowledge that governance needs some corporatisation. However, this phase has to come slowly and not rapidly; it shouldn’t hurt the heritage aspect of the club. And my primary focus is to promote the heritage aspect of the club. People should know our history and where they are coming to. This is a very important club, formed in 1907, that had an equal representation of Indians and Europeans at a time when Indians were not allowed in a club. I would want you to take note of the logo of the club which has been very interestingly designed. It has a rose on one side, representing the Europeans, and a lotus on the other, representing Indians.
How do you intend to promote the heritage aspect of the club among the new generation?
For any society to prosper, they will have to be proud of their heritage; there has to be a sense of belonging and love for the institute. The club has housed and welcomed many prestigious names like King George, Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Satyajit Ray, etc. We have a fantastic library with an amazing collection of books and the library was frequented by Ray. The property is strewn with valuable artefacts and we are trying to refurbish them and make the members aware of them. We are also doing coffee-table books.
Calcutta Club has been hosting a lot of events — the Bakery Carnival, The Telegraph Calcutta Club Debate, Christmas Carnival, among others, and we intend to continue them with the same vigour. I also started a heritage dinner that replicated the menus of the early ‘90s, which has been received well. So we are doing a lot to promote our heritage and cultural values. Also, we are developing a kind of consortium with a few elite clubs of Calcutta to exchange ideas and promote talents.