The Forgotten News

The afternoon was very warm. Raman's old fragile body was tired. His mind was weary with the day's proceedings at court. He seated himself on an easy-chair, his eyes stared idly to the ceiling where the fan went on slowly in circles making that rusty sound- krrrr krrrr. 29 years had passed by and it only seemed like yesterday. His eyes fell upon the old scrap book. He clasped it and sighed silently. Some of the pages of the book had started withering and discolouring. Slowly, he turned over the leaves of the old scrap book and memories came forth with the speed of light. 

29 years had passed by- Raman was the most talked about person in the country. As he turned pages of his scrap book full of newspaper clippings, he observed how the papers called him 'the Revolutionary Common Man' and 'the One Man Army against Corrupt Politicians' and 'the Lone Warrior'. How they had glorified him! Raman was one of thousands of common men who had been cheated by a corrupt politician who devoured their lifetime's savings. He was the only one of those thousands to raise his voice and courageously take legal action against the one who cheated him. 

India was looking for role models and heroes for motivation and inspiration. When a common man like Raman came to the fore, India got just what it was looking for. Every newspaper carried news about Raman's case and interviews with him. The news channels on TV and radio were flooded with news about him and many a debate took place on the success of his pursuit for justice. In the evenings, friends would meet after work to discuss Raman's case at length over tea. Housewives would discuss with each other of what they thought and what their husbands thought of the whole situation during their free time. Raman was every where in the air. He enjoyed every bit of attention and support he received from any quarter as it would strengthen him and give him the moral boost he needed in tough times. It made him believe that success would eventually be his and kept him beaming with positivity. To top it off, every big lawyer in the country wanted to be on his case, for if he won, it would take them to greater heights in their career and give them the visibility they yearn for, as, media watched his case like a hawk.

Media watched his case...like a hawk....for one entire month...and during this one entire month, Raman would clip all articles on his case and about him and his quest for justice. He wanted to show his children and grandchildren that it is possible to be victorious when you have truth on your side...for one entire month...

...and then India won the World Cup Cricket tournament. Eleven heroes were created in a day. India found its heroes, people they could idolise and have for role-models. It was a huge achievement for the country. All the media focus shifted to this newly acquired glory. It was something that put India back on the world map...at least on the cricketing map.

Then, there were floods- massive floods that took up the media attention...900 dead, 500 missing, 100,000 stranded. When the country was recovering from the flood, there was a major military operation and loss of the Prime Minister followed by massive riots. Media attention could not be anywhere else but on these. As these events unfolded one after the other, the household talks also changed accordingly. In addition, other emotions such as anguish, anxiety and fear also took over. It is not easy for a country to have an assassinated Prime Minister and not react to the situation.

Amidst all this, Raman's news got buried...his quest for justice went on but his big support system- the media and people left his side for there was so much more happening in the world that was more captivating than a common man take a politician to court. People had forgotten him and his cause. He treaded on alone. It is funny how the popularity of a case in the media is inversely proportional to the fees charged by lawyers. As the popularity of his case dropped and nothing of it could even catch the eye of the media, the fees levied by his lawyer sky-rocketed. This was after-all not 'THE' case that could give them the popularity to win them a seat at the parliament or at the least, fatten their wallets for future cases. 

Raman is still 'the Lone Warrior' with the support of his family broken in spirit and a disinterested lawyer. He has not given up. He is still fighting hard for justice and his lifetime's savings against the politician who is dead by now....He has still not been able to tell the story of his victory which he really wanted to, to his grand children....He also slightly misses the attention from the media and people which 29 years back, for one whole month was entirely his...his only solace on that warm afternoon, lying on his easy chair was the scrapbook bearing the many clippings of the Forgotten News...

My Combat With Linux

I wrote this post way back in 2005 in my erstwhile blog. I realised the importance of blogging in our lives when I read that post. It really helps us reflect and take an overview of things. For example:

It is amazing to see how much progress we have made in terms of technology when we look back. Back then in 2005, I was using a dial-up internet connection at home and now I have wi-fi at home...and of course I had that in-between wired broadband connection.

My friends(those in the s/w field) call Linux- The Wonder Software(I still have my own questions regarding what a software can actually be but I'll save it for later). The length at which they speak of it, had a great impact on me. It gave me a feeling that it is God sent and ignorance about this divine gift is definitely not bliss. It is considered cool and the widely used Windows is termed crap and far more inferior to Linux. Impressed by all this Linux talk, I decided to try using it myself. My Big B had already installed Linux on to my PC and he like my friends asked me to give it a try.

