"Chithipatra - Letters to the Editor"

AOAin

Recent feedback on the Translation Section

AU  s - AUT TBT

I believe in recent years I have not seen such a powerful storytelling ability by any Bengali writer. I read all of her work and admire this one too.

cU gOs
jbh630@merle.acns.nwu.edu

Beautiful story.

T S
mahua@writeme.com

avw\ Z cB j@v gU w\  c BSF UAZ@@ oSFc |

j@v av T^cF - SABTS c Zf T @v c c cU U @TS sS TSq  @ rK jq oHv j@v Acv o Zc, U rKv j@v FAr wa  wU co | c ~crFq ~SF i@ Qn Uvv  , ~l rK j@v o - sv  UZv rF AaU |

ST @r ~ASha@
@U@

w\ rKv Ai@ TS UT S | s@ gUcA   @S ~cmq Z cFc @ A@ c ? sq@, cHS Zc ^ |

BU TU
mmujjwal@yahoo.co.in

An excellent piece of work. It touched me so much! The writer is very successful in her communication.

H AS
SarbajitS@od.nih.gov

^ ! Simply excellent!

~T
anama6@rediff.com

il j@ @TfS ~U ~c ~S qvj b@ OT@ wUT | A@aAS o AFAf TSv j oS qvj ~^KH-j AaU, TS   gfKH gU Uwa | AUT TBT w\ ~ AO^S @ @Acha cr gU UwU | cj T ^ TS Rc-TFw S BSF @@ ~S@ oSFc |

T TA\U@ 
mahua_mroy@yahoo.co.in

TA@S TU@ T@@ - S^S 

S^Scc@ ~AgS^S | j@ ~TSF M@sT OS ASAc i@ Ac AL ASq cUAa, ~AS ~ AUZS | ~S UZ cTS ceUAF H  Wvc | ~ScF ~S wF R ^ ~S scQH ; Acr Aw OZ-@S ZU ZU j@BS ~SgkA-^ TSK s s ZcS R gccS ~AS Ai@ q @aS | jTS UZ c j@v q S | jTSA@ jq T sJ AUZaS J @q jq @T U ceU R cAXo rS R T OS ~Ao@A@ SS | BAS S ~S  swsw @ s A@S, c @U@ ~AS @U Z @  AoBFi eUvq cU ,"Bf , chO !"

U TU @cS |

~eTS r
great_aungshuman@yahoo.com

gfKH gU | S^Scc UZ acS S |

~r@ rTn
asok@olemiss.edu

jTS gU UZ  R ~S^ c@U qAS | sA cAU ceUAF jTS UZ  TBc ~AU  OZ AS, U AcXS TUf ~cOfS ~SAo@ OO gcU ~c@ c S | A@ ~AT ASAEO s JR T cS s TSF AcK ASs jTS ~oH UZ Ug (~B@U gTH@AAS AUZ U AcK Ac Txv jgmvR s wT Bw cU TS  S, ~TA@  q R sAwF S !) | :Z AcK jq s c gU ABAS TS jR j@AS rK  wU | c S^Scc s ~SF AcK ASR TS Q UZS,  TH ~T Aa FABl  eZF @SBeW AS UZ | ~r @c, SA@ i@ Ac Ac Zc UZ@ @a, gAcKF AAS WS WS jTS j AgS @ A scS @T wTa cJo, jce ~T TgB ST^^R @ scS | Asr UZ@ ^ @UT Oq j ~@KH s b cAr  cU ~Q Z S |

BAK
rajarshidebnath@yahoo.com

Zc gU UwU UZv | T @q ~w AS Aa | F@ eZF jq UZ TS @ ASa | UZv  j@L  AaUT jq @@ T | rK  wU Z @TS Z Uwa | c j@AS  rK q; q TS Z @ ~ A@ c | UZ@ UZSPrUf ~F^ OTl@, TS@ Tk vv@ @  | jq cj j@  ~Aa. j@AvR cCAU Sq s  ceU TS T @ cU s |  ~cm jq c UZ @S US  S | cXo-BU  sR TSv j@ ASTK  s AmSf | jq @T ~ UZ Fr qUT |

TA\U@ o
milli@banglalive.com

~oH |

@MAr@ Oncf
kchak@ureach.com

UZ@  :

c @,

~T gTHcp^ TA@S-TU@-T@@ JO A@Am c-j TkTk Twcqv JAv ~crK rK U | @AASAv OU@UfS A@a i@-Ai@ J TT BASaS c , TZF q-TU | J jce ~ sJ aS UZAv, @U@q ~T oSFc | Sr jw, fT^ ~Scr, T^, sXo, jc aAR ~T @a c gpA TkUF ~a ~BR, cCAU Q j j@ ec | UZ UqS qAToFq srfS sJ, @Ar i@-T  AOAi AUZ @S | c jTAS TUOS rU@ ZU cq F v@U Ri | A@ ~S@ @ ~U, ASB UZ AS @ SUq S  ~, qha  ~FSAUA ~ ABq @ |

