Let It Be

If it's your blessing glowing bright
Amid my grief’s darkest night –
Let it be;

If only death brings me near
Your death-less sphere –
Let it be;

If it’s for my pain to burn
To light up my prayers’ urn,
Let it be;

If it’s only my tearful eye
Can see how loved am I,
Let it be.


- A translation from a popular Bengalee song

My Mother

My mother died. At a fighting fit 58, after a painless illness lasting an hour, a ‘mild’ stroke according to Doctors, she did not even give me a chance to say Good Bye.

She was great, like every other mother. She built our lives – bit by bit – and protected all of us.

For me, she allowed the freedom that I wanted – to move around, to live a life without commitments. She made me what I am, every bit, and gave me the best time of her life, without asking for anything in return.

I grieve. Like every other death, I am grieving for myself – for the bits that die with her, for the wishes that will never become true again, for the dreams I must get over with.

But, I bid her a happy farewell. She lived a full life, and she left it full. She had great parents who loved her, and a great husband who loved her too. She tossed up the challenge to me and my brother and sister to become great sons and daughter too – may be we failed, may be we made her happy, something we will always keep wondering.

I know again I failed, and here is my second coming. And my failure is complete now, irrevocably, irreparably.

Another Election in Bengal

This is just another election in Bengal - with outcomes decided, little excitement outside the party offices and minds of the candidates. Yes, no watersheds this time, with an ever-going-on administration and an ever-going-on opposition, bored voters and probably a bored election commission too!

This is no battle of ideas. Yes, you can call this a battle of illusions. Everyone is exaggerating their case, everyone trying to make one final point - with the irony that the audience already knows all of it and the outcome.

Left Front singing 'industrialization' and Mamta blaming 'power game' - it is a farce in the order of the day. There are interesting changes, yes. For example, the administration can not blame the center anymore, though they are trying to find holes - if you can't pull Manmohan down, at least you can blame Bush!

For Mamta, this is another chance to prove that she is the best thing that has happened to the Left Front! She is directionless, opposition-for-opposition sake, friendless, a raving Looney speaking to her own image on the mirror! The Congress decimated, a BJP baseless, CPIM has to fight another election against itself and must fulfill its role of dragging Bengal into new depths of despair.

Amen!