Translation Day

Today, 30 Sept. is World Translation Day. 
Here are covers of some of my books that have been translated in different languages. Thanks Mrinal Kumar Nath, Nadeem Khan and Thirumoy Banerjee to have translated these from original Odia.
In turn I have translated RK Narayan, Samaresh Mazumdar, Ruskin Bond and an anthology of Gujarati Stories from Gujarati English and Bengali to Odia.

Column | Pathe Prantare

Samaya Taranga 30.9.18

Column | Pathe Prantare

Samaya Taranga 23.9.18

Column | Window Seat

Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee

Relevance of Gandhi

On the eve of the 150^th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, one question that is being increasingly asked: is Gandhi relevant today. Gandhi died seventy years ago. The world has moved on since then- socially, politically, economically and technologically. In the changed world do Gandhi’s principles and philosophy hold any credence?

My take: yes, it does. For five reasons:

1.      Non-violence. Violence and intolerance are spreading, though large scale war has decreased. Gandhi’s principle of non-violence even at the face of extreme provocation is needed. His entire political strategy, satyagraha, ahimsa  (non-violence) and fasting was based on the superiority of 'soul force' to physical force. He once said: "Nonviolence… means the pitting of one's whole soul against the will of the tyrant.

2.      Equality. It is common knowledge that social inequality breeds social tension, which in turn fuels violence. The inequality is rising across the world, more so in India. An equal and egalitarian society is our best bet for a peaceful society.

3.      Sustainability. Gandhi has once famously told that the world has everything to fulfil our need, but it cannot meet our greed. By simple living, we can ensure sustainability. Dr E.F. Schumacher, author of the classic critique on modern economics, Small is Beautiful, who called Gandhi the greatest 'people's economist', says: "Gandhi abhorred the industrial civilisation because it was based on callous exploitation of non-renewable resources. It made bodily welfare the sole object of life, which reduced man to nothing but a clever animal." Robert Hart in his essay, Gandhi and the Greens: Road to Survival, writes: "In today's world, generally Gandhi's truest political heirs are the Greens."

4.      Respect for all religion: "Gandhi showed that idealism is practical, which makes him eternally relevant. In the Indian context the most relevant of his teaching was respect for all religions, a must if India is to survive."  In a time, where religious practices and intolerance for other religion are increasing - Gandhi’s path is the right path.

5.      Vision for India and world. Gandhi envisaged a self-sufficient village-based India. Gandhi outlined his concept of the ideal society in an article in Harijan in 1946. ‘‘Indian independence must begin at the bottom. Thus every village will be a republic or a panchayat, having full powers." This practical decentralisation of power will improve micro-economy and governance at the grass root.

Swami Vivekananda at Mount Abu

I had recently been to Mount Abu, a hill station in Rajasthan not very far from Gujarat border. Located at a height of 4500 feet, the main attraction of this hill station is a lake called Nakki. Nestled among hills and mountains, this lake is the heart of Mount Abu. Its acqua-marine water reflects the green hills and sustains this place.

As I was strolling around the reasonably well maintained side walk of the lake I found a flight of stairs gloing up the hill with a sign board saying: Swami Vivekananda came   to Mount Abu and meditated for some weeks in a cave here overlooking Nakki Lake in April 1891.

I went up and found another signboard saying that this was the place where Swamiji meditated. I found a dilapidated tiny house around a cave. Interestingly, somebody built a tiny Hanuman temple there (Hanuman seems to the most popular deity here. Every 100 yards you have a Hanuman temple). Except for the fading signboard, no relic of Swami Vivekananda was there. I strongly felt this place should be properly maintained with signage about Swami Vivekananda's visit here.

Photo: Mrinal Chatterjee

There is a park named after Swami Vivekananda with a small statue at one side of Nakki Park. But this place looks so forlorn and neglected! I do not if there is a Ram Krishna Mission nearby. They should take care of it. Or the local municipality or the State Government. Especially as we are celebrating the 125^th anniversary of Swamii’s address at the Parliament of the World’s religion in Chicago.

Jharsuguda and Pakyong

Jharsuguda in Western Odisha and Pakyong in Sikkim recently got into the airport map in two consecutive days. Pakyong became the 100^th operational airport in the country. Located on the top of a hill, nearly 2 kms above Pakyong village at 4500 feet above sea level it is just 33 kms away from the State capital city – Gangtok and around 60 kms from the Indo-China border.

Air connectivity to Sikkim was a long standing demand of the people here. The nearest airport to Gangtok was Bagdogra in West Bengal- a good 125 kms away. The road meanders through mighty mountains, where landslides happened to be common- often blocking the road for hours. An airport at Pakyong would be useful to overcome disruption of supply of essential commodities.

