Impressions
My Father's Autobiography
(Continued from last week)
The other person of whom I got to know more than I knew before is my Kakku, my uncle, my father's only sibling. Kakku's life was no less agonizing than my father's. If attempted, I am sure a more poignant and grievous book would come out from the chronicles of his life. However, my father's book doesn't say much of him as he was not staying with his brother most of the time. As mentioned earlier he was first in the hostel and then later at a cousin's place in Mymensingh. He used to come to see his family but after long intervals. But whenever he came he duly played his role as the eldest son and brother in the family. Instead of letting know his mother of the hardships of living in a hos-tel he always assured his mother of his well being. Before leaving he used to urge Dadi not to worry and give her high hopes for the future and give lots of advices to his young brother. The other aspect of Kakku that is learned from the book is his responsible and sincere approach towards education. We always had seen him as being strict about our studies and wondered what caused it. But the book proves that his seriousness was more inborn than acquired. My father remembers the times when Kakku used to study in the primary school of the village long before going to the hos-tel. At an age when kids are more into games and fun Kakku was more concerned about his studies than playing. He used to reach school much before everyone and if for some reason he had missed going there before the first bell rang no one could convince him to go to school on that day. An interesting example in the book of his attentiveness would be when once his Bara Mama came and decided to take everyone for a visit to his sister's place in another village. On the night before the journey suddenly late at night Kakku started to read his lessons loudly baffling all at home. When asked about the reason for this earnest reading Kakku answered that he was preparing his lessons in advance as he wouldn't be able to do so in the following days of his visit. I highly respect Kakku for his discipline and sense of responsibility and believe these are the qualities that have made him and my father achieve success in life. And I am proud to say that they have also instilled in us their principles. The person that I must also mention is my father's Choto Mama. I never knew about his contribution in my father's life. After my Dadi's death he had come as a blessing playing the role of a protector. Of the incident when his Choto Mama came to take him away with him after Dadi's death my father says in the book "It seemed after regaining all the happiness we lost it again. But then also felt that there is nothing to fear because Choto Mama is here to take care of us." I pay special tribute to this person's sincere and responsible guardianship. While carrying on with the flow of time as a young child my father observed and experienced numerous incidents. All these incidents starting from very personal to simple happenings occurring on streets to bigger events in the relatives' places are recorded in the book. The incidents however are not only mentioned but also elaborately described. That my father can still remember those happenings so vividly is a wonder to me. The reasons, that I can think of are perhaps because the incidents had created a strong impact on him and because he must have had a keen sense of observation which I must say is a rare quality among children. Anyhow among all the instances his visits to his numerous relatives' houses in various villages in Vikrampur are notable. What is remarkable of these visits is the hospitable nature of the middle class gentle folks. It is not that on every occasion the women of the family entertained with a special preparation. But the memories of all these occasions have stayed in father's heart because of the care and affection with which they had served their simple provision. He fondly remembers one such visit and makes us see the warmth of the hostess. Besides this we get to see the tradition of hospitality on special occasions and the weddings. The rituals of treating the groom with special array of dish and delicacies and ways of entertaining guests on the occasions are amusingly elaborated. The other significant feature of rural culture that we learn is the sport of fishing. The book in numerous sections unveils to the urban readers the pleasures of fishing. Different methods and techniques are explained in detail. The description of the method of catching taaki fish is quite interesting. Besides explaining the methods, various successful fishing adventures are recounted which are quite thrilling to read. That the successful capture of a loan or a heap of fish can be a triumphant event is well enhanced by the readers. An amusing occurrence would be his visit to his cousin's in-law's place. When my father was there it was suddenly heard that the girls of the family were having a hard time washing the utensils on the bank of the pond because large sizes of fish were nibbling on to their toes. Hearing this my father's cousin's best friend dived into the pond and with his bare hands started to pull out and throw big fish one after another on the ground. The bold act surely made everyone in the house admire the person and rejoice at the catch of so many big fish. George Bernard Shaw had once said, "The man who writes about himself and his own time is the only man who writes about all people and all time." The other reason why the book interests me is its historical backdrop. My