An Interview with Anjum Hasan

When she speaks of “Shillong-flavoured timelessness” and of “Fat raindrops flecked her glasses and things turned blurry; car lights melted into streaks of gold…” (Lunatic in My Head)

….we are enthralled. Somewhere a forgotten memory is reawakened. We are reminded of times flown by, we hear echoes of lives unheard or of lives about which we hear so much that we are left almost in a  daze. A “loose tangle waiting to be tightened” as Estelle Tang writes in the Melbourne Writer’s Festival Blog,  Anjum Hasan’s narrative unfurls like the gurgling streams that criss-cross enchanting North East. Deceptively simple, and poetically beautiful her poetry and fiction present an India which is so familiar, one which is gradually changing with increasing pace.

Poet, novelist, travel-writer, editor Anjum Hasan’s quill yields myriad hues. Her debut poetry collection Street on the Hill was published by Sahitya Akademi in 2006. Her debut novel Lunatic in My Head published  by Zubaan-Penguin in 2007 was short listed for the 2007 Crossword Book Prize, and Neti,Neti published  by Roli Books in 2009 was long listed for the 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize  and short listed for 2010 The Hindu Best Fiction Award. Besides she is the winner of the Indian Review of Books Award (1994), and the Outlook Picador Non-fiction Contest (2002) for her essay “Shillong, Bob Dylan and Cowboy Boots”; she was also short listed for The Little Magazine New Writing Award, 2006. Her poems have been included in anthologies Reasons for Belonging: Fourteen Contemporary Indian Poets (ed. Ranjit Hoskote, Viking Penguin,2002), Anthology of Contemporary Poetry from the Northeast (ed. KynphamSing Nonkynrih and Robin S. Ngangom, NEHU Publications, 2003), Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia and Beyond (ed. Tina Chang, Nathalie Handal and Ravi Shankar, W.W.Norton  Co., 2008),  60 Indian Poets (ed. Jeet Thayil, Penguin India, 2008)  Besides, her poems, articles, travelogues and book reviews have been variously published in The Brown Critique, The Journal, Indian Literature, Chandrabhaga, Kavya Bharati, The Post-Post Modern Review, Heat Magazine, Komma, Critical Quarterly, Himal, Fulcrum, Man’s World, The Literary Review,  Biblio, The Caravan, Deccan Herald, Hindu Literary Review, Outlook Traveller, Tehelka, Mint Lounge among others. She has edited the biannual journal of Indian Foundation of Arts ArtsConnect.

Anjum’s parents hail from Uttar Pradesh. Her father Noorul Hasan was a lecturer of English in North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Shillong. Her mother Santosh Hasan a Hindi teacher in Loreto Convent, Shillong. Anjum did her schooling in Loreto Convent and graduated from St.Mary’s College, Shillong with honours in Philosophy. She pursued her Post Graduation in Philosophy from North Eastern Hill University (NEHU). After her Post Graduation, she shifted base to Bangalore (Bengaluru) where she joined the NGO Indian Foundation for Arts. Today, she is the Book Editor of The Caravan, India’s first narrative journalism magazine. Her sister Daisy Hasan too is a writer. Based in the University of Leeds, Daisy’s debut novel The To-Let House (Tara Books, 2010) too had been longlisted for the 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize, and short listed for The Hindu Fiction Award, 2010. Anjum’s husband Zac O’ Yeah is a Swedish writer, columnist, songwriter and the author of eleven books, including a biography on Gandhi, which was short-listed for August Prize 2008 for the best work of non fiction.

Following is an excerpt from an email interview with Anjum Hasan--

Stuti Goswami: You have alluded to marginality of Indian English poets/poetry in your essay ‘Watering the Desert: Modern Indian-English Poetry’. Now, for someone belonging to the North-East, doesn’t the term ‘marginality’ have added layers of meaning?

Anjum Hasan: I think as far as literature is concerned, marginality is interesting only if it infuses the writing in productive ways – like the anger of Dalit poets giving their poetry a particular charge or a poet like Robin Ngangom writing about the tragic ironies of his home state, Manipur, while living in Shillong. I’m not interested in marginality worn as a badge of honour.

 SG: Do you think poets/writers of the North-East tend to limit themselves over a period of time because of their almost-overt concern with certain issues—insurgency, the region’s long history of oppression and violence, of what people of the region perceive as being ‘internally colonized’, their subjugation, political neglect and exploitation at the hands of the ‘Indian state’? Do you think this limits the ambit of readership/response?

AH: Again, what matters is the creative spirit as much as the themes. Literature is not news reportage. The way the story is told matters as much as what the story is about. You could write about oppression and violence in a sterile way and you could write about it in a way that makes it completely new and shocking for the reader. So I wouldn’t judge writing coming out of the NE only on the basis of the themes being addressed.

SG: As a poet, how far do you think appreciation/acceptance of the readership matters?

AH: It matters to any writer that what she writes is read and appreciated. If you make a sound and there is no echo, then it is like that sound was never produced.

SG: Who would you consider among the finest new voices to have emerged from North-East in recent times—both in poetry and fiction?

AH: I like the work of Siddhartha Deb and Jahnavi Barua.

SG: Readers are interested in knowing what happens to Aman and Firdaus after Lunatic in My Head . Do we see these characters returning in your works in the future, as Sophie does?

AH: It’s not impossible that future novels will feature these characters.

SG: You are often called ‘voice of the North-East’. What is ‘voice of the North-East’ according to you—somebody who writes about the North-East or somebody from this region who may or may not write about the North-East?

AH: I think there are certain experiences of living in contemporary Shillong which I’ve tried to capture in both my novels and perhaps those experiences haven’t been reflected in fiction before. I don’t know if this warrants the ‘voice of the North-east’ tag but if it does then I’m very flattered!

SG: You have been involved with translations, I suppose with Swedish translations of Indian poems. It is often heard that translation cannot convey sensibilities of the original works in their entirety. What would you say in this regard?

AH: A translation must be judged from many different angles, of which fidelity to the original is only one. I believe in what AK Ramanujan said: “A translation has to be true to the translator no less than to the original. He cannot jump off his own shadow.”

SG: In both Lunatic in My Head  and in Neti,Neti there is a coming-to-an-end of the immediate story, but your narrative seems to  defy/deny the idea of end as a  closure, which is what we may term postmodernist. Was this a conscious effort on your part?

AH: I was conscious of not having a categorical ending, of leaving things a bit open-ended in both novels. But this does not mean absolute lack of closure, I think. It only means that I present a range of possible futures which the characters could go towards without saying this is the specific one they will choose.

SG: Who would you term your favourite authors—who you believe have shaped your art?

AH: I love the work of RK Narayan, Amitav Ghosh, Marguerite Duras, Vladimir Nabokov, WG Sebald, Scott Fitzgerald…

SG: In Lunatic, the narrative too seems gentle-paced. I also felt echoes of Street on the Hill in it. In contrast the poesy in Neti,Neti seems different. Neti, Neti is also faster-paced. Is it, the difference in setting and story-line or evolution of the writer and her art?

AH: Perhaps it’s both. Some writers are able to keep to a consistent style from book to book but in my own case, I found my style changing. It’s not just setting and story-line but also the overall sensibility of the two books that made for different styles. Lunatic in my Head is in the romantic mode, while Neti, Neti is in the loss of romance mode.

 SG: In an earlier interview with yours truly (published in mélange,The Sentinel in 2008) you had said, regarding your move to Bangalore--“I somehow felt I had outgrown Shillong. I had exhausted possibilities that it could offer. Home though it was, I needed exposure that was unavailable here”.  Does Sophie, somewhere, go through similar emotions?

AH: Sophie’s relationship to Shillong and Bangalore is ultimately for the reader to decode. I don’t think I set out to write a character who exactly mirrored my own experience of the two cities though I do admit that there are echoes.

SG: Which do you think is tougher—etching poetry or creating fiction?

AH: Fiction is more demanding but poetry comes more rarely. Also, poems are more  personal. In a novel, you have to go beyond you and portray characters, their distinct style and their dialogues which will have to take the story forward and at the same time, give away to the readers, bits of what is in their life and mind. And then, unlike a poem, the canvas of a novel is bigger.

SG: Neti,Neti is  a Vedic Chant. I have read somewhere that it implies ‘an analytical process of conceptualizing something by clearly defining what it is not’. You had in your earlier interview remarked that there was a slightly nihilistic feel involved (with the novel). You had even called it a search for meaning. Do we take Neti,Neti as an individual’s search for meaning through negation?

AH: Yes, that’s what it is. Sophie is searching for meaning – not through religious means – but simply through a process of questioning and exploring and rejecting.

SG: In Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, Yajnavalkya is questioned by his students to describe God. He states "The Divine is not this and it is not that" (neti, neti). What of Sophie’s spiritual experiences?

AH: I point out in the novel that as a child, Sophie was a Vivekananda fan and she still cherishes her book of Vivekananda’s collected writings. But in the present of the novel she finds that spirituality – in the sense that it is commonly understood – has no meaning for her. Those around her who are the most religious are also those who are the greediest, or those who turn to religion as an escape route. So for Sophie all that remains is a nostalgia for the spiritual as typified by Vivekananda’s rousing exhortations to the young in his speeches and writings.

