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Volume I, Issue III, June-July, 2014
BOOK QUESTA Bimonthly Newsletter published by Bhabani Books, Guwahati - 781 007, Assam, India ` 5/-
T his book was originally the PhD thesis of Dr. Nanda Talukdar who died in 1983 in a tragic road accident without facing the interview.
The court of the Gauhati University took an unprecedented decision to award the PhD degree to Dr. Nanda Talukdar posthumously without the mandatory interview (viva) as a rare case, considering the importance and merit of the thesis. This thesis has been slightly rearranged, resulting in this book titled Assam & the 19th century. Dr. Talukdar’s focus was Ananda Ram Dhekial Phukan, but he managed to dig out enough material of that forgotten era as a result, the dimension of the research had become wider.
Page Page Page Page Page Page2 3 4 5 6 7
Author: Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti, Bhabani Books,PB, ` 90
Coffee Table book on Majuli, Published by Wild East in associ-ation with Bhabani Books, HB, ` 2100
Author: Nanda TalukdarBhabani Books` 390, HB
Abridged and Adapted: Gobinda Prasad Sarma, Bhabani Books, PB, ` 80
Author: Sivanath Barman, Bhabani Books, PB, ` 120
Author: J. N. Sharma, Bhabani Books, PB, ` 495
T he age old dictum that history taking gives 70% of the diagnosis while in 90% of cases diagnosis can be arrived at after
history taking and physical examination which is always relevant. Hence one should get trained oneself to develop a sharp clinical acumen during student days.
Inspite of the tremendous development of diagnostic technology in medical science, history taking and physical examination and then a proper selection of investigations should remain a priority. Moreover, investigations are painful and lead to long standing psychological trauma in children and hence avoided as far as possible.
It needs mention that the methods of history taking and physical examination in children are different from adults in many aspects. This book
Deepika Phukan
Dhruba Hazarika
TributeLife SketchFictionNon-Fiction
has been primarily written for the undergraduate and postgraduate students in Pediatrics, with the aim to make the students aware of the modified methods of history taking and physical examination in children.
Besides, the book also includes chapters on approach to diagnosis of common diseases, case studies for practice and details of instruments and x-rays for examination purposes.
With the belief that illustrations are more helpful than only text, descriptions in the book have been supported by relevant figures, tables and flow charts, as much as possible to make reading convenient.
M ahapurusha Madhavadeva was a genius who had multi-dimensional contributions to the socio-cultural life
of Assam. He was basically a religious preacher, who dedicated his life to spread the tenets of Eka Sharana Nâma Dharma founded by Srimanta Sankaradeva. The basic philosophy of this religious order was that one should worship a single God, Lord Krishna. Madhavadeva was a disciple of Srimanta Sankaradeva who rose to succeed him after the Guru’s death and who helped his preceptor Srimanta Sankaradeva in establishing peace and unity among the strife-torn ethnic groups of the valley. Madhavadeva’s role was instrumental along with Srimanta Sankaradeva in bringing about a renaissance in the region. The book is, therefore, a biographical account of this great Saint-reformer and his various contributions in the field of art and culture.
C rime and Punishment was first published during 1866 in the literary journal, The Russian Messenger which was later
published in a single volume. It is the second of Dostoyevsky’s full-length novels after his return from Siberia. The novel focuses on the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Raskolnikov the protagonist, who formulates and executes a plan to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker woman. Crime and Punishment is said to be the first great novel of Dostoyevsky’s ‘mature period of writing’. The present volume is an abridged and adapted version of the novel by eminent scholar and former Head of the Department of English, Gauhati University
T he belief that science is a mere storehouse of dry facts and abstruse mathematical symbols is so deeply
rooted in the mind of the common man that its philosophical implications, its sociological aspects, the cold and austere beauty that lies in it often remain hidden. This slim volume is a humble attempt to unravel these hidden aspects. Though not directly concerned with science, two essays – one on the materialistic foundation of Indian philosophy and the other on the material roots of Indian casteism- are given place in the Appendix, as materialism is in reality the base on which the temple of science is built.
T h e i s l a n d , Majuli and one-horned rhinos
of Kaziranga are Assam’s most celebrated symbols worldwide. Majuli has a fascinating history and over the years the river island has emerged as a chief repository of the socio-cultural heritage of Assam. Majuli retains
its significance as the social capital of Assam despite being cut off from the mainland every year during the monsoons. The island is a confluence of many tribal communities and their colourful cultures. It is the seat of Vaishnavite religion in Assam. It is in Majuli that the first Satra (Vaishnavite Monastery) was established. The river island is also a hub of traditional art and craftsmanship like pottery, boat-making and mask making. It is a natural sanctuary for birds, both resident and migratory. It is an attractive and preferred destination for tourists, domestic and foreign alike, notwithstanding the absence of modern and comfortable modes of transport.
Majuli is sacred, mystical and enchanting. Mere words cannot capture the magic of this island and hence this is our humble effort to offer this coffee table book, depicting the vibrant colours of Majuli.
BOOKQUEST 2 Volume I, Issue III, June-July, 2014
Editorial
Difficult Pleasures, Author: Anjum HasanPenguin Books, ` 399
Wry, tender, borderline surreal, the book is a collection of stories about the
need to escape and the longing to belong. Accomplished, ambitious and full of surprises, this is a masterful collection and it confirms the writer, Anjum Hasan’s reputation as one of India’s most gifted young writers.
Bank
er to
the
Poor
: The
sto
ry o
f th
e G
ram
een
Bank
, Aut
hors
: Muh
amm
ad Y
unus
(with
Ala
n Jo
lis),
Peng
uin
Book
s, 20
07, `
450
Muhammad Yunus, set up the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh
to lend tiny sums to the poorest of the poor, who were shunned by ordinary banks. Today his system of micro-credit is practiced in some sixty countries and his Grameen Bank is a billion pound business acknowledged by world leaders and the World Bank as a fundamental weapon in the fight against poverty. The book is Nobel Peace Prize winner, Yunus’s own enthralling story of overcoming skepticism in many governments and how micro-credit was extended into credit unions in the West.
The
Song
See
kers
, Aut
hor:
Sasw
ati S
engu
pta,
Zub
aan,
2011
, ` 3
95
A debut novel by the author, a strong sense of feminist
rebellion emanates from the story. Set in Kolkata, the book has generous amounts of mythology and history lined with symbolism and puts forward questions that stifle the male dominated society.
John Parankimalil` 150, PB
Ramanuj Dutta Choudhury` 80, PB
Ramanuj Dutta Choudhury` 120, PB
John Parankimalil` 150, PB
Mrinal Talukdar,Utpal Borpujari,Kaushik Deka` 200, PB
Pallavi Barua Bhuyan MeMorial TrusT
Deepika Phukan
Dasuram’s Script, Edited and Translated by Mona Lisa Jena, Harper Perennial, 2013, ` 299
I n Dasuram’s Script: New Writing From
Odisha, the author provides a curious selection of stories that are of Odisha origin.