Besides serving an important geo-strategic function looking at its proximity to Indo-China border, it would also boost the tourism potential of the state, trying hard to hard-shell itself as a tourism destination. It could be a Buddhist religious tourism circuit with air connectivity to Kathmandu, Nepal and Paro in Bhutan. In future this circuit could be expanded to include Bodh Gaya in Bihar and Ratnagiri in Odisha.

Tailpiece: Wheelchair for Sale

Marwadi calls Newspaper office to print death news of his Grandpa.

Clerk: Rs.50 per word

Marwadi: Grandpa Dead

Clerk: Sorry Sir, Minimum 5 words required ... 

Marwadi: "Grandpa Dead, Wheelchair for Sale" 

(Courtesy: Social Media)

***

Mrinal Chatterjee journalist turned media academician lives in Central Odisha town of Dhenkanal. He joins Snehasis Sur to compile and edit a book: ‘Gandhi: a Journalist and Editor’ which will be released in mid-October in Kolkata.

mrinalchatterjeeiimc@gmail.com

This column is published in Gangtok based English daily Sikkim Express and www.orissadiary.com

Column | Jagate Thiba Jetedina

Samaja Saptahika 29 Sept.-5 Oct. 2018

Column | Jagate Thiba Jetedina

Samaja Saptahika 15-21 September 2018

Column | Window Seat

Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee

Bandh

I have said this before and saying it again: bandh serves no positive purpose- in whichever issue it may have been called. It is an idea of protest, whose days have long been over. It only inconveniences common people- on whose name it is called and observed. It disrupts normal life and destabilises people’s long drawn plans and programmes. It not only adversely impacts economy immediately, it also creates a long term adverse impact on service sectors like tourism. It encourages hooliganism and anarchy.

Yet, political parties (all of them) call and enforce bandh, in whichever avatar they may call it like hartal. Because it gives them brownie points. It gives them visibility. It gives them a notion of doing something worthwhile for the people. It provides their workers/cadres a weird enthusiasm and a sense of ‘doing something’. And also because it is increasing becoming easy to enforce one. You engage groups of hooligans to create a situation, where people will be scared to move out of their houses, vehicles to ply, shops to open. Stray acts of arson and vandalism can do that. However couple of bombs thrown- will ensure that.

It seems, gradually, even the State is abrogating its responsibility to maintain normalcy and rule of law during a bandh. Declaring a holiday as a response to the bandh called (which Odisha Governemnt did on 10 September) is an example. By doing this the State is playing into the hands of hooligans. Why should the citizens suffer just because the State is unable to control sundry groups of hooligans disrupting normal life?

Several High Courts including Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court have delivered verdict against bandh and hartal. Yet it continues. This shows the respect political parties- all of them- have for the judiciary.

The birth and growth of VIP culture

On the eve of the bandh called against oil price surge, groups of young men went on a motor-cycle procession- holding flags and chanting slogans. It is a macabre irony. These bikes run on water or what! And none of the young men were wearing helmets as mandated by law. This brings to the fore the question: are you free to break the law when you are calling a bandh and ensuring it is 'observed' by the public?

Photo by Ashok Panda in Bhubaneswar

All political parties do the same, anyway. It is how our politics is conducted at the grassroots. And it has its fallout.
When you break law or allowed to do so- you become emboldened to break bigger law more frequently. You then think you are above the masses, above other people- and then above law of the land. 
This is how the infamous Indian VIP culture grows and then gets perpetuated.

Freedom

‘Freedom’- screamed the headlines as the Supreme Court gave its verdict on Art 377. That headline spread across the front page written in big and bold letters- make me wonder: what is freedom? What are its constructs? Is it a positive attribute? Or absence of a negative attribute? Does it give us a license to do anything or bring in more responsibilities? Does it bring us happiness or is it the illusion of happiness that it dangles before our eyes? Can freedom be gifted or it needs to be earned? Can freedom bring in more bondages or it opens more doors?

Puja Season

When you find ruffians extorting money from truck drivers on road, samaj jana, puja season has begun.

When you see more advertisement of apparels and dress materials, white goods and cosmetics than news on news channels or newspapers, samaj jana, puja season has begun.

When your find your wife is kind to you and is taking care of all your needs and fancies post haste- samaj jana, puja season has begun.