SG: I quote a review in DNA—“One has heard of the Delhi novel and the Bombay novel, and finally, here's a Bangalore novel”. Is ‘Neti, Neti’ a Bangalore novel the way ‘Lunatic’ is perceived to be a ‘Shillong’ one?

AH: Labels are for the critics. I did want to write about the experience of living in both these cities. If the novels strike a chord with those who live in Shillong and Bangalore then I’d consider myself successful.

SG: Sophie is neither at home in Bangalore, nor at Shillong where she returns. Unless the ‘Das’ is suffixed, the name Sophie itself stands out from its surroundings. Will she always remain isolated?

AH: I think so. The question in Neti,Neti is whether she can make something worthwhile out of her isolation, whether it can lead her to insights that will help her to live, to make peace with her isolation.

SG: Neti,Neti has been published by Brass Monkey Books, Melbourne as Big Girl Now. The latter title seems to focus more on Sophie’s becoming a big girl .

AH: The title was changed because we felt Neti,Neti would mystify an Australian audience. (It possible mystifies an Indian audience too, but that’s another matter!) I thought Big Girl Now was apt because Sophie has to grow up and face the world in this novel and the test she has to face is whether she can fit into 21^st century middle class India with its crass materialism and its impatience with the kind of attitude Sophie represents – the attitude of the day-dreamer.

SG: In an interview with Prithvi Varatharajan for Readings you have said that you like the idea “from 19th century fiction, of a novel taking on a wide expanse and being peopled with a large array of characters”. Firdaus in Lunatic researches on Jane Austen. Again, in an interaction with Vivek Narayanan you had said that the 19^th century novelist and poet Thomas Hardy was like a patron at home in your childhood. Do we take these as a natural development of your conditioning during childhood?

AH: I do admire 19^th century fiction – the ability of novelists like Flaubert to imagine that it is possible to recast the whole world into fiction, into what he called “the total novel”. That kind of imagination is harder to encounter today though one does see it in the works of writers like Orhan Pamuk.

SG: You are often deemed a serious writer, though there is a great deal of irony entwined in the language. I would like to cite the ‘nose-biting’ incident from Lunatic and the ‘landlord-Sophie banter’ in Neti,Neti. Where do you feel this stems from?

AH: Irony is central to the work of some of the most serious writers from Shakespeare onwards. Consider the work of Vladimir Nabokov, RK Narayan, Jane Austen and Salman Rushdie to take the example of four writers I admire. I am inspired by writing that is funny while it is serious and vice versa.

SG: Any message for the aspiring writers who are reading this interview?

AH: Firstly one should read widely. It is only when you read well that you can actually write. At the same time, one should be adventurous while reading. One should also endeavour to expand the consciousness of ones self. However it is very important not to think of yourself as belonging to the marginal regions. Just because you write from a region lesser-traveled does not imply that you are at a disadvantage. People tend to stereotype you, yes--but you got to fight that. At the same time, it is also important that you write for the world at large.

[published in Quills 2010 the annual literary folio of the Dept. of English,B.Borooah College, Guwahati, Assam.]

A Glorious Legacy

"One cannot begin until one knows what to write; nor does one know what to write until one begins."
Unable to articulate the gamut of feelings that welled within, I was faced with a similar dilemma as I sat down at my computer to write. The experience was so overwhelmingly inspiring that I was unsure as to which strand to pick up, so as to begin weaving the fabric I had in mind, determined that I was to bring out the most beautiful patterns that I could.

Today, Repose Industries has become almost a synonym for quality. Its products, manufactured with the utmost care using the most sophisticated of implements easily ranks among the best, not merely in Asom or the North East but in the entire country as well. The only company in Asom to be soon accredited with an ISO certification of 22,000, the story of the rise of Late Sunanda Ram Deka (famously Sunandi Mahajan) the founder of the Repose brand and father of the SRD Group seems straight out of fiction. Entirely on his own, this man virtually raised an empire from scratch. And today, eleven years after his demise, his worthy sons Mukul Chandra Deka, Rajeev Kumar Deka(Mintu) and Anupam Deka(Junti) and grandson Samrat Deka (the only son of S.R.Deka's second son Late Kulendra Chandra Deka and Late Anjana Deka) are carrying forward the legacy; raising this business to newer and greater heights, breaking records and leaving all the others beyond competition… On a drizzling Monday evening, we caught up with Mr. Anupam Deka, the youngest son of Late S.R.Deka, and currently the director of Sunandaram Foods Pvt. Ltd. at the Repose Guest House at Panjabari as we settled down for a tete-a-tete…

Speaking about his father, Mr. Anupam Deka got nostalgic as he recounted with pride their father's journey to success… Having left home (at Barnardi in Nalbari) in 1926 at the tender age of eleven with a single rupee in hand, to faraway Mangaldoi in order to support his poor family (which comprised his blind father, mother and two younger brothers), young Sunanda's early years were spent in gritty struggle. In Mangaldoi, he first worked as a domestic help at the house of a contractor Late Jagabandhu Das. It was through him that young Sunanda or rather Sunandi as he was affectionately called, got to work at the house of Deven Bhattacharjee, the SDO of PWD Dept. at Mangaldoi; who in turn got him into a government job with a monthly salary of eleven rupees. When after a few months Bhattacharjee was transferred to Silchar, he expressed his desire to take Sunanda with him; but the young man had other plans, and greater dreams. This time Sunanda started working at a tea-shop owned by Mahendra Das (with a monthly salary of three rupees) who also had as his employee a Bengali cook, expert in making sweets. After office hours, Sunandi worked at Das' shop, learning the art of making (various) sweets besides biscuits and bread. After about four years, Sunandi left the government job and the job at the teashop as well and in 1931, he opened his own tea stall. That very tea stall is today known as REPOSE. A few years on Sunandi started a small grocery shop too, which when it began yielding profits ,he directed his attention to rice-trading business as well.. 1944-45 saw the beginning of SRD Bakers, (which fifty years later, his heirs would modernize it at an expense of about thirty lakh rupees). Aspiring higher, Sunandi soon started taking Government contracts. In this, he was especially helped by an acquaintance named Kunja Majumdar. Majundar, who was an Engineer by profession encouraged him greatly and guided Sunandi in taking his first few steps as a contractor. Years rolled by, and soon enough, the man who had set out from home at Nalbari with a single rupee in hand had established himself in Mangaldoi as an honest First class contractor of repute. However, this was not all… In due course of time especially when his sons joined him in business, he started expanding his base and in 1989, set up the first flour mill at Mangaldoi under the banner of S.R. Deka & Pvt. Ltd. with a loan of fifty lakh from A.I.D.C. thereby becoming the first Asomiya to set up a flour mill. Reminiscenting, Mr. Anupam Deka said thus--"…it was in 1985, I had just joined the family business after completing my graduation in Shillong Commerce College I voiced the thought of expanding our business by venturing into newer grounds and my father and allmy brothers supported this--laying on me the onus of bringing this about(though of course they were always there by my side): and for that we prepared a project proposal for setting up a roller flour mill at Mangaldoi. Accordingly, we applied for a loan at the A.I.D.C. We were rejected thrice. We couldn't understand initially. However, the third time that we were rejected we got the wind (through reliable sources) that we were being rejected solely because we were Asomiyas,(while the entire business was then under the monopoly of Marwari and Punjabi businessmen we were the first Asomiyas to venture out in that direction): our authorities had not the faith in our abilities. When the reason became clear I met Subhash Das, the then Commisioner of the Industry Department and a member of the A.I.D.C. board, and exhorted him to re-consider our proposal(for by now it became clearer that the concerned authorities had hardly opened our file; for the pros-and-cons of the matter had been already looked after in the file).The fourth time our loan was sanctioned…we not only proved ourselves we also returned the loan well ahead of time which was a record in itself." That was however just the beginning ... In 1995, the Mangaldoi Bakery started by their father underwent a makeover; the erstwhile manual bakery was mechanized. Later on, this bakery was shifted to the flourmill compound and in its place, the Sumitra Deka Market Complex was set up: which is a massive complex at the heart of the town, with about 63 shops in one floor and replete with underground car parking facilities (in fact probably the first market complex in Asom to be so). In 1999, a modern bakery was set up at Panjabari in Guwahati (in view of the increasing popularity of their products). In 2000, the Repose Foods Pvt. Ltd. was established with a loan of about 45 lakhs taken from the Pragjyotish Gaolia Bank. The next major achievement of the SRD Group has been setting up of the Horlicks Pouch Packaging Unit at Mangaldoi in collaboration with Glaxo SmithKline Consumer Health Care Ltd.; thereby firmly placing this small town in the industrial map of the world. In fact, the Horlicks refill pouches packaged here are supplied to the entire Eastern Indian region. This has resulted in the formation of SRD Nutrients Pvt. Ltd. in 2002. Recounting this experience, Mr.Anupam Deka has this to say--"we landed up in the Horlicks Project almost by chance. One day, my nephew Prabir Kumar Bhuyan(son of my elder sister Pranati Bhuyan and brother-in-law Late Padmalosan Bhuyan) accidentally met an official working in GSK. When he learnt from that official that GSK was looking for collaborators here in Asom to set up a packaging unit, he suggested the name of our company. There were already quite a few others in the fray, and our name was entered at the last moment. The officials from the GSK headquarters came down to inspect and we were among the few short listed. Eventually after about six months we managed to bag the project in 2001. Though they wanted the plant to be in Guwahati, we managed to convince the GSK authorities of the feasibility of opening the plant in Mangaldoi. The hard taskmasters that we were, we completed the project within eight months, although the time allotted was twelve months. The head honchos of the company were virtually astounded. Simon J. Scraff, the CEO of Glaxo SmithKline, came down from the United Kingdom to see the marvel done; in fact so pleased were they that GSK formally announced that nobody had been able to perform this sort of a feat ever before in the history of GSK". 2006 saw a new feather added to the increasing achievements of the SRD Group when the Repose Snacks & Sweets was started with the daughters-in-law of the family at the helm of affairs. The next venture the SRD Group bagged was an even bigger one: this time it was Britannia Industries with whom this group collaborated in setting up a modern plant for manufacturing and packaging cakes for Britannia Industries Limited. This time, Mr. Anupam Deka and his team managed to complete setting up the plant within six months. In a situation when 70-80% of the machines had to be imported from Italy, they not only set up the plant, they also started producing the cakes within the six months time frame Mr. Deka had set before his team. The next major project on the anvil is setting up of a Horlicks manufacturing plant--and this project is well under implementation. That apart, today REPOSE is also catering to food giants as Cafe Coffee Day and Barista besides Fun Cinemas (HUB) and Cinemax (DONA PLANET) among others.
Apart from all these achievements, there is another aspect for the SRD Group which is highly commendable. Mr. Sunandaram Deka was a great philantrophist: despite all his busy schedules, he could always make out time for contributing to the social cause. He was intimately involved in many a socio-cultural organizations of Mangaldoi, a tradition which his sons are carrying forward today. The various places that the SRD family has either set up or has made significant contributions to, include the Mangaldoi Chambers of Commerce, Town Girls H.S.School, Mangaldoi College, Mangaldoi Bar Association,Vishnu Mandir, the Ram Mandir, Mangaldoi Natya Mandir, theDurga Mandir, the Mangaldoi Youth Club(Late Kulen Deka was one of the founders of this club), the Sunandaram Deka Yatri Nivas, and a multipurpose stage, Sumitra Sisu Udyan(the first children's park in Mangaldoi) and so on. Besides S.R.Deka had contributed generously to the various developmental and religious activities in his native village Barnardi--chief of which was the dispensary he had set up entirely at his own expense in the memory of his late father Late Binanda Ram Deka)which was later on upgraded into a government Primary Health Centre.
Thus the legacy lives on…the journey begun by Sunanda Ram Deka half a century ago continues to live through the second and third generations of the family.
Late S.R.Deka and Late Sumitra Deka were the proud parents of their children--Renu Talukdar, Pramode Deka, Pratibha Bhuyan, Late Kulendra Chandra Deka, Pranati Barman, Mina Sarmah, Mukul Chandra Deka, Purabi Chowdhury, Sanjeev Deka, Rajeev Kumar Deka and Anupam Deka. The daughters-in-law are--(not necessarily in respective order)Anupama Deka, Late Anjana Deka, Upasana Deka, Amarjyoti Deka, Bhanu Deka, Anusuya Deka. The sons-in-law are--Late Ananta Talukdar, Late Padmalosan Bhuyan, Srinath Barman, Bijoy Krishna Dev Sarmah and Kumudi Roy Choudhury. The strong bond of harmony that exists within the family is nothing short of a rarity these days--what with joint-families breaking up, this family still living together under the same roof--is an ideal of sorts for everyone. In fact this lesson of harmony and cooperation within the family they learnt from their parents Late S.R.Deka and Late Sumitra Deka. "Our mother was one big support to my father at every step. In fact, our mother's marriage to our father was like a big turning point in our father's life--in fact to say that it was through mother's undying and rock-solid support and cooperation that our father rose to dizzier heights would be no exaggeration".

