" Life, with its chance meetings, it togetherness for a few months, its relations which have no emotions and emotions that do not find sanction in a relation, is an anguished interrogation of reality which man must inhabit..."
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
another one for the road..
There comes a time in life.. when you feel alone.. really alone..
when you have so much to say, but you have noone to listen.. or the
people that are willing to listen to you, you don't consider them close
enough.. when you feel that the past has taken the best part of you away
with it, and that the future has therefore nothing worth the effort..
when you feel that it would be best if you just stopped.. stopped waking
up, stopped going through the motions over and over and over again..
when you wonder if Time has come up against a dead end.. It's so very
hard to get out of that phase, to tell yourself that there are things
yet to be done, people yet to be entertained, promises yet to be kept..
It comes in everyone's life, does it not?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
College Street
"Coffee house r shei adda-ta aaj r nei.. aaj r nei..
kothaay haariye gyalo shonali bikel gulo shei.. aaj r nei.."
kothaay haariye gyalo shonali bikel gulo shei.. aaj r nei.."
Some
say it reminds them of Oxford Street, the die-hards chant “Nakshalbari
Laal Salaam!” and the long-bearded intellectuals sum in the immortal
lines quoted above. Paradise and indispensable to those who earn their
livelihood here, College Street is abhorred by others due to its
puzzling traffic-jams and (almost every day) road blockades. In spite of
this, College St. and its hinterland remains one of the most intriguing
and unique niches of the metropolis.
It’s the place
where the true spirit of the Bengali Renaissance blends harmoniously
with the ideology of the turbulent ‘70s. But, today, it is best known
for the innumerous bookstalls lining its pavements. From ICSE projects
to “Tagore’s Secret Love”, from a copy of Harry Potter to a collection
of the black and white photographs of the bloody World Wars, myriad are
the number of books that catch your eye. And if you are particularly
adept at bargaining, then the world of print is yours.
The
first landmark that’s bound to catch your eye is the Coffee House, by
which the intelligentsia can swear. As you go up its dilapidated flight
of steps, and enter the smoke-cloaked room, you are sure to find people
from every walk of life here - from the Bon Jovis of the bathroom to the
Kishore Kumars of the canteen, from long-bearded, kurta-clad undergrads
to beedi-smoking intellectuals.
At the other end are a cluster of video-handling foreigners, who blend with the surroundings with equal ease. Then of course, there are the Romeos and Juliets whispering softly at their new spring of love, the truant students from college regaling each other with lively anecdotes during their never-ending ‘adda’ sessions, the office-goers dropping by for a quick sip, the budding politicians, the philosophers (both pseudo and real) and many others. But, today this building is fast succumbing to the damp and polluted air that gnaws away bits of history. Lack of maintenance, inadequate funds and the sorry fact that the food, once ordered, takes almost unbearably long to appear has left this piece of historical evidence in a state of disrepair and semi-oblivion.
At the other end are a cluster of video-handling foreigners, who blend with the surroundings with equal ease. Then of course, there are the Romeos and Juliets whispering softly at their new spring of love, the truant students from college regaling each other with lively anecdotes during their never-ending ‘adda’ sessions, the office-goers dropping by for a quick sip, the budding politicians, the philosophers (both pseudo and real) and many others. But, today this building is fast succumbing to the damp and polluted air that gnaws away bits of history. Lack of maintenance, inadequate funds and the sorry fact that the food, once ordered, takes almost unbearably long to appear has left this piece of historical evidence in a state of disrepair and semi-oblivion.
Once
you take a stroll down the streets of College Street ‘boi para’ (as
it’s fondly called by book-lovers and non-lovers alike), it becomes
evident almost immediately as to why it is so named. An array of ancient
buildings with their flamboyant, Gothic architecture preside serenely
over the street. Relics of another era when all was right, and
literature reached its apex, they remind you of that oft-repeated (but
no longer relevant) quote : "What Bengal thinks today, India thinks
tomorrow..". Presidency College (my second home), Medical College,
Calcutta University - all leave you awe-struck by their magnificence.