I accessed it. It looked awesome. My 1st attraction was the games. I was impressed by the wide variety it had to offer. It had everything from traditional games to action and adventure. I said to myself ''Why didn't anyone tell me about this before?'' After enjoying the games, I moved to my next attraction - Painting and drawing tools. These were impressive as well. The presence of grids made drawing etc; really simple. I said to myself ''Why didn't anyone tell me about this before?'' Another attraction was the touch-up one could do with pictures and photographs. Amazing......... For me, my PC means a lot more than playing games or sketch or improvise on errors made by photographers. It is a means of staying connected with my friends, news , views, gossip, home-work, assignments etc....etc..... and to accomplish this I require a blessing called the Internet. Internet it was where it all began- My Combat with Linux. 
Setting up a connection was no child's play. I don't quite remember what I did but permutations and combinations of all sorts help me set it up. It didn't take me very long. Maybe.... mhmm.....5-6 hours in all. When it was all set-up, I dialled as anticipation welled up in me. Everything about it was so amazing (so far). After a short pause ittold me - The modem is busy ( busy?? my modem?? it is a Sunday afternoon for Chrissake!!!!!! my modem is my ardent follower- totally jobless). I am not the kind of a person who could succumb to such blatant lies thrown at me by a s/w I've just met. I decided not to give in. I had to stand up for Humanity's sake. I kept on dialling and staring back at the lies it slapped at my face. Finally, I was victorius. No, I wasnot able to connect to the net but the more I dialled my computer got hung. I wouldn't let it kill my long time buddy-the comp. I restarted and worked on it again. Dialled again. But apparently it was bent on strangling my computer. I am not a person who can be defeated by the antics of a s/w. I persevered. I was persistent. I restarted my computer again and again. Finally, Linux broke down.Each time I tried to access it a blank black screen stared back at me and after a minute or so my computer would restart again. I knew that this s/w will put up all kinds of strategies to beat me but it just didn't know who it was up against. It totally gave up in some time. I CONQUERED LINUX. Yes. I did it. I rendered it incapable of evenrestarting the computer. All it showed me was a blank black screen representing the acceptance of grief, defeat and remorse. I said to myself-''Why did anybody tell me about this-EVER?'' (The Wonder Software had flopped miserably)
I Returned to Windows.

Windows who had been a silent observer all this while got a hint- Never to mess with me. As I returned to Windows. I got a familiar friendly and inviting welcome. Everything about Windows was so easy. It gave a high degree of comfort to work with. Internet connection was so easy to set up and connected with a click of finger (on the mouse). It so well behaved, never giving a tough time. This is why i think they say - Looks can be Deceptive. Linux was deceptive.

My Literary Bong Connection

Calcutta (or Kolkata) is known to be the cultural capital of the country. I would say the whole of Bengal could easily be the cultural capital of our country. It is from this state that I have witnessed very rich literature being generated.

I have to thank my best friend Malabika for introducing me to Bengali literature. Since I cannot really read the language very well, I had to depend on the translations. It made me think if I could enjoy the translations so much, I, most definitely would have fallen in love with the literature in the original language of writing. It is a deep sea of literature. I have read most of the recommendations of my friend but I know there is still a lot to discover. India is slowly waking up to the joys of Bengali literature. I say this going by the rising number of translated versions of Bengali books available in big book stores in the country. Now, most of what I read was very old literature, some written in early 1900s and some even earlier. There were some that were written in 1960s. The literature was quite varied and encompassed a wide array of genres and mixed-genres.

What struck me most from my reading!!

- One thing that was most notable to me from all the reading (translations of course) was how progressive and modern Calcutta was back then. It is the case even now, but Calcutta being an Indian metro, we expect it. It also portrays Calcutta as one of the most important business hubs of the country. People back then would travel length and breadth of the country to look for opportunities for business and jobs not only to Mumbai but also to Calcutta.

- Bengalis had great respect for people who are well-read. Most conversations that people would have was on literature, science, arts, history and politics. Not saying that people from other states did not..but Bengalis most definitely did.

- Though the literature is quite varied, there was one thing very striking across almost all the books I read- be it thriller, suspense, romance, drama. Bengali writers observe human nature, pscyhe and behaviour very very closely and finely. The analysis and detailing that went into the books I read was absolutely impressive.

Mhmm..so what did I really read?!!?

Sharadhindu Bandyopadhyay

Any kid in India who grew up in the 90s will definitely remember Byomkesh Bakshi. How we all would wait for the clock to strike 9 to watch Byomkesh solve those mysteries with a snap of his fingers!! Well, we couldn't have made him a part of our childhood, had this man- Sharadhindu not created him. I must say, the book had me hooked. I read it from cover to cover in just a day and I could really go back in time and relive the excitement of watching television series as a child. It made me go to youtube and watch each of those episodes.

Sharatchandra Chattopadhyay

I have not read most of his work- just 2 or 3 and what I observed from these stories was there is always a 'third person' in relationships in his stories. This 'third person' person could be anything from a silly doubt that poisons the mind to a mother interfering in a husband and wife relationship and of course extra-marital affairs could definitely not escape a 'third person' relationship story. Remember watching a  series back in the 90s called Charitraheen?? Okkkk you don't..remember the movie Devdas?? You have to..it has been made twice and was a blockbuster each time. The point is, this man Sharatchandra was responsible for creating both these stories..both kind of tragic...and both touched a chord with people of India. Though personally I am not a a fan of tragedies with 'third person', this man's scrutiny of the human mind is commendable.