Mr. Deka was to return to Mangaldoi the same evening, since they are expecting guests from Holland the very next day. Therefore, without delaying him further, I hurried off to the last few queries I had in mind… (being so successful) I asked him what message he would like to give to the youths of today. "This is the right time", he began, with his (characteristic) enthusiasm," there is so much happening on all fronts--and so much is on offer to the youth today that not grabbing the opportunity at the right time would be foolhardy indeed. For time is like a precious diamond, once time goes away, we become too old to understand its worth. When we had just started off, the problem of insurgency was beginning to raise its menacing head. The skeptics (who were not few in number) called us fools (for taking such a huge loan etc.). But we proved all our skeptics wrong. We managed to be successful even at the height of the insurgency problem in Asom. So all the talk of development stalled owing to insurgency et al does not have much ground. Of course it's true that such problems put us at a considerable disadvantage, yet even then we can managed to achieve our goals. For success requires hard work, a focused approach , determination, humility(that is very important--for our ego often becomes the biggest hurdle towards our success) and also good communication with society. Since you are to live in this society and deal with it, to succeed you need to have good communication with the other members of society as well… Running a business is like a game of football--you need the support of your entire team, right from the labourer and the worker to the big official--in other words, everyone related directly or indirectly plays his part in making a venture successful. You never know when your fortunes will take a downward slide(just like football--when the opposition player pushes the out of your reach just as you were posed to shoot it past the goal post). So you should always be alert and ready to begin from the very beginning……all this is pretty simple you know--what I am telling now we have learnt it all from our father--and our convictions have been strengthened through experience. After all we all learn from experience.."
The SRD Group has given employment to hundreds of men and women --who are all dependent on us for their livelihood. But this empire began from the humble tea--stall, whose owner had to leave school at the third standard itself owing to appaling poverty.. Then how did the name REPOSE came about? "This is an interesting story too" replied Anupam Deka," Kanak Chakravarty (Chakravarty Headmaster) was one of the regular customers in my father's tea-stall. One day, while returning from school) Chakravarty master brought with him a piece cardboard with a white sheet pasted onto it atop which was written REPOSE. He placed it before father and told him"Sunandi, this is the name of your shop". The rudimentary knowledge of letters that he had, father couldn't figure out what in the world did repose mean. Kanak Chakravarty ten explained that 'repose' meant -'khyontekya jironi--rest for a while'. The name stuck, and today, see REPOSE is a brand to be reckoned….".
This is not the full story--much remained to be learnt and to know about this dynamic family from Mangaldoi. But then, the constraints of time have to be honoured. What this writer has attempted here is just a humble tribute to a glorious legacy that will definitely serve an inspiration for today's youth as we look forward to a truly golden Asom--purged of the excesses of unrest and strife. Till then, its adieus from me and Rajeev Da--and hopefully we will come up with a fuller account the next time…
stuti goswami [published in 2007 in ‘melange’ –the sentinel as a cover story]

Karuna Sankar Thakuria

How would you encompass within the word count that constrains a cover story the life of an artist enriched by a lifetime of experiences? He has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Shankar-Jaikishen, Sachin Dev Barman and Lata Mangeshkar. A favourite disciple of the legendary Pandit Vinayak Rao Patwardhan and Prof. B.R.Deodhar, he could touch heights where few from these parts could fathom to reach especially in the fifties and sixties. And yet who—fulfilling a pledge left all allures of Bombay-the city of dreams to take up cudgels for the popularization and dissemination of Hindustani classical music in these remote regions. How much do we know of the first Sangeet Alankar (M.Mus) from Assam? The first Assamese instrumentalist to be approved in All India Radio through an all-India interview. An artist to his core, and an individual whose expanse of knowledge of music overwhelmes; yet whose humility leaves one humbled. A silent worker at the foothills of Kharghuli hill—he is Pandit Karuna Shankar Thakuria

                         … How do we begin?

Karuna Shankar Thakuria was born on September 21, 1936 at Kharghuli in Guwahati to Hareswar Thakuria and Champa Thakuria. His father was music director in jatrapartis in the days of yore. Since his childhood, he was initiated to the world of music. As Pandit Thakuria recounts nostalgically, Guwahati in those days was just a big developing village. Kharghuli itself was sparsely populated. There was a road only upto the point that led to the Governor’s residence. Beyond this, it was just a dusty narrow lane—where occasionally a bullock cart, horse cart or at the most a bicycle would trudge by. People mostly preferred to walk. It was a life in proximity to Nature and probably this helped nourish the seeds of artistry in him.

