It was a world unto itself at the Triple Helix Auditorium complex, CLRI, Adyar where a host of Bengali books greeted visitors, and transported them to a world of literary discussions on the rich heritage of Bengali literature. Yes, the Bengali Chennaiites hold on to their own culture even as they imbibe the culture of this city, which was evident from the way they celebrated the two-day annual meet of Nikhil Bharat Bangiya Sahitya Sammelan (NBSS), Chennai Chapter.
Chief guest Amar Mitra, an award-winning short story writer, set the mood for the event as he talked about his own literary endeavours and his personal interaction with stalwarts of the field. He pointed out the city’s connection with Bengali literature with eminent Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta spending quite a few years of his life in erstwhile Madras.
Short plays, dance dramas, recitation, songs and of course the very Bengali mochar chop (banana flower cutlet) and patisapta (a homemade Bengali sweet) — the evening had it all. Bengalis from different walks of life came together to connect to their roots and rejuvenate their love for the mother tongue.
Nandita Dasgupta, member of the faculty, Electrical Engineering, IIT, runs an organisation Diganta on the IIT campus where Bengali students and teachers come together to discuss literature and culture. “It feels nice when you hear so many people speaking in Bengali and discussing things you know so well,” she says.
Nilotpal Ghosh, a professor of VIT University, and Sukanya Ghosh, a fellow with the Madras School of Economics, are a young couple whose love for literature and culture drag them to all such gatherings. They feel that such a forum is a chance to bond with fellow Bengalis in a faraway land and a good way to interact and meet new people. “All Bengalis come together during Durga Puja too, but bonding over good literature and music matters more,” says Nilotpal. Sukanya feels that children who grow up in such an ambience are sure to develop a love for literature and with that hope they bring their four-year-old daughter Naulasi regularly to such meets. The second day of the gathering saw a greater crowd at T Nagar Bengali Association compound as a group from Kolkata performed two plays. Madhumita Chattopadhyay, secretary of NBSS, proudly declared the two-day event a grand success. “Most of the books that we got from Kolkata have been sold as people do not always get Bengali books here.”
But a huge question remains about the acceptance of Bengali literature among the younger generation settled elsewhere. Anouska Sarkar, a student of SRM University who is always actively involved with the Durga Puja celebrations in T Nagar, is clueless about the meet taking place in their compound. She honestly admits that she cannot read or write Bengali, and her knowledge about literature is limited to what she has heard from her parents and grandparents. “It’s pretty much the same with all my Bengali friends here. Bengali literature isn’t too popular.”
But love for those who love Bengali culture and miss it, the evenings were a welcome boon of endless adda (Bengali term for chitchat sessions).