Jena’s collection of stories reflects elements of human struggle and the ethical dilemmas that people in societies are often confronted by. The stories in Dasuram’s Script: New Writing From Odisha are set in disturbing scenarios, with intriguing beliefs and various forms of poverty being the shared elements.For instance, there is the story of the jobless graduate, who one day after returning home, smothers his wife to death. Then there is the tale of a ten
T he Blue-necked God translated from the original Assamese work titled Nilakantha
Braja and published in 1976, is one of Indira Goswami’s early novels and the first time that a writer highlighted the exploitation and poverty of widows, dumped in a sacred city to eke out their days in prayer by uncaring families under the guise of religious sanction and tradition. The physical, emotional, financial deprivation faced by the young widow has been woven into a perceptive text that drew on the author’s own research and experiences as she roamed the streets of Vrindavan and exposed for the first time, the uglier side of the city and its traditions.
The
Blue
-nec
ked
God
–Ind
ira G
osw
ami,
Tran
slate
d by
– G
ayat
ri Bh
atta
char
ya, Z
ubaa
n,
2013
, ` 2
95
year old child who is sold by her caregivers to an old man in his eighties. Another story is about a newlywed bride discovering that her husband was previously married to a tree before she came into the picture. After being jailed, a tribal poet writes a script reflecting his dialect. There is also the odd tale of a young woman who falls head over heels in love with her boyfriend’s father.
T he Pallavi Barua Bhuyan Foundation, Guwahati has initiated Translation Award for translation from Assamese
to English. This year marks the beginning of the award and will be an annual event. The Translation Award for the year 2014 has been conferred to Dr. Suranjana Barua for her translated novel, Miri Jiyori originally in Assamese by Rajanikanta Bordoloi.
In the same event, the trust has falicitated Dr Deepika Phukan with the Lifetime Achievement honour for her seminal works of translation into English.
on TranslaTion
I n the past, translation was not given its due importance, presumably due to
ignorance of its strength and its role in the process of exchanging ideas and bridging gaps among various linguistic groups much faster than many other tools. That being so, there is little doubt that translation is a meaningful proposition and one should try to explore how to make use of it for the benefit of the society.
Considering the magnitude of the need for translation in our country, the efforts put into the segment do not really seem adequate. Many things are happening with the individual efforts. But it does not match the huge requirement in a country with so many languages. However, organisations like Sahitya Akademi, National Book Trust, India, Central Institute of Indian Languages etc. are playing a significant role in promoting this activity in our country.
A few years ago, the central government set up the National Translation Mission (NTM) to take up the task of identifying the gaps in the translation segment, promoting good quality translation, training, etc. Among all the schemes NTM is undertaking, we do believe that in a multilingual country like India, it is absolutely necessary to create sufficient numbers of good translators through translation-education on priority; and that too needs to be done language wise within a given time frame.
NTM’s plan for creating a ‘National Register for Translators’ is a highly welcome proposition for identifying the gap in this field. We urge upon NTM to involve all the universities and the colleges of our country to impart translation-education which will certainly go a long way in minimizing the existing inadequacy in the translators’ pool in the country in the shortest possible time frame.
The fifteen essays in the book provide an insider’s take on wide-ranging
issues concerning India’s Northeast. The region has suffered from decades of violence which have taken a toll on livelihoods, incomes, governance, growth and image besides lives. Despite vast amount of money being pumped into the region, basic needs and minimum services are yet to be met. The book is thus, a passionate call to all stakeholders in the Northeast to embrace dialogues and use given platforms for peace, to go beyond the politics of tolerance to that of mutual respect for bringing about stability and sustainable change to the region.
Writing on the Wall: Reflections on the North-East – Sanjoy Hazarika, Penguin Books, 2008, Rs. 225
Joy Kachappilly` 120, PB
BOOKQUEST 3Volume I, Issue III, June-July, 2014 Non-Fiction
Next Door: stories
In a collection of eleven stories, the author delves into the private,
individual worlds of a varied cast of characters and exposes the intricate mesh of emotions often concealed under the façade of everyday lives. Mostly set in Assam, the stories are subtle and evocative in their telling and unerringly human.
The Japanese Wife
The book comprises twelve stories…stories about unexpected love and
accidental gifts; about finding oneself among strangers; about living elsewhere and living in one’s dreams. They parade a full cast of priests, prostitutes, rebels, dead emperors, poachers, conmen and connoisseurs--angels and demons rubbing shoulders with those whose lives are never quite as ordinary as they seem. The title of the book forms the first story in the collection, which have also been made into a successful motion picture…where a series of letters exchanged across two countries are the only threads that bind a couple with love and devotion.
The Story of Felanee
Set in Assam, which has seen two major agitations that have crippled
the economy, this novel will shock the reader by its sheer passion and its brutal honesty. The callousness and utter disregard for human life, the ugly play for power, for electoral gain,
Sanjaya Baru
Anil Kumar Boruah
A celebrated journalist himself, Mr. Sanjaya Baru during his tenure as the media adviser to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had a ringside view
of the functional nitty gritty of the PM and that of the PMO as well. Having relinquished his charges, Mr. Baru decided to encapsulate his handsdown experience with the PM in the form of a book. As his book, titled The Accidental Prime Minister– The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh hit the stands, it had created a storm of sort, particularly among a large number of Congress functionaries who went to the extent of accusing Mr. Baru of breaching the trust. It was indeed ironical that the class of politicians who thrived best on breaching the trust of the nation on the drop of a hat, should hold Mr. Baru guilty of the same “pastime”. Perhaps they could not appreciate Baru to have opened the can of worms which, in any case, was long over due. This obnoxious attitude of our political class also exposed certain vulnerabilities intrinsic to Indian democracy.
Serious observers of independent India’s political history since its inception were not surprised to discern disguised elements of plutocracy creeping into the DNA of our democracy with increasing elan, on one pretext or the other, enthusiastically abetted by our insistance on the letter of the guiding principles rather than on the spirit enshrined in them. Because of historical reasons, our democracy had been exhibiting unmistakable propensity to rally round chosen personalities and families whose decisions were always taken as the unquestioned codes of governance of this diverse land. With the concepts of social morality and political ethics having been reinterpreted on daily basis to accomodate vested interests, the ruling clique took it upon themselves to run the country as their private fiefdom to ensure for themselves and their progeny a place in the sun for eternity, preferably fawned over with factotums and sycophants. For them even the sanctity of the constitutional provisions could be treated with disdain if they found them detrimental to their selfish interest. Ironically enough, Manmohan Singh’s entry into electoral politics was also facilitated by a dubious contravention of a constitutional provision, vicariously through another political potentate from our own state, at that time.
All these aberrations of governance started coming to the fore with increasing regularity in the recent years which had created various uncertainties in our democartic system. Unforeseen eventualities became the order of the day. In that sense, unforeseen problems asked for manipulative solutions. It was one such unforeseen compulsion that had catapulted Dr. Manmohan Singh, almost accidentally, to the hot seat of the Prime Minister, under UPA I. But his second term as the PM under UPA II was more eventful for reasons far worse than anyone could ever imagine.
