I
currently have writer’s block – and the terrible heat is largely responsible.
Whenever I have a little time to spare I can only think of snoozing. It’s not
that I don’t have things to write about – there are lots of things, really –
but I simply cannot summon up the energy for it. If only the rains would come…
they are saying that the monsoon this time will be both late and weak. Alas for
the likes of me!
My
daughter is right now picking and choosing from among several job options.
She’s in a hurry to prove herself in the world of adults. To me, it seems like
a dream: I remember bringing her home from the hospital three days after she
was born as though it was yesterday! God willing, the most fun time in my life
is going to begin soon.
Rajdeep
has just sent me this link to a newspaper article about how the young scions of
ultra-rich families around the world are being trained to make socially
valuable investments which are likely to make them even richer (if that is
conceivable, leave alone desirable), while also earning them the gratitude of
the 99.99% people who will never have one ten-thousandth part of that kind of
money. The greatest proponents of the socialist ideal must be turning in their
graves.
Here
is another link to my Bengali newspaper, without comment, where the writer laments what has
happened to Bengalis. My Bengali readers might be interested.
A
little boy who has just joined made my day three days ago by telling me on his
own that he is deeply interested in history. Imagine! In this day and age!
Enough
for tonight. If I can still breathe, I shall try to add to this post tomorrow
morning.
P.S., June 12: Oooh... it rained tonight!
I am going to sleep the sleep of the just.
P.P.S., June 15: With reference to Subhasis's latest comment on this post, here is a link to an article in my Bengali newspaper, dated June 13. Something I have been saying for ages. I also wrote a post on this very subject some time ago.
P.S., June 12: Oooh... it rained tonight!
I am going to sleep the sleep of the just.
P.P.S., June 15: With reference to Subhasis's latest comment on this post, here is a link to an article in my Bengali newspaper, dated June 13. Something I have been saying for ages. I also wrote a post on this very subject some time ago.
2 comments:
Dear Sir,
I read the newspaper article on 'language imposition' and would like to add a few experiences of my own. The Bengali girls in my college like to talk in Hindi or English. I am very proud of my mother tongue and I think that is stupid. So I always reply in pure, unabashed Bengali. It was a few months before I came to know that this led them to believe that I am a village idiot who can't speak Hindi or English. I laughed heartily thinking that how many of them can write five coherent sentences in English, let alone speak.
My cousin, who lives in Ranchi, came to Durgapur when his mother was sick and admitted in a hospital. He tried to have a conversation in Bengali with the receptionist, who(despite being a Bengali) would speak only Hindi.
A few months ago, I spoke in a debate on this topic. A Tamil student in our college had the same thoughts about North Indians 'imposing' their language on the Tamils. He said the number of Tamil poets have decreased due to this. I took the example of my state and said Bengalis don't believe in such stuff and Tagore is still close to our hearts. This news article pains me and makes me feel guilty of lying and hoodwinking everyone.
Yours faithfully,
Swarnava Mitra.
Dear Sir,
I can understand. Here it is summer as well, which means really long days (till 11pm almost) that can leave one exhausted. Do take care and stay hydrated.
I read the news article and unfortunately, it seems to be the trend in India and Bengal especially to forget the mother tongue and talk some form of English. That's why English medium schools can get away with charging huge amounts of money for admission.
As to what kind of English these schools teach is a whole another blog-post.
Warm regards,
Subhasis Chakraborty
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