It started with a personal letter to my friend. I was in Stockholm that time and it was almost end of my first (May be last) abroad stays. In childhood days my parents used to travel a lot. At least twice a year. That time while coming back I used to feel heavy hearted with almost having no intention to come back. In those days Kolkata meant school, studies and what I hate most (even today) ; daily routine. Then there was a long gap. Lately I started traveling again- this time with my wife. Now that feeling of coming back has changed. It is almost like a fun to come back also. A weekend trip, change of mood and then come back and start work, plan for next trip again.
But Stockholm was different. I never felt like coming back. I wish I could stay forever. I can echo what my US manager told while attending a call from Stockholm.”Chhandak, enjoy tour trip and I wish each second in your trip you spend like a hour. Have most out of it”. Anyways, that time passed so quickly and almost at the end day of travel I got my childhood feelings back. That time I wrote a letter to one of my very few close friends and still waiting for a reply. So this time it is for much bigger audience.
Have you ever listened to "Jamaica farewell" by Hary Bella Fonte. If not, just listen to it now. You have missed something great in your life. It is very simple song. Someone went to Kingston, Jamaica and now he is coming back to Mexico. But he doesn’t want to come back and is still missing someone in Jamaica. No big deal.. no dictionary cracking words. A simple song -
"But I'm sad to say, I'm on my way
Won't be back for many a day
My heart is down, my head is turning around
I had to leave a little girl in Kingston town"
Now we have a Bengali version of it by Ranjan Prasad. You must have listened that couple of times. It is also a beautiful song. "KON SUDUR SE SWAPNOPUR". But the funny part is, though it is just a Bengali adaptation of original Jamaica Farewell, still the main essence of the song got changed. Here it is more like someone is missing his hometown and someone is waiting eagerly there for him. I always found it very funny. No hard feelings both are equally good and each has full right to have his own interpretation. But I always hunted by the question why he changed the essence. This lyrics is something like
"KON SUDUR SE SWAPNOPUR
MOR MON JE GAI GHARE PHERAR SUR
MOR PATH CHEYE AJO SEI MEYE
SWAPNO JAL BONE GAAN GEYE"
I have grown up with Mujtaba ALi's writing. Later on found some answer there. As per Ali Saheb, Rabindranath has seen snow fall at least 600 times in his life. But never wrote a single song or poem on Snowfall, whereas his songs are dominated by rain. Might be he didn't want to write something which common Bengali people have never witnessed. As per Ali Shaheb it is a calculative move. Now don’t chase me on this. Entire responsibility should be taken by Ali Saheb. Bengalis often feel less secure when someone brings slightest criticism about "Thakur". Though I feel it is not a criticism at all - A sheer observation. And I am the last person to talk about Rabindranath as I know him mostly through by School book or by Ali Saheb. But we have much bigger question here. Did Ranjan Prasad also chose the same line???? He put the song in way common Bengali people would like to appreciate???
Now already you should be enough offended and almost thinking of stop reading it (If not already stopped). What is the point I am trying to bring in ??
I have seen tons of movies where people are desperate to come back to their own nations. Most bollywood flims shot in abroad but never fail to add a hint of "deshprem" sentiment to it. Just remember Kajol’s character in "KKKG". I don't know how close to reality those are. I never had been to abroad for so long.
But this write-up is all about what I have seen when I was there in Stockholm. I have seen a good number of African populations, mostly came from Somalia. I think Sweden has a refugee law or something which allows people to come from those war devasted countries. One afternoon, while walking with my wife we have seen a family on the footpath. It definitely is a very rare picture in Stockholm. They had lots of baggage around. One aged lady was sitting in traditional African dress and young women arranging their stuffs, must be immigrated from some other place recently..just waiting to move local residence. There I have seen 2-3 kids were playing around. How happy they were. Their eyes were glowing. It was an awesome scene. I always believe, when you see other people happy their happiness gets transferred to you. I pray to god a happy peaceful bright future for them.
This is the story all about. If the movie Swadesh is just made on reality then this is the other part of it. Over the centuries people have crossed the boundary just for a better life. I am very weak in history but what I could remember thousands of people broke a wall for a better standard of living. Yes, the great Berlin Wall. You can’t stop people with boundaries. I believe one in every 5 Indian will leave their current obligations for a H1B . That is the hard reality. EU is skeptical about adding Turkey to Schengen VISA because they expect a huge number of migrations from there. Immigration is the biggest problem US and UK, both admit. But in 3% of world land how you can restrict 18% of world population (INDIA) to live. People will try to spread in.
Now-a-days more and more Bengalis are adding in Bangalore. Most of them are construction worker. I met one of them in bus. I just curiously asked “from Bengal ?” A minute of silence and then replied Bangladesh and stopped talking to me realizing he told something unofficial. But before talking to me he has happily chatting with someone over phone.
This write up is all about this happiness. The Happiness I have seen in the face of that African child and this Bangladeshi friend. Can someone translate the “Jamaican farewell” song in Bengali once again, keeping this happiness in mind.
