+

-

-
,
=

-

silently shalt thou dwell in my heart

like the deep and silent night
of the full moon;
filling my life,
my youth
and my entire world
with glory - like the deep night.
only thy eyes,
ever wakeful,
ever compassionate will keep vigil over me,
thy protective veil will remain
drawn about me lovingly;
and all my pains and sorrows,
all my life's strivings thou shalt fill through and through
with fragrance - like the deep night
Translated by Maitrayee Sen


~ y &5
18 , 2011
qy 1921
M
e Q
S S Q
1943
| S - ~ G
q
q e *

1958
55 , 15
S S X g
:
.. L L

La , ,
M ,
~ 2005
g

&5 , g +
26 g ~
,
|X

S
4
7
10
13
17
26
33
42
65

S

M?
L A


A
&5

g -
-
f [2] - f
- f L
- f
- f
[5] -

62 Rasiklal Gupta

Jottings - Translations from 'Lipika'

68 Saswata Bhattacharya

Rabindraleela - Leela Majumdar

71 Jaishri Jethwaney

Democracy and Media - Debate

76 Mandira Mitra

An Artist's Journey - Creative Spaces

82 Sumita Sengupta

On the Edges of Time - Book Review

85 Ajanta Dutt

Jaipur Literary Festival 2011 - A Report

40 - f 40 Profile - Jyotirindranath Tagore

55
60 L
f g

y
L q26 e
S S G
e e +
U 2010 L
L ij 2011 ~ f
ij |X
S S q 2009 22
ij fe
: M?


, ,
F ,
& d
d

&

, 1417

f |X
U MQ M

2011 ~, ~
100 1911 12
~
e ~ +
G = ~
g ~
q ,

7 =
640 540
:
H.M. Mint 34.05 k ,
6100 60 G
Garrard & Co.
~ 1877 1903
c
:
?
= 101
q


, ?
L
A

, 1417

~
~
R M ,
S
2011 ~
s 1911 18 n
q Henry Piquet
6500
Q
~ 12 n ~
q 5 Indipex 2011
14
SL d

- R g
X

, 1417

S
Respected Sir,

, 1417

Our apologies to our readers.

From the article enclosed with his sister Atashi Roy's letter, we
learnt that apart from the Parliament and the Shipping Corporation's
office, Saradindu Senroy's murals also hold pride of place at the
Aurobindo Ashram, South Block (Ministry of External Affairs) and the
Krishi Bhavan. The one at the Shipping Corporation's office is 17 feet
by 36 feet! In the same breath he would also sketch the Souvenir covers
for Delhi Durgapujas. Such were the people of his time!
Atashi Roy has also contributed an article to this issue.
- Editor

I received the October issue of your magazine 'Hindol' last week

and thank you for your kind gesture. I feel two sections in the magazine
in Bengali and English is a very good idea.
I would like to draw your attention to some seriously wrong
information about Saradindu Senroy as published on the back cover.
His place of birth is Bankura and not East Bengal. More absurd is the
information regarding the master he trained under. His guru was Late
Bireswar Sen, who was a direct disciple of Abanindranath Tagore, the
founder of the Bengal School of Art. Saradindu's other teachers were
Asit Haldar and Lalit Mohon Sen - a master in oil. Saradindu passed
out from Lucknow Art School.
I am enclosing an article by Arun Chakravarty who is connected
with a Bengali magazine 'Prangshu' - Editor & Founder Late Shashank
Mukherjee. You will get further information regarding his vast field
and masterly approach in the world of art. If interested, I will send
you his bio-data for further look into his work which has always
remained behind a curtain.
Sincerely,
Atashi Roy
12.10.2010
New Delhi

8
[ 2, 3] ,
g& [] , -

26 , S -
[`] 5 -
M

I learnt of Suchitra Mitra's passing away from the Ohetuk Adda

email.

In our student days we were rather involved in the left wing politics
in the college. I suppose I was more involved in the cultural side. It
was my job to go and get the invited artists. Both Suchitra Mitra and
Debabrata Biswas were our regular guests. Once when I went to get
Suchitra Mitra, her mother came to the door and whispered to me 'She
can't go today, she is running a temperature of 104.' I said how sorry
I was and I hope that she will get better soon. But as I opened the
door to go away I heard Suchitra Mitra shouting from her bedroom
"Who is there, is he from the Scottish Church College?" Her mother
said 'yes'."I am coming down, give me a few minutes." And she did,
and she came and she sang those wonderful rabindrasangeets that only
she could sing. Much later, I met her in Oxford, she was singing at the
St Catherine's College arranged by the Indian Majlis. We spoke briefly.
She couldn't recognise me but she remembered the incident. She was
still the very best, in her attitude, behaviour and in her singing. Anyone
who has seen her acting so naturally in the recent films would know
that she could never be false. She was rare.
All the best.
18.1.2011

Trilokesh Mukherjee
France

, 1417

- " 2010 ~
[ D] 2
S , f
150 ij M
g& L &5
s
U s i s
&
ij
, L
?

3.1.2011

,
S M [1417] x
* +
S 26 8
~ , , S
=
, 2
S
i e 2
S
G L q26 ,

q26L,
^f
8.12.2010
, ~

, 1417

10

, ~

c ,
26
,
e 26 &
X 26
S
S
f
V 26 S
L , c ,

f
La
, - , L
S , S L
, X y
f ,
L , c f /
&y
t

, 1417

11

, 1417

, z Q
G e - , ^
y c f
, ( /
^ y
L ,
, r, ~
, , qw|n
+ =
(
i L
A

, O

S A L
-
,
y S
M - X , c
5 F , e
F
F
MQ q

f e
, O
L M 26 ,
26 Le, M L
, e +
-

12

i i + L
| L M |X L
S ^ f
L
c
,


g

2 , ^
q d
^ 26 f
L -
,
G
R /
ij |
,

,

[ ]

+




S

, 1417

13
M?
, ~

, 1417

s ,
S

e -
& f
f
k

g 1907
G KI -
e G f
k, f
e k

R La
f

g X e
L w
y 1909

14

- f,
26 f, q
f , ,
q g
, = G

e L &-S +
&S L
M
KI f La
1922 f
& w e
R 3
1930
g G S g

, 1417

15

, 1417

- G , g
+ g ijs
1 2 " 1969

1951 L L e SS
S
, , , ,
&5, , , ,
",
M
.-

Z ,
1956


+
S
La La

S


-



+ ,

1954

16

i S, S S
L :, SX &
N
1976
X

1911
L G,
k S

=
G G

G
G 84
S 16 , 1965

q ...
S ...
g c U - M
e L , e
& f

c &
, +
... L i , -
?
& , ,
M *
S g
M S

, 1417

17
L A
, ~

, 1417

1905 7
F 2 f
: i g
- f
f f L
S f
~
` f, f,
f , c f ~ d,
L f L
[f]
& e
L , f
, 26
L
, L e
| , M
f M
Z M
-L [, 1312]

f [2]

18

, ,
g /

M
2
L ee 3
f I S
R U F
S : '.. A
temporary Music class to teach a number of newest national songs
composed by Babu Rabindranath Tagore will be opened immediately
under the auspices of the Dawn Society"

& f

, G
S f i ,
M , ,
y V G e
M Q
1905 16 " e26 ,
f e S ,

30 , 1332 [16 " 1905]

Z M c 26i
g
^ S
g La

- 9 " q
}
f ,
q G,
A e
, , ,

, 1417

19

x , S ?
, i , e

V i f M
5, F |
|X
G, R g X
e
g ,
f La g
,

e +
...
S -

f S S

, 1417

5 S
x S f e
f, f f
f M, Z f e
F f , ,
e e

f c 22 "
6 L ee M,
= f g,
g e G
S ,

&
S f t q
g + L
L 5 ...

