2010. Lithography printshop in Cachan, 10 km from Paris south. This was the place where I was a sweeper and when I had the privilege to meet and be a helper in lithograph printing of famous painters of that time like Yves Brayer, Leonor Fini, Carzou, Erte, Vincent Haddlesay, Alain Bonnefoit, Judith Bledsoe among others. I also had their rare permission to go to their studios and watch them at work.
When India was partitioned 1947 to create Pakistan, a new country for Muslims, about 20 million people of Bengal and Punjab were displaced and brutally victimized. Sen’s wealthy, literate family had huge landed property in erstwhile East Bengal, the present Bangladesh, which was carved out to be East Pakistan for Muslims. So for being Hindus Sen’s family was overnight evicted from their home. Without taking any possessions, they fled for their lives amidst people warring over religion, and so became squatted refugees in West Bengal.
