Unlike their counterparts in the medical profession and
in the army, hardcore police officers are scarcely known to achieve major
success in writing. Erich Maria Remarque of Germany had produced his best
selling war novel 'All Quiet on the Western Front' on the basis of first-hand
experience of fighting in the first world war as a high school boy.We have many
others like Ernest Hemingway who won nobel prize for his celebrated novel 'For
whom the bell tolls' based on his direct experiences of the Spanish civil war
in the middle and late thirties of the last century.
This long-winded preface seems to be in order in the context of a lucidly written diary work penned by Tripura's assistant inspector general of police (AIGP), Arindam Nath . The prevalent belief that long stint in police service tends to make people negativist is belied by Nath's 278-page book 'I Adore'. The short-story like episodes and anecdotes recapitulated all through the book are all based on Nath's direct experience in the course of life . Thus, while posted as commandant of TSR battalion (5th ) in Daluma in the interiors of then rebel-infested Amarpur subdivision, Arindam had encountered two Bhubans-one 'Havildar' named Bhuvan Sarkar and the other a rifleman named Bhuvan Dhar.Bhuvan Sarkar had been a confirmed alocoholic and would very often shirk important duties ,inviting the wrath of authorities . But whenever he sniffed trouble he would call his wife from Agartala who would go round begging for mercy from the officers because dismissal from service would also lead to deprivation in pension . Somehow he managed to escape punishment before retiring within two years but when Arindam Nath met him again near his police quarter at Agartala he was a metamophosed man , a dedicated family man who would cultivate fresh vegetables within his sprawling residence nearby. The second Bhuban-that is Bhuban Dhar- was addicted to 'Marijuana' and was dismissed from service at one stage for dereliction of duty. But much to his astonishment Arindam learned from Bhuban's deserted first wife that he had married again, reducing her to starvation . she was given the job of a domestic help for survivial and now her son has cleared Madhyamik. This is the theme of the very first story 'A tale of two Bhubans'.
Nath's discerning eyes also caught sight of the abundance of superstition and paranoid fear among his acquaintances and colleagues while lodging in the government police headquarter at A.D.Nagar. Nestled then in a desolate corner of the town, the quiet quarter complex had a sprawling undulating land in front, left-over of an abandoned tea garden. A mysterious moving light in the field at night would scare all the residents of the quarter complex who developed the conviction that a ghost had been let loose. It was not before a week that a daring constable Tarapada Roy who lived across the road one night waylaid the moving light and found the middle-aged man holding it to universal relief. 'The Bhuter Alo' story ended then and there.
But 'Infatuation' based on a trivial day-to-day incident remains etched in his memory. One of author's friends Deepak got stuck up in a traffic jam in his car as a procession taking the idol of goddess 'Basanti' for immersion was on . A particularly beautiful girl caught Deepak's eyes with her dark blue and wide eyes and vivacious giggling . Deepak came to his senses when the traffic moved on again but he wistfully kept on gazing at the girl weighing the pros and cons of having her as wife when he was jolted by the thought of his wife anxiously awaiting him at home.
There are altogether 102 such episodical stories gleaned from day-to-day experience of life but all are lucid and enjoyable to read . The style however resembles the one followed by late stalwat of Bengali literature Sunil Gangopadhyaya in the latter's 'Neel Lohit ' series. But Nath's refreshing style and direct rendition make them eminently readable and caught the imagination of readers of Agartala Book Fair. His better half Dr Paramita Biswas has done a brilliant cover page photo which symbolises the variety of the content inside. Chennai's 'Notgion Press' has acquitted itself very well in producing the sleek volume of 'I adore'.The book from a no-nonsense and fanatically honest police officer is a refreshing contrast from the run-of-the-mill pre-book fair releases every year.
This long-winded preface seems to be in order in the context of a lucidly written diary work penned by Tripura's assistant inspector general of police (AIGP), Arindam Nath . The prevalent belief that long stint in police service tends to make people negativist is belied by Nath's 278-page book 'I Adore'. The short-story like episodes and anecdotes recapitulated all through the book are all based on Nath's direct experience in the course of life . Thus, while posted as commandant of TSR battalion (5th ) in Daluma in the interiors of then rebel-infested Amarpur subdivision, Arindam had encountered two Bhubans-one 'Havildar' named Bhuvan Sarkar and the other a rifleman named Bhuvan Dhar.Bhuvan Sarkar had been a confirmed alocoholic and would very often shirk important duties ,inviting the wrath of authorities . But whenever he sniffed trouble he would call his wife from Agartala who would go round begging for mercy from the officers because dismissal from service would also lead to deprivation in pension . Somehow he managed to escape punishment before retiring within two years but when Arindam Nath met him again near his police quarter at Agartala he was a metamophosed man , a dedicated family man who would cultivate fresh vegetables within his sprawling residence nearby. The second Bhuban-that is Bhuban Dhar- was addicted to 'Marijuana' and was dismissed from service at one stage for dereliction of duty. But much to his astonishment Arindam learned from Bhuban's deserted first wife that he had married again, reducing her to starvation . she was given the job of a domestic help for survivial and now her son has cleared Madhyamik. This is the theme of the very first story 'A tale of two Bhubans'.
Nath's discerning eyes also caught sight of the abundance of superstition and paranoid fear among his acquaintances and colleagues while lodging in the government police headquarter at A.D.Nagar. Nestled then in a desolate corner of the town, the quiet quarter complex had a sprawling undulating land in front, left-over of an abandoned tea garden. A mysterious moving light in the field at night would scare all the residents of the quarter complex who developed the conviction that a ghost had been let loose. It was not before a week that a daring constable Tarapada Roy who lived across the road one night waylaid the moving light and found the middle-aged man holding it to universal relief. 'The Bhuter Alo' story ended then and there.
But 'Infatuation' based on a trivial day-to-day incident remains etched in his memory. One of author's friends Deepak got stuck up in a traffic jam in his car as a procession taking the idol of goddess 'Basanti' for immersion was on . A particularly beautiful girl caught Deepak's eyes with her dark blue and wide eyes and vivacious giggling . Deepak came to his senses when the traffic moved on again but he wistfully kept on gazing at the girl weighing the pros and cons of having her as wife when he was jolted by the thought of his wife anxiously awaiting him at home.
There are altogether 102 such episodical stories gleaned from day-to-day experience of life but all are lucid and enjoyable to read . The style however resembles the one followed by late stalwat of Bengali literature Sunil Gangopadhyaya in the latter's 'Neel Lohit ' series. But Nath's refreshing style and direct rendition make them eminently readable and caught the imagination of readers of Agartala Book Fair. His better half Dr Paramita Biswas has done a brilliant cover page photo which symbolises the variety of the content inside. Chennai's 'Notgion Press' has acquitted itself very well in producing the sleek volume of 'I adore'.The book from a no-nonsense and fanatically honest police officer is a refreshing contrast from the run-of-the-mill pre-book fair releases every year.