Bhibutibhushan Bandhyopadhyay

I got a book of his short stories. It dealt with people from all walks of life. Each of them beautifully narrated. The most striking one for me from that book was 'Tiroler Bala'. A tale of a mentally disturbed young girl which ends in a blood shed. This particular story with its many uncertainties, faith and belief in the almighty and the final end is for adults only (nope- no problem with the language) as it could really scare the tender minds of children. It did scare me. We can never really speculate how a mentally disturbed person would react to situations even in the presence of those who love and care for them. Anyway, one can easily identify with the writer. Pather Panchali, the cinematic rendition had won numerous accolades like 'Best Human Document' at the Cannes Film Festival, 'Best Foreign Film' at the New York Film Festival etc was a creation of Bhibhutibhushan Bandhyopadhyay. I have not yet read Pather Panchali and look forward to reading it someday. I have watched the movie though.

Upendrakishore Roychoudhury

I will be honest here. I have only read some of his works for children and oh have I fallen in love with them or what! The book of his I picked up maybe targeted at a very young crowd (6-12years) and I read it in my 20s and enjoyed it thoroughly even at my age. The book is none other than 'Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne'. It is a delightful read with a lot of fun and magic just like the movie that has been made based on it. I wish I had got hold of it when I was a child, it would have made my childhood more memorable.

Satyajit Ray

If I speak of Pather Panchali and Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne and stay mum about Satyajit Ray, it is almost blasphemous. For, this is the man who directed the 2 movies. Also, it is worth a mention that Satyajit Ray is the grandson of Upendrakishore Roychoudhury. This man, Satyajit Ray, is a big literary genius and his skills with making cinema is a cherry on the cake. I have 2 great books of his- one is a collection of his short stories very simply called 'the Best of Satyajit Ray' and the Adventures of Feluda. The former deals with mostly thriller and supernatural and keeps us guessing and the latter detective stories. Feluda is a detective who Satyajit Ray has created and the stories are non-put-downable. All his stories, be it Feluda or any other story, it is so grasping that you do not want to take a break for eating or water or even answer nature calls. You sometimes curse yourself that you cannot read faster than what you can already read because you want to know constantly what happens next. He is a genius who knows how to tell a story fitting to feed the curiosity of a keen mind. I really love the Feluda stories and honestly I love the kinds of Feluda and Byomkesh Bakshi who have really used their minds and art of deduction to solve mysteries with minimal or no help of forensics. In today's world where most of the mysteries are solved based on forensics, the use of the human brain/mind has considerably reduced. Some of the detectives just throw their hands up in surrender if they do not have the results of some DNA tests. It only makes me really admire the likes of Feluda and Byomkesh.
Coming back to Satyajit Ray, he for me is a master story-teller be it in the form of writing or cinema.

Rabindranath Tagore

It would have been a complete sacrilege if I spoke about all the aforementioned greats and not having read or spoken anything about Tagore- the man who composed the Indian National Anthem. Like any other true citizen of India, I love our national anthem but I also love some of the poetry this great man has composed. Gitanjali- the one that brought him the Nobel Prize for Literature. I have not read the entire Gitanjali, just a few verses here and there and it is beautiful. I am also a proud owner of a collection of his short stories. Again, I must emphasise the scrutiny into human psyche in all his beautiful short stories. Kabuliwala which we all studied in our schools as a part of our curriculum is luckily a part of the collection I possess and was a very popular Indian movie of the yesteryear. Stories of Tagore are stories of common people and the common occurrence in our household with which everyone can identify. Bengal also reveres him for Rabindra Sangit which if I am not wrong is the musical mode of communicating his works. It is supposed to have revolutionised/reshaped Bengali music and Tagore was considered responsible for it. Recent Indian Hindi cinema has also embraced Tagore's work by popularising 'Ekla Chalo Re'.

In the modern context, I have read a some of the works (The Namesake, Interpreter of Maladies, The Unaccustomed Earth) from Jhumpa Lahiri, another Bengali who lives in the US. Her stories are mainly around Bengalis who live outside Bengal and India. Again, sorry to repeat myself, there is an excellent observation of the human mind in her works. I have also read The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy but her work did not really give me the Bengali flavour that I was used to from most Bengali writers. It was a good book but the style is not really Bengali and more biographical.

I have a bunch of other books by Bengalis from all different periods of time. I guess I should get cracking already but currently I am on a break from Indian writing. I will get back to them probably sometime mid-2013. Until then, if you chance up on a book by a Bengali, grab it and let me know if you enjoyed it and your views on the same. I will be very interested in reading it too :-)

P.S: Did not realise that this post turned out to be this long. Hope it will be worth the effort of reading through the whole post. :-)