20

f,
M g
3
, f ,
L e
N e
M & ~ ,
d d
3
... d
:
e ,
G G , 7
7 , e 7 ,
-

c ,
( S
c 26, g
L
S L M ,

y M M M&

i g , 12 ,
1905 f S ,
M
ij w

G ijM
;

, 1417

21

e 26 ,
i S X 26 f
e M L,
c e M
, g M i
Z f S ,
g f g
M f , 1907 L
L G
f 8 , 1908

, 1417

1916 L f
R
, the novel
is his answer to the critics who had accused him of desertion'
S
M
X

:e q
M ... U
La
e
L, L ,
KI
...

22

,
- |X
:
e

,
y S | g, L


X
,

e

, c

La L
f ,
, , ...
, +G ...
1905 f M,
q ... <
; ;
4
, g L
f c L - 1937 -


+
L & M &

, 1417

23

y
Viswa Bharati News
x S g ,
f
S f
g y
M 1937 16
"
.... S
e , =
U g S

e
f & , N
19 " f ,

, 1417

30 " g
} S
e ,
f [f] ,
e
U M
+ + ,
e p

f
e R
c +
... ,
c x
S


7 d

24

L XL
I freely concede that the whole of Bankim's Vande Mataram poem,
read together with its context is liable to be interpreted in ways that
might wound Moslem susceptibitites, but a national song though derived
from it, which has spontaneously come to consist only of the first two
stanzas of the original poem does not remind us every time of the
whole of it, much less of the story with which it was accidentally
associated. It has acquired a seperate individuality and an inspiring
significance of its own in which I see nothing to offend any sect or
community.'

XL , f
KI M "...the first two
stanzas are such that it is impossible for anyone to take objection to
unless he is maliciously inclined. Remember we are thinking in terms
of a national song for all India."

c XL - -
x L M
1938 i XL
L concession S
i 'Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru cannot be
unaware that Muslims all over have refused to accept the Vande
Mataram or any expurgated edition of the anti - Muslim song as a
binding National Anthem.'

26 1939 g
, 'In the present state of

things, in local Board and Assembly meetings which their members

(are) obliged to attend the singing of Vande Mataram should be
discontinued."

XL L
t, M

26 f SS X
S y
G

, 1417

25

f , , f S, f
X +, p
A f
i w
M Dr. J.H. Cousins
^ ^ f -
- e -
'It [] has a time and rhythm that makes it singable with definiteness, unity and vigour, whereas Vande Mataram tune can never be
given a satisfactory mass rendering as its twists and turns are only
possible in individual singing' [^ , 3 1937]

U, M U
SS ~
e f
&
f L
M g
f :
Q
f M

[L A ~ `
e KI M ]

, 1417

x N XL
, S , M
L

, ( q

e
e J

26

L?, ~

f L

, f U g
, , , , ~
R
, -&26
x X V ,
- , ,

e
e
M

^ q|n
e
, g26 f
[ ]


- S ,
1857- ^ [ Mutiny India's
First war of Independence) ij

, 1417

27

, 1417

, , | e
, 7
[ L] g
- c
-
, p e f

26
7... S ,
[ c ]

e 5
a ,
, &
e
, &
i 5 , X X &
G 26i,
, ,
, , , , , S

ijML , - !
2
+ S

c c { ?
, , V
f S
S f &5
, M c c

f L

28

f L

c, &5 g c c
e ,
C C , ,
R
M ZiZ c ,

i e
, &
,
a i
[ , ]
, N
c g

g

c M C
, g R

= ~ V ,
|X e

q R
-
2
&26 f L
26i , ,

a S S a S
-

, 1417

29

, 1417

KI , , ,
.. S

S ?
, X
q , g c M
, L
M , - ^ - ,
: , = ,
...
, Q
Ck G
^ q ,
X c
, ,
V c ,
,

e
, , - -
+
,
, S
S S

k" a

, ...
S
L

f L

30

? , e e ^
q , =
G ^ ` ,
5 S
c V -
!
, ,
, ijML
R V5, g
-, M
+ ,

e F
c |
, ijML
g
- ^+

f L

3
e,
S , ,
- ,
e -

^n --Z
c L i

= M
c -
v

, 1417

31

KI c ,
! - ,
,
F e e e e


e
,
, La

e ,
f ( ~
, Z e
[ Carr Tagore & Company), e
baronetcy
26 ,

f c 1915 Knighthood , -
1919
f-

, 1417

|X , k g f
c f ,
L , Z
(adminsitrative ability) f
, f ,
~ g ,
q , i
Q X y
f

f L

Z A
A X G
X
f R,
, [ ]
M,
A , q
M q
i
, a &5
, S
Z (
L e
i , : i , ---
f L , X

c L
i - L
L
L
: ,

LM
, 150 ij , f - 26
L-
, ,
[ ~ &
- ]

f L

32

, 1417

33

M? , ~

La,

^,

, 1417

- x
M , , ,
S, (
S
, L
O- S L g f
&
f +
R f -- ?
M La & q
Z , L
Z S

34

| G S
e 110 q 114 L
G , f
|
G S e -
L M S
G

ij S e
e ij S e
ij
f [] e
, i

g26i
g e p
e f
g L p
p c i -
ij e
M a:, , La
c
- -
d e
td +
e |
| d G
| e |
Z e :

Z

, 1417

35

-q



M
5 qw

, 1417

ee Z eX
, |
p :
p | ( 26 S
L e e
e | e
e e i , c
L e G SX S i
q S
c S

f M L
,
, M
M , i
i , p ,
, e , S X G

c e
, q ij
5
L, L S
M
&i ,
, Q e p
, f + ,

36

: ,
S ,

Q L e
, L Q S
,

,
,

,

e +
La !

, La
^

S L
pe f , , +,
, L L
R g
R 26
,
24 , 1302 [ 10.12.1895]
ij S L

, 1417

37

, 1417

, fS L
-L S L
S ...
, S
L
S L L
N S S
L
s Stephen Phillips
Marpessa L
1890 " f Z y
g
Marpessa
?
ZiZ
26 - - e
, 5
, Marpessa

f L Z
U g
- M
| +
R
259 260
L G
e M
S +

L -Z-

38

R f U
5 f
X
7 3
& 26
2
f M S ,
vL q
Z
, F q X p
Z ,
S 7 7 S
U S L
F
q & Z Xw
ij

ij
S
M M
Z
M
y
F ,
................
,

f P e
^ = S R
U S
L 26

, 1417

39

, 26
e L
o L 3
U U >
X
,
L g
f&
f S L
,
...

U ,
e,
---
...

, 1417

[ g]

40

f
[1849-1925]
f = S f f 8
f MQ
f k
M -
- ~ [ = ], S
[ ], [ ], |n [
]
- L (Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme)
=

,



-
,
^ 4

: L
1877
S

C

, ,
,
f
,

X N
-
&
1868 a f
f

, 1417

41

Jyotirindranath Tagore
(1849 - 1925)
Debendranath's fifth son Jyotirindranath's 'jyoti' has been largely
eclipsed by the brilliant radiance of his more illustrious sibling 'Rabi',
though much of Rabindranath's accomplishments are rooted in the
training and encouragement by his elder brother.
Abandoning college to pursue a career in theatre, his first public
performance was in the role of Ahalya Debi in Michael Madhusudan
Dutta's play Krishnakumari. A prolific writer, playwright, translator,
musician and an artist, his better known plays are Emon Kormo Ar
Korbona (first performed as Kinchit Jalajog), Purubikram (the story
of Alexander and Porus), Sarojini (based on Sati) and Asrumati (a love
story of a Hindu girl and a Muslim youth). He adapted from several
French plays, including Hotath Nabab, based on Moliere's Le Bourgeois
Gentilhomme. The play that is still performed often is Alikbabu.
He translated into Bengali works from other languages including
Marathi, some of which are India without the English (French - Pierre
Loti), Abhigyanshakuntalam (Sanskrit - Kalidas) and Mrichhakatik
(Sanskrit - Shudrak).
In 1877, he launched the Bharati magazine. In art, he specialized
in sketches and portraits. He could play many musical instruments,
such as the sitar, violin and the piano and wrote and set many songs to
tune, including songs written by Rabindranath Tagore.
In 1868 he married Kadambari, who bloomed in the Tagore
household. In 1884 (around the time his wife committed suicide), after
coming out of indigo and jute farming, he entered the steamer business.
He was not an astute businessman and soon ran into debts. After an
accident sinking one of his steamers, he sold the business to a competitor.
A man with a vibrant social life before his wife's death, childless,
Jyotirindranath is believed to have spent a relatively reclusive life during
his last 18 years in a house built by him in Ranchi, earlier having lived
for 20 years in the household of his elder brother Satyendranath, during
which time he continued to be diversely creative.

