Sept_13

DILIP RAJA WITH
KAAVIN, Kolkata
Shilbhadra Datta
Playing board games with young Kaavin is only one of
many fun activities Dilip Raja revels in. At just fourand-a-half,
the boy exhibits an unusual knack for machines
and badgers his parents with questions, especially about
aircraft and airports. “A keen observer, Kaavin wants to be
a part of everything he sees,” says his 74 year-old grandfather.
“He flies a lot with his parents and whenever he visits
an airport, he watches everything around him—the control
tower and hangars—minutely and asks a lot of questions.
As his mother is very busy, he turns to me.” To strengthen
the child’s cognitive abilities, Dilip has bought an armload
of board games. “You will often find us locked in battle and
fighting for victory at the table,” beams the grandpa. “I relish
these moments. As the proverb goes, ‘Interest is always
sweeter than capital’!”
—Partha Mukherjee
harmony celebrate age september 2013 53