sanghamitra chakraborty

I have recently gone through Michelle Obama's Becoming.The philosophy of the book is so engrossing.Journey of life of a person begins from a starting point. Then his/her family ,neighborhood,environment and education guide and lead him/her towards his/her growing which can be better termed as that person's becoming.That person then reaches a point.But his / her real growing or becoming is not over.Becoming or growing is a life-long process.Michelle Obama herself has said that she is an ordinary person who found herself on an extraordinary journey.This journey has been made possible by her sharp intellect,talent,perseverance, tolerance , determination , resilience,firmness and strength as well as coolness of mind and above all a deep sense of duty, respect and empathy to others.Her journey of life has also been made possible by her capability to adapt herself to every situation of life.Born in a very ordinary family, floating in different currents of life, she anchored herself for eight years as First Lady in White House ,one of the most powerful seats of the world.After eight years, Barack Obama's presidentship being over ,she and her family settled themselves in a new house, about two miles away from their old house. She then reminisces .One evening she was all alone in her new house.She felt hungry.She made cheese and toast and went to the backyard. A dog started to bark somewhere in the distance and her own dogs paused to listen seemingly confused.Michelle felt their confusion . They were not habituated to other dogs'barking as there was no neighborhood in the white house. A few months ago secret service agents were on their toes for 24 hours just out side their bedrooms armed with modernized weapons.Now she is all alone except for a group of guards sitting inside the garage.Now she would go to her bedroom and enjoy the spring air coming through the open window.How glorious that would be! This is what is called life.Life changes its course so often like a river and human beings have to adapt themselves constantly to that new course of life. Becoming is not only a story of success.It is a story of going beyond the adversities of life by facing obstacles of life boldly , strongly , humanely , resiliently.In this context we are reminded of the story of Michelle's father Fraser Robinson.In spite of his severe attack of multiple Scelerosis he never bowed down to it.When asked by Michelle how he was feeling, his answer was obviously thesame. . I feel good.He always despised self pity.Michelle got comfort from his voice.It was sustaining , like oxygen to her .Her mother Marian Robinson also is an extraordinary woman.she was all support to her. So was her elder brother Craig.He was so protective to her all the time.In this way Becoming is also a story of relationship in different layers-relationship with parents, sibling ,grandparents ,extended family ,friends,colleagues,WhiteHouse employees and above all with her two daughters and husband Barack Obama.In every line with pounds and pounds of love, care ,warmth and respect Michelle has unfolded this extraordinary story of relationship. It touches us to the core of our hearts. It fills our eyes with tears of joy and sorrow. It lifts us from the humdrum of daily life, from the meanness of life.Really the book has a fairy-tale like quality. At the end of the book Michelle Obama has said she has tried to open the door to others.We should make ourselves known and heard to others and we should also have the grace in being willing to know and hear others.And this for Michelle is how we become.Truly this is called Becoming. My deepest respect to Michelle Obama.

The story of the HungryTide by Amitabh Ghosh has an aesthetic value providing a psychological relief through the release of the pent-up strong emotions at the end of the book,it being a tale of intense feeling and passion. The two main protagonists of the story, Piya, an American and cetologist and Fakir, the local fisherman are tied to each other by an unusual, unseen flow of feelings. They make least verbal communication with each other due to language barrier, yet a soft touch, a single look make them speak a volume. Their relationship is as pristine as the flowing river upon which they are sailing.Every object of nature mesmerizes them equally, be it the mist on the river at dawn, the play of sunshine on the river, the setting of the sun or the rainbow around the moon at night.Piya is charmed by the ethereal song sung by Fakir.Though she cannot understand the meaning , the song touches the chord of her innermost heart.Their another common bonding is their passion for the Irrawadi dolphins For Piya Orcaella Brevirostris is the subject of her research as well as the passion for her life.Irrawadi dolphins also have a special place in Fakir's life.He knows every creek and Gulley where the dolphins come regularly at a particular time during ebb-tide in their respective pools and takes Piya there. To Fakir they are the messengers of Bonbibi, the prevailing benevolent deity of Sundarbon as told to him by his mother Kusum.In death too Fakir is tied to Piya. When the storm raises Fakir somehow anchors his boat at Garjontala , fastens himself with the sari of Moyna , his wife with Piya on a tree - trunk to brave the raging storm and saves Piya from impending death at the expense of his own life.It is so touching when Piya pours drops of water on Fakir's lips when he finally finishes his last worldly sail on the river of life uttering the names of Moyna , his wife and Tutul, his five years old son. Moyna is sensitive enough to gauge the deep undercurrent of this transcendental bonding. Juxtaposed with them stands Kanai, the urbane, updated linguist harboring a care -free attitude towards women yet sensitive and poetic at heart.He develops a strange feeling towards Piya.Piya also shares with him some experiences with him so far remaining undisclosed to anyone. This is to this sensitive Kanai that his uncle Nirmal , an idealist confides through a letter the deepest secret of his life long after his death , the secret even his social worker wife Nilima working at Lucibari does not know.The political upheaval at Morichjhapi in Sundarbons becomes a catalytic agent to the storyline. The book gives such a vivid description of the surroundings it seems we are smelling the scent of the shrubs, feeling the muddy soil under our feet, sailing through the river,watching the playfulness of the dolphins all by ourselves...in short we sense the whole nature.The language of the book is steeped in poetry. The poems of Reiner Maria Rilke and the songs of Dukhey and Bonbibi are woven with the same ease in the intricate texture of the book. We are on the verge of tears going through them. We can go a long way to read a book of this stature.

The story of A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry is haunting me.The end is devastating , shattering.It is the tale of four unlikely persons (Dina,Manek,Om,Isvar) related to each other by an unseen thread of love.The philosophy of the story is so touching.The secret of survival is to balance finely hope and despair.But most often we can't do so.Our balance of life tilts and we trip and are lost. Some embrace physical death ,some live half-alive.The story reminds me of Greek tragedy where Fate is destiny....all powerful Fate, a determining , deciding factor controlling human life and leading it to an inevitable and ruthless end. While reading the book it seemed to me Life against the backdrop of the Emergency of India in1975 is the decisive factor of the main characters here....actually Time itself ,the turbulent Time during Emergency is the main protagonist here.Time is the puppeteer.... human beings are mere puppets in its hand.Logic in human mind restrains one from such illogical ideas of fate and destiny....yet something unavoidable happens in human life and helpless human beings fall from the balance of life so finely measured by them lest it becomes lopsided by uneven share of hope and despair, joy and sorrow.In this book humour and pathos go hand in hand.The funny events depicted in the story bring smile to our lips at the expense of tears to our eyes. One thought revealed in the book touched my heart to the core.There is nothing like happy memories....memories are always sad.No doubt happy memories make us smile.But at the same time they fill our eyes with tears.I will remember the book till the end of my life.

The book is excellent. The author has rightly said Nature does not offer us any reward.Nature itself is a reward.It gives quietude, solace to our restless mind.Violence bows down before the magnificent solitude of nature.We feel awed at the magnitude of the tall trees.Again we make friendship with the shrubs and bushes who are more or less of same height as us.The language is as simple and poetic as dewdrops.The book refreshes us, energizes us just as the Mother Earth is cooled and rejuvenated by first April shower.This book has sustained me through my troubled days. Thank you Ruskin Bond.