, 1417

42
A
, ~

G 26
U- G S

V -
& &
/ L
L
,


g ,



M/
e

26 ' q ,
:

, 1417

43

, 1417

, f
: c

= ,


1917 S ,
q,
, e

L, , g

, 1939 ,
,
e M ,

L |X p

fe /
fe &
|X - 2 ,
f & c
e /
,
,
e 1940 e

f
f 26 1925 ?
14 78
-

44

e
c e f
! :

f , c -
- ,
` -e
-S La
: e ij

-
y
q
, , , .. -
... Z 26 q
-M
G- ...
e 7, ,
c
... , q ,
,
, M & e g M
, :
26 , ;26
XL
- , " , =
-
,

f -
: , La

, 1417

45

, 1417

~f
q

, La C V i ,
c L `
,
...La , La --
M
, ,
,
, c,
, - law and order , c LG
, M, M ^

60 ^ , ,
, ,
, 1 ,
- e , ... L
... civilised
i, a, , ,
, c q Law and Order e
y L
7 KI
M ,
&

/
,
... :

46

&5 ~
& /
70 , /
--, : 5 :
L , /
, q :
, e L ,
S y 26, ( e
, &
, ,
e s ,
,
,
, M, M
, ,
26 ,

- ,
: ,
c - ,
- ZiZ ,
i V , c
M
Z g M,
Q ,
, , :
+ : , 2 ,
M :

, 1417

47

, 1417

! ,
M
=
, M ...
M
L q
, , S
'born teacher, ... L
!
f : ~
f , ij
70 , S
,


,
e
q
, M t
M -

M M ,


I-
X, R
- G =
,
;; L
, S ,
|X 8 ( | , L

48

e -
f , M
g " 5
, c
,
, 7 Z ... d ,
MM...
, ,
vk e, ,
-a g ,
L , g
a M ,
... c M ,
M .. [ ]
S
...M ,
... ,
M M L

,

- - - -
5 -
&

- -L
5 - , c
G

[ A ]

, 1417

49
&5
-1, ~

M
[5]

[ - U f g y :
Z - X
La - a ]
S 26
Comparatively speaking the work is wonderfully popular and commands a
very respectable sale. It has silenced the enemies of Blank verse... Meghanad is
going through a second edition with notes... A thousand copies of the work have
been sold in twelve months.

q ?

, 1417

Talking about Blank-Verse, you must allow me to give you a jolly little
anecdote. Some days ago I had the occasion to go to Chinabazar. I saw a man
seated in a shop and deeply pouring over Meghanad. I stepped in and asked him
what he was reading. He said in very good English : "I am reading a new poem;
Sir!" "A poem!" I said "I thought there was no poetry in your language." He
replied - "Why, Sir, here is poetry that would make my nation proud." I said,
"Well, read and let me know." My literary shopkeeper looked hard at me and said,
"Sir, I am afraid, you wouldn't understand this author." I replied, "Let me try my
chance." He read out of Book II that part wherein Kam returns to Rati, standing
at the ivory gate of the palace of Siva, and Rati says to him,

S g
g -

50

How beautifully the young fellow read. I thought of the men who pretend
to be scholars and Pundits. I took the Poem from him and read out a few passages
to the infinite astonishment of my new friend. How eagerly he asked where I
lived? I gave him an evasive reply, for I hate to be bothered by visitors. I shook
hands with him, and on parting asked him if he thought Blank - Verse would
do in Bengali. His reply was, "Certainly, Sir, it is the noblest measure in the
language."
* * *

~ - i g
f L&
X f +
L& q , M
[ - Z 1417 ^] f
e
f L

-
-
,
,


L ,
L, f
, , ,
26 ,
L , 26
L - , X
,
, ,
, && , ,
;; , ,
s 26
, ,

, 1417

51

X U X
~
e q [X
] } ,
,

, 1417

, --,
q , ,
, ,
-,

, --,
-
: : :
+ + f ,

: : :

, c ,

,
, L, , c ,
,
L, -
Sn
aa 26
q , L
^ ,
, q,

,
, ,
X

52

, e,
, &
g ,
,
e , ,
?/
=-=- /
, X q
, ,

| ,
y
/ e -e, , ,
^

: : :
f X-7 , & ..
} = = i
: : :

G ,
,
X - ~, -,
, U &
} , ,


----
, + /
: : :
5 f
M ,
+ a Z
s

: : :

, f
, f i ,
g , ~,

, f

, 1417

53

26

X , : ,
Sn M
, , , M ,
+ , ,
Sn , Sn
,
,
|, - :, e, ,
- /
--y , ,
,
Z-- /

,
, -
-
+
= ,
, -
- e/

- U ,

[ Z ]

, 1417

s , + -
, -
: :
~
, : , X 3
X , S
L ,
: e e ,
-, M - ,
-e e ,
~
,
[ -
] M, - S
[ f

: : :

54

, , -X]
Z, X
, c *
: S y , :
U,

: :
i e
(Amazon) S
X X ~
, L
ij

ij
Z
: : :
f L
, | ,
M , c , ,
... ;L
,

, /
: : :
, Z f L X

[S]

, 1417

55

M M
M ,
A S ,
~

, 1417

L,
S S S Z
^ 7
c , S
L S
, ,
c i Z
, S
, , S
26
e 26 , -
wL a S
q S ij -



>
L S
S S

56

( f ij f

S g g S
S
=- - ,

L e
L g q
- 26 , y ,

L =
, e
S
,
i M i ,
7 G c,
~
M ~
, c
M ~ -
La ~

M ,
M q
e e |M }
, c
/ d
c M
,

, 1417

57

, 1417

1. f L
2. f S
3. S ...... ,
, , ,
& f

4. R g f ,
Zf
5. R g g f A Great Sentinel
g , Young India- 1921 g

6. 1863 G

La

7.
f e
M
f
8. e f f
eS , e 2
f f

D v ` v

M M
M

58
- v S
v
9. f g f e
f S f , f g

10. f ,
+ /
11. ,
,
,
f e
S f-
G f
3
12. f G f

f ,
f
26
13. f q
f M& L
f


14. , M
M ,
y q
U

S e
15. f a f

, 1417

59
f
16. - f
17. i f

18. f
300
L Tagore Hill
f
19. f 59 ij
f

20. 1932 f

21. 1940 , ij
f + ij
26 ,
& *
5

M8 ,
i S
;L
(

G , ij ,
8

, 1417

60

L
[f g 1886 S ]

, /
, 2
, 2 y, & L
/
, , , e /
,

, ,
-
/

L -
c c /
( / /
^,
/ c

^ g
M
g t :
L , ,
S , ,
26
,

L M
L , 26 ,

, 1417

61

- w
- L
d
S ,
S i /
i
, , L / c
, i ,
/ ,

:

Z, i ,
,
-
, ,
,
/ ,
/
M :

, ^ M /

, c ,
S X y L
S S i S
, L ,
&
/
M L
S i
, 2 L i

, 1417

62
Rasiklal Gupta
Karol Bagh, New Delhi

Jottings
(Translations from 'Lipika' by Rabindranath Tagore)

Translations from 'Lipika'

