On the occasion of Mother Teresa’s birth anniversary and seven years after her canonisation, some shared moments

To be associated with Saint Teresa of Kolkata is a blessing. In this fortnight that witnesses her 112th birth anniversary (August 26) and the seventh year of her canonisation (September 4), it is appropriate to recall those moments shared with the Saint.

Paper packets and memories: 1974. Class VIII. Father Bouche, a Belgian priest who taught us in school, encouraged us to make paper packets (thongas) for use at Shishu Bhawan, the children’s home run by the Missionaries of Charity.

Those not adept at making packets (like me) were asked to collect newspapers from home and neighbours. The experience left an impression; we felt we were being useful. In college I volunteered at Shishu Bhawan and was lucky to catch a glimpse of Mother. Those are the early and fulfilling memories that I still cherish.

Mother Teresa’s photographer: 1991. I quit the advertising agency I had worked for (Ogilvy) to set up a quizzing company. In the interim few months, I got in touch with photographer Sunil K Dutt. He was a renowned chronicler of Kolkata and its many moods. He had thousands of pictures of the city which he wanted to turn into a book.

But while Sunilda’s work was remarkable, the pictures he showed me did not convey anything new. Another pictorial history of Kolkata did not sound exciting. But wait a minute! Was there an idea here? I asked him for all the photographs he had taken of a woman he had been tracking for three decades: Mother Teresa.

Sunilda brought his collection of photographs, black-and-white, some ordinary, some stunning and some absolute masterpieces. One had Mother praying, another helping an afflicted child. The one which struck me was of Mother coming out of a police station after helping someone who had been detained unfairly. Yes! We have a book.

For the compilation of photographs to make an impact, we needed a Big Idea. We cracked that. Let’s get Mother Teresa herself to write the captions for every picture.

So off we went to the dingy lane in central Kolkata which housed the “worldwide headquarters” of the congregation of nuns founded by Mother Teresa. The setting was spartan, almost awkward: Four tackily painted wooden stools set out on a verandah overlooking a quadrangle. We excitedly shared our idea. Mother listened. When we had finished, she gently dropped the bomb: Why another book? My reply was prompt: It will help spread the word of all the good work you and your congregation do for people around the world. She smiled. “Son, god has been good. People already know all about our work.” Dead end. We tried again: Mother, we plan to get the book sponsored with a donation of Rs 5 lakh to the Missionaries of Charity. All we need are your blessings, and the captions from you.

After a glance at her stern-looking colleague, Sister Priscilla, Mother suggested, “I have said so much over the years, why don’t you use all that for the book.” It was a green signal for the project. As we were leaving, Sister Priscilla told me, “So many books have been written about Mother, but this is the first time somebody has offered something to the Missionaries of Charity.”

Appeal across continents: Eventually, after two companies with roots in Kolkata, (TATA, ITC) declined, it was Citibank from Mumbai who agreed to sponsor the book. When Leila Almeida, a young corporate communications manager from the bank heard the idea, she instantly said “Yes”. Citi would give Rs 5 lakh to the Missionaries of Charity and cover printing and production costs. Jaithirth “Jerry” Rao, then the India head of the bank, agreed to write the introduction.

A few months before the book was to go to print, Citibank called. Jerry would no longer be writing the introduction. Instead, the company’s Asia head, based in Hong Kong, would. Then again, a few weeks later, another change: Citibank’s global head, based in New York, would be writing the introduction. Clearly, Mother Teresa’s appeal ran across continents.

Finally, the big day came. It was back to the dingy lane with the tackily painted stools set out in the quadrangle. The sponsors were present in their black suits. Sunilda arrived in his trademark white bush shirt. Former India Davis Cup captain Naresh Kumar and his wife Sunita, among Mother’s closest confidantes, were there. The book was released to critical acclaim.

September 2023. Thirty years on. I continue to count my blessings. Happy birthday, Mother Teresa.

This article was published in the Indian Express | September 1, 2023