In 1952, the first session of the All Assam Music Conference was held in Guwahati. It was presided over by Pandit Vinayak Rao Patwardhan. Other stalwarts who attended this conference were Narayan Rao Vyas, D.V.Paluskar(vocal), Damayanti Joshi(Kathak), Gopal Mitra(Sarangi) among others. In that Conference, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika’s wife Priyam Hazarika too was to put up a Bharat Natyam performance. But a minor glitch arose when there was a piece of Malkosh raga needed to be played on flute during the performance and there was no flutist at hand.. Someone told Dr.Hazarika of Karuna Shankar Thakuria and the latter was called for. Flute in hand,when young Karuna arrived, Dr. Hazarika asked him to play the Malkosh raga. To which Karuna replied that he didn’t know how to play the said raga. (For though he had had a guru even then, his training in classical music was anything but formalized. Whatever he knew, he had picked up literally on his own) At which Dr.Hazarika took out the harmonium and gave him an idea of the raga by singing it himself. Karuna listened intently and soon picked up the notes and finally played the piece to perfection. Dr. Hazarika was highly impressed by this young man’s talent. He advised Karuna to take music seriously and introduced him to Pandit Patwardhan. Praising him highly before the doyen, Dr. Hazarika urged Pandit Patwardhan to take Karuna Shankar under his wings and guide him in the world of music. Accordingly Karuna was summoned to the house of Tilak Das where Pandit Patwardhan had put up and put to test by the great doyen himself. When Pandit Patwardhan was satisfied with this young man’s potential, he offered to take Karuna as his disciple and told him—“I will keep you at my place like my own son and impart you all knowledge that I have garnered all life. since I am a vocalist I will train you in singing. But only on the condition that afterwards you have to come back to Assam and work for dissemination of the light of classical music in these parts.”This way young Karuna Shankar Thakuria stepped out of home and took the first steps in that road that was to lead him far in life.

“But”, your’s truly interposed, “ didn’t your family object?”

“O yes—they did. At that time, I had just completed by Matriculation and was doing a course in typing. My Parents were worried at the prospect of their only son going away to far off lands—of which they had only heard but never seen—and of which there were such misconceptions. Still—I managed to convince them somehow to let me go—and in fifty-six rupees (which was a princely sum in those days) and after changing trains at Calcutta, I finally arrived in Pune. That one journey changed my life altogether.”

Once there, Pandit Vinayak Rao Patwardhan left no stone unturned to train Karuna in the subtleties and nuances of classical music. For six years Karuna Shankar stayed at Panditji’s place. Besides vocal, Karuna Shankar also trained in tabla under Pandit Samant in Pune. During this stay, in 1958 Karuna also completed his graduation from the prestigious Fergusson College, Pune..

Speaking of those days, Pandit Thakuria stresses the strict disciplinarian and spiritually enriched lifestyle at his guru’s place. He adds how for the first time, he became conscious of the flaws in his pronunciation/diction. To rectify which His guru sent him to the famous Deccan College in Pune for proper training in Phonetics. Pandit Thakuria says in this regard says-- “pronunciation is of utmost importance while vocal classical training . Since the compositions of the ragas are in languages like hindi and urdu, mistake in pronunciation /diction alters the meaning of the bandish(composition).

During his six-year stint at Pune, Pandit Thakuria was also trained in proper tuning of musical instruments under the great scholar and researcher Prof. Balasaheb Achrakar at Musical Mart—which was run by his son.. In this context, Pandit Thakuria says—

“I was very interested in knowing about the origins of the saptak or the seven notes that collectively make up the Indian musical scale. As you should know, the seven notes or swars are derived from different birds and beasts of nature—say the ‘sa’ or the first note is derived from the peacock,the third note‘ga’ from goat, the ‘pa’ or the fifth note from cuckoo bird and so on.

Of course the entire process is not so simple and these derivations are made after prolonged research. ..Anyway, I went to Prof. Achrakar every Sunday and he gave me a lot of insights into the scientific aspects of classical music. Let me add that Prof. Achrakar himself was a reputed professor of Physics.”

Time flew—six years later, in1959, Karuna Shankar packed his bags and journeyed to Bombay—where he trained for another four years under Prof. Balakrishna Raghunath Deodhar. “under Patwardhanji I had learnt only about the Gwalior gharana of Hindustani classical Music. But to have a proper understanding of Indian classical Music, one needs to be initiated into the different gharanas and learn the variations as well as the highlights in the musical forms of the different gharanas . At Prof. Deodharji’s advise I went to the gurus of different gharanas—like Vilayat Hussain of Agra gharana, Kesarbai Kerkar of Aladiya gharana, and Heerabai Barodekar of Kirana gharanas . I was also sent to stalwarts like Bade Ghulam Ali and Bhimsen Joshi to listen to their renditions and pick up knowledge regarding this vast domain of classical music. Besides I was also fortunate to be one of the first four disciples of Deodharji to get scientific training in Voice culture –something that Deodharji had traveled to USA to learn himself.”

Apart from this, during his stay in Bombay, Pandit Thakuria also trained in violin under Pandit Vighreneswar Buwang Shastri and Bharat Natyam under Ratikant Arya.

It is worth mentioning that Pandit Thakuria had also performed in music conferences and prograames alongside his gurus at different places like Kanpur, delhi,Goa besides different parts of Maharashtra.

But—his interests lay elsewhere too. Within reach was the Bombay film industry (the term Bollywood was not born till then). He thought—“since I am in Bombay let me take a chance at the film industry. After all it will be a great experience and I can also earn some extra money.”

With such thoughts, he approached Lata Mangeshkar.In hand, he had a letter from Prof.Achrakar with whom the Mangeshkars were particularly close. Accordingly, one morning he got an appointment with Lata Mangeshkar. “I spoke Marathi—which was so correct that At the first instant Lata bai mistook me for a Marathi . She was really surprised when I told her that I was from Assam.” When she was convinced of his talent and potential, Lata bai put him in touch with M.R.Achrakar, the art director of the R.K.Films. This in turn led to his association with S.D.Barman and Shankar Jaikishan. “I was even invited to both sing and put up a flute recital at the Diwali celebrations of the Mangeshkars.All the time that I was in Bombay, I enjoyed very cordial relation with the Mangeshkar sisters—especially Lata bai and Usha bai.”

Continuing he says--

“I can still remember that day—21st August I was told to go to the Ranjit Studio to meet S.D.Barman. But the chowkidar at the gate didn’t even let me enter. So I had to wait outside the gate for the music directors’ arrival—my box of flutes in hand. After some time, Sachin da arrived. When I told him of the objective of my visit—I was asked to play a piece on my flute. So I opened the box—took out a flute and at the gates itself, played a small piece. Sachin da was satisfied. And I was led in. After this of course I was a regular in their studios. I worked in the music department. And it was amazing how they could create such beautiful modern compositions out of classical pieces.”

This was in 1960-61-62. Technology then was a far cry from these days’. The recording instruments were much simpler. the recording process too was a prolonged one compared to today—where a singer records several songs in a single day. Pandit Thakuria agrees. “At that time, there was this recorder called pherograph. It was a simple instrument. And interestingly, it had to be run every day for if otherwise it became bad. So eavery day we used to record our different classical compositions on which the music directors worked and created beautiful songs .” On being asked about some of the films he’d worked in, he says, with some effort—“It Is hard to recollect—there were so many films. And it is so long off.”Crorepati”, “Love Marriage” I worked in ‘Kaagaz ke Phool’..then ‘Shararat’..I give up” he sums up with a shrug and a smile that make you realize the simplicity of this person.

But –when he first went with Pandit Vinayak Rao Patwardhan to Pune it was with the promise that he will one day return to Assam and work for popularisation of classical music. Fulfilling that pledge Karuna Shankar Thakuria returned to Assam after a decade old stint in far off Mumbai. “But”, he says, “everybody told me to stay back. They said-‘Karuna you are doing so well here. Stay here—you will soon make it big’. But I had given my word to my word. Even Patwardhanji’s sister told me to return and fulfill my promise. Besides there were family reasons too. I had to marry off my sisters. Once I came back, I couldn’t return.”

This was towards the fag end of1963. Upon returning, he opened the Guwahati chapter of the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. Since then the fountain of knowledge from Pandit Thakuria has been flowing incessantly replenishing thirst for knowledge of scores of students—that include established singers like Mahananda Majinder Barua , Nalini Choudhury, Sangeeta Borthakur, Sangita Kakati, Mousumi Chaharia among others.He took the prerogative in setting up music schools and exam centres in Guwahati, Tihu, Chaygaon, Barpeta, Sarthebari, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Jorhat, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Duliajan, Tinsukia among other places. In 1967 he was also appointed as an examiner of Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. Since then he has toured different parts of Assam, Bengal among other places as an examiner. He set up the first Master of Music examination centre in Assam in Guwahati. He is also a active member of Governing Council of Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya besides member of audition committee of All India Radio.

Pandit Thakuria was also the first musician to have been approved by All India Radio. Interestingly in that audition his guru(this was while he was still in Guwahai--before he came under Pandit Patwardhan’s tutelage)had failed in the audition. But he declines to inform us further in that direction.

The awards and recognitions that he has received include-Gemini Academy award, the Shatabdi ratna Award (in 2000), the Sangeet Jyoti award (in 2003) besides Sangeet Ratnam from Madhya Pradesh , Shilpi pension from Govt of Assam.

Asked about his favourite raga—he says that all ragas are beautiful –each has its own beauty. Of course he adds that choice of raga is often a reflection of ones vyaktitwa(personality). he is however specific regarding His favourite hour of the day. In his own words—it is “brahma muhurta”—that moment when night is already leaving and day is yet to dawn.
“Its beautiful” emphasizes Pandit Thakuria.. “its surreal”.

