Bonku Babu's Friend by Satyajit Ray

Bonku Babu's Character

• Bonku Babu was a calm and patient person who never got angry, even in the face of teasing from his students.
• He was a geography and Bengali teacher at the Kankurgachhi Village Primary School for 22 years.

Teasing by Students

• Students would often tease Bonku Babu by drawing his cartoon on the blackboard, putting glue on his chair, and setting off fireworks behind him during Kali Puja.
• Despite this, Bonku Babu would only occasionally clear his throat and say "Shame on you, boys!"

Reasons for Calmness

• One reason for his calmness was that he couldn't afford to lose his temper and risk losing his job at his age.
• Another reason was that there were always a few good students in each class, and teaching them was rewarding enough to make his job worth living.

Relationship with Students

• Bonku Babu would invite good students to his house, offer them snacks, and tell them stories of foreign lands and exciting adventures.
• He was a good storyteller who could enthrall his audience.

Adda Gatherings

• Bonku Babu would attend evening gatherings at Sripati Majumdar's house, where he would be teased by the other adults.
• He would often come back from these gatherings thinking "Enough, never again!"

Pranks at Adda Gatherings

• The adults would often play pranks on Bonku Babu, including pretending to be ghosts and scaring him.
• One time, a prank gone wrong left Bonku Babu with a sore neck and a torn kurta.

Importance of Bonku Babu

• Sripati Majumdar believed that having a "butt of ridicule" like Bonku Babu was essential to the group, as it provided amusement to all.
• Bonku Babu felt obligated to attend these gatherings to maintain his relationship with Sripati Babu, an important man in the school committee and village.