Dr. Manmohan Singh’s fortuitous tenure as the PM served both his party and the country very well until the errant partners in a fragile coalition pushed him to the edge, and reducing him to a pathetic onlooker. Despite the stream of scams, flourishing crony capitalism, exposed skeletons in the
cupboard, clamouring media, restive electorate, the PM took little initiative to set things right and still less to communicate his predicament. The corridors of power in the capital were abuzz with malicious whisper, tendentious disinformations, vindictive nitpicking. Deserted by the backers in the party, a distressed Dr. Singh realized it too well how cold and lonely it was at the top; but the only thing he could do was to face the eventuality with enforced equanimity and contrived fortitude.
Sanjaya Baru, the author of The Accidental Prime Minister was witness to a part of the proceedings, beside forming a premonition to the gathering storm, which he had elaborated in the book. His close encounter with the entire drama and the dramatis personae thereof, covered a considerable length of the narrative to prove that an Indian was not only “argumentative” but, could very well be “intriguingly innovative”, if and when it served his interest. The book basically was a wide amalgamation of events and anecdotes elucidated with circumstantial exigencies and their fallout. In that sense the whole narrative was elaborately factual leaving no scope for assumed malice or prejudice. But each of those events and ancedotes provided a small window to the wonderland of “power politics” where Dr. Singh never seemed to have found his political bearings right. Therefore, he was never too sure of his own authority at any point of time, let alone indulge in surreptitious deals with snazzy wheeler and dealer in the guise of public servants, or party workers. If at all, he was only seen procrastinating like the Prince of Denmark in Shakespear’s timeless tragedy–The Hamlet. But he was ever unwilling to exit with honour despite the heap of humiliation coming on his way. No one knew what was his compulsion. Probably the inescapable laws of Peter Principle must have caught up with him by then and he felt too bruised and battered to read the farewell message written large on the walls of 10 Janpath.
Kudos to Sanjaya Baru for his amazing yen for details and accurate presentation of the proceedings, going through which one could not help feeling a sense of deja vu-however accidental may it be though.
Guiles and Gimmick of Power Politics
Despite the stream of scams, flourishing crony capitalism, exposed skeletons in the cupboard, clamouring media, restive electorate, the PM showed little initiative to set things right and still less to communicate about his predicament...
The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh, Sanjaya Baru, Penguin Viking, ` 599
Next Door: stories, Jahnavi Barua, Penguin Books, 2008, ` 250
The Story of Felanee, Arupa Patangia Kalita. Translated by Deepika Phukan, Zubaan, 2011, ` 395
The Japanese Wife, Kunal Basu, Harper Collins, 2008, ` 299
Sanjoy’s Assam: Diaries and Writings of Sanjoy Ghose. Edited and with an Afterword by Sumita Ghose, Penguin Books, 1998, ` 299
the sham and petty hypocrisies, the bloody horror of ethnic violence all lie exposed in this powerful novel written by one of Assam’s leading fiction writers. The Story of Felanee is based on real life events. It is a story of courage, of survival, of ethnic conflict and violence that tears people and communities apart in the most brutal, savage way.
Sanjoy’s AssamDiaries and Writings of Sanjoy Ghose
The book is a collection of Sanjoy’s writings and diaries, put together by his wife
and colleague, Sumita Ghose, which vividly portrays his journey of self discovery as an activist. While he analyses the problems of the Th
e H
ouse
with
a T
hous
and
Stor
ies,
Aru
ni
Kash
yap,
Pen
guin
Vik
ing,
201
3, `
399
Northeast, Sanjoy also evokes the incredible richness of the society and culture of the region and of Assam in particular. Sensitive and insightful, the book affirms the groundswell for constructive and dynamic social action and becomes an indictment of the use of terrorism as a means to achieve social justice.
The House with a Thousand Stories
A story that unfolds in the lap of Brahmaputra, the book offers a glimpse
of the Assamese culture and as it gradually proceeds the violence, insurgency, and everything that surrounds it comes to the fore. The author in his gripping first novel has strongly voiced the many concerns of Assam.
BOOKQUEST 4 Volume I, Issue III, June-July, 2014
Ananda Bormudoi
Fiction
W ordsworth did not visit Yarrow as far as possible because the Yarrow of his imagination and the real Yarrow couldnot exist side by side. The Yarrow created
by his imagination was very dear to the poet. The Romantics alone do not believe as true what their imagination seizes as beautiful. This is true of everybody, and especially children, whose imagination create a coherent world for them. This is what the narrator of the story ‘Ghostie’ gives us to understand. He believed that the dog was a ghost that came from nowhere. In his imagination the dog belonged to a different world which was not in the stream of time. When this belief was proved to be illusory by a friend the narrator could not take it easy. The beautiful world created by the boy’s imagination was shattered. The two worlds clashed and one ousted the other and that led to the heartbreak of the narrator.
Dhruba Hazarika’s collection of short stories titled Luck, first published by Penguin Books India in 2009, has been much admired by readers and critics as a collection with distinctive features. A close reading of the story ‘Soul Egret’ reveals some of the distinctive features of the writer.
The ‘Soul Egret’ is a love story. It is the love of the soul and the egret is the externalization of the soul’s love for the beyond, the unknown. There is a story line but it is just a pretext for realizing the love for what is freed from commitment to time, place, and history. The egret is very much in the stream of time but the first person narrator in the story is in love with what the egret stands for and it is a series of symbolic situations and events. The narrator’s correspondence with the audience is vertical as well as horizontal.
The opening paragraph very carefully creates the environment necessary for the correspondence of the soul. The narrator is all alone and far away from his family and friends. In loneliness and perfect silence, conflict and opposition between the two worlds have set in. The ‘insistent ruckus’ of the crows, symbolic of the cyclical changes and flux, comes in conflict with what the soul strives for in silence and isolation. As the narrator tells us of what happens in time, the crows correspond with the narrator’s ‘spurious generosity’. The crows are hysterical and they remind us of the emotional collapse of the multitude in some critical situations.
The structure of the story reveals two circuits - one
breaking in upon the other. The first circuit of cyclical changes and flux is interrupted by the second circuit of what is out of time and above the cyclical changes and flux and this circuit is represented by the egrets. The narrator tells us that with the egrets it is ‘all different’. It is all different from the first circuit. The egrets are all for love. The mother egret spreads her wings to tuck in the small ones and the spreading of the wings itself is a gesture of love like stretching arms for an embrace. During the day the egrets fly away from loud, confused and undesired noise and glide over ‘the vast expanse of the river’.
The narrator spends long hours watching the egrets but the most vital thing about them remains eternally mysterious for him, “With so secret a diet, I tell myself, it is no wonder that they look so beautiful.” The secret is admitted that there is something unknowable about the egrets. They represent the beyond, the unknown. They make us eternally curious symbolizing the striving of the soul.