Regarding the state of affairs in classical music scenario in the present times, his opinion to put it simply is-- dismal. He admits today there are innumerable music teachers in Assam. But sadly most of them are lacking in sound knowledge of classical music. Most of them by opening music schools at all nook and corners are simply indulging in business. He adds, “classical music is not to be learnt from textbooks. It has to be properly demonstrated by the teacher. For example, the ‘ga’ (the third note) is komal in the ragas Miya Malhar, Darbari Kanada and Bhimpalasi. Yet in no two ragas do the ‘ga’ swar sound the same. This cannot be learnt from any book. There is a definite singing process for each swar in each raga. And that knowledge can be disseminated only when the teacher demonstrates it. In most cases, teachers themselves are unaware of these nuances. They will simply teach the bandish and a few tanas and some aalap and the raga is done with. Because of this, the students too are ignorant—and sadly, often conceited. The teachers themselves are neither keen to discuss all this nor do they show any desire for earning. Once they attain their certificates, they think that they know everything.”

Words of wisdom-undoubtedly—yet it remains to see how much of the desired effect they have on those for whom they are meant. As for the rest of us there were many more pearls of wisdom pertaining this silent worker that yours truly would have loved to string—yet could not do so owing to the constraints alluded to right at the beginning of this write up. This is all for the moment. Hopefully yours truly will come up with a fuller account of this true artist in times to come. Till then-- its adieus…

[published in melange,the sunday supplement of The Sentinel in 2008] 

A Dance Odyssey

For over five decades, she has enthralled people the world over through her grace and poise. With immense contribution towards Manipuri dance and Manipuri culture, Darshana Jhaveri is the youngest of the four internationally acclaimed Jhaveri Sisters whose name is today synonymous with Manipuri Dance. She has played a stellar role in establishing this dance form at the national and international level, in addition to securing the coveted recognition of Manipuri dance as a classical dance form.

As kids, the Jhaveri sisters learnt various classical and folk dances including Bharat Natyam, Kathak and Kathakali. Yet it was the delicacy and fluidity of the Manipuri Dance that endeared to the four talented sisters. Darshana Jhaveri's tryst with the Manipuri dance began in 1947 when she too like her elder siblings Nayana, Suverna, and Ranjana came under the enthralling spell of the Manipuri dance. Since then she has dedicated herself almost entirely to the research, perpetuation and popularization of the Manipuri dance under the tutelage of Guru Bipin Singh. Over the years, under the able guidance her guru, she has evolved into a technically versatile and an immaculately proficient dancer, specializing in the Tandav and Lasya elements of Manipuri Dancing and drum playing.


It was in 1956 that Darshana along with her sisters Nayana, Suverna and Ranjana, went to Manipur for the first time to learn the style and nuances of the three gharanas of Manipuri dance, under the three gurus, Guru Amubi Singh, Guru Atomba Singh and Guru Amodan Sharma. Since then, Darshanaji has visited Manipur for more than 30 times, meeting different gurus as also experts on Manipuri dance, residing both within Manipur and in adjacent areas like Cachar, Sylhet and Tripura; learning, collecting, recording the age-old oral traditions, studying the Vaishnavite shastras and establishing scientific tenets underlying these oral traditions: thereby developing a scientific and a systematized approach to Manipuri dancing. For this dance form has long been an oral tradition, with the bols and talas being handed down from one generation of artists to the succeeding one(s), owing to which many discrepancies had set in; apart from the fact that often the tradition died with the death of the artist. From 1956 to 1958, Darshana and her sisters, under the guidance of Guru Bipin Singh, performed dance dramas in Manipuri style at various places. The Manipuri Dance being a unique blend of art and religion, the people of Manipur hold it in utmost reverence. Erstwhile confined to the sacred temples of Manipur and to the Manipuri community alone, the Jhaveri sisters were the first to break the mould when in 1958 they became the first non-Manipuris to dedicate their dances in the hallowed precints of the Govindajee Temple in Manipur. As a matter of fact, a significant contribution of the Jhaveri sisters and Guru Bipin Singh towards Manipuri culture has been to bring in these traditional and classical dances from the hallowed precints of the temples to the stage without in the least sullying the sanctity and spirit of the original dance form. Of course, while performing on stage, they had to condense an eight-hour recital (performed in the temple) to a two/two-an-a-half hour recital keeping intact the sanctity and spirit of the dance form. Which, according to Darshanaji was a great challenge, for they were treading onto untrodden territory and there was every chance of a backlash from the art connoisseurs? Their fears came true when this endeavour met with much (vehement) opposition from the aficionados and experts in Manipur because they all felt that this was a dishonour to the spirit of the Dance form. To clear all these misconceptions the Jhaveri sisters along with Guru Bipin Singh personally went to Manipur and tried (attending seminars and conducting workshops), explaining to the people (especially the art critics and experts) that this condensing and consequent presentation of the dance on the stage wasn't bad or wrong. The 1960s saw the Jhaveri sisters, under Guru Bipin Singh embark on dance tours all over the country and abroad to present and exhibit Manipuri classical dance recitals, lecture demonstrations, contributing articles to the press media, radio talks et al… The 1970s saw establishment of Manipuri Nartanalaya to channelize study and research of Manipuri Dance in which the Jhaveri sisters had a pivotal role to play...


Today, Darshana Jhaveri remains actively associated with the 'Manipuri Nartanalaya' at Mumbai, Kolkata and Manipur in teaching, in creative productions and in the publication of books (essentially research-based works, till now this Nartanalaya has published 17 books, several of which have been written/edited Darshanaji herself). She has performed in different parts of the world, including the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the USSR, West Europe (in fact her first foreign trip in the year 1957) , Africa, Mexico, Jordan, Thailand, Hongkong, Mauritius, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nepal among others. Her tryst with Manipuri dance spanning five decades, the world has recognized and honoured her immense contribution to Manipuri dance and the Manipuri culture at large. Of the many honours and awards she has been bestowed with, the notable ones include 'Vishwa Gurjari Award', Ahmedabad (1991); 'Nritya Vilas' by Sur Singar, Mumbai (1995); Honorary Doctorate from City University, Los Angeles (1984); 'Natya Praveena' by International Dance Alliances, Chennai; 'Nritya Mallika' by the Nikhil Vishnupriya Manipuri Mahasabha, Asom apart from the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1996), and the prestigious Padmashri Award. She was also conferred with the 2000 Millennium Cultural Diploma of Honor by the American Biographical Institute, USA. In 1999, she was also felicited by the Greater Bombay Municipal Corporation, Mumbai…






With an extremely hectic schedule the year round, especially one that involves a great deal of traveling (which is amazing, keeping in mind her age) it was with quite some difficulty that this writer managed to get an appointment with this Nritya Mallika for a very brief tête-à-tête when she was in town some time back for conducting a Manipuri dance workshop in the Manipuri Sewashram [organized by 'Selpung'-a socio-cultural-literary organization]. Put up at the aesthetically decorated residence of her friend Renu Duttabaruah, at Maligaon, Guwahati, Darshanaji was the very picture of refinement and simplistic grandeur: exuding warmth and beauty, evoking in yours truly a feeling of humbleness and reverence. To a query as to what was it that actually endeared her to Manipuri dance, she replied, in her characteristic soft calm manner, that apart from its gracefulness, delicacy and fluidity, the dance suited her nature and aptitude. And after all these years, it has entered into her veins in a way that renders it impossible to separate herself from the dance. As she herself would like to maintain, her astitva remains intrinsically intertwined with this sheer graceful of all dances. To another query as to whether she has formed any fusion of different dance forms in her productions, she replied that she is not much in favour of mixing different dance forms, (as is often seen nowadays in the name of fusion). In her own words, "once the essence and spirit of a dance seeps into ones body and soul, one cannot give much justice to the style and aesthetics of other dance forms and spontaneity is thus lost". Her absolute dedication to art is illustrated by the fact that she remained single all through her life; devoting herself entirely to the espousal of the cause of perpetuation and popularization of this most beauteous of classical dances. Besides, the ethereal bliss and peace of mind she derived/experienced never gave her any moment to spare for such worldly thoughts for nuptials…


Time is running out, for Darshanaji has to return to her students at the workshop who are eagerly awaiting for her to begin her classes again (it is worth mentioning that this interaction was possible during the few minutes of break that was given to the students at the workshop) ----blessed ones indeed---and the conversation has to come to an end. Yet the few moments that this writer spent during this interaction with this Nritya Mallika was an opportunity of a lifetime: an enriching and overwhelming experience----a glimpse into a dance odyssey.


--------------------xxxxx-------------------

An enamouring songstress....

She has enamoured her fans for over three decades, through the sheer melody of her voice, with her beauty, poise and grace: a persona that evokes the highest degree of reverence. One of the most veteran singers of Asomiya music, she enjoys tremendous popularity throughout the entire expanse of this vibrant state of ours, cutting across all barriers of dialect, community and above all, generations. The trendy youngster hums her numbers with a perfect élan, as does the ardent listener (nee fan) well past his prime. Her immense popularity and success notwithstanding, she comes across as amazingly simple and absolutely unassuming, with a motherly affection in her that enamours yours truly altogether the very first time she meets her; at the same time as all the butterflies in her heart are calmed down and finds herself at ease with this veteran singer, Dr. Anima Choudhury, who is currently serving as the Head of Department of History, Chaygaon College. With an extremely hectic schedule, it was with some difficulty that yours truly managed to secure an appointment. Still at the end of it all, the interview was truly enriching. This humble writer makes a humble attempt to partake of the wisdom and insight she gained in the course of this interaction.



