It might have come as a surprise to some people but my friends in Darjeeling and my family knew that I would move out at the age of 58… perhaps I am wired a little differently. There is much more to do in life apart from a job.... I will walk the hills and the mountains and I wish to do it before I get too old Sunirmal Chakravarthi

Sunirmal Chakravarthi has resigned as the principal of La Martiniere for Boys to “walk the hills and the mountains”.

The school board now has the task of finding two replacements, with the principal for La Martiniere for Girls, Lorraine Mirza, having retired in August and the search for her successor still on. Vice-principal Rupkatha Sarkar is in charge of the girls’ school now.

The retirement age at La Martiniere is 60 but Chakravarthi resigned two years ahead in keeping with his plan of “walking away at 58”. He will, however, continue in office till the end of the academic term in March.

“The principal of the boys’ school resigned for personal reasons and we will advertise for the post soon. We have not yet selected the girls’ school principal and the process is on,” said Supriyo Dhar, the secretary of the La Martiniere Schools.

Chakravarthi took over as principal of La Martiniere for Boys on January 9, 2006, after a stint with St. Paul’s School, Darjeeling, where he was the senior master.

He put in his papers in the first week of October. The board of governors held a meeting on Wednesday and Chakravarthi announced the decision to the staff at lunch break on Thursday, saying he wanted to “go back to the hills”.

“It might have come as a surprise to some people but my friends in Darjeeling and my family knew that I would move out at the age of 58… perhaps I am wired a little differently. There is much more to do in life apart from a job,” he told Metro. “I will walk the hills and the mountains and I wish to do it before I get too old.”

Chakravarthi had wanted to hand over responsibility by the end of December, but the school requested him to continue till the end of the session and he agreed as he felt he owed it to the school.

“I can only pray that someone more capable and committed would come but people come and go…. I can say this calmly perhaps because it is six months away but parting will be tough,” he said.

The school too owes much to Chakravarthi — from revival of the tradition of theatre and music to introduction of parent-principal meetings in the junior school. “I would meet the parents and tell them what was expected of them, which would be encouraging the children to read and also reading out to them,” he said.

It was during Chakravarthi’s tenure that report cards stopped carrying the highest marks, including instead the class average. He also laid more emphasis on sports.

The Martin and Chater blocks, which house the pre-primary and primary sections, were built during Chakravarthi’s time and a section added to each class till Class V.

Chakravarthi had been under the scanner over the suicide of a Class VIII student, Rouvanjit Rawla, in 2010 but was acquitted by court in September 2012.

“I feel sad we lost two boys, Rouvanjit Rawla and Rhiju Basak (the Class XI boy’s body was found floating in Rabindra Sarobar in February 2012), and my heart goes out to their parents,” said Chakravarthi.