The narrator zealously guards what the soul strives for and scolds the boys who climb the trees to catch the fledgelings. Anxiety about the egrets becomes an inescapable condition of his life. The narrator keenly aware of the ground realities, knows that neither the bird-catchers nor the elemental furies will let the egrets alone. The storm kills a large number of birds.
In spite of the casualty to the birds, the two worlds meet in the final section of the story –the narrator encounters the soul’s egret. He holds the egret very close to him and kisses the bird. He feels a sense of urgency to make a salvage out of the disaster wrought by the storm. The soul’s egret must be salvaged and nursed back to health. The man meets the bird and what is out of time merges for a moment with what is in time. The two worlds meet to separate instantly leaving the eternal striving in the narrator.
In Dhruba Hazarika’s short stories, there is a common conflict between two worlds and this conflict momentarily resolves into what in Yeatsean term is the ‘unity of being’. It is a rare moment in a person’s life. The narrator experienced such a moment with the pigeon named Luck, “But he hopped on to my lap that morning and then tried to tiptoe up my chest. I looked down at him and opened my palm. He pecked at the flesh, then returned to my chest, and then fluttered up so that the wings brushed my face and lips and eyes. When I opened my eyes he had flown off, gone from my view. I never saw him again.” The
narrator e x p e r i e n c e d a very rare moment and time actually ceased for the narrator. When he became aware that the pigeon was gone, the world resumed. The touch of the bird raised the narrator to an unfallen state for a moment but instantly he came back to the stream of time.
Another rare moment for the young narrator is the moment of his presence among the vultures. Before that experience he thought, “They were winged creatures all right, but I couldnot think of them as birds. Birds were pigeons and sparrows and mynahs and parrots…” When the young narrator comes near the vultures, he is struck by awe and admiration. He compares them to the ogres, the man-eating giants from folklores. As the vultures soar in flight, their stature grows to darken the whole sky, “…the sky went dark, and the wind in the trees shrank back from the surge of air from their beating wings.” The hunted doe in ‘The Hunt’ reveals the poetic sensibilities of the short story writer at his best. The shot fired at the pregnant doe has a resonance far beyond the immediate context of the hunt. The narrator says, “Then we dragged the ‘still-warm’ body to the front of the truck…” This reminds the readers of the full-nerved, still-warm body of the young soldier just shot dead in Wilfred Owen’s “Futility”. Both Owen and Hazarika have raised questions regarding irrationality of existence. Dhruba Hazarika’s collection of short stories is memorable for commonly uncommon birds and animals. The narrator thus encounters conflict between the two worlds– the real and the ephemeral. He narrates situations and events of the Northeast but the kind of experience communicated is quite unusual.
The Two Worlds in Dhruba’s Short Stories
Luck
, Dhr
uba
Haz
arik
a, P
engu
in
Book
s, `
199
Dhruba Hazarika
In Dhruba Hazarika’s short stories, there is a common conflict between
two worlds and this conflict momentarily resolves into what in
Yeatsean term is the ‘unity of being’.
One of the renowned authors from Turkey have written a book guiding one through the monuments and lost paradises,
dilapidated Ottoman villas, back streets and waterways of Istanbul – the city of the writer’s birth and
the home to his imagination. As one of the many reviews for the
book echoes, “His novels have already made him celebrated t h r o u g h o u t
the world, but perhaps he will be
longest remembered for this wistful
memorial to the city of his heart.”
This collection of fiction, representing some of Gabriel García Márquez’s earlier work, includes eleven short stories representing early work from
the 1950s, as well as fiction written in the 1960s and 1970s and a novella, Innocent Eréndira, in which
a young girl who dreams of freedom cannot escape the clutches of
her cruel grandmother. The book by the Nobel Prize-winning c e l e b r a t e d
Colombian author provides proof of
his imaginative and technical exuberance and
mastery of writing.
Istanbul: Memories and the City, Orhan Pamuk. Translated by Maureen Fruly, Faber and Faber, 2006, ` 450
Innocent Erendira and Other Stories- Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Translated by Gregory Rabassa, Penguin Books, 1996, ` 250
Srutimala Duara` 200, PB
Joy Kachappilly` 200, PB
Mitra Phukan` 320, PB
Edited by Wasbir Hussain, ` 350, HB
John Parankimalil` 150, PB
Edward Albert Gait` 650, HB
BOOKQUEST 5Volume I, Issue III, June-July, 2014
N oor Inayat Khan is not a very familiar name to Indians at large though she was of Indian
origin. But lately her name is seen popping up here and there particularly when the West is readying to commemorate 70 years of the end of the Second World War. Incidentally this year marks the centenary of the First World War. Suddenly, people have become inquisitive: Who was Noor? Why was she referred to as the Spy Princess? An exhibit in Manchester, UK a Webley M1907 pistol at the Imperial War Museum North used by her is now evoking great interest.
Noor Inayat Khan, codenamed Madeleine in the shadowy world of espionage, was actually the great-great-great-granddaughter of Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore. Her extraordinary journey from being a poet and children’s fiction writer to becoming a spy for the British during the Second World War has been meticulously researched and chronicled by London-based writer Shrabani Basu in the book Spy Princess: The life of Noor Inayat Khan.
Noor Khan’s name was in the list of the brave men and women of the Allied forces who fought and died during the Second World War. Basu says that her interest was tweked when she came across Noor’s name in an article in The Times newspaper on the 50th anniversary of the Second World War which focused on the contribution of Asians to the war effort. The article said Noor Khan was a secret agent who was shot in ill-fated
Dachau concentration camp and that she was awarded the George Cross, the highest civilian award in the UK.
It took Basu three years to go deep into Noor Khan’s story which included trips to France (this is where Noor lived before the war and worked as an agent later), Germany (where she was executed) and Netherlands (where Noor had family connections) and numerous places in Britain where she was trained for the secret service.
As the book unfolds, the readers come to know that Noor Khan’s was an astounding story indeed. Her father, Hazrat Inayat Khan, a descendent of Tipu Sultan, was married to an American. He was a teacher, musician and a progressive Sufi philosopher. For spreading Sufism and give musical performances he and his brothers travelled all over and landed up in Moscow. Noor was born there on 1st January, 1914, when the First World War was brewing in Europe. The family moved to France from politically volatile Russia to set up a Sufi centre at a place called Suresnes near Paris. Noor and her siblings grew up in a house called Fazal Manzil. When the Second World War started and the Germans were on the doorstep of Paris, the family fled to England.
It was this experience that transformed Noor and her elder brother Vilayat, who vowed to fight against the Fascist invaders in whichever way they could. Both decided to join the defence services.
Noor was in her twenties then. She was an accomplished musician, writer and
broadcaster of children’s stories. But the war changed her perspective.
Living in London, she was well aware of India’s struggle for Independence. During the interview for recruitment into the Defence Forces, when she was grilled to check her loyalty, she told the board frankly that as long as the war with Germany was on, she would be loyal to the British government, but after the war she might reconsider her position and could support India in the fight for independence.
In June 1943, Noor was dropped into occupied France codenamed ‘Madeleine’ with the cover name Jeanne-Marie. She was the first woman radio operator to be sent to France, then under the Nazis.