The Lane
Our cobbled lane had once gone exploring for something, twisting
and turning this way and that. There were houses on one side, houses
on the other, houses ahead. It was thwarted whichever way it went.
It could see a strip of the sky from what little was visible overhead,
crooked and narrow, very much like itself.
It enquired of that pruned sky, 'Tell me sister, to which blue town
do you belong?'
At noon, when it sighted the sun for a while; it said to itself, 'This
is quite beyond comprehension.'
The shadows of the monsoon clouds darkened amidst the two rows
of houses, as if someone had scored out its radiance from the lane's
notebook with a pencil. The monsoon drummed out the beats of a snake
dance, the rainwater slithering among the cobbles. The way was
slippery; the umbrellas of the passers-by got snared. The rainwater
startled them, suddenly bursting on to the umbrellas from the spouts
on the roofs.
Overwhelmed, the lane said, 'It was so bone dry, so calm, then
why this needless torrential nuisance?'
The southerly squall of Phalgun was like a rogue; scraps of waste
paper blew about chaotically in the dusty wind. Flabbergasted, the
lane said, 'Which crazy God's drunken spree is this?'
The lane believed that all the litter that accumulated around it

, 1417

Jottings

63

everyday - fish scales, oven ashes, vegetable scraps, a dead rat - was
the reality. It never occurred to it to ask, 'Why all this?'
Yet, when the rays of the Sarat sun fell on the upper balcony, when
the puja ensemble struck up a Bhairavi tune, for a few moments it
would reflect, 'Perhaps there is something momentous beyond these
cobblestones after all.'
The day would advance, the sunbeams sliding off the dwellings
on to the lane like a saree sliding off the shoulders of a busy housewife,
the clock would strike nine, the maidservant would bring in the
groceries from the market, the office-goers would become impatient.
The lane would then feel, 'All certainty verily lies in these
cobblestones. And what I had thought to be momentous is really a great
big dream'.
*

-2There are some who play truant the year round, yet curiously
manage to edge past the exams. Something similar befell this man too.
Having done worthless things all his life, he came to know after
his demise that he had been commended for being sent to heaven.
But providence doesn't leave alone even those destined for heaven.
An angel got the labels all mixed up and erroneously deposited him
in the heaven meant for workaholics.
This heaven had everything else, but no leisure time.
At this heaven, men would say, 'There's not a moment to breathe.'

, 1417

The chap was rather a slacker.

He had no useful occupation; he only had umpteen kinds of
hobbies.
Patting some clay into small square wooden frames, he would
arrange wee little sea-shells on them. Standing back, the arrangement
appeared to be some disorderly picture of a flock of birds, or possibly
a scraggy meadow with cattle grazing on it, or undulating hills, with
perhaps a brook on them, or possibly it was a pathway.
His kith and kin chastised him no end. At times he swore to give
up this foolishness. But folly would not let go of him.

Translations from 'Lipika'

The False Paradise

64

Jottings

Translations from 'Lipika'

The women would say, 'Got to go, heaps of chores left undone.'
Everybody said, 'Time is valuable.' No one said, 'Time is invaluable.'
Everyone lamented, 'This is unbearable', and was rather thrilled for it.
'Working like dogs' - here this grievance was music to the ears.
The poor fellow was a total misfit; he just couldn't adjust. Strolling
along absent mindedly, he would get in the way of busy people in the
streets. Wherever he may spread out his wrapper to settle down
comfortably, he'd be told that it was cropland, that it had just been
sown. He'd always have to get up, to move along.
-3A very industrious lass used to come each day to collect water
from the heaven's fountain.
She would flit over the pathway like a lively composition on the
sitar1.
Her hair had been hastily arranged into a loose bun. A few playful
strands were nonetheless reaching across her forehead to try to peek
into her dark eyes.
The idler of the afterworld was standing on one side, quite
immovable, like the Tamal2 tree near the restless brook.
Just as a princess would pity a beggar upon noticing him from her
window, the girl too was moved on seeing the man.
'Oh, you seem to be out of work'.
Sighing, the man said, 'I am too busy to do any work.'
The girl was puzzled. 'Would you like to share some of my tasks?'
she said.
He said, 'I have been waiting here to do precisely that.'
'What work can I provide you?'
'Will you give me one of the pitchers in which you bear away the
water?'
'What will you do with it, do you want to store water?'
'No, I will paint a picture on it.'
Annoyed, the girl said, 'I'm leaving, I don't have time.'
But how can industrious people best loafers. Each day they would
meet at the fountain, every day it was the same story, 'Give me your
1. A stringed musical instrument
2. A tree symbolical of Lord Krishna

, 1417

-4Increasingly, work began being left undone in the workaholic's

paradise. Instead, there was much grief and music.
The heavenly elders were very concerned. An assembly was
convened. The elders said, 'Never has anything like this occurred in
our history.'
The angel appeared and admitted the slip-up, 'I have brought an
unfit person to an inappropriate paradise.'
This unsuitable man was produced before the assembly. The

, 1417

Translations from 'Lipika'

pitcher, I want to paint a picture on it.'

At last, defeated, she handed over the pitcher.
The workless man painted on colours of many a hue around the
pitcher, he drew in lines of many a style.
When he was done, the girl looked it over, twisting and turning it
around. With quizzical brows, she asked, 'What does it mean?'
The idler said, 'It doesn't mean anything.'
The girl took the pitcher home.
Privately, away from everybody's gaze, she twirled the pitcher
around and inspected it from different angles under different light
sources. At night, she would get off her bed often to light a lamp and
stare at the picture. For the first time in her life, she had come across
something that was quite pointless.
When she came back to the spring the following day, her feet were
a little less lively, as if they were ruminating on something
absentmindedly - on something that had no meaning.
That day too, the idler was standing to one side.
The girl said, 'What do you want.'
He said, 'I want to get more work from you.'
'What work can I give you.'
'If you permit me, I will weave coloured threads into a cord for
doing your ponytail.'
'What would be the point of it.'
'Nothing at all.'
A colourful cord of many designs was fabricated. Now the girl
would spend a lot of time before the mirror to do her hair. Chores
were left undone; hours slipped by...

65

Jottings

66

Jottings

blunder was immediately evident to all who saw his colourful headgear
and waistband.
The eldest of the assembly told him, 'You'll have to return to Earth.'
Much relieved, he gathered up his painting gear and said, 'Very
well, I'll be on my way.'
The girl came and said, 'I'll go too.'
The venerable eldest was lost in thought. This was the first time
he had seen something that had no reason.
*

The Court Jester

The king of Kanchi went forth to conquer Karnat. He was
victorious. Elephants were laden with sandalwood, ivory, gold and
precious stones.
On his way back home, the king worshipped the Goddess
Baleshwari, the temple awash with the sacrificial blood.
While returning after the worship, clad in a red dress, sporting a
jaba3 garland and red sandalwood paste on his forehead, with only the
minister and the court jester with him, he saw a few boys playing at
a mango orchard.
The king said to his companions, 'Let us go and see what game
they are playing.'

Translations from 'Lipika'

-3When the king came back with his soldiers, the boys were playing
still.

-2The boys were playing make believe battles with two rows of dolls.
The king asked, 'Who is fighting whom.'
They said, 'Karnat is fighting Kanchi.'
The king asked, 'Who won, and who lost.'
The boys said proudly, 'Karnat won, Kanchi lost.'
The minister's face darkened, the king's eyes went crimson with
fury, and the jester laughed out aloud.

3. The hibiscus lower, usually red

, 1417

Jottings

67

The king commanded, 'Tie them up to a tree and flog them.'

Their parents came rushing from the village. They said, 'The boys
are ignorant, it was only a game, forgive them.'
The king summoned the chief of the army and said, 'Teach this
village a lesson. It should never forget the king of Kanchi.'
Having said so, the king left for the encampment.
-4In the evening, the chief of the army presented himself to the king.
Saluting, he said, 'Sire, now you'll not hear any utterance in this village
other than those of jackals and dogs.'
The minister said, 'His Highness's honour is restored.'
The high priest said, 'His Highness has the blessings of the
Goddess.'
The court jester said, 'My lord may kindly permit me to leave.'
The king said, 'Why so.'
The jester said, 'I don't know how to wound or kill, by God's grace
I can only laugh. Among my lord's great company, I shall forget how
to laugh.'

