Kapil Dev and Subhas Chakraborty during an Indian Cricket League function in the city last year

Calcutta: Even if one didn’t quite know much about the state of sport in Bengal, one knew who the concerned minister was. Such was the panama hat-wearing Subhas Chakraborty’s profile.

He wasn’t, of course, a run-of-the-mill politician and didn’t bother about being politically correct.

To give examples in sport, Chakraborty threw his weight behind Jagmohan Dalmiya when the state’s chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, was backing Prasun Mukherjee.

That was three years ago.

As it turned out, Chakraborty supported the right candidate: Dalmiya couldn’t be removed from the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president’s chair.

Dalmiya had to leave five-six months later, but that was because of intra-Board politics, and spent around a year-and-a-half in the wilderness before making a comeback in July 2008.

He had Chakraborty’s backing then too. And to think that in the mid-Eighties, both had actually been at loggerheads over the Society for Sports and Stadium members’ issue.

“Yes, there were differences at that point in time, but after a series of meetings, Subhasda understood the CAB’s point of view… From then on, he was always there to help us… Whatever the occasion, we could bank on him,” Dalmiya, who’ll be missing him more than some of the others in sport, reminisced.

Another instance of Chakraborty not caring about political correctness was last year, when he extended unconditional support to Kapil Dev, promising to make available stadia under his ministry for the rebel Indian Cricket League.

The Board, headed then by politician Sharad Pawar, frowned, yet Chakraborty remained unfazed.

But, then, the late minister shared an enviable rapport with India’s only World Cup-winning captain.

In fact, back in the summer of 1992, Chakraborty had even persuaded Kapil to turn out for his favourite club, East Bengal, in an exhibition match at the Salt Lake Stadium.

Rain played spoilsport, but around 65,000 still had something to talk about.

On Monday afternoon, a couple of hours after Chakraborty’s passing away, Kapil got rather emotional while speaking to The Telegraph from New Delhi.

“Subhasda wasn’t just a good friend... I’d say he was more like an elder brother, a father figure... It’s a huge personal loss,” Kapil, who lost his mother two months ago, said.

“I can’t recall the first time I met Subhasda, but it must have been at least two decades ago... You don’t straightaway become close to somebody... It’s over a period that our relationship grew...

“The last time that I met Subhasda was when he’d been hospitalised in Delhi, some months ago... After that, I spoke to him on the phone... I don’t think I ended any visit to Calcutta without at least talking to Subhasda on the phone,” he added.

According to Kapil, whose companies (Dev Musco, Dev and Dev) installed the floodlights at the state government-funded Barasat Stadium, Chakraborty “always” kept his word.

“I’ve dealt with politicians who don’t deliver on their promises, but Subhasda was different... If he said something would be done, you didn’t have to worry... He kept his word and always acceded to my requests… Equally, if Subhasda wanted me to do something, I made sure he wasn’t disappointed,” Kapil recalled.

Awaiting details, Kapil said that he might fly over to Calcutta for Chakraborty’s funeral, on Tuesday.

“I’ll remember Subhasda as a wonderful person and somebody who found time for others, especially sportspersons... He was so down to earth… Bengal, to my mind, has lost more than a minister,” Kapil signed off.

That’s a sentiment shared by many.

Footnote: Not that Chakraborty ever wore anything flashy in public, but he would be even simpler at home. Indeed, it wouldn’t be unusual for visitors to be received by the minister clad in no more than a lungi and vest!