Unfortunately, Noor was detected by the Gestapo, the dreaded German secret service, within a short time after landing. But even then she managed to evade them, moving constantly, her French language proficiency helped her to merge with the people. Meanwhile, she kept in touch with London and continued to transmit. But eventually, she was captured probably betrayed by a double agent.
During captivity in Paris, she tried to escape twice. She was eventually transferred to Germany so that she was further away
from Allied forces sympathisers. She was held in solitary confinement for ten months in the infamous Pforzheim Prison by the Gestapo, chained, half-starved, and tortured. But Noor
never gave any information to her inquisitors. Having been moved to Dachau concentration camp, she was abused and kicked near to death by the captors, and hence shot in the early hours of September 13, 1944. The last word she uttered before being shot was “liberté!”- freedom. She was only thirty.
Basu found that Noor Khan was better known in France than in Britain or India. Every year a military band plays outside her childhood home on the Bastille Day. She was also awarded Croix de Gurre, highly honoured in France.
Though Noor worked for the British government there was no commemorative memorial in her name. After the publication of the book, Basu and a group of like-minded people formed the Noor Inayat Khan Memorial Trust and started a campaign. The sustained campaign saw Noor Inayat Khan’s bust being unveiled in 2012 at Gordon Square.
The extraordinary story of Noor Inayat Khan is going to be made into a movie soon.
Life Sketch
Ranjita Biswas
A Princess who was a spy
Spy
Prin
cess
: The
Life
of
Noo
r In
ayat
Kha
nSh
raba
ni B
asu
Roli
Book
s, `
295
Shrabani Basu
backdrop of the lush and undulating hills of Meghalaya capital, Shillong is where the story of John Dkhar unfolds. A story streamlined with the universal themes of friendship, loyalty and the inherent loneliness of man the author spins a dynamic tale of revenge and violence. The book also strongly evokes the sights and smells of Northeast India.
Noor Khan was a secret agent who was shot in ill-fated Dachau concentration
camp and was awarded the George Cross, the highest civilian award in the UK.
Somanatha: The Many Voices of a History–Romila Thapar, Penguin Books, 2008, ` 275
Somanatha: The Many Voices of a History
In 1026, Mahmud of Ghazni raided the temple of Somanatha. The history of this
raid and subsequent events at the site has been reconstructed in the last couple of centuries largely on the basis of the Turko-Persian sources. There were other sources that also refer to events at Somanatha throughout a period of almost a thousand years. This book is an attempt to draw together these numerous voices, to view the sources comparatively, but above all to place each narrative in a historical context.
Ambrosia: From the Assamese Kitchen
The book with more than hundred recipes in its fold is a must-have for all
those interested in churning out delectable Assamese dishes. Assamese food is usually devoid of spice, rather bland and simple but yet pleasing to the taste buds. The author’s knowledge of different Assamese dishes stems from her profound understanding of the culture and traditions of Assam, which come to life in the pages of the book.
The Collector’s Wife
The protagonist Rukmini leads a life that seems next to perfect. Married to
the District Collector of a small town in Assam, teaching in a local college and living comfortably in a big, beautiful bungalow she was blessed with a cosy life. But, it was only almost perfect! The repercussions from the socio-political upheavals and the ever present threat of insurgency induced violence loomed large inspite of the close comforts of her bungalow…until the final denouement which was horrifying yet true.
Ambrosia: From the Assamese Kitchen– Jyoti Das, Rupa Publications, 2008, ` 295
Across Borders
The book is a story of Maya, a girl born in a small town of Assam in
pre-independence India, of her trials and tribulations, starting with her father’s second marriage. It maps Maya’s angst at the desertion of her mother and two sisters, followed by her being brought up by an uncle in his boarding school near Dacca. In telling the story of a girl caught between a highly patriarchal society and political conflict, the book offers a gripping depiction of circumstances surrounding Bangladesh’s war of liberation and a young girl’s memories of the trauma surrounding the communal riots leading up to it.
A Bowstring Winter
When the highly refined and cultured John Dkhar, a loner by nature;
arrives at Kaizang restaurant in Shillong one fine November evening, he barely had an idea that his life will change forever. In the
The Collector’s Wife– Mitra Phukan, Penguin Books, 2005, ` 350
Across Borders– Shuvashree Ghosh, Kaziranga Books, 2013, ` 299.
A Bowstring Winter– Dhruba Hazarika, Penguin Books, 2006, ` 399
Three cups of Tea : One Man’s Journey to Change the World .... One Child at a Time– Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, Puffin Books, 2010,` 350
My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions
Popularly known as India’s Missile Man, the eleventh President of India, A.P.J.
Abdul Kalam has bared his life through a series of anecdotes and profile. A life of extraordinary determination, courage and perseverance and a desire to excel, the former President’s life has many lessons to learn from. Nostalgic, honest and deeply personal, the autobiographical book makes Dr. Kalam look back on key moments in his past, some small and some momentous and tells the reader how each of them inspired him profoundly.
Three cups of Tea : One Man’s Journey to Change the World ....
One Child at a Time
Greg Mortenson had set out to climb the K2 Mountain, world’s second highest
mountain and place a garland at its peak to honour his sister. But destiny had other plans as he co-incidentally set foot on a poor village in Pakistan. That is where he decided that there are better ways to honour his sister
My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions–APJ ABDUL KALAM, Rupa Publications, 2013, ` 193
than climbing the summit of K2. The book, therefore, is the remarkable story of Greg who built not one but more than sixty schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan and how he dedicated his life in the promotion of literacy, peace and understanding.
BOOKQUEST 6 Volume I, Issue III, June-July, 2014
Imagining India : Ideas for the New Century
In this sweeping and comprehensive book, Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani offers an original
perspective on India’s past, present and future. Looking closely at the country’s recent history, he discusses how our early socialist policies stifled growth and weakened democracy, how our young population has now become our greatest strength; and how information technology is revolutionizing not just business but also governance in the everyday life of a vast majority of Indians. Calling for reform and innovation in all sectors of public life, Nilekani argues that only a safety net of ideas-from a genuinely inclusive democracy to social security, from public health to sustainable energy can transcend political agendas and safeguard the country’s future.
SD BURMAN : The World of his Music
The book is an insightful biography of the iconic musician S.D. Burman, rich in details about
his life and his music. A golden voice capable of enthralling one and all, an uncanny understanding of audience expectation and an astute ability to create something original using various musical techniques and genres – these are some of the characteristics that defined Sachin Dev Burman, lovingly referred to as
SD. One of the greatest artists to have risen on the Indian musical firmament and captivated the imagination of millions, SDs musical talent was appreciated by connoisseurs and commoners alike. Combining folk and classical styles, SD gave the world a form of music that could be both the boatman’s and the Ustad’s own.