, 1417

Translations from 'Lipika'

Artist : V.S. Rahi

(Rasiklal Gupta is a practicing lawyer)

68

Saswata Bhattacharya
Kalkaji, New Delhi

Leela Majumdar

Rabindraleela

Leela Majumdar was a prolific writer of children's books. Her

writings for the grown ups also command considerable attention as she
merges her matchless gift of a master story-teller with conversational
witty humour. In her long career as a writer, spanning over seventy
years, she had been an executive editor (since 1963) of the most famous
childrens' Bengali magazine of 1960s and 70s - Sandesh. She was joined
on the editorial staff first by her nephew Satyajit Ray and later, by
cousin Nalini Das.
Leela Majumdar was born in 1908 in Shillong and spent her
childhood there till a transfer in her father's job brought the family to
Calcutta in 1919. She had an exceptionally brilliant academic record,
and stood first both for her B.A (Hons) and M.A in English Literature
from Calcutta University. At Rabindranath Tagore's invitation, she
joined Santiniketan in 1931 for a year as an assistant teacher. It is here,
away from city life, that she had a rare opportunity to spend a cycle of
seasons in close proximity to Tagore. Her fascinating experience at
Santiniketan found fabulous expression in many of her stories.
Upon seeing her, Majumdar recalls, the poet would often ask about
the day's work. Once he asked her what she had taught in the English
class that day. She said, she had asked the students to write an essay on
the cow. He wanted to know what they had written and she said one
student claimed the cow was a domesticated vegetarian. Witty as ever,
Tagore immediately said that this was exactly his description and that
he too was a domesticated vegetarian! Tagore was known for his cheerful

, 1417

Rabindraleela

69

Leela Majumdar

repartee, and during that time he actually turned vegetarian. He would

eat lots of fruit, wake up early in the morning and immediately sit
down with his painting.
To the south of Udayan, there was a room with colourful blinds.
Walking on that path in the mornings, she would hear him cough. She
would then gather courage and enter. When all was silent all around,
she knew that he was deeply immersed in the creative process and it
was wise not to disturb him. She would walk past silently. If she found
someone was already there before her, she would not go in.
She writes in her memoirs (Kheror Khata) that one morning,
she stopped in front of his comfortable chair. On the low marble stool
nearby, she found seated an extraordinarily good-looking man in a white
dhoti. Seeing her, the poet called to introduce her to this handsome
man. He is Sudhindranath Dutta, said the poet. For a while, Majumdar
pondered upon the fact that she had never seen quite such a handsome
man in her entire life. The poet smiled a little and cautioned her that
the man was married!
In the evenings, many people would gather at Uttarayan for lighthearted conversation. The days when Tagore also contributed, it had a
different flavour altogether. Those who would come there regularly

, 1417

Rabindraleela

remember this story.

Tagore was a good friend of the famous scientist Jagadish Chandra
Bose (1858-1937). When both of them had grown rather old, they had
also grown a little absent-minded. Once when Tagore came to Calcutta
for a few days, he told his daughter-in-law, Pratima Devi, not to cook
for him the following day as he had an invitation for lunch at Jagadish's
place.
The next day, having attired himself rather well, Tagore went to
Bose's place at the appointed hour with a companion. It goes without
saying that having seen him come in, everybody in the household was
overwhelmed. In the drawing room, the inmates met for an adda. But
even after the lunch hour was well past, nobody cared to raise the issue
of food. The poet assumed that Jagadish might have actually forgotten
about the lunch invitation. He could guess without much effort that
Bose had not asked anyone in the house to prepare for guests that day.
Finally, Tagore had to take his leave. Bose also came downstairs to
see him off. As Tagore came down a few steps, Bose seemed to
remember something. In a hurry, he leaned over the railings of the
staircase and said Tagore must remember to eat with them the following
day. He had almost forgotten to remind him.
With a smile on his face, Tagore replied, he was forgetful too! He
had arrived that morning to tell his friend he could not come the
following day as he was otherwise engaged. While he proceeded down
the stairs, he was rather pleased that he had managed to avoid an
awkward situation. He felt the poor fellow had completely forgot about
that day's invitation
It is still a matter of debate which one of them forgot what!
Leela Majumdar was a storehouse of such wonderful stories that
remain alive even after so many years of her telling them. She died a
centurion in 2007.
(Saswata Bhattacharya teaches English
in Deshbandhu College, New Delhi)

Leela Majumdar

70

, 1417

71
Jaishri Jethwaney
East of Kailash, New Delhi

, 1417

It is believed that democracy sustains free and fair media. Similarly

media supports democracy by working as a watch dog in public interest.
Vox Pop Vox Dei, the voice of the people is the voice of God,
goes the Greek maxim. How does the voice of people get articulated?
Is it through the electoral process or through the media? Both politics
and media are power institutions. If politics has an agenda, so has the
media. Both institutions draw their supposed power from public,
politics from the power of the people that elect representatives to
political institutions and media from the eyeballs they are able to
generate for their coverage of events, personalities and ideas. Power
in politics is inherent, but for media it is assumed and acquired.
Politics as an institution has a history of thousands of years. Many
things have influenced politics. In other words, political institutions
have taken centuries to be what they are today. Media, on the other
hand as an institution has a much shorter history but has progressed
by leaps and bounds.
There has always been a love and hate relationship between politics
and media, although some scholars firmly believe that both crossfertilize each other. Abraham Lincoln thought that politics was the last
best hope on earth. Harry S Truman said on media that he really looked
with commiseration over the great body of his fellow citizens, who
after reading newspapers, lived and died in the belief that they had
known something of what has been passing in the world in their time.
Walter Lippman, a renowned journalist and political analyst questioned

Debate

Democracy and Media

72

Democracy and Media

Debate

the purity and adequacy of mass media as sources of information.

Journalists, he felt, merely pointed a "flash light" rather than mirror
at the world.
The role of media in the electoral process is always in focus and
most of the time in controversy. Media bias is an issue that takes
center-stage. Analysts believe that media stimuli before and around
election time do make a difference in the voter behavior, following
five factors affecting the level of interest among voters, variation in
these factors resulting in "high-stimulus" and "low-stimulus" elections.:
1. Difference in media coverage
2. Significance attached by voters to an office
3. Importance of issues raised in the campaign
4. Attractiveness of the candidate
5. Competitiveness of the contest
Information as power
Media provide legitimacy to things even if they don't deserve so.
The mere appearance of news about issues, persons, and events
unwittingly gives them a legitimate stance, especially when it is
covered as reportage. Some scholars through empirical research believe
that the decline of the political parties and the growing power and clout
of media undermine an average election in a liberal democracy.
Journalistic values, though supposedly neutral, introduce an element
of random partisanship into a campaign, which works to the advantage
of one side or another. The other paradigm is that politicians need
media for their sustenance and survival but when media is critical they
bash them.
Media, in today's time, believe many social scientists, political
analysts and communication researchers, exert great power not only
on economic or political attitudes and approaches but also on how to
think about the world. Media today not only provide information but
a conceptual framework within which information and opinions are
ordered, not just facts but the world view. Contemporary researchers
emphasize on the 'agenda setting' function of the media.
Do media impact people's mind; do they affect the voting behavior
of the electorate is a question that is being discussed from the days of
the penny press. A number of empirical research studies reflect that

