cry
'Nandigram embarrasses me,' writes Rohini.
I've been living out of Calcutta for almost three years now. Wherever I speak, write or think of it, it is my City. I say it with pride, i say it laughingly, sometimes with a touch of mockery or ruefulness.
I flew in to the city about two weeks back. Into the eye of Nandigram. I have been following it at a distance, but boy was I unprepared for the close-up.
I have lost faith in my City. My love for it never extended to its political parties. But I realize now that there is no such thing as being a-political. I belong to no party, but I have my ideals. And my ideals are ashamed and bruised.
My City, that is famous for its famous cholbe na cholbe na public is being forcefully silenced. In Nandigram, the people do not know whom they are serving. They are being hit from all sides. Brutally.
We the people are kept down by bandhs and threats. Those who speak out are jailed instantly.
I know my City by its roads and its people. Both appear vacant. I am disgusted, trite as it sounds. L.M. Montgomery once spoke of feeling ' a sort of nausea with life.' That is just how I feel.
War has always seemed such a faraway thing. I have read about it, analyzed, dispassionately distributed blame...
I am selfish. 9/11 horrified me. The bombing in Afghanistan, the Iraq war, I hated it all. But this closeness, knowing that within Bengal this is taking place is....
People are dying. Homes, land...everything is politicised, everyone wants a piece.
My City...how shall I speak of you now? When I am teased and called a Communist, simply because I am from Bengal...I shall cringe.
3 comments:
Tia?
Hi.
You don't know me. And I haven't met you.
We're 'connected' via an old friend who isn't a friend any more, who was friendly with a friend of yours eons ago.
I'm pretty sure I'll never meet you, but I have some praises to sing.
I've been reading your blog quite incessantly, with gaping mouth and amazed eyes. I've found you to be terribly alike me. Haha. That makes me really glad to know I'm like someone like Tia.
I don't mean to be a tresspasser or a stalker, or whatever. I mean this genuinely.
You're quite wonderful. I love your ideas and thoughts and your occasional poetry (I write too). If I'd known you, I'd have tumbled towards you. Studying in the middle of the nights, I open up your blog to read a bit, often. (Since only recently, though) I guess you can say our ideas and thoughts and...everything...connects.
If Richard Bach is to be believed when he asks if you've missed a someone dearly without knowing who that person is, I'd suspect that person would be you.
Dont do much to this post. Read it, smile, and just keep shining on.
You've got some stellar spirit in you. Hope you never lose that.
Hope these few words of mine from god knows where find you well.
--B.
Dear B.
Thank you.
Truly.
changed my blog address... somthingnmore.blogspot
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