Anima Choudhury grew up with a musical ambience permeating her world. Her father Dandiram Choudhury was a Jail Superintendent and an ardent follower of classical music, and her mother Hemlata Choudhury, a cultured person and in her own words, and proficient in the knowledge of the traditional renditions like 'aainam', 'dihanam', 'biyanam' etc. Speaking of those childhood days, Dr. Choudhury with a far away look in her soft brown eyes and a voice tinted with nostalgia says, ''ours was a big family of seven children, and each one of us was ardently encouraged by our parents, especially our father to either sing or play some musical instrument. The memory of those evenings is still fresh in my mind: when after saying our evening prayers, (a tradition that is dying a sad death) the whole family would gather for musical sessions, with some of us singing to the accompaniment of the tabla and the various musical instruments, played by some or other of my brothers. While my brothers Prabin and Satyen playrd the Tabla and the Violin respectively, my sister Nilima and me used to be the lead singers, accosted often by Prabin and of course My youngest brother Mrinal-who in fact was an all-rounder of sorts. In fact, most of my hit numbers have been either composed and/or put to tune by Mrinal. While my eldest brother Dilip has offered tremendous encouragement to me all through, as also my sister Nilima. Often our neighbours too would join in. In other words, there used to be virtually a 'jalsa' within the family circle every evening. In fact, when I look back on those bygone days, I realize that the musical environment I was brought up in had had such a great impact on my later life/singing (career). Nagaon especially in those days was a hub of culture and cultural activities. Probably that was the reason why Nagaon has over the years produced artists--singers, lyricists, actors, musicians, littérateurs, filmmakers-- of such repute''. From a very young age, she started taking singing lessons under the famous music director Sushil Banerjee. From a fairly young age, as well, she started performing on stage in different parts of Nagaon, and everywhere her performances won her plaudits from all quarters, especially the music aficionados, who saw a great future ahead of the little girl. In this context, mention might be made of the All Assam Music Conference and famous Nehrubali Magh Bihu, in the latter she won best singer award (she was in Class 4 then). Her father's job being a transferable one, the Choudhury family shifted to Guwahati, when she was in the fifth standard. In Guwahati, she went to Hiren Sarmah for vocal lessons for which Parveen Sultana referred her. In the same year, she rendered her first performance in Guwahati, at Paschim Guwahati Bihutoli. Although till class eight she studied at Kaliram Baruah High School, although she gave her Matriculation Examination from Panbazar Girls High School: for her father was transferred again, and she shifted to a hostel. Post-Matriculation, she took admission in the premier institution of the North East, Cotton College. After completing her graduation from Cotton College with History major, she did her Post graduation in History from Gauhati University.. Quite expectantly, she was the best singer both in college (1970-71) as well as in the University (1973). In fact in the University, Anima Choudhury was the first recipient of the 'Brajen Baruah Award' which was instituted soon after the death of the doyen of Asomiya Cinema by the Directorate of Youth Welfare, Gauhati University at the initiative taken by the then Music Secretary of Gauhati University and veteran tablist Suryya Goswami.


Since her childhood, hers was a regular voice in Nagaon Radio, rendering performances first in 'Akonir Mel' and then in 'Chemoniar Chora'. In 1972, while still in College she became an AIR approved artist. Currently she is an A-Grade artist of the AIR and performs regularly on AIR, Doordarshan besides other private T.V.channels. While in the University, she signed a contract with H.M.V. under which she sang Lokageet, as well as Asomiya modern songs. Apart from Radio, she has also sung in Asomiya films like 'Mukuta', (which is incidentally her first film), 'Putola Ghar', 'Prem Jonome Jonome', and 'Mur Moromare'. Apart from films, she has rendered her voice to more than 500 audio cassettes. Some of these include: 'Subaash', 'Asolore Baa', 'Tejimola Saare Ase', 'Pritir Smriti Vol. 1and 2', 'Supohi', 'Ei Bohagote','Madhoi Maloti', 'O Bondhure'(a collection of Goalpariya Lokageet),'Modhuro Muroti'(a collection of Borgeet),'Anima Choudhuryr Biya Naam','Puwa Godhuli', 'Aair Pujar Bedi','Smriti', Anupam', 'Jyotir Gaan' among others. Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd. Rafi are her all time favourites. In fact ever since her childhood, it was the mellifluous renditions of these doyens that kept her glued to the transistor radio virtually the whole day long: so much so that at times her parents had to rebuke her. However, that never deterred her from listening to her favourite numbers. But then in being so religiously committed to (listening to the radio) did it ever occur to her that someday she too would be heard and applauded in the same manner? ''Well'', replies the magnanimous lady ''I had never envisaged that the audiences would shower on me such love and support, all these years and that I would be able to reach up to this level. But yes while listening to the Radio, I would often think how wonderful it would be if I had a record (you know then we did not have audio cassettes then) of my own. But then for a middle class family like ours, that seemed a distant reality. Although I kept singing on stage, winning prizes and plaudits, that thought was always playing at the corner of my mind...But destiny has been quite benevolent on me, in that very soon, while still in college, in 1970, I got the chance of singing in Brajen Baruah's 'Mukuta' with music by Ramen Baruah......


There is a slight (albeit pleasant) intermission in the interaction, as tea arrives: pleasant because it serves to rejuvenate a mind weighed by continuous doses of Keats, Coleridge, Woolf and Brecht among others. As we sit sipping tea, I broach the topic of her family. With a tinge of pride evident in her voice, she replies that her daughter Aparajita Choudhury, an alumnus of IIT-Kharagpur, after having completed her MS from the United States of America is currently working in New Jersey. Son-in-law Ajit Mohan is a software engineer based in New York. Her son Pritam Choudhury is doing his MCA in BMS College, Bangalore. But does not she ever feel any twinge of regret that, being such an established artist herself, her children did not follow her? Smilingly, she lets out a deep sigh and says, ''Well, it has been their own decision, their own choice, and to impose my thoughts and wishes over their desires would be wrong. Of course, I would have loved it if they or at least one of them took to music seriously, even if alongside their own profession. My daughter Aparajita had a sweet voice, and I vouch for her not merely because she is my daughter but because I saw in her the talent and aptitude for music. But she chose to pursue academics alone. When she announced her decision, I warned her that, to successfully pursue academics, one needed to excel in it: for mediocrity in such cases would never help. By God's grace, to her credit, however she has never disappointed us on that account. Of course, my son, Pritam has, of late evinced keen interest in this field. A regular singer of his college (many of which are incidentally his own compositions--especially English numbers), some time back, when we had been t o Bangalore, he made me listen to two songs, one a Jitul Sonowal number, and an English number. He asked me to recognize the singer. I wondered aloud if it was Jitul. To which, he laughed aloud and told me that it was he himself who had sung those numbers. I was virtually taken aback, but nevertheless it pleased me immensely". Just then the calling bell rings, and her husband Kamal Choudhury, walks in. Himself an alumnus of Assam Engineering College, he is a high official in Industrial Estate. With parents of such calibre, it is but natural that children too would be brilliant in their chosen fields.