, 1417

, 1417

Debate

when people are asked if media influences them, the result more often
would be 'not the least'; but when spoken in the context of third parties
they believe the impact of media is all pervasive. In fact the opinion
on media impact oscillates between two extremes - from 'media have
no impact' to 'they have great impact'. Some scholars believe that
shortcomings in research design explain why many studies of media
impact on public opinion do not detect substantial media effects. Most
of the research surveys focus on immediate changes in opinion about
a single event or some events rather than changes produced over longer
periods of time by a multiplicity of media stimuli. Investigators seldom
make use of baseline research to allow them to assess the opinions
before news exposures. So when potency of media is measured, the
researchers are unable to measure the appeal of media messages and
sources that transmit them.
Many scholars have been talking about the 'Americanization' of
elections all over the globe. Media in America plays a great role in
showcasing politicians and history is replete with examples when
American media 'selected' the President much before he won the
popular vote. A lot of buzz and hype was created around Bill Clinton
during the 1992 elections and an impression that George Bush was
interested in his own candidacy made people lean towards a person
who had less than 10 per cent rating when he first declared his
candidacy.
Some scholars believe that various media differ in their impact
and efficacy within itself at varying times and vis--vis other media.
Accurate assessment of media individually or in combination remains
elusive because there are no adequate measuring criteria. An average
person perceives media as harder, tougher and at times cynical.
Justice Sawant, the erstwhile chairman of the Press Council of
India in an in-depth interview said that media needs to take on an
activist role in order to promote the basic tenets of our constitution.
On the other hand, other, especially Rita Beamish of AP felt that media
should never take on an activist role: 'if they wear the badge of a
crusader, they can't remain objective'.
Women's Issues
Women remain marginalized both at the political and media levels.
Women are not even considered vote banks, hence not really addressed,

73

Democracy and Media

Debate

74

Democracy and Media

especially in the rural hinterland. It is expected of them to toe the male

choice within the family and the community. One hardly finds women
journalists in discussion programs across various channels during
hustings.
Despite the hue and cry about 1/3 representation for women in
the Parliament, all political parties are guilty of not really believing in
what they preach. When it comes giving tickets, women remain
marginalized within political parties also. The issue of 1/3
representation for women in Parliament did not get much support either
from the political parties or the media.
Electoral reforms- media's role
The great thing about Indian democracy is that in the last over
sixty years and in all the 15 parliamentary and hundreds of assembly
elections, the changeover and transfer of power from one to another
has been smooth. There has been no bloodletting.
The Election Commission until the end of the 1980s was like any
other government department which organized nine parliamentary
elections smoothly, until the irrepressible T N Seshan came on the
scene. A great copy for the journalists, media and Seshan seemed to
love each other. So much was covered in the media, that some
politicians even entertained the idea of initiating impeachment against
him. One of the mainstream newspapers commented, "going by the
spirit rather than law, Mr. T N Seshan has been a cause of a significant
reduction of election expenditure". Even after his retirement, the
Election Commission has continued to assert and help improve the
election process.
The media by and large has brought to focus the need for electoral
reforms around election time. However, the coverage has been
personality and event based. No serious papers by political scientists,
discussion etc has been witnessed in the mainstream or local media.
Are media objective?
The issue of media objectivity has been debated and deliberated
at various fora. Many among the media persons consider absolute
objectivity an absolute farce also.
The use and manipulation of media by politicians and political
systems is too well known to warrant any further discussion. Hitler
and his crony Goebbels understood the power of mass media and

, 1417

reckoned information as an instrument of social control. They believed

that people tended to accept messages that were repeated again and
again. Socialist countries, especially in the last century, were so
paranoid with the power of media that the societies got increasingly
regimented, despite the fact that some socialist countries came about
because of the power of the masses.
Media accountability
Are media accountable? If yes, to whom? Who really controls
media - is it the state in a subtle or not so subtle way, is it self
censorship, is it the market or the media consumers? There are many
cases in point to support that media have reflected their bias in favor
or against some corporate houses. The worst has been witnessed as
far as the media objectivity is concerned when people can buy editorial
and reportage space. Some governments both at the central and state
levels at various points of time have tried to gag media appreciating
their power especially when the going was not perceived to be good
for the powers that be. However, there is no gainsaying that Indian
media have resisted every single move when the government has
intervened either by censorship or by other controls like pulling out
ad support or newsprint control. However, another view is gaining
ground that it is the market that really controls the content.
Do media have a mind, or should they have one?
The general expectation from the media is that 'news is sacrosanct
and comment is free'. However it's very difficult not to see the reflection
of media mind in coverage of events and personalities. The hype and
buzz created around personalities and events - the making of idols,
icons, the making of contexts in which to perceive things are all parts
of media writings.
It can be said that democracy and media are like twin sisters, each
complementing the other, yet no debate can be conclusive about their
true relationship and dependence. Media and democracy are
inseparable. If information for media is oxygen, there is no denying
it comes from a democratic society.

(Jaishri Jethwaney is a
Professor and Program Director, IIMC, New Delhi)

75

Debate

Democracy and Media

, 1417

76
Mandira Mitra
Kailash Colony, New Delhi

Creative Spaces

An Artist's Journey
Through Shantiniketan

As a young boy growing up in a village in Kerala, K.S.

Radhakrishnan, the noted sculptor, read a piece on Shantiniketan in a
school textbook in Malayalam. This opened in his mind a vision of
another village in far away Bengal where art and education were being
pursued in a non- commercial manner, a place that was described as
an ashram. A seed of curiosity about the place was planted in the young
boy's mind but he continued to pursue his studies in Kerala right up
to college. During his college days he learnt more about Tagore and
Shantiniketan and when he decided to study art he chose to go to there.
The choice was an unusual one because at that time the when most
people in Kerala thought about an art college, it was of the Madras
Art College where the well known painter Shri K.C.S. Panicker had
been the principal. But for young Radhakrishnan, going to
Shantiniketan was like a journey from one village to another and he
was quite oblivious of the geographical distance that he had to cover
to reach his destination. Somehow, in his mind there was already an
existing intimacy between the place he started from and where he was
going.
On reaching Shantiniketan in 1974, Radhakrishnan gave an
interview for admission in Kala Bhavan, the art school there, and was
confident that he would be admitted. During the admission test, he
worked on still life objects and a creative composition. When the results
were announced, he did not find his name on the sheet. Disappointed,
he walked out of 'Nandan' (the office building). Suddenly a person

, 1417

An Artist's Journey

77

Creative Spaces

came out of the building waving two sheets of paper, one in each hand
and asked him "Is this your work?" and when the answer was in the
affirmative the person waved the other sheet and asked "and this also?"
Yes, both the art works were the ones that Radhakrishnan had drawn
for the admission test. The stranger then invited Radhakrishnan to come
into the office and told him that he had been admitted for the Bachelor
of Fine Arts course. This person was none other than Professor
Somnath Hore and in Radhakrishnan's mind the image of him walking
out with his arms extended has stuck as that of Jesus responding to
his art and taking him into his arms.
Radhakrishnan had reached his destination but his journey
continued. At that time, Shantiniketan had no boundary or periphery;
it was an open space with no defined beginning or end to the University.
It was a continuum interspersed with the various bhavans or
institutions, the villages and the haat. The atmosphere was relaxed and
very informal between students and teachers. The pervasive custom
was that anybody who was senior in age, be it a teacher or a student,

, 1417

Creative Spaces

78

An Artist's Journey

was a 'dada' or 'didi.' Everyone sat on the ground whether in a classroom

or in the chataal. The presence of a large number of girls on campus
was also a new feeling as fifty percent of the seats were reserved for
female students. Eating meals in the general kitchen was another
special experience where all the students from different disciplines
interacted with each other. For Radhakrishnan, the experience of
Shantiniketan as a whole was far more overwhelming than being just
a student of Kala Bhavan.
The department of art where he was enrolled was already a very
well known institution and offered an integrated five-year programme
for the bachelor's degree. In the first two years the students were
exposed to painting, sculpture, graphics and craft. When the time came
to choose a specialization, Radhakrishnan chose sculpture. Though he
enjoyed painting, he opted for sculpture because he was more drawn
towards three dimensional objects that could be moved around and