father was born during the reign of the British and his childhood moved along with significant events like the Second World War, the famine of 1943, the riots and the partition. Some instances narrated in the book give us authentic pictures of the time. The tyranny of the British is proved in his witnessing of some British school children's act of hooliganism on some innocent peanut sellers. His narration of his stay in Kolkata during the World War Two and descriptions of air raid precautions where trenches and walls were built to protect the city from bombardment, show how the war had absorbed Kolkata. The departure of the Allied Forces from Kolkata is masterly drawn which helps us to picture the state of the city then. My father remembers while the endless rows of the tanks and lorries of the Army were leaving the city, one day, a caterpillar had almost run over an old woman who was trying to cross the road with a basket full of vegetables. When the old woman quickly got up and shook in fear the British driver of the vehicle got down and helped her pick up the vegetables causing every bystander appreciate the gesture. However my father and his family falling victims to the riots and the partition afterwards are the true examples of how he had trodden through the path of history. Leaving their residence for the fear of danger and taking shelter first in a slum, school and then in a relative's house during the riots in Kolkata make us realize how distressing the situation was. Finally we can realize the split of a nation in my father's exodus from his own surroundings and entry into a new motherland. In his own words 'I got dressed and in few minutes left Kolkata for East Pakistan. This country is no longer ours but a foreign land." My father had to leave his very own Kolkata---the city of so many thoughts and memories, his father and in a way Dadi as she was buried there. Indeed I got to know a lot of things of the times long gone which I won't probably find in any other text of history. In the end I would say the book has given me a kind of pleasure that I cannot compare with any other pleasure I experienced in life. Besides enjoying immensely the contents of the book, it was also delightful to hear the praises and appreciation from all the people who have read the book. Everyday our hearts over-flow with pride to receive the emotion filled compliments. The book has not only been a treasure trove for us but a great heritage too to pass on to coming generations of the family. No other gift from a father to his children can be as special as this.
(Concluded) (Saara Zabeen is currently working as a Lecturer in English at Independent University, Bangladesh. Her father, Dr. Md. Zahurul Haque retired as Director General of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.)
The other person of whom I got to know more than I knew before is my Kakku, my uncle, my father's only sibling. Kakku's life was no less agonizing than my father's. If attempted, I am sure a more poignant and grievous book would come out from the chronicles of his life. However, my father's book doesn't say much of him as he was not staying with his brother most of the time. As mentioned earlier he was first in the hostel and then later at a cousin's place in Mymensingh. He used to come to see his family but after long intervals. But whenever he came he duly played his role as the eldest son and brother in the family. Instead of letting know his mother of the hardships of living in a hos-tel he always assured his mother of his well being. Before leaving he used to urge Dadi not to worry and give her high hopes for the future and give lots of advices to his young brother. The other aspect of Kakku that is learned from the book is his responsible and sincere approach towards education. We always had seen him as being strict about our studies and wondered what caused it. But the book proves that his seriousness was more inborn than acquired. My father remembers the times when Kakku used to study in the primary school of the village long before going to the hos-tel. At an age when kids are more into games and fun Kakku was more concerned about his studies than playing. He used to reach school much before everyone and if for some reason he had missed going there before the first bell rang no one could convince him to go to school on that day. An interesting example in the book of his attentiveness would be when once his Bara Mama came and decided to take everyone for a visit to his sister's place in another village. On the night before the journey suddenly late at night Kakku started to read his lessons loudly baffling all at home. When asked about the reason for this earnest reading Kakku answered that he was preparing his lessons in advance as he wouldn't be able to do so in the following days of his visit. I highly respect Kakku for his discipline and sense of responsibility and believe these are the qualities that have made him and my father achieve success in life. And I am proud to say that they have also instilled in us their principles. The person that I must also mention is my father's Choto Mama. I never knew about his contribution in my father's life. After my Dadi's death he had come as a blessing playing the role of a protector. Of the incident when his Choto Mama came to take him away with him after Dadi's death my father says in the book "It seemed after regaining all the happiness we lost it again. But then also felt that there is nothing to fear because Choto Mama is here to take care of us." I pay special tribute to this person's sincere and responsible