The pleasant interlude over, and the tea things taken away, we go back to the much pleasanter interaction. Continuing the discourse from where it had been temporarily suspended, I venture to ask her about the various places she has performed in, over the past 30 years or so. To which she replies thus, ''well, within Assam, I have lost count of the number of functions I have performed in: I can only say that there is practically no district or town of Asom where I have not performed ". Outside Asom, she has performed in various places like Delhi, Kolkata, Tawang, Meghalaya, Cuttack among others. Also, she had sung in Doordarshan Cuttack as a representative of the North East. Besides, during her student days she also went to Punjab and Bihar, representing Asom in cultural exchange programmes, at the invitation of the then governors of Punjab and Bihar Mahendra Mohan Choudhury and Devakanta Baruah respectively.. Speaking of her experience in Bihar, she speaks of the one incident in Patna, when as she began singing a beautiful regional number, the audience started shouting demanding of her to sing a Hindi song. To which she sang the popular number 'Bolere Papihara' (Guddi), which not only silenced the audience, but enthralled it in such a way that henceforth, they listened to her, enamoured, in absolute silence. Apart from these, outside the country she has performed in th e different 'Assam Conventions' held at various parts of USA: Philadelphia (1991), Denver Colorado (2002), Texas Austin (2004) and San Francisco (2006). Apparently, on each occasion, the audiences were so enamoured by her that they kept inviting her repeatedly not one or two but for a record four times. All together, on these four occasions, she has also performed in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Milwaukee, Rode Island, and Boston. In all these places, unlike the ones in the Assam Convention Centres, the audience comprised a heterogeneous mix of people hailing from other parts of India in addition to people of South-East Asian origin and of course Americans: for instance the function in Rode Island (organized by Dr.Dilip Dutta) where the audience almost entirely comprised Americans. Or the Milwaukee programme org anized by an Organization comprising Bengalis living in USA. Or the 'Anima Choudhury Night' organized at Chicago in 2002, where the audience comprised basically people of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin, apart from Bengalis and Punjabis.. At these various places, she performed not only Asomiya (traditional and modern) songs, but also ghazals, bhajans, Rabindra Sangeet, Baaul Geet etc. She tells an interesting incident in this regard. While performing in Chicago, some of the Bangladeshi listeners requested her to sing a traditional Bangladeshi folk song that caught her off guard: for she had not prepared for this. It was indeed a tricky situation: she couldn't in any way do without singing the song. Suddenly she remembered that the folk song in question was somewhat similar to the popular Goalpariya Lokageet 'Dang Dori Dang'. So without further ado she began singing the song. And surprisingly, not one in the audience uttered a word of complaint; the Bangladeshi audiences were absolutely satisfied. (Laughingly she adds) "Jokes aside, this also goes on to show how much similarity we share, despite the fact that we are politically different countries''. B esides these, she has also performed a Kamrupi Lokageet in Chicago T.V. besides giving an interview on Chicago Radio. Speaking on those unique experiences she says, ''a day prior to shooting of my programme, the Chicago T.V. people had asked for a script of the song, explaining the meaning of the song (kamrupi lokageet) I was about to sing. It really surprised me when, while performing the Lokageet, they showed pictures and images on the screen behind me pertaining to the song I was rendering. It was truly an amazing experience, for such promptness I had never ever witnessed in my own land. But then, it has to be admitted that the Americans are an inquisitive lot; especially their curiosity and interest in knowing (more) about a foreign culture is highly noteworthy...Likewise during the interview I gave on Chicago radio, I was virtually flooded with queries regarding our culture". Having been to the world's most advanced nation for several times, and having come into contact with so many NRIs(of Asomiya origin), what is her observation on the cultural consciousness (especially amongst the second- and third generation Asomiyas) there? "To be honest", she answers,"it is highly commendable; I can say nothing else. I have had such experiences as parents coming up to me requesting me to listen to renditions of Bisnu Rabha and Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla, rendered by their children, who have never ever seen the land of their origin. The inquisitiveness of teenagers who have only heard of India and Asom from their parents is simply and truly touching". With a view to enhancing awareness amongst the youngsters regarding the rich culture of land of their origin, when she went to the perform in the United States in 2002, Dr. Choudhury presented a script on the folk songs of Asom, especially for the benefit of second and third generation Asomiya Americans. In it, she explain ed how music was so intrinsically and innately intertwined with the lives of the people. And how for every small/big occasion in their lives, the Asomiyas had some or other form of folk song to croon and express their feelings and emotions appropriate to the particular occasion: whether aainam, biyanam, dhemelia geet, kamrupi and Goalpariya lokageet, nisukoni geet, bihugeet, zikir, zari and so on. Elaborating on each particular form of folk song, she herself hummed a few lines to give the young Asomiyas (born and brought up in the foreign land) a first hand idea of what those songs were and how they were sung. This endeavour won her much acclaim from all quarters. The young Asomiya-Americans were especially enthralled. For they had never envisaged that the land, thousands of miles away, which their parents fondly recall as Asom had such treasure trove of culture..."But sadly", she sums up with a sigh, "very few of our youngsters here in Asom show any such interest in their culture, let alone posess knowledge about it. In this context however, I will empathically state, that this situation is brought about not as much by the children as it is by the parents themselves. Parents have sort of failed to arouse that interest in their children's minds regarding the culture of their own land".


With experience in this field spanning over three decades, what is her take on the present state of affairs of the Asomiya musical scenario and her views on the newer crop of singers dreaming to make it big in this field. Besides what change does she observe in the contemporary musical scenario. To these barrage of queries she thoughtfully replies that change will obviously occur; change and evolution are a part of our existence, for nothing is permanent. Especially today being the age of globalisation, technological advancement has left its mark on all spheres and at all levels of existence. But then while moving forward in its journey towards so-called 'development' the younger generations should not forget their roots, for therein lies their actual identity. Sadly, however the younger people are increasingly distancing themselves from their roots, going after blind imitation of the West. This imitation, nee aping of foreign (Western) culture leaving behind their own culture in doldrums is harming them the most: for the youngsters are the future of our soc iety. Besides today the youngsters as also their parents no longer seem interested in gaining knowledge, for what they pursue is name, fame, money and glamour, and that too instantaneous. Sincerity and dedication, it seems have become passé, for most people today. She informs this writer that there are instances when parents have come up to her to teach their children the rudiments of singing so that they (the children) can perform on stage (!) as soon as possible. It does not matter whether their wards have it in them to be a singer or not. Besides nothing comes easy in life: especially when it comes to singing one needs to fully acquire knowledge of rudiments of the art, and that is possible only through regular practice over years on end. At the same time she adds that today quantity has virtually been eclipsed by quantity in preference and priority. Although the number of ca ssettes and audio cds has multiplied over the last few years, most of them sadly had to bite the dust: and naturally so--for those cassettes lacked the basic prerequisite of quality. This doling out of sub-standard material at times lowers the overall standard of music. However the persons responsible for this, i.e. the makers of such albums are usually oblivious to this: for such people happen to be, more often than not, ones with much money in their wallets but little or no knowledge of music. For such persons making a cassette is often an investment: in which they themselves are the lyricists, tuners, music directors, singers all rolled into one. All this has a negative impact on the musical scene, for if found acceptance amongst the audience, it tends to lower their tastes as well. She belives that to prevent any such degradation it is imperative upon the artists themselves to uphold the rich tradition of our state, for the artists have a social responsibility as well.


A visharad in vocal classical from Bhatkhande Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, she also acquired her PhD degree under the Gauhati University in 1999. Her thesis was 'Temples and Shrines in and around Guwahati:a sociolagical and folkloristic exploration'.


The bell rings again, and on this occasion, it is one of the organizers of the Annual Function of the Jatiya Vidyalaya, Kamakhya Gate, who has come to accost Dr. Choudhury to the School where she is to inaugurate its annual function. The ease with which she has conducted herself so successfully on the professional and personal fronts is truly amazing and awe-inspiring. Her popularity amongst the masses is proved beyond doubt by the simple fact that till date she has been felicitated by numerous socio-cultural organizations both in Assam and abroad; the names of many of which she has lost count of. In fact upon being queried thus, it was with some difficulty that she recalled the name of some of the occasions and organizations she has been felicitated by. This includes, Lifetime Achievement Award in the USA,; Geetimalika Award; besides being felicitated at the Mukul Baruah Xowarani Sandhiya; at the Puroni Dinar Xowaran; or by the Sarthebari Mustibhikhya Bhoral; the Jon Tara Kalakendra, Baihata Chariali; the Moidam Borsojai Lekhika Samaroh; the Manikoot Utsav at Hajo, among numerous others. As I pore over her rich collection of photographs, bearing testimony to her illustrious career, the clouds rumble in the distant horizon. Knowing that I cannot afford to take any more of her time, I beg adieus and taking her leave, hurry off to the Bharalu bus stop. By the time I get onto the bus, it is raining already. But the chill in the air fails to affect me, for wisdom and insight gained during this one-and-a-half hour long enriching interaction with this enamouring persona, warms my heart to put up with all the coldness that abound the world.

[published in 'melange' The Sentinel]

From the Scotland of the East

She grew up amidst its pine trees and rain slippery roads. And they left an indelible mark on her.
Reminiscenting those days, when she writes—
“This wind is the language of indecision that winter speaks when it opens its slow mouth to let April in.” (“March”) or when—
“Another winter. The early dark tumbles from leaf to cherry leaf.
Buses go roaring
with their cargoes of wind. The
first orange is sour.
I walk at nightfall Dreaming my icy fingers burn your sleep-warmed cheek.” (“November Haiku”)
We are enthralled. Words as simple as these, evoking rich images and for many, memories—give us a peek into the talent out of which they pour. Poet, novelist, reviewer, essayist—one who weaves tapestries out of words and experiences, she is Anjum Hasan... winner of the Indian Review of Books Award (1994), and ( a prize in )the Outlook Picador Non-fiction Contest (2002), she was also short-listed for The Little Magazine New Writing Award in 2006. Her debut poetry collection “Street on the Hill” published by Sahitya Akademi in 2006was very well-received and her debut novel, “Lunatic in My Head”, published by Penguin India in 2007 too has won plaudits all over. Her to-be-released novel (titled Neti) is on the longlist of 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize; and that in itself is ample evidence of. her talent.
She has contributed to various publications like The Little Magazine, New Quest, Outlook, Jamini, the Hindu Literary Supplement and the Indian Review of Books. Her poems have been published variously in India and abroad in journals like “The Brown Critique”, “The Journal”, “Indian Literature”, “Chandrabhaga”, “Kavya Bharati”, “The Post-Post Modern Review”, “Heat Magazine”, “Komma”, “Critical Quarterly”, “Himal”, “Fulcrum”, “Man’s World”, and in anthologies “Reasons for Belonging: Fourteen Contemporary Indian Poets(Viking Penguin,2002) and the “Anthology of Contemporary Poetry from the Northeast” (NEHU Publications).

Yet, she comes across as amazingly simple, unassuming and a great human being. Recently, your’s truly had the opportunity of spending an interesting and enriching afternoon with this lady who has made all of North East feel proud of her.
Anjum’s parents hailed from Uttar Pradesh. Her father Noorul Hasan was a lecturer of English in the prestigious North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) and her mother Santosh Hasan a Hindi teacher at the famous Loreto Convent in Shillong. The eldest of four siblings, Anjum was born in Shillong in 1972. She did her schooling at Loreto Convent and her graduation from St.Mary’s College, Shillong with honours in Philosophy. Afterwards she pursued her Post Graduation from NEHU. However, once PG was over, she decided to move out. She says in this context--“I somehow felt I had outgrown Shillong. I had exhausted possibilites that it could offer. home though it was, I needed exposure that was unavailable here.Besides I also wanted to be independent and be on my own. Therefore I applied for a job in Indian Foundation for Arts, got the job and shifted base to Bangalore. That was ten years back.”
But before we move on to Bangalore,we feel her childhood needs a little more proding into. For wasn’t it this childhood that helped forge the writer in her?

