Editorial by Debasish Gooptu
For those of us who grew up in India, Holi or Doljatra occupies a special place in our memories. We remember it as an occasion for joyous celebration, when Nature bursts into a riot of colors with the advent of spring. We fondly recall the red and pink abir that we sprinkled on one another, the gulal and attar, the colored mixtures of green, yellow and lavender. Unfortunately, the weather in Chicago does not permit us to celebrate this festivity. In fact, on the day of Holi this year, Chicago was covered under several inches of snow. BAGC member, Bakul Banerjee’s poem ‘Lantana Field’, evokes these nostalgic memories of the Indian Vasant and the vibrant colors of Holi. We print this beautiful poem here for your enjoyment.
The scholarly world mourns the loss of Professor Edward C. Dimock, Professor Emeritus of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. Professor Dimock was the pioneer of the study of Bengali language and culture in the United States. Due to his efforts and influence, Bengali is now taught at a number of major American universities. In recognition of his research and work on Bengali literature, the Indian government awarded Professor Dimock the title of Desikottama in 1992. Professor Dimock was the President of the American Institute of Indian Studies and Chairperson of the South Asia Department. In addition to these administrative responsibilities, he wrote many books and scholarly articles. He also mentored a large number of graduate students.
I was fortunate to be one of these students in the 70s and 80s. As my graduate advisor, teacher, and guide, I have always had the greatest respect for him. But, not caring for formalities or position, he asked his students to call him either Ed or Cam (the abbreviation of his middle name). I called him “Ed,” so that is how I will refer to him.
I first heard Ed lecture in the autumn quarter of 1972, when I was a sophomore at the University. His lecture was a part of the Indian Civilization course sequence. The topic was “ Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the Vaisnava Faith and Movement in Bengal.” Ed walked into the classroom, his hair gray even back then. Smiling, he went over to the blackboard and wrote the kamabija mantra in Bengali characters, filling the entire blackboard. He then explained that this kamabija mantra and the names of Krishna were very important parts of Vaisnava faith and practice. Although the kamabija mantra had no meaning as a word, it was full of meaning for the Vaisnavas, who considered it to be not different from Krishna Himself. I listened to Ed’s deep voice with its East coast accent, and his elegant choice of words. I was totally fascinated by the subject matter and his presentation. In retrospect, I can see that this lecture started me down the path that has led to wherever I am today. After the lecture, I went out and purchased his book, The Place of the Hidden Moon, and read it cover to cover, preferring it to the Calculus assignment that was due the next day. Later in the course sequence, he lectured on other aspects of Bengali literature, with great charm and charisma.
A few years later, I took a course taught by Ed entitled “Intensive Study of a Religious Text” in which we studied the Chaitanya Charitamrita (abbreviated CC) of Krishnadasa Kaviraja. When the CC class was announced, I saw that it was a course only for graduate students. I was still an undergraduate, but I thought that maybe I could persuade Ed to let me take the class. After a half hour meeting, he said, “There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t take this course,” and immediately wrote a letter to the Dean, clearing the way. This was the first of many times in the following years that I would stumble over obstacles and Ed would step in to save me. The class was absolutely wonderful. It was certainly one of the best classes of my undergraduate education. In class after class, I felt that vast vistas of beauty, truth, and cultural history were being revealed to my eyes. Ed had a way of motivating and exciting the entire class. Although just an undergraduate, I read everything I could find on Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the religious movement inspired by Him. In one class, Ed started to discuss Jagannath and the temple culture of Puri. During his lecture, he said, “I wish that I had a picture of the Jagannath image with me so that I could show you how he looks.” Without saying anything, I reached into my backpack and handed him a picture of Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra. He looked astonished and asked, “Do you usