Review by Souvik Mukherjee in Biblio
Chitralekha Basu’s
translation of Hootum Pecha’r Naksha brings a classic of Bengali satire to
international audiences. The original written in 1860 by Kaliprasanna Sinha in
the persona of Hootum is a series of sketches (Bengali: naksha) about
Calcutta’s festivals and fairs; its people; random rumours and significant
events in Indian history. Sinha spares no one and British colonial masters and
Bengali peers are treated alike. The prodigal Bengali babu, typifying the
rising educated middle classes and their degenerate tastes is seen as the
epitome of the forces of cultural decline. Bathing the Goddess Durga in hot
water instead of the holy water from the Ganges, indulging in frequent bouts of
drinking, spending exorbitant amounts on trinkets and an insincere but
fashionable association with the Young Bengal movement or the Brahmo Samaj
seemed to be the chief traits of the Calcutta babudom. Similarly, Hootum
attacks the colonial British indigo planters and their racist corruption. In
the course of this commentary, the reader is taken to different parts of
19th-century Calcutta, jostling the festival crowd on foot and steering clear
of the litter or racing through the streets in elegant broughams and britzkas.
Read full review at http://biblio-india.org/showart.asp?inv=17&mp=JF13
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