Another
inseparable part of this street is the College Square swimming pool. It
is one of the city’s remaining places of refuge for its innumerable
couples. On the other side, romance of a different ‘taste’ prevails as
you indulge your gastric juices at the numerous eating outlets. Perhaps
it is the best place in Kolkata to quench your thirst with a glass of
lime-water. It is a slice of Kolkata’s colonial past offering a unique
taste of the lost legacy of the British Raj.
Then there
are strewn remnants of the Naxalite eruption. A legacy of the by-gone
age is the omnipresent microphone that attempts to solve problems, but
ends up adding to them instead. You can almost hear it every day - the
familiar “cholchhe cholbe” and “maanchhina maanbona”, the bloodcurdling
warcries of “lorai lorai lorai chaai, lorai kore baachte chaai!” and
the hair-rising “Inquilaab Zindabaad!” - it is where the politicians
receive their first training.
This, in a nutshell, is a
kaleidoscope of the little world of College Street - a planet of
booksellers, students, revolutionaries, of broken dreams and lofty
ambitions. Generations fade away, yet the spirit remains - searching for
an opportunity to blossom again. In spite of all these, it endures and
withstands the ravages of time in a bid to fulfill its tryst with
destiny…..
But today, the centuries-old buildings of
College Street are being remodeled to pave way for the cyber-cafes,
while the Coffee House is losing its glory to the nearby Food Station.
If for nothing else, the essence of College Street and all it signifies
should be protected simply to assure future generations of their cup of
infusion, their cigarette-burning adda sessions in the college corridors
and their right to experience the true spirit of Kolkata’s college
life. The way I am..
(the article speaks for itself, I believe!)
// the following is reported
verbatim from a flyer that came with The Telegraph, 23rd September,
2008. Once you read it through, I believe you'll understand why exactly I
had to post this...
LOOK LIKE SMART AND PREETI !
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you want good looking person before Puja ? Every lady looking very
smart, but sometimes they look very odd. Why ? Because increase their
belly. They are not look completely preeti or slime. Do you fill tension
? No problem, everything solve here. Use abdomianl belt. No side
effect. After use then completely plain your belly. Cloth or elastic
materail. Start from the beginning after 15 days 1 kg reduce. After 1
month good result and you look like slime. Seizer delivery patient of
course need fully. Gents are also use for reduce belly.
Contact : 99030 52105
Also available here :
* Blood Pressure Machine * Stethoscope, Sugar machine * Weight machine
* Wheel chair, Comat, Bed pan * Urine Pot * Hernia Trus * Crutch, Walker
* Elbow crutch * Hearing aid * L.S.Belt * Traction set
(I wonder what on earth happens to those who are desperate enough to contact them...)
The Alphabet. (eh?)
[Okay.
First of all, credit where credit is due. The rest of this scribble is a
word-to-word reproduction of a brilliant piece of comic relief I came
across on the internet (the exact location of which has unfortunately
slipped from my mind). I neither demand nor deserve credit for it. So,
here goes...]
A is for ‘Awpheesh’
( as in Office ). This is where the average Kolkattan goes and spends a
day hard at work. If he works for the ‘West Bengal Gorment’ he will
arrive at 10, wipe his forehead till 11, have a tea-break at 12, throw
around a few files at 12:30, break for lunch at 1, smoke an unfiltered
cigarette at 2, break for tea at 3, sleep sitting down at 4 and go home
at 4:30. It’s a hard life !
B is for ‘Bhision’. For some reason, most Bengalees don’t possess ‘good bhision’. In fact, in Kolkata most people wear spectacles all the time…
C if for 'Chappell'.