India: Through the Ages
The book introduces readers to a panoramic view of India’s history and civilization. It brings the saga of her sages and scientists, warriors and
vagabonds, poets and philosophers who at various periods of time scripted the destiny of the Indian subcontinent. It enables conscious and sentimental men and women, to understand the national philosophy that has made Indian people a curious mixture of extremes. The reader may be able to find answers to the enigma that has made Indian society so fascinating the world over, since time immemorial.
On a Wing and a Prayer
Mansoor Ali finds vast stretches of ownerless land in Kuroiguri Sapori, near the tiny Assamese village Sonaruchuk that is predominantly Hindu
and decides to relocate there. This marks the beginning of a Bengali Muslim settlement to which the poor and the landless from the far-eastern regions of Bengal flock to. Set in Assam, against the backdrop of India’s freedom struggle, the book touches upon many urgent issues like migration, communal tension and the rights of women. But above all, it explores with wit and empathy what it means to be free in a country where most boundaries are difficult to erase.
The History of Assam: From Yandabo to Partition, 1826-1947
The book covers a significant period in the history of modern Northeast India dating from the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826 till the Partition in 1947. A key
aspect of this volume is that it focuses on the growth of Political Consciousness in the region and the impact of the Pan-Indian national movement on the society. The text is written in simple and lucid language keeping students in mind. The book can be used as an indispensable reading material and reference for people undertaking courses on modern History.
Bitter Wormwood
It is a gripping novel which briefly outlines the conflict in the lives of ordinary people who were left completely devastated during the undercurrent of the
Naga freedom struggle. It also gives poignant insight into the human cost behind political headlines. Easterine Kire through this novel traces the story in a person’s life named Mose, from 1937 to the present day. This person and his friends get involved in the struggle and are caught in a maelstrom of violence which ends in ripping their community apart.
North-East India- A Handbook of Anthropology
Northeast India has always attracted attention of many Anthropological, missionary and other administrative bodies. However, there has been
dearth of proper published material in one composite whole in order to make research in the said field. This book is a revised edition of The Anthropology of North- East India: A Textbook earlier edited by G.C. Ghosh and T.B. Subba. This edition has nineteen comprehensively written chapters about the Northeast region by senior as well as young anthropologists with carefully crafted and updated reviews. Through this book the editor has provided adequate range of concepts, methods and techniques which would be beneficial for students conducting research in the field of Anthropology.
Maoist Insurgency in Nepal : The Challenge and the Response
Maoist insurgency is the product of Nepal’s failed governance and persisting under-development. This brief study shows that the Maoist’s violent
methods to capture power may not have the approval of dominant elites and international community, but their political and socio-economic agenda have considerable appeal for the poor and long suppressed Nepalese masses. After analyzing the seven years of insurgency, the study critically examines the responses of the Nepalese government and the international community, particularly the US, UK and China. The study also redefines its approach to the developments in Nepal to preserve and promote the Kingdom’s peace and stability, as also in its own enlightened strategic interests.
Our Films Their Films
The book brings together, the versatile film maker Satyajit Ray’s major writings and talks on film making and film makers and presents them in
two sections. The section ‘Our Films’ is devoted mainly to his own experiences and contains many interesting anecdotes and also his observations on trends in Indian films. The other section titled ‘Their Films’ deals with some films from abroad that have become landmarks in the history of cinema from the silent era to the present day and offer glimpses of great directors like Renoir, John Ford, Kurowasa and Charlie Chaplin.
Sixty years in the Service of the Nation : An Illustrated history of IIT Kharagpur
The book is a diamond jubilee commemorative volume that brings the sixty year journey of IIT Kharagpur to life in its full colour and glory. From its
early beginnings in Calcutta, as the Eastern Higher Technical Institute-as the first world class technical institute of a newly independent India, to its current base in Kharagpur, the Institute has come a long way. For generations of teachers and students it is not just their alma mater, but a part of their selves. For outsiders, it is
a symbol of reverence as an Indian Institute of Technology. Thus, the book invites everyone to join in the joyous celebration of the landmarks, the growth and the prosperity of the Institute, the dreams and aspirations of its students and teachers and their devotion and dedication that has made the Institute what it is today.
India in Turmoil : Jammu & Kashmir, the Northeast and Left
Extremism
The book gives an overview of the internal security situation in the country and how
it is being dealt with in the worst affected areas. The reader is given interesting insights into the functioning of the government at the highest level and how casually vital decisions concerning national security are taken. The narrative also brings out the glaring flaws in the decision-making, administrative and political system of India.
Imag
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tury
– N
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425
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295
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395
BOOKQUEST 7Volume I, Issue III, June-July, 2014 Tribute
J ournalist, storyteller, weaver of fantasies-in-the-garb-of-reality and magical artist of words, Gabriel Garcia Marquez stands tall as one of the most important figures of world literature. Gabo,
as he is popularly known is an immensely influential figure, not merely in his home country Colombia but in the whole of Latin America and the world over. Fact and fiction are so fascinatingly intertwined in his writings that the rigid boundaries between those realms are easily blurred. Ever since his masterpiece One Hundred Years of Solitude was published, Gabo has been a much admired figure with millions hanging upon each word he pens.
This fascinating storyteller was born on 6 March 1927 in Aracataca, a river town in Colombia’s Caribbean region to Gabriel Eligio García and Luisa Santiaga Márquez. His grandfather, Colonel Nicolás Ricardo Márquez Mejía was an avid storyteller who narrated his experiences of the Thousand Days War and took his little grandson to the circus and introduced him to that marvel called ‘ice’(there is a reference to this in his novel One Hundred Years of Solitude). From his grandfather, young Gabriel also imbibed his political and ideological views. His grandmother, Doña Tranquilina Iguarán was a wonderful storyteller too, particularly in the way she would narrate supernatural or extraordinary occurrences in a natural or seemingly ordinary way. As Marquez himself admitted later on, she was, for him “the source of the magical, superstitious and supernatural view of reality” (Simons Marlise in an interview with Gabriel Garcia Marquez published in The New York Times in 1982).
Marquez began his professional career as a journalist while he was a law student at the National University for Colombia. In 1948, he began writing for the newspaper El Universal in Cartagena. In 1950, he began writing a column under a pseudonym for the newspaper El Heraldo in Barranquilla. From 1954, he wrote regularly for the Bogotán newspaper El Espectador. In 1955, his first novella La Hojarasca or Leaf Storm was published. The character of the Colonel in the novella, is heavily drawn from Marquez’s maternal grandfather’s personality. In 1957, Márquez completed the novella El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba or No One Writes to the Colonel when he was in Europe as a foreign correspondent of El Espectador. It was, however, published in 1961. In 1957 he joined the Venezuelan newspaper El Momento where he worked till 1959. In 1961, he shifted to New York City to work for the Cuban Press Agency, Prensa Latina. In 1962, Marquez’s novel La mala hora or In Evil Hour was published, written when Marquez was in Paris.
