Keki N Daruwalla is a true pioneer in Indian writing in English. Among his ten volumes of poetry are The Keeper of the Dead, which won the coveted Sahitya Akademi Award in 1984, and Landscapes, which won the Commonwealth Poetry Award, Asia, 1987.
For the Bengali nestled snugly in Bengal, the Mahalaya daybreak arrives with all the subtlety of a Broadway overture, courtesy of that unmistakable baritone crooning, “Ashwin-er sharad praate…”.
Born in a traditional potter family in West Bengal’s Nabadwip, Paul's childhood was immersed in the spiritual beauty of the temples, the Ganga River and the artistic sculptures of gods/goddesses crafted by local artists.
One certainly does not need to reiterate the fact that even in the 21st century, talking about sex is considered a ’taboo’ in Indian society. Many parents, even at this age, do not deem it fit to have ‘the talk’ when their children are coming of age.
As part of Teachers' day celebration, we spoke with students and teachers to understand what Teachers’ Day means to them.
If you are a Calcuttan and learnt to write before the onslaught of ballpoint pens, then you must have filled your pen with Sulekha ink at least once. It was a Swadeshi product meant to script defiance to British rule, literally.
In ancient Bengal, Phulia in Nadia district became famous for Krittibas Ojha, who wrote the Ramayana in Bengali. Now, Phulia has hit the headlines because of Biren Kumar Basak, the man behind the weavers' movement in Nadia.
We have reached the border, 77 kilometres from Kolkata, to assess the ground situation at the biggest India-Bangladesh border in Bengal amidst reports, both confirmed and unconfirmed of violence in the villages, towns and cities within Bangladesh.
The week that just went by was dominated by news of boiling, burning Bangladesh. The steady stream of reports flowing in from across the border was interrupted with the news of the death of Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.
As a reporter, Sujan Dutta took the train to ground zero in 2008, when, as now, Bangladesh had an interim government. He recalls that journey for The Statesman.
