East Himalaya

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Teesta, the Grandmother's Story

Kamalika, an energetic and young journalist from Kolkata, India set out to find the story of Teesta. There are few people who are biased about Teesta and she is one of them, grieved with the loss of her beauty due to ecological disturbances.When she reached home, she found out that there were more stories at home from her 86 years old grandmother. 
Kamalika's email: kamalikasengupta90@gmail.com

Thakumar Jhuli Part I
86 years old Bina Sengupta sitting in her dingy south Kolkata residence still remembers her childhood days in Rangpur, Bangladesh. She still believes that Rangpur is the best place on this earth. From Elephant and horse rally in Tajhat, a palace in Rangpur which was then British administrative office, everything became alive as this Octogenarian narrated her story. Bina was fondly called Binu and she had two sisters and two brothers. She was the youngest and that is why she was notorious and the most loved in the family. Binu’s father was Station Master in Kokrajhar Railway Station in Assam. Binu says “It was only three hour journey from Rangpur and we use to enjoy our weekends sometimes in Rangpur and sometimes in Kokrajhar. But partition broke everything; my father left his job and came to Kolkata”. Her eyes filled with tears and the pain of the partition changed her mood. She said “nobody asked my father and mother or us that, were we interested to go to Kolkata? but we were forced. Sitting here in 2012 you will not understand, how in one day it was ordered that the place where we were staying for ages, it was told that place is not ours rather that is now a different country”, everything seem standstill. It seems that agony of partition was still there in her. 
Picture of Binu at her young age when she had to leave her favourite River Teesta...

She again started again after holding for few minutes, Rangpur, is known for many Swadeshi Movement, she boosted that she was somehow related to famous freedom fighter Fhani majumder. Her Brother who is also her best friend, Bulu was a revolutionary. She laughed and told me that she was very much afraid when she came to know that Bulu is involved in revolutionary activities. All the secrets meetings of the revolutionaries, they use to hold in Newsenpara of Rangpur. But as Binu’s father made her understand that Bulu was not doing anything wrong, she was convinced. That is why when Bulu was arrested by British police, she was not afraid...rather she was happy…
How Binu use to celebrate Tajhut Elephant rally…what happened in Rangpur during her marriage….continued in next series… 


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