In 1967, his novel Cien años de soledad (published as One Hundred Years of Solitude in 1970; translated by Gregory Rabassa) was published and won him immediate popular and critical acclaim. This novel marked the culmination of Marquez’s long years of desire to write a novel on his grandparents’ house where he had spent his earliest years. The narrative covers the Buendía family’s journey and evolution till its downfall and end. During this entire period, it chronicles various events and incidents that had left a deep impact on the Colombian nation. With multiple layers of meaning and filled with symbols and metaphors, this novel, portrays how the protagonists are trapped in the inescapable grip of time and its complexities as well as their pasts. At the same time, this novel is extolled as exemplifying the literary genre of magical realism. As Michael Wood writes in the 1990 Cambridge University Press publication Gabriel Garcia Marquez : One Hundred Years of Solitude, “the world of One Hundred Years of Solitude is a place where beliefs and metaphors become forms of fact, and where more ordinary facts become uncertain”.
In the novel, The Autumn of the Patriarch (1975) one finds the portrayal of life and activities of a dictator. Marquez based the character of the patriarch on several real-life autocrats he knew, even personally including the Cuban leader Fidel Castro who was to remain one of his closest friends till the end.
Published in 1981 as Crónica de una muerte anunciada (Spanish), the novella Chronicle of a Death Foretold was written in the form of a pseudo-journalistic reconstruction, presented by the murder of a character Santiago Nasar by two brothers. Non-linear in form, this novella focuses on themes like honour and ritual, which was of utmost significance to the Latin American world and can be also, is seen as a work of meta-fiction.
Love in the Time of Cholera or El amor en los tiempos del cólera published in 1985
At the esmeraldero departure
Stuti Goswami
“He is a master of physical observation: Surfaces, appearances, external realities, spoken words – everything that a truly observant observer can observe. He makes almost no allusion to states-of-mind, motivations, emotions, internal responses: Those are left to the inferential skills and deductive interests of the reader.”
—Edith Grossman, 2003 PEN Tribute to Gabriel García Márquez, New York City, 5 November 2003.
Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014), Colombian novelist and remarkable exponent of Magic realism, breathed his last on 17th April, 2014, Thursday at his home in Mexico City. He was 87.
His significant work, One Hundred Years of Solitude established him as a giant of 20th century literature. Marquez received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982. He started his career as a journalist, and wrote many acclaimed non-fiction works
and short stories, but is best known for his novels. Some of his well-known works are Love in the time of Cholera, Of Love and Other Demons, Innocent Erendira, The Autumn of the
Patriarch. He was one of the world’s most popular Latin American writers and godfather of a literary movement that witnessed a continent in turmoil.
Born in Aracataca, a small town near Colombia’s Caribbean coast, on March
6, 1927, Marquez was the eldest child of Luisa Santiaga Márquez and Gabriel
Elijio García. He spent his early childhood
living in the large, ramshackle house of
his maternal grandparents. The house influenced his writings to a great extent. He has left behind an unpublished
manuscript that he chose not to
print while he was alive. He is survived by his wife and two sons.
presents the love story of a young couple Florentino Ariza and Fermina Raza which continues despite stiff opposition from Fermina’s father. The novel is an exploration of the diverse shades of love including love, marriage, death, loyalty and sex, and also looks at love both as a fascination and as a disease. In sketching this story, Marquez borrowed heavily from his parents’ love story, in which his mother married his father despite his grandfather’s opposition. Though the setting is unnamed, the portrayal of the port city is reminiscent of Barranquilla.
In 1989, Marquez’s novel The General in His Labyrinth was published as El general en su laberinto. The novel is a fictional retelling of the final days of General Simón Bolívar who was deemed as the liberator of Gran Columbia, the short-lived republic (between 1819 and 1831) that covered much of northern South America and parts of central South America. There are constant incursions into Bolívar’s past through his reminiscences and ruminations which unfold as a labyrinth of his memories. Marquez was inspired to write this novel after he had read an unfinished novel on Bolívar written by Álvaro Mutis.
Translated to English as Of Love and Other Demons by Edith Grossman Del amor y otros demonios was published in 1994. The basic premise of this novel is a legend. Marquez claims to have heard from his grandmother, about a twelve year old girl who has long flowing hair, and who contracts rabies but despite that performs miracles. However, there have been critics like Mariana Solanet who have asserted that this ‘legend’ was actually a fictional creation of Marquez. In this novel, Marquez questions conventional notions of the ‘demonic’. This love story defies logic and yet, does not fail to move the reader deeply.
Marquez’s last novella was published in 2004 as Memories of My Melancholy Whores or Memoria de mis putas tristes (the English version by Edith Grossman published in 2005). This novella is about a ninety-year old former journalist and presently columnist for a newspaper in a small town who seeks sexual gratification in a young prostitute. Eventually, the journalist falls in love with her and discovers the true beauty of love for the first time in life.
Interestingly, J.M.Coetzee had in an article titled ‘Sleeping Beauty’ published in the New York Review of Books (in 2006) had not only hinted at striking echoes between this novel and Nabokov’s Lolita but had also deemed Marquez as “drift[ing] into morally unsettling territory”. In 2007, a Persian edition of this book (titled Memories of My Melancholy Sweethearts) was banned as obscene by the Ministry of Culture.
Marquez’s influence in literature is universal. However, in order to understand his contribution to literature, one first must understand the personal, literary, and political landscapes that have played a vital role in shaping his works. The publication of his magnum opus, One Hundred Years of Solitude shook apart the literary scene in Latin America and reverberated around the world. His development as a writer mainly took place during the most violent periods in Columbian History.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
BOOKQUEST 8 Volume I, Issue III, June-July, 2014
Published by Bidhan Dev on behalf of Bhabani Books, an imprint of Bhabani Offset Pvt. Ltd., Bhabani Complex, Hatishila, Panikhaiti, Guwahati-781026, Assam, India. Printed at Bhabani Offset Pvt. Ltd., Bhabani Complex, Hatishila, Panikhaiti, Guwahati-781026, Assam, India.Phone: (0361) 2524056, 2528155, 2522222, 098540-43339 (M), 087239-79612 (M). Fax: (0361) 2450797. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: www.bhabani.com
Editor: Pankaj Thakur Associate Editors: Sneha Verma and Sushmita Lahkar Layout Design: Mridul Nath
Tradition to ModernityEssays on Assam
The book is a collection of eighteen essays on topics as diverse as ‘Hinduism and the
Hindu Cults of Assam’ and ‘The Cultivation of Science in Assam: A Glimpse’. It also covers the genius of one of the great saints of Assam, Sankardeva and points out the State’s actual position in the cultural map of India. The sterling social contributions of Banikanta Kakati, Jyotiprasad Agarwalla and Bishnu Prasad Rabha, three worthy sons of Assam, have also been recorded here with great reverence. Besides, in one of the essays the author has made a dispassionate attempt to explore the roots of the ethnic agitation in Assam, an imbroglio that is disturbing peace for long. The book provides an authentic account of the modern Assamese intelligentsia too. Tradition to Modernity is a must read to acquire a deeper knowledge of both Assam and the Assamese mind.
