RANCHI: Hazaribag district authorities felicitated senior journalist Abhijit Sen, perhaps the only living scribe in the district to have witnessed the first-ever flag-hoisting ceremony on August 15, 1947, at the Hazaribag Police Lines.
Sen, 79, was felicitated by deputy commissioner Nancy Sahay during the Independence Day celebrations held at the Hazaribag stadium on Monday morning.
Sen, who has been associated with the TOI for the last 36 years, said he was just four-and-half years old when India became independent 75 years ago.
“I went to the first-ever flag-hoisting ceremony, which was held at the Hazaribag Police Lines along with my father Dev Kumar Sen and my elder sister Maitrayee Chatterjee. Although there was no electricity in Hazaribag back then, the entire town, including homes and educational institutes, was lit up to mark the occasion. Like me, several kids were present to witness this historic event. We were given packets of sweets and chocolates after the Tricolor was unfurled,” Sen said at the function.
Praising him, Sahay said, “Sen has been serving society as a journalist for over six decades. Hence, the district administration decided to honour him.”
SP Manoj Ratan Chothe said, “It was because of him that we came to know that the first-ever I-Day celebrations in Hazaribag were held at the Police Lines.”
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