cj j@ Acv Aco, UZ@-i@j (SA@ BPSA@ Ai@, UAZ@-Ai@) ToF esw B ^ | ~ @ SHq co j@c cUAaUS, to write is also to be read | sJ c A, ~S J ~ WS WS AOAi AUAZ, TS (jce ASEOq T@F) Ag gOFU cCAU  ~ WAS @ | ~B^ @U@ @  BfAc@ iU cq cAAa | g ~SF r jce pAcf ~SFSF r  ~\ AOq jv@ ~JO @ s, cCAU ~S@A@q ~SSF | qA Acv T r@ gK S R, BPSA@ K@ S R, s gK cCAU @p @pA cS a,  A ~B@ ~T AL ~a | ~oAS@ sA sw mR ~B AcAha^ SS, cCAUBfcS TkU @ JR  @aS R @cS | jq Os c ~wHf gkAT@ |

AOAi @ @ ~T@ swsw AcK BS OaS | ~T qTU Ai@S AUT | cj  @ c^  gUq Uwc |

S^S 
datta_nandan@yahoo.com

Ag TF@@hOS - TfSQf 

I was once advised by Abu Sayeed Ayyub that one should never be miserly with praise. And this article on David McCutchion which I suddenly discovered on the net while searching for sites on our Bangladeshi Terracotta Temple Kantajir Mandir, is certainly a gem of a piece which deserves accolades. It's people like McCutchion who time and time again renew our belief in the excellence of human existence.

In fact, I think I will quite enjoy the Parabaas site itself.

Lubna Marium
NEWAGE, Dhaka's new English Daily, Bangladesh

TA\U@ o
milli@banglalive.com

I am very touched by reading the wonderful reminiscences on David McCutchion by Meenakshi Datta. Recently I read about him in Pheluda's "Robartsoner Rubi". I was wondering if I could find little more details about him. This writing touches him from a very close angle. Thanks to Parabaas and Meenakshi Datta for this.

@^ TBT
smaj@hotmail.com

Meenakshi Debi's recent article on David McCutchion and his work is very informative. I think it served two purposes at the same time. One is definitely to acquaint us readers with such an interesting personality and his contribution to the history of Bengali culture, in particular as it relates to Bengali temple architecture and sculpture. Also, her writing throws a good amount of light on the aspect of glorifying institutions and personalities out of proportion. I am of course referring to the incident at Visvabharati University involving Sudhin Ghosh, Ram Kinkar and several other luminaries. Glorification of institutions, out of all proportion, is a trend in our culture. And in the end, we suffer. In this case we lost the opportunity to benefit from an oxonian and all that he could bring to Bengal's education standard. A proper introspection from time to time is really necessary. We are in need of such writings all the more today. Last but not the least, as an interested reader of Bengal's cultural history, I came to know about this book 'Brick Temples of Bengal' only through this writing. My personal thanks to the writer for that!

~AS^F c
santool123@yahoo.com

~oH ! j cAr ~AT ~ A@a cU A S UZv c^ |

TSfr S
monish.sengupta@transport.alstom.com

gU UwU Zc |

Acn TBT
pabmaj@yahoo.com

~SF cf^S : j@Av w\-ASc^ -  @TUf

Superb and a valuable article in this series.

jU T^
lmanna@panynj.gov

~oH | kH^ nf @S j@ UZ TS  AaUT, c i@ B cCAU c^ @ A , A@ cf^S i@ ? ~c |  @TUf ^ gc v@ ~ sS A @US |

~S @S AAOA UZ@ AO ZJB UT S | ~S cf^S AS rS s Acm  ~BS  S | j@v AF @@ mf@ @ e@O Sq, ~T (@A cFm TSK) cf^S@  sv AOSAa,  @ ~S@ cAr @ cf^S@ AOSAa ~S TS cf^-~UO@ UZ Ag A | ~S ~S UZ ToFT q i@ ~A ~Ac ZS, jq @TS @A |

@MAr@ gOs
bhattacharyakaushik@yahoo.com

cU cUF, ~ScoS dH ZS c  sR UZ@ AAOAAv ~AcUc sw @ R a | j ~w c-j   @TUf ~ UZ @Ar a, jq eZFR j@Av "w\-ASc^" ~a | - @

Sf OMof  A@aQH - F U

UZ@ cOSgA cUfU | vwAR ^ | c Sf OMof @ ~ BS ~r qU |

U OMoA
lopadaschowdhury@hotmail.com

j@ OT@ O  TvAS |

g cH OMoA
subra_baran@hotmail.com

Av @ - TA\U@ o

dH UwU B R @pK@-@SF w\v | ~S@AS  UT j@v ^ @\AS@ w\ |

fT cFSBf
seemabr03@yahoo.com

Wonderful collection and presentation.

