My grandmother, Subhasini Sen, was a devout Vaisnav lady. The be-all and end-all of my mother’s life (Hemnalini) was the home and the family. My father, Khagendranarayan, a lawyer by profession, was blessed with a perpendicular character. My indebtedness to them is too deep for words.

In 1932 I was born in Rajshahi district (now in Bangladesh). My student life started in a pathsala (traditional pre-primary private school) situated in a thatched hut.