Abortions in the Land of Ahimsa
Abortions in the Land of Ahimsa is one of the most avidly researched books dealing
with concerns raised about the rampant practice of abortion in contemporary India. Though uniquely bound to ahimsa by its culture and Constitution, India is a country that is witness to the killing of hundreds and thousands of innocent children in the mothers’ womb. The book analyses the socio-cultural, legal, economic and religious issues associated with ‘legalised killing’ in the context of a Constitutional commitment to ahimsa and calls for re-thinking public policy. The call for the re-evaluation of policies is all the more pertinent as it is backed by one of the largest surveys done in the country among women who have experienced abortions. It is a must read for policy makers, politicians, social workers, persons in healthcare, and above all, for every woman, and everyone committed to non-violence.
The World of Assamese Folktales
Sanjeev Kumar Nath pays tribute to the pioneer Assamese story-tellers
Lakshminath Bezbaroa and his granddaughter Troilokyeswari Devi Baruani through his work The World of Assamese Folktales. While the former tried to establish the distinctiveness of Assamese language and culture through story-telling, the latter represented the living tradition of Assamese storytelling and enchanted her many young followers with her tales. This book is a result of the author’s fascination with Assamese folktales and he brings to fore two issues – how women are represented in the world of Assamese folktales, and how the tales sometimes seem to question the givens of caste and class hierarchy in society. Each story has a message in itself. Bezbaroa’s tales, in fact, succeed in holding up a complete picture of Assamese rural life and culture.
Winners All
W inners All contains translated pieces (from Assamese) of the Munin
Barkotoki Awardees for the first ten years (1995-2004). Awardees include well-known short-story writers like Sibananda Kakoti and Mousumi Kandali, powerful poets like Anubhav Tulasi and Kushal Datta, and reputed essayist Munin Bayan. Included are nine short-stories, selections of poems of seven poets, besides (excerpts from) an essay and a play. Together they represent a sample of the best writing in contemporary Assam. These translations into English will enable the talented writers to get recognition beyond the regional frontiers.
Literature and society in Assam
The book is a study of the Assamese Renaissance (1826-1926). It is an
attempt to study the Assamese literature of nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in
the light of the intellectual movement known as the Indian Renaissance. It is also a partial study of the Assamese society of the nineteenth century in the light of the literary works. A seminal work on comparative literature.
Female Voice in Assamese Poetry
Assamese poetry has a rich tradition, and the contribution of women towards
development of Assamese literature dates back to as early as the sixteenth century. Works of Assamese women poets are also considered as an important component of Indian literature. Several Assamese women poets have also received important national awards and recognition for their literary contributions. This book is the result of an extensive study on Assamese women poets and their works conducted by Dr Tapati Baruah Kashyap following award of a Junior Fellowship by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. This study covers Assamese women poets right from Aai Padmapriya, who belonged to the sixteenth century and was a near-contemporary of Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva, the two saint-reformers who had also pivoted a great renaissance in Assamese literature, art, culture and music during that period. The book also focuses on the trend of Assamese women’s poetry from the medieval to the modern period, apart from recording the historical significance of Assamese women poets, reflected through interviews of several eminent critics as well as several of the living poets themselves.
An Ardent Patriot
Sri Dinesh Goswami was a multifaceted personality. His speeches relating to law
and also the speeches in respect of other important social issues still echo in both Houses of the Parliament. The book is a compilation of his parliamentary speeches. It will help readers to understand Dinesh Goswami better. The speeches speak for him and illuminate the aura of his personality.
The Final HourAn Anthology of Selected Assamese Short Stories
The Final Hour is a collection of Assamese short stories translated into English. Set in
the backdrop of the plains of Assam where the mighty Brahmaputra flows, the river is witness to the love, joy, success and ecstasy of the Assamese people. It is also witness to the religious frenzy, superstitions, betrayals, hate and violence that mark the dark hours of the night. Love and loyalty are hidden in the most unexpected quarters. Young Arjun fondly sings a lullaby to put a child to sleep… hatipoti, makipur, mezenga, bahut dur…! And in the end, deeply hurt to the core, he realizes that in this wide world, no one was truly your very own. Through the years, the Assamese have been known for their hospitality and kindness. Sayeed Ali, a Muslim boy, trapped in the middle of a communal riot, remembers the kindness of an aging Hindu couple. “Like a hen hiding her chicks from the claws of the kite, they protected me under the fold of their wings…” he says. And the stories go on until Abhijit’s final hour and beyond. These stories embrace a deep understanding of human behaviour as depicted by the authors.
Grandma’s tales (Burhi Aair Sadhu)
Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaroa had written the preface of Grandma’s Tales
(Burhi Aair Sadhu) in 1911. In the last 100 years, generations of Children in Assam have spent their childhood listening to these thrilling tales. These tales are no longer just a part of children’s literature, but they have become an intrinsic part of our historical folklore. Siloni Aai, Kukurikona and Tejimola are all living characters in our children’s world. This may be the age of push-button technology, but our children are still enthralled by the magical power of Bezbaroa’s tales.
These tales will continue to entertain even our posterity. Children always live in a colourful world. Colours and pictures are their pet love. Keeping this in mind and with the help of latest technology, we are making an endeavour to present Burhi Aair Sadhu in a very pictorial and colourful way.
Tradition to ModernityEssays on AssamSivanath BarmanPages: 232, PB, ` 270
Abortions in the Land of AhimsaBiju MichaelPages: 424, PB,` 375
The World of Assamese Folktales, Sanjeev Kumar Nath, Pages: 254, PB, ` 175
Winners All, Editor: Pradip AcharyaTranslators: Pradip Acharya, Meenaxi Barkotoki, Pages: 184, PB, ` 195
Literature and society in Assam, Tilottoma MisraPages: 286, PB, ` 250
Female Voice in Assamese Poetry, Tapati Baruah Kashyap, Pages: 208, PB,` 280
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Sivanath Barman
Tilottama Misra
Pradip Acharya
Deepika Phukan
Biju Michael
Tapati Baruah Kashyap
Lakshminath Bezbaroa
Sanjeev Kumar Nath
Kumar Deepak Das
Dear Readers / Publishers,
You can send Book Reviews and Write-ups with publication details within (300-500) words to the following address:
The EditorBhabani BooksHouse No. 176, Rainbow HouseOpp. Car Club, Rajgarh Main Road, Guwahati-7, Ph: +91-361-2522222
Or you can also mail [email protected]
Handbook of Geometry has been prepared for the students of class VIII, IX and X under various
state high school examination boards including SEBA, CBSE, ICSE, etc. This book will also be useful for the students appearing in competitive examinations where the concept of geometry of high school standard is required. The book is designed in such a manner that in any solution step by step reasoning is mentioned for a better understanding. The book is a must keep for students of geometry.
An Ardent Patriot, Dinesh Goswami, Compiled and Edited by Kumar Deepak Das, Pages: 280, HB,` 300
The Final Hour: An Anthology of Selected Assamese Short Stories, Deepika PhukanPages: 232, PB, ` 250
Handbook of Geometry, Ajanta Mazumdar, Pages: 396, PB, ` 275