, 1417

An Artist's Journey

79

Creative Spaces

touched. As he took up sculpting, Radhakrishnan was fascinated by

the tactile experience of the art form as opposed to the subtlety of
painting. It seemed as though he preferred to work with the hammer
than with the brush!
At that time, the department of sculpture continued to draw
inspiration from the presence of the legendary sculptor Shri Ramkinkar
Baij who was living in Santiniketan after his retirement. Radhakrishnan
recalls that it was Kinkarda who had started sculpture as a discipline
in Kala Bhavan and had taught many renowned artistes like K.G.
Subramanyan, Shankha Choudhary and A. Ramachandran.
Radhakrishnan too was fortunate enough to learn from Baij who strode
into their classes unannounced and his presence was enough to inspire
and motivate the students.
According to Radhakrishnan, the work of creation by an artist is
a very private affair and he recounts a story when as a young student
he accompanied Shri Ramkinkar Baij to Kolkata where the latter was
to inaugurate an art exhibition by painting a canvas that had been placed
on the dais. He observed the immense discomfort of his teacher when
asked to paint in front of a gathering.
As a student, due to the lack of resources in Shantiniketan,
Radhakrishnan worked mainly on clay and concrete and in keeping
with the tradition of the school where modelling was the norm. He
was taught to create a permanent structure from nothing. On completing
his bachelor's course, Radhakrishnan enrolled for his master's to pursue

, 1417

Creative Spaces

80

An Artist's Journey

and experiment with his chosen

art form. He moved to Delhi in
1981 where he lives with his wife
Mimi who was one of the ten girls
in his class in Kala Bhavan.
One very important theme of
Radhakrishnan's later works has
been the figures of Musui and his
female counterpart Maiya. Prof
Siva Kumar, the renowned art
historian has described the
relationship between Musui and
Radhakrishnan where the artist
imagined and gave different
shapes to the body of a young Santhal boy. Siva Kumar writes "He
(Radhakrishnan) chanced upon Musui when he turned up one day to
pose for the class. The generous smile of this skin-headed young
Santhal, sublimely innocent and ridiculously silly at the same time,
captivated Radhakrishnan and he followed up the initial studies with
a life size study of Musui in the nude. When he finished his studies
and moved to Delhi, the sculpture being too large and heavy and more
in the nature of an academic study, he sawed off the head and carried
it with him. There the smiling head of Musui remained on his studio
shelf gathering dust like a forgotten trophy from an earlier campaign,
but for all this apparent neglect it also kept breathing and subliminally
growing somewhere within him like an old dream the meaning of which
still remained to be known. The head freed from the body seemed to
reveal the spirit of Musui better."
Musui later appeared in several forms like Ramakrishna, Nataraja,
Christ, Buddha, a rickshaw puller, man holding a palm leaf or inanimate
objects like a box or a vessel.
For Radhakrishnan, leaving Shantiniketan has been as important
as reaching it. The pace of the journey that he has adopted since leaving
Kala Bhavan has been a challenge and he continues to go back to
Shantiniketan to renew, recharge and retrospect. Currently, he is
engaged in putting together a definitive collection of works of Ram
Kinkar Baij for a book to be published by the Government of India

, 1417

An Artist's Journey

81

and also for an exhibition to be held in the National Gallery of Modern

Art in connection with the birth centenary of the artist.
(Based upon an interview with K.S. Radhakrishnan and books
written on his works by Prof. Siva Kumar. To know more about the
artist and his works please see www.ksradhakrishnan.com)
(Mandira Mitra is a practicing lawyer)

Creative Spaces

Image courtesy : K.S. Radhakrishnan

, 1417

82

Review : On the Edges of Time

Book Review

Author : Rathindranath Tagore

Tagore and the Bengali mindset have always remained closely
connected and for a good reason. He has been a towering literary figure
of Bengal and of our country of all times. Today, as his 150th birth
centenary approaches, a thin volume, On the Edges of Time (first
published in June 1958 by Visva-Bharati) on the life of Tagore as
portrayed by his son Rathindranath Tagore (1888-1961) draws special
attention to itself because of its unassuming style of narration, essaying
many little known facts of Tagore's life. The author says in the preface,
"it is possible that from the somewhat disconnected anecdotes
penned during leisure hours at different times and put together in these
pages, the reader may obtain glimpses of some aspects of my father's
personality not dealt with by his biographers." This self-assessment
of today's priceless book arouses interest and sets the tone for even
the most casual reader.
Rathindranath was the son of a great father, but while writing his
reminiscences he doesn't attempt to put him on a larger than life canvas.
In fact what is most appealing is that the book projects father
Rabindranath in the eyes of his son through many events in the life of
the father and son, rather than becoming a memoir of this great
personality. The author, a great narrator, delves down his memory and
presents vignettes that reveal interesting aspects of Tagore's genius.
For example, the idyllic charm of the poet's life in a houseboat at
Shelaidaha where Tagore had written and composed a bulk of his work
comes alive on the pages of the book as seen through the eyes of young
Rathindranath. There is an anecdote of an evening at the end of a
tumultuous storm that caused much wreckage when a young, beautiful
woman was rescued from drowning, much against her will. Was the
idea of Noukadubi first germinated in Tagore's mind at this point?
Houseboats and cruises along the rivers, be it Ganga, Padma or
smaller tributaries in East Bengal, were a part of the Tagore lineage

, 1417

, 1417

Book Review

as Rathindranath describes the boat Padma, named by Rabindranath

after his favourite river. Tagore inherited this boat from his father
Maharshi Debendranath. Rathindranath reflects, "We have also on
record that my grandfather travelled up and down the Ganges in this
house-boat, often as far up as Banaras, and that one of these trips was
taken during the troublesome days of the mutiny." These, and many
such recollections, like that of the Congress Session of 1896 in
Calcutta, or the starting of Vichitra Club and simultaneous art
movement of Bengal allow the readers to take a peek at the history of
Bengali literature and art.
Streaks of the father's genius were there in son Rathindranath.
Some events narrated in the book are touched with subtle humour, some
have an underlying touch of pathos. While describing his association
with the early days of Santiniketan, Rathindranath details his close
contacts with a number of well known personalities of that time. The
summer holidays he spent with poet Satish Roy has been described
vividly, with minute details of the evening when the latter started
reciting Tagore's Barsha-Shesh amidst the thunderous clouds and
torrential rains. The free translation by Rathindranath of the opening
stanza of the poem and the picturesque description of that stormy
evening etch out an image by a master craftsman much like his gifted
father.
Quite understandably, the son was in complete awe of his genius
father. Much like an ordinary person he wonders how Tagore could
compose poems and lyrics, write essays, novels and dramas all at times
simultaneously and yet receive guests who came to meet him. At
another time he tries to understand his father's feelings of loneliness,
his sudden change of moods, and above all his sufferings at the death
of many dear family members including his children and close
associates. The chapter titled Father As I Knew Him throws light on
a son's understanding of a great father. His reflections on Gandhiji in
the context of the Freedom struggle and Tagore's dress sense are
particularly interesting. He writes, "Father and Gandhiji were great
friends. Yet outwardly no two people could be more unlike each other."
Tagore dressed well, his aesthetic sense reflecting his sartorial elegance.
Gandhiji's loin cloth was in stark contrast to Tagore's handsome figure
clad in bright silk kurta or achkaan. Tagore belonged to an aristocratic

83

On the Edges of Time

Book Review

84

On the Edges of Time

family and was an uninhibited devotee of anything lofty and beautiful.

