Asim Dasgupta: Deja vu

Calcutta, June 2: State finance minister Asim Dasgupta and his twin Atish today decided to help twin brothers Rajat and Rakesh Sarkar pursue their dreams.

Years ago, the Dasguptas scored the same marks in the school final examinations. This year, both the Sarkars ? of Gaighata in North 24-Parganas ? have scored 577 in the Madhyamik examinations.

Touched by the twins’ performance, the Dasgupta brothers have decided to stand by them. “Atish (the dean of social science at the Indian Statistical Institute in Calcutta) and I decided that we will help the boys to the extent possible in their pursuit of higher studies,” Asim Dasgupta said.

Till yesterday, the future of the 16-year-olds was uncertain. The family lives from hand to mouth and the brothers have to work in the fields to lend their father Ganesh, a marginal farmer, a helping hand. But they still hope to become doctors and treat poor villagers.

The twins called the finance minister, overjoyed on hearing about the decision to help them. “They called me and we spoke for some time over phone,” said Dasgupta. The assistance might be “financial or any other guidance”, he said.

Dasgupta is ailing and has been advised a week’s rest. “When I get back to my normal schedule, I would want to meet the boys and talk to them,” he said. “For now, I have asked them to concentrate on doing well in their forthcoming examinations, the Higher Secondary.”

Ganesh earns too paltry a sum to translate the dreams of his sons to reality. However, he had not given up hope. “I will try my very best to realise their dreams,” he had said. Now the proud father has the two Dasguptas by his side who also want to see Rajat and Rakesh do well in life.