UUTS T^
lmanna9483@aol.com

^ UwU @ Av  | F@v eZFvq sA jq@T ^ ^ @ @ U gU Uw | ~T avcU c ^ ^ @ @ w\ Aa, jZS ~ c Z q S | chO @cU @vS Z ~ TTA w\ Z | c fWBfcf @, jq @T ~ UZ ~T TS@ gA A@ | UAZ@@ gha |

Srf rT
tshree@banglalive.com

Av @Ac -  Oncf

AcK^R s m TS Tcf  Oncf @Ac U UANo @ s | ~c@ Uw j@v @ gc, q   wS @@v ~SgkA, @q @ AcAg^ o @r @Aa ~T | ~B  AUZUS, "~T o W AaU S @R @S AS" | ~S@ ~S@ AS ~w cf^S AUZaS, "cZS T W ~a ~AT q W AA ZJAB" |

US drf
Lrushdi@hotmail.com

The ending was nice and clear. I liked that. Thanks to him.

AH
Aronnok@e-datatechsolutions.com

Wonderful poetry. I was truly impressed by the unassuming tone and free flow of the language and the parallel build up of very nice imagery. An excellent combination of poetic imagination and linguistic craftsmanship. Congratulations.

~Hc U
paul_arnab@yahoo.com

 OMAnr - Pcks gOs

gU Uwa | AcrK @ "DKl BU BfcSsS" @v Zc vS |

US drf

Lrushdi@hotmail.com

A@ s @Ac, A@aq cIUT S | gfKH BAvU |

f gOs
ciesudip@wpi.edu

wTr @ - c ATn

c @Ac ~T Zc gU Uw | jq @Acv TS ha j@v SS TqUmvS | j mmk a^T cS, jZAS @TA@v j@v AcK U o B S | j ~S@vq rN A aAc ~J@ |

gK ~U ~S@v ce~Ur @Ac q TU @j @ TS  | J "H wAS g" @AcvR j@T ~AU@ g c BfcS A@a ZAOn |

~ A@ cUc c ! ~w eZF AOAin c ~wAmvS wTBj o@ S@U @ cAU R ! R ! R ! R !

US drf
Lrushdi@hotmail.com

 @AO : US drf

I love it. It was Grrrrret

ArZ @T@
skarmakar_87@netzero.net

cHcf - gK WKU

jv A@ SF SA@  BU T rNBN ZU ? A@ BAS  ~T kQHcAXo ~gc, q j T T A@aq cI UT S | rK S weU ~ wFT rH^   !

Srf rT
tshree@banglalive.com

wHA - ~S

Very nice and entertaining.

UUTS T^
lmanna9483@aol.com

~LB - cAH Oncf

It is a really wonderful story. Best regards for the author.

 WK
Partha.Ghosh@t-online.de

@Ac An@ - cf^S R BfcSS^ eZF - cT gOs

Zc gU UwU c^v | jq @T UZ ~  Oq | UZ@@ gha jce oSFc |

USOJ
dolon_champa@yahoo.com

~@r g ks  - TA\U@ o

Zc gU UwU | ~w AcS AgA@ UZ q AS | TI ToF jq @T UZ U ~ gU Uwc | ceU AcS AgA@ UZ ~S@ @ c |

f WK
diipankar@hotmail.com

AA^ @UB - TfSQf 

I checked out the Presidency College article by Meenakshi Dutta. My fluency with the Bangla _lipi_ is much lower than it used to be. Despite this, and since my reading speed is exceeded by my longing to read it, I plodded along. I did read the first few paragraphs until the point where Meenakshi Dutta reaches the college and is describing the surroundings.

Luckily, another former Presidencian paid me a visit, upon which I seized the opportunity and made her read the entire article out to me. We both enjoyed it a lot--there sure were some prominent people mentioned there. The ending was sweet: her now-husband jumping on the bus with sunflowers and rajnigandha!

What nostalgia! Now I'm singing "purano sei diner kotha, bhulbi ki re hai O sei chokher dekha, praner kotha, seo ki bholaaaa jai....." (song by Tagore, sung at EVERY farewell in Bengal that I can remember, school, college, whatever...saying how will we ever forget those days?)

But perversely, the next stanza has me thinking:

Mora bhorer belae class ketechi....

("we skipped classes" in the morning to replace the original "we gathered flowers")

I propose we compose an ode to Presidency in the same tune, insert suitable references to coffee house, canteen, etc., and get Prasenjit Gupta to translate it for Parabaas! After all, there is a Tagore connection, even though it will be (mercifully) barely recognizable by the time we are done...

Raji Pillai
California, USA

Ql@ - SfU woF

This is a dated interview, and I chanced upon it only recently. Sunil Gangopadhyay's personal life is generally well known .. thanks to 'Ardhek Jibon' and many other features where he had talked about it without inhibition. But I must say that your interview is absolutely brilliant. I started reading it without much expectation, but gradual opening up of Sunil, talking about 'unknown' Krittibas days, his experience with Buddhadva Bose, frank comments on Sandipan and his penchant for reflected glory .. all add up to provide a nice window to the life of a brilliant author. He indeed is my favorite. I understand that my family is closely related to his, although I have never met him in person. I look forward to similar 'kathopokathan' with others.

~A^T TZoF
arindam_mukherji@hotmail.com

c-j UZ  ~S AOA^ T^cF iS