"Austerity as such had little or no appeal for father," writes
Rathindranath. "In a land of poverty where life was nothing but a story
of systematic deprivation, austerity was not the ideal to be held up
before the people. On the contrary, our people needed to be encouraged
to taste the good things of life. Unfortunately, however, by a curious
confusion of ideas, shabbiness in dress and slovenliness in habits were
coming to be regarded as social virtues. This naturally shocked father's
artistic sensibilities." Decades later, management experts in modern
India have come to value this same sentiment as they stoke the
aspiration level in people in order to improve the economy.
Tagore's indulgence in encouraging a love for things beautiful in
people around him should not be mistaken as supporting indiscipline.
He was not a harsh father, but he was a strict disciplinarian and
inculcated a sense of obedience in his son. There are instances in the
book where an affectionate father reprimanded his son in his own
unique way. What was more, he took upon himself the responsibility
of educating Rathindranath. The book deals at length with the struggle
he had undergone in establishing the asram at Santiniketan. Life was
tough, as depicted by Rathindranath, but steeped in the wondrous
beauty of Nature. This early exposure of Rathindranath to a life outside
the comfort of Jorasanko's Thakurbari led to a spiritual awakening
in him much like his being conscious of Nature's bounty during the
days spent in the lap of Nature in the houseboat in Shelaidaha. Tagore's
genius had many facets, but the endearing personality of Tagore the
father comes across vividly through the pages of the book, and herein
lies its appeal.
"It is not easy to understand a man of genius," observes
Rathindranath. "The bare facts of life are a poor commentary on the
almost imperceptible working of a most sensitive mind." However, this
compilation of anecdotes, dotted with the intelligent observations of
a son who has lived an equally intellectually stimulating life living in
close proximity of his genius father tells a story of a legendary figure
of a legendary family whose contribution to the Bengali life is still
beyond measure.
(The reviewer Sumita Sengupta is a freelance journalist.
She lives in Kailash Colony, New Delhi)

, 1417

85
Ajanta Dutt
Greater Kailash I
New Delhi

, 1417

The Jaipur Literary Festival opened at the Diggi Palace on the 21st
of January and continued till the 25th of January, 2011. The four
parallel sessions scheduled for every hour were filled with authors and
intellectuals of international repute, and topics ranged from prizewinning and new books to politics, history, music, paintings and
photography. Texts in languages other than English from both India
and abroad were included.
Needless to state, some of the events that drew the largest crowds
were the sessions featuring Nobel laureates, Orhan Pamuk and J.M.
Coetzee, a session on Hindi film songs with Gulzar and Javed Akhtar,
and music by Madan Gopal Singh. Eminent personalities like Arthur
Miller, K. Satchidanandan, Ashok Vajpeyi, Mrinal Pande, William
Dalrymple, Chitra Divakaruni, Kiran Desai and Ruskin Bond were part
of the star-studded cast that wrought their magic upon the days. In the
audience there were teachers and students from universities, colleges
and schools, representatives from newspapers and publishing houses,
the NGOs, and of course, all those who were simply interested in the
events unfolding in the Pink City. Most visitors had driven in from
Delhi, and both flights and hotels were over-booked. The venue was
packed from mid morning to late evening, and every pavilion, hall and
tent seemed to be bursting at the seams. The Festival, which was fairly
quiet and self-contained six years ago, is now a tremendous draw to
those even remotely interested in reading. Soon a bigger venue will
have to be found if this steady influx of people continues.

A Report

Glimpses of the Jaipur

Literary Festival 2011

86

Jaipur Literary Festival 2011

A Report

Orhan Pamuk reading from 'The Old Woman and the Cat.'
Photo courtesy : Sumantra Nag

We drove in from Delhi on Friday morning and reached just in

time for Orhan Pamuk's talk. His reading from his novel moved into
his expressed passion for his beloved city, Istanbul-- and stirred a chord
in many. He frankly recollected the embarrassment that envelops a
young man when he drops out of studying architecture and spends his
time writing novels. He acknowledged his debt to his father who kept
him in funds so that he could pursue his interest, and freely admitted
that family support for an adult man is not so impossible in Turkey or
in the East, as it is the West. Pamuk was questioned about the
philosophical and physical rendering of the love-motif in his books
and he exemplified upon this theme at some length, but could not resist
a dig at the audience by making a bawdy joke. This was, of course,
met with gales of laughter. However, people should remember that any
question they ask ought to be brief and worthwhile, and they have no
right to bore the audience and the speakers just because they want to
listen to their own voices citing statistics and proving how
knowledgeable they are.
Because the authors were signing their books, the well stocked
book-shop did brisk business. A cloth container called "A Suitable Bag"
demanded its fair share of attention when a young lady ran up to author
Vikram Seth and had her bag signed as well. Authors from the NorthEast also sold a number of books, especially as they answered questions

, 1417

, 1417

A Report

beyond their session; but many from the audience wanted their poetry
books and those were not available. Gulzar was seen briefly at the
signing table, but not after his talk when he, Javed Akhtar and
Prasoon Joshi conversed about Hindi film songs. It was impossible to
get into the tent called the Baithak for this event, but some of us did
sit on the ledge next to the fountain to listen to them speaking of Munni
badnaam hui and offering the audience many puns and jokes in Hindi.
In the over-crowded press conference that followed, people again asked
inane question and it was a timely reminder from the podium that
writers and directors, like God, cannot be blamed for producing bad
scripts or songs, especially when people constitute bad audiences for
Bollywood films.
Many Ramayanas was another excellent session on a different note,
presided over by Malashree Lal and Sheldon Pollock. Philip Lutgendorf
spoke of his indoctrination into the Indian epic and his work in
translating its verses. He interspersed his talk by singing some of the
chaupais from Tulsidas. Then Diane de Selliers explained, with a slide
show, the many miniature Ramayana paintings belonging to the times
of Akbar, and the discovery of sheer gems in the City Palace that she
is now photographing for a new Ramayana in English. The book will
cost 48,000 Euros! The gathering gasped, and applauded.
The crowning glory of our three days at the Festival was
undoubtedly the session with J.M. Coetzee. Disparaging remarks from
Patrick French about the Indian audience could not cast a cloud upon
the rapt attention of over a thousand individuals listening to a master
story-teller for 45 minutes. Coetzee's gentle demeanour and his gentle
voice lulled a varied audience, and awakened the child that resides in
every one of us. Coetzee said that "The Old Woman and the Cat" was
primarily written for a Roman Catholic audience, but he had chosen
it because India is more enamoured by the journey of the soul than
the secular West. The old mother in the story spoke to her son about
rescuing abandoned, half-wild cats, especially the one she found in
the process of giving birth-snarling in fear to protect its babies. Rather
than harm the cat as the hunter instinct in man suggests, the old woman
found herself sharing the bond of motherhood with the animal. The
old woman further pointed out that there can never be too many
children in this world, and what is missing from her village is the sound

87

Jaipur Literary Festival 2011

88

Jaipur Literary Festival 2011

A Report

J.M. Coetzee reading from 'My Name is Red'

Photo courtesy : Sumantra Nag

of young voices and children running in the streets. I think we too felt
a lump in our throats when she wished she had had more children than
just her son and daughter. She also admitted that it is not always
siblings who look after each other, but the community-a very relevant
thought for India, even today. The farewell scene at the end of the
story is not between the mother and son, but between the son and the
tramp his mother has sheltered, much to his displeasure. The tramp is
filthy and stinky, but something makes the son honour his mother's
request to wish him goodbye. The tramp reciprocates by kissing him
on both cheeks. Thus, the characteristic bleakness of a Coetzee
conclusion was dispelled.
The merriment and the tiredness were all a part of the weekend
we spent in Jaipur. The lawns were sprinkled with school children in
smart uniforms, and Rajasthani folk performers in motley costumes.
The evenings were full of music as people watched the folk dancers
breathing fire and been-players, bagpipers and quawaals performing
before so many foreigners, and Indians. Wine in plastic cups was
handed around as people socialized and met old friends. Food was
exotic for the delegates; but there was coffee, khullar-chai and cakes
or idli, vada and sandwiches for the rest. There was so much character
to the place that it is no wonder that everyone wants to be there. As
the youth would say, it is one of the most happening places in the
calendar today.
(Ajanta Dutt teaches English in Deshbandhu College, New Delhi)

, 1417