guardianship. While carrying on with the flow of time as a young child my father observed and experienced numerous incidents. All these incidents starting from very personal to simple happenings occurring on streets to bigger events in the relatives' places are recorded in the book. The incidents however are not only mentioned but also elaborately described. That my father can still remember those happenings so vividly is a wonder to me. The reasons, that I can think of are perhaps because the incidents had created a strong impact on him and because he must have had a keen sense of observation which I must say is a rare quality among children. Anyhow among all the instances his visits to his numerous relatives' houses in various villages in Vikrampur are notable. What is remarkable of these visits is the hospitable nature of the middle class gentle folks. It is not that on every occasion the women of the family entertained with a special preparation. But the memories of all these occasions have stayed in father's heart because of the care and affection with which they had served their simple provision. He fondly remembers one such visit and makes us see the warmth of the hostess. Besides this we get to see the tradition of hospitality on special occasions and the weddings. The rituals of treating the groom with special array of dish and delicacies and ways of entertaining guests on the occasions are amusingly elaborated. The other significant feature of rural culture that we learn is the sport of fishing. The book in numerous sections unveils to the urban readers the pleasures of fishing. Different methods and techniques are explained in detail. The description of the method of catching taaki fish is quite interesting. Besides explaining the methods, various successful fishing adventures are recounted which are quite thrilling to read. That the successful capture of a loan or a heap of fish can be a triumphant event is well enhanced by the readers. An amusing occurrence would be his visit to his cousin's in-law's place. When my father was there it was suddenly heard that the girls of the family were having a hard time washing the utensils on the bank of the pond because large sizes of fish were nibbling on to their toes. Hearing this my father's cousin's best friend dived into the pond and with his bare hands started to pull out and throw big fish one after another on the ground. The bold act surely made everyone in the house admire the person and rejoice at the catch of so many big fish. George Bernard Shaw had once said, "The man who writes about himself and his own time is the only man who writes about all people and all time." The other reason why the book interests me is its historical backdrop. My father was born during the reign of the British and his childhood moved along with significant events like the Second World War, the famine of 1943, the riots and the partition. Some instances narrated in the book give us authentic pictures of the time. The tyranny of the British is proved in his witnessing of some British school children's act of hooliganism on some innocent peanut sellers. His narration of his stay in Kolkata during the World War Two and descriptions of air raid precautions where trenches and walls were built to protect the city from bombardment, show how the war had absorbed Kolkata. The departure of the Allied Forces from Kolkata is masterly drawn which helps us to picture the state of the city then. My father remembers while the endless rows of the tanks and lorries of the Army were leaving the city, one day, a caterpillar had almost run over an old woman who was trying to cross the road with a basket full of vegetables. When the old woman quickly got up and shook in fear the British driver of the vehicle got down and helped her pick up the vegetables causing every bystander appreciate the gesture. However my father and his family falling victims to the riots and the partition afterwards are the true examples of how he had trodden through the path of history. Leaving their residence for the fear of danger and taking shelter first in a slum, school and then in a relative's house during the riots in Kolkata make us realize how distressing the situation was. Finally we can realize the split of a nation in my father's exodus from his own surroundings and entry into a new motherland. In his own words 'I got dressed and in few minutes left Kolkata for East Pakistan. This country is no longer ours but a foreign land." My father had to leave his very own Kolkata---the city of so many thoughts and memories, his father and in a way Dadi as she was buried there. Indeed I got to know a lot of things of the times long gone which I won't probably find in any other text of history. In the end I would say the book has given me a kind of pleasure that I cannot compare with any other pleasure I experienced in life. Besides enjoying immensely the contents of the book, it was also delightful to hear the praises and appreciation from all the people who have read the book. Everyday our hearts over-flow with pride to receive the emotion filled compliments. The book has not only been a treasure trove for us but a great heritage too to pass on to coming generations of the family. No other gift from a father to his children can be as special as this.
(Concluded) (Saara Zabeen is currently working as a Lecturer in English at Independent University, Bangladesh. Her father, Dr. Md. Zahurul Haque retired as Director General of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.)
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