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Veteran Marxist leader late Saroj Chanda had been on the verge
of tears at the sight of the photograph of an old and infirm
Russian extending a begging bowl to a foreign tourist in a
Moscow street published in a leading national daily . This was
way
back in 1993.'Who would have thought this possible during the
Soviet days' had blurted out Chanda with deep but unmistakable
pathos in his tone. The scene with all the attendant pain was
replicated in the famous Tienan Men Square of Beizing in 2004.
It was mid-spring and while seated on a wind-swept altar close
to the sprawling Square on early evening author and beaurocrat
Subhash Das was startled by two extended begging bowls of
middle-aged chinese men. 'There are beggars even in socialist
China, is it dream or reality ' Subhas Das wondered aloud till
he was brought down to reality by fellow traveller Sanjib Pathak
who resorted to a sermon on the 'pangs of early stage of
socialism' as justification for the unexpected encounter with
reality.
Das, then managing director of Tripura Small Industries
Corporation (TSIC), made a brief stop-over at Beizing en route
to Mongolia's capital , Ulan Bator to attend a trade exhibition
with six other government delegates. With his knowledge of
China's double-digit growth rate reflected in 10.2% growth in
industrial production, 8% in GDP and 19.6% in foreign direct
investment, Das was befuddled by the sight of beggars in
Beizing's shine and dazzle.
The flight from Beizing to 'Buyant-Ukha' airport of Ulan Bator
took two hours and the pilgrims progress was soothed by the
sight of the serpentine great wall of China and enchanting view
of undulating hillscape and lush greenery.
'Ulan Bator' which in english transliteration means 'Red Hero'
had been established in 1539 by a Mongol Khan, but despite the
haughty highrises, the city with its quiet grandeur seemed to
maintain its umbilical link with the tumultuous past of Chingiz
Khan's Mongolia. Das has perceptively recorded his impression of
the sunlit city in his travelogue 'From Singapore to Mongolia'
with superb anecdotes . 'When I heard that the maximum summer
time temperature of 8-10 degree celsius dips deep down to minus
forty five degree during the height of winter I felt chilled but
the shock was gone when we reached the site of exhibition whose
distinguishing feature was total disorganisation' said Subhash
in his book. Das had been assisted by officials of Indian Trade
Promotion Council (ITPC) in hastily arranging the handloom and
handicraft products in the stall provided for Tripura but when
the heavy crowd thinned at the end of scheduled two hours he was
crestfallen to see many items in the stall gone for ever without
a price.
In the course of his short stay in Ulan Bator Das collected data
and put on record Mongolia's famous Buddhist shrines and the
people's obsession with Chingiz Khan. 'The Mongolians define
their national identity in terms of their medieval hero Chingiz
Khan and according to a recently published book "The Genetic
Legacy of Mongols" 16% of Mongolia's population carry the great
Khan's blood' Das has written.
The travelogue is enlivened by the interesting episode of India
official Amit Joshi's infatuation and short-lived platonic
affair with their english-speaking female guide Un Zin who wept
incosolably as she accompanied the Indian delegation to the
Buyant Ukha airport.
In the earlier parts of 'From Singapore to Mongolia' , author
Subhash Das has penned his intimiate study of the land and
human-scape of Myanmar, Thailand and Bangladesh . Reminded of
Bengali novelist Sarat Chandra's close association with Pegu in
Myanmar, Das and his companions visited all the places in Pegu
where his favourite novelist had spent many years . His
encounter with policemen in Bangkok and forced payment of a fine
of the Indian equivalent of Rs 500 for unauthorised smoking and
discovery that auto-rickshaws in Bangkok are known as 'Tuk Tuk'
in Thai language have been penned in a lighter vein but catch
the reader with lucidity of his style .
Singapore's westernised life-style and the folk-songs of Sylhet
with the incident of an itinerant folk-singer Sakil Mia's
elopement with paramour Surma Khatun have been commented upon,
providing insights into human life and culture . That nostalgia
and homesickness dominate human mind in sojourns abroad is an
axiom but the familiar phenomena has found poingnant expression
in the author's rumination over Bangladesh's pristine , pastoral
past and still lively folk culture.
Das , currently director of information department and a poet
and playwright , believes in life as 'a journey and not a
destination'. His travelogue , set for release in the upcoming
Agartala book-fair, bears a close resemblance to his robust
optimism and positive outlook as a creative soul.
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Publisher :
BOOK WORLD, 11, Jagannathbari Road , Agartala -799001.
email : jnanbichitra@yahoo.com
January , 2008.
Price : Rs
80.00
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