“Very true. I consider myself indeed fortunate to have grown up in Shillong. the literary environment of the pine city helped mould me into what I am today. There were books and books all around at home as far as I can remember. My parents being teachers—fostered a literary/creative environment at home. This I think brewed the creativity within all of us kids.”

Anjum continues, “The library at NEHU was a treasure trove of books—from all over the world. In fact, though situated in one nook of the country, Shillong was highly westernised place—where one had access to the best of everything: the best books, the best of (world) music and the best of education. Its small town charms only added to its beauty. However, it was its awesome landscape that had its deepest imprint on my mind. Especially the NEHU campus back then was so pretty and green—it wasn’t full of so many concrete buildings like today. We used to go for long walks in the countryside.Also, the sort of education we received in school too went a long way in contributing to development of our personalities..”

In reminiscence still, she goes on, “As a child,I was solitary and very shy; I preferred sitting at one corner at home and read a book. Of course, as I grew up , I shed quite some of my shyness . Yet even today I retain that private space within. I am not comfortable facing the arclights all the time And that seems funny actually. For writing is something public... I mean We convey our innermost feelings and experiences through our writings that is read by the multitudes. The writer might not travel, but his/her book travels…”the voice trails off


Teeming with curiosity and ready with my barrage of questions, I put forth my next query-- she must have been writing since her childhood? “Well—yes though I have written poems from a very young age, it was from my college days that I took to poetry seriously. Actually, in the Shillong that I grew up everyone seemed to be writing poetry and some that was really good... Shillong also had a lot of poetry societies and by the time I had completed my Masters I was a regular at poetry sessions reading my poems .In fact, as I realize today, Shillong is an amazingly congenial place to be a writer.”
The transition from small town Shillong to a bustling metropolis like Bangalore must have been quite a change. “Yes--To have grown up in this small (isolated) corner of the country and then suddenly to make a transition into a big city, it was certainly a change of environment. Unlike many people my experience has never been unpleasant. Yet Bangalore can be harsh as well--I’m not denying this. Still, it much more hospitable than most cities in India . and I made some really good friends who never made me feel lonely or abandoned in the big city. Also”, after a slight pause, she continues, “had I not moved out, I suppose I couldn’t have achieved whatever bit I have managed to all these years…in many ways, it was the nostalgia and yearning for Shillong that sowed the germ of my first novel.”
What is India Foundation of Arts all about? and what does her job entail? “IFA is a Non-Governmental Organization devoted entirely to supporting the arts. It funds art projects across the country. In the North East as well it has funded a few projects. Like the Assam Museum project of digitising rare manuscripts scattered in the Vaishnavite Satras all over Assam. Or a performance project in Manipur. I was initially involved with the funding side, that entailed me to travell all over the country and meet a lot of people. That experience benefitted me immensely. Now of course I am involved as the Communications Editor. I have also edited the biannual IFA arts journal ArtsConnect. ”
Isn’t it difficult juggling work and writing? “Well I am fortunate to have understanding employers. They have given me enough space to pursue my writing and my poetry reading sessions et al without impinging upon my work.It’s a dream job really—I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
Novel writing is a fairly new medium for her. How was the experience of making that transition --from poetry to novel writing? Anjum feels it has taught her a lot. “I think there’s a greater continuity between poetry and prose than is usually imagined. Poems are more personal, while in a novel, you have to go beyond you and portray characters with which the reader can relate to. unlike a poem, the canvas of a novel is a much bigger. Further, novel writing entails a discipline while poetry is much more spontaneous.”
Her poems are written in free verse…She agrees. “I like the directness of free verse. Besides, poetry written so enables the poet to address the reader directly. While following a meter (often) brings in certain limitations, I feel. Such poetry written after the nineteenth century sounds artificial to me. At the same time it is also essential to attain a rhythm in ones compositions; the music of language should also be palpable. Through my compositions, I seek to achieve all this .”

What is or has been her greatest inspiration? “Undoubtedly, it’s my love for the English language. Besides, Shillong---with its awesome landscape, its cosmopolitanism, its literary/creative environment---has always inspired me. Above all my family--my parents and my husband Zac are my constant sources of inspiration.”


Her yet-to-be-published novel (titled Neti) (which is a sequel to “Lunatic In My Head” )is in the longlist of the 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize. How does that feel? “Of course it feels great. the sort of publicity and recognition that an award brings is something that we can never deny. Having said that—let me also add that being on the long list is an honour in itself. for me that is bigger than winning the award even. Whether it is the Man Asian or any of the awards I have won or have been nominated for, it has always been the “being nominated “ or “being on the longlist” part that has excited me the most. Because, honestly speaking I am not very comfortable in excessive media glare and with too much attention. I like to do my work silently and would rather let my work speak.”

‘Neti’ sounds an unusual title for a novel... “Well”, Anjum smiles, “Neti is a Sanskrit word. Put it simply, it means ‘not this’. So, when the character Sophie (from the novel “Lunatic” who is now grown up and goes to Bangalore), finds herself in a certain situation she would say ‘not this’. Throughout the novel, this word recurs like a mantra. there is thus a slightly nihilistic tint to the whole thing; you may call it a search for meaning. Of course, though this is a sequel ‘Neti’ can be read on its own as well. Besides, I am still in talks with publishers. I don’t know if eventually this title will be retained. But as of now— for this novel, ‘Neti’ is my title.”

Interestingly, Anjum’s sister Daisy Hasan too is a writer. Presently based in the University of Cardiff, her debut novel, too is on the long list of the Man Asian Literary Prize. That must feel great? “undoubtedly it does. My parents are absolutely thrilled . At the same time it feels a little funny as well you know—”she smiles again--her eyes a twinkle with delightful simplicity.


Anjum’s husband Zaco’yeah is a writer in his own right. “he writes in Swede.”, she informs, “ and extensively on India. He has recently written a book on Mahatma Gandhi which has been very well received. It is the first book on Gandhi to be written in that language. he is a travel writer as well. And nurtures keen interest in India and its culture. It was this interest in Indian culture that brought us together.”

Anything that she nurtures a fond desire of doing? “I want to do more of travel writing. To travel to new places, get to see its culture , learn about its people and then write all the same can be the ultimate pleasure for a writer. It is one experience that absorbs all my faculties as a writer. My husband is constantly egging me on to travel more and more often and write about those experiences.”

Any message to the budding writers from this region? “Firstly one should read widely. it is only when you read well that you can actually write . At the same time, one should be adventurous while reading. One should also endeavour to expand consciousness of ones self . While writing as well one needs to should step back a bit and view ones work. It is important to develop this perspective . However”, she stresses, “it is very important not to think of yourself as belonging to the marginal regions. Just because you write from a region lesser-traveled and lesser known by people of other parts of the world does not imply that you are inferior or at a disadvantage. People tend to stereotype you--yes; but you got to fight that. At the same time, it is also important that you write for the world at large. Whenever I have written about the North East, I have written not for its people alone, but for the world at large.”

She continues, “Today the media has grown very big and this has contributed immensely to the growth of writing. It is indeed a good time to be a writer today.”
If that be so, then is it possible to take up writing as a full time career? “Not in the initial stages. Later on, when one has established oneself., then that’s different. But I think, in the beginning, one needs to have a job.That has to complement ones creativity however , otherwise it becomes very difficult for the writer.”

When she was such a keen reader of literature, then why did she choose Philosophy in her college? “Firstly, I didn’t feel the need to be a student of English literature; I was not sure if I wanted to approach literature academically. Philosophy on the other hand enriched me immensely. It gave me a whole lot of new perspectives. For me, Philosophy is an excuse to know more about particular aspects of the world.”

Given a chance would she like to come back to Shillong?
“I have moved on. Today Bangalore is my home. I have no thoughts of “coming back” to Shillong in that way. But then again I want to retain my links with this beautiful city which has given me so much. Thankfully, my parents have settled here. So every now and then I can keep coming to Shillong—to North East.”

Before winding up the interview, as the clock ticks away, I put forth the final question in my kitty--Would she someday want to come up with a memoir of the kind of “Istanbul?”
“That will be a dream come true”she lets out a sigh, “Istanbul is such a beautiful work. However, Istanbul is an ancient city with many layers of history. Orhan Pamuk weaves it so exceedingly well---he has really set a benchmark Shillong in contrast is very young. Still...of course..may be..I might come up with something in those lines. Who knows ?No one can foretell the future..after all”

Well definitely we can’t. Yet with this glimpse into the person behind the poetic tapestries and the sweet words that swirl and enchant us, we can surely say that greater things are in store for Anjum Hasan. Here’s wishing the very best and the warmest affection to this sweet lady from the street on the hill.
(published in 'melange' , 'The Sentinel' on November 9th, 2008)