This was once the Bengali word for the Devil, for the worst form of
evil. At night, mothers have been known to put their kids to sleep
saying, “Ghumiye poro, shona.. Naa ghumoley Chappell eshe dhore niye jaabe !! “
D
is for Debashish. Or any other name starting with 'Deb'. By an ancient
law, every fourth Bengalee child has to be named Debashish. So you have a
Debashish everywhere and, trying to get creative, they are also called
Deb, Debu, Deba with variations like Debanik, Deboprotim, Debojyoti etc.
thrown in at times.
E is for ‘Eeesh’.
This is a very common expression made famous by Aishwarya Rai in the
movie ‘Devdas’. It’s estimated that on an average, a Bengalee –
especially Bengalee women – use 'eeesh' 10,089 times each year. ‘Ei morechhey’ is a close second to ‘Eeesh’.
F is for ‘Feeesh’.
These are creatures that swim in rivers and seas and are a favourite
food of the Bengalees. Despite the fact that a fish market has such
strong smells, with one sniff a Bengalee knows if a fish is all right.
If not, he will say “ Eeesh, what feeesh is theesh !! “
G is for ‘good name’.
Every Bengalee boy will have a good name like Debashish or Deboprotim
and a pet name like Motka, Bhombol, Thobla etc. Girls, on the other
hand, have their ‘good name’s ranging from Priyanka to Sulagna and sport pet-names like Tia, Tuktuki, Mishti, Khuku etc.
H is for ‘Harmonium’. This is the Bengali equivalent to a rock guitar. Take four Bengalees and a harmonium and you have the successors of ‘The Bheatles’ !!
I is for “Ileesh’. This is a 'feesh' with 10,000 bones which would kill any ordinary person, but which the Bengalees eat with ‘rayleeesh’ !!
J is for ‘Jhola’. No self-respecting Bengalee is complete without his Jhola.
It’s a shapeless cloth bag where he keeps all his belongings and he
fits in an amazing number of things. Even as you read, there are 2
million jholas bobbling around Kolkata.. and they ALL look EXACTLY THE SAME !! Note that ‘Jhol’ as in ‘Macchher Jhol’ finishes a close second.
K is for ‘Kee Kaando!’ It used to be the favourite expression until ‘eeesh’ took over.
L is for ‘Lungi’
– the dress for all occasions. People in Kolkata manage to play
football and cricket wearing it, not to mention the daily morning trip
to the local bazaar ! Now, there’s talk of a ‘Lungi expedition’ to the Mt. Everest !!
M is for ‘Minibus’.
These are dangerous half-buses whose antics would effortlessly frighten
the living daylights out of all James Bond stuntmen as well as Formula 1
race car drivers.
N is for ‘Nangto’. This is the Bengali word for ‘naked’. It’s the most interesting naked word in any language !
O
is for 'Oil'. The Bengalees believe that a touch of mustard oil will
cure anything from cold (oil in the nose), to earache (oil in the ear),
to cough (oil in the throat) to piles (oil you-know-where !)
P is for ‘Phootball’. This is always a 'phavourite phassion'
of the Kolkattan. Every Bengalee is born an expert in this game. The
two biggest clubs are Mohun Bagan and East Bengal and, when they play,
the city comes to a stop.
Q
is for 'Queen'. {There’s nothing that this had to do with either the
Bengalees or Kolkata, but it’s the only ‘Q’-word I could think of at
this moment. There’s also ‘Quilt’, but they never use them in Kolkata. }
R is for 'Robi Thakur'.
Many many years ago, Rabindranath Tagore got the Nobel prize. This has
given the right to all Bengalees, no matter where they are, to frame
their acceptance speeches as if they were directly related to the great
poet and walk with their head held high. This also gives Bengalees the
birthright to look down on Delhi and Mumbai, and of course, all ‘non-Bengalees’ ! Special mention must also be made of ‘Rawshowgolla’, which finishes second.
S is for 'Shourav'.
Now that they finally produced a genuine cricketer and a captain,
Bengalees think that he should be allowed to play until he is 70 yrs
old. Of course they will see to it that he stays in good form by doing a
little bit of ‘joggo’ and ‘maanot’.
T is for 'Tram'. Hundred years later, there are still trams in Kolkata. Of course if you are in a hurry, it’s faster to walk.
U is for ‘Aambrella’.
V is for ‘Bhaayolence’.
Bengalees are the most non-violent people around. When an accident
happens, they’ll fold up their sleeves, shout, scream (and curse and
abuse) “ Chherey de bolchhi !! “, but the last time someone actually hit someone was in 1979.
W
is for 'Water'. For 3 months of the year, the city is underwater and
every year for the last 200 years the authorities are taken by surprise
by this !
X is
for 'X’mas'. It’s very big in Kolkata, with Park Street fully lit up and
all Bengalees agree that they must eat cake that day.
Y is for ‘Yesshtaarday’. Which is always better than today for a Bengalee.
Z is for 'Jebra', 'Jipper' and 'Jylophone'.
“ I saw his teeth and the cheeky grin with which he foretold history.
I felt his handshake and, like a distant murmur, his formal goodbye.
The night, folding in at contact with his words, overtook me again,
enveloping me within it. But despite his words, I now knew.. I knew that
when the great guiding spirit cleaves humanity into two antagonistic
halves, I would be with the people. I know this, I see it printed in the
night sky that I, eclectic dissembler of doctrine and psychoanalyst of
dogma, howling like one possessed, will assault the barricades or the
trenches, will take my bloodstained weapon and, consumed with fury,
slaughter any enemy who falls into my hands. And I see, as if a great
exhaustion smothers this fresh revolution, I see myself, immolated in
the genuine revolution, the great equalizer of individual will,
proclaiming the ultimate ‘meaculpa’. I feel my nostrils dilate,
savouring the acrid smell of gunpowder and blood, of the enemy’s death; I
steel my body, ready to do battle, and prepare myself to be a sacred
space within which the bestial howl of the triumphant proletariat can
resound with new energy and new hope… ”
- Ernesto 'Che' Guevara de la Serna, “The Motorcycle Diaries”
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
A lucid remembrance..
17:53 hrs IST, Tuesday, the 20th of October, 2009
There’s
a political parade snaking its way forward on the lane in front of my
house, the leaders shouting their voices raw with (the usual) “jobaab chaai, jobaab daao”s.
I am standing on my balcony, looking at the throng of bodies, most of
them in various stages of disinterestedness. Some, in fact, are casually
laughing and chatting amongst themselves, as if they’re out on a
leisurely evening walk. I am looking at them alright, and yet I am not..
The vision that forms in front of my eyes is of a sweltering July
mid-afternoon, that time of the year when uncountable droplets of sweat
form on the forehead and roll down to the chin before a handkerchief can
be whipped out. I remember that
procession very well, that group of students of all shapes and sizes,
all streams and ages, all backgrounds and upbringings.. I remember the
parched throats, the ringing slogans, the raging fires in the hearts of
the hundred strong army of youth at 86/1, College Street.. I remember
the awe that passers-by regarded us with, the look of surprise on the
taxi-drivers’ faces at the sheer volume of our incensed voices, our
frenzied clapping of hands, out stamping feet.. And as the train of
people vanish round the bend, and as memories fade, one slogan lingers
on.. "Loraai loraai loraai chaai, / loraai korey baachte chaai ! / Ei loraai lorbe k ? / Tumi, aami, aabar k…"
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
I bought the latest edition of the Oxford Reference Dictionary today. From the place that most Kolkattans rush to when they need a book - College Street. The marked price was Rs 2169. And, guess what, I bought the book for Rs 1000. Not a penny more, not a penny less. That amounts to a discount of more than 50 per cent ! I still cannot help but wonder how much the shopkeeper must have bought it for... ( I also bought Amartya Sen's "The Argumentative Indian" at a 20 per cent discount but that is quite unrelated. )
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