***

The author is a journalist turned media academician. He lives in Central Odisha town Dhenkanal. He is presently editing a book on Gandhi as a Journalist and Editor along with Snehasis Sur. mrinalchatterjee@ymail.com

This column is published every Sundayin Sikkim Times and www.orissadiary.com

Column | Satrangi Batein

सतंरगी बातें

चाय

डा.मृणाल चटर्जी

अनुवाद इतिश्री सिंह राठौर

भारतीयों का एक अच्छा गुण है- वह अन्य संस्कृति को बहुत ही जल्द अपना लेते हैं । जैसे मान लीजिए चाय पीना । पेय के रूप में अंग्रेजों के जमाने से यह लोकप्रिय है । दुसरे इलाकों में यह इतना प्रलचित नहीं था । पहले लोग चाय पीना इतना पसंद नहीं करते थे । उसे विदेशी पेय कहा जाता था । इसके बहुल प्रचलन के लिए अंग्रेजों ने काफी मेहनत की । बजार में मुफ्त में चाय मिलती थी । चाय पीने के फायदों का विज्ञापन होता था । समय के साथ चाय हमारा पसंदीदा पेय बन गया । 

  फिर कईं सालों तक उसे बड़ों का पेय पदार्थ माना जाता था । बच्चों को चाय पीने के लिए मना किया जाता था । अब भी कुछ घरों में छोटे बच्चों को चाय पीने का मनाही है । स्वास्थ्य से संबंधित कारओं की वजह से यह किया जा रहा है । अब भी कईं लोगों के मन में यह धारणा बनी हुई है कि चाय पीने से बच्चों का लिवर खराब हो जाएगा, पेट गरम हो जाएगा, रंग काला पड़ जाएगा आदि । तब बच्चों को चाय पीने से टोकने का एक सामाजिक कारण था । पहले जमाने में बच्चों का बड़ों के सामने चाय पीना उनके प्रति असम्मान प्रदर्शन माना जाता था । मुझे याद है मैं तब आठवीं कक्षा में पढ़ रहा था । मेरे खेल के शिक्षक ने मुझे चाय पीते हुए देख लिया था और खूब पिटाई की थी । हां, उस समय बिना किसी कारण के भी बच्चों को पिटने की आजादी शिक्षक के पास थी । आजकल और वह आजादी नहीं । घर में बैठ कर चाय पीने की आजादी का मतलब था बड़ा हो जाना । बस एक क्षेत्र में चाय पीने की आजादी थी । वह था पढ़ाई के समय । रात को पढ़ाई के समय मां चाय बना देती थी । अभी परिस्थितियों में बदलाव आया है । अब तो हालत एेसी है कि सुबह की चाय न मिलने पर बहुत लोगों की नींद नहीं टूटती । सही वक्त पर चाय न मिलने पर बहुत लोगों का सिर दुखता है । आदि । 

   अगर गौर करें तो आपको यह मालूम चलेगा कि अब चाय केवल एक पेय नहीं । चाय हमारी संस्कृति का एक अंग हो गया है । किसी भी अतिथि के घर आने पर उससे पहले चाय ही पिलाई जाती है । रिश्ते के लिए जब लड़की के घर लड़के वालें आतें हैं तो लड़की चाय ही लेकर आती है । यह बात मुझे पता नहीं था। मैं भी लड़की देखने गया था । जो चाय लेकर आई मैं उसे न देखकर दूसरों को देखता रहा । जो चाय लेकर आई थी वह चाय री कप मेज पर रख कर बड़ों को प्रणाम कर चली गई । मैं लड़की की प्रतीक्षा कर रहा था ।  बहुत देर बैठने के बाद चला आया । लड़की के बड़े भाई मुझे छोड़ने आए । मैंने उनसे पूछा कि आपने लड़की क्यों नहीं दिखाई ? उन्होंने कहा, मतलब ? जिसने तुम्हें चाय लाकर दिया वही तो लड़की थी । तुम कैसे आदमी हो इतनी सी बात समझ नहीं आई ! क्या पत्रकार हो तुम ! 

       यहां बता दूं कि तब मैं पत्रकार हूं । पत्रकारों को कितनी बातों की जानकारी रखती पड़ती है उस दिन मुझे यह अहसास हुआ । चाय से ही पता चलता है कि किसी घर भी बुनियाद कितनी मजबूत है । अच्छी चाय मतलब बुनियाद मजबूत है और खराब चाय मतलब अमीर हो सकते हैं लेकिन बुनियाद ही नहीं । आप किसीके घर गए हों , वहां कौन आपको चाय परोस रहा है इसी से आपकी अहमियत मालूम होती है । अगर नौकर ने चाय दी तो सोच लीजिए कि उनके सामने आपका कुछ भी दर्जा नहीं । अगर घर की लक्ष्मी चाय बना दे तो जान लीजिए कि आपकी कोई हैसियत है । 

आजकल कईं घरों में चाय के बदले काफी पसंद की जाती है । लेकिन पता नहीं कि काफी अपना सा नहीं लगता । शायद चाय की तरह काफी को हम अपना नहीं पाए हैं । चाय में आत्मीयता का सुगंध है और काफी में औपचारिकता खूशबू । जैसे चाय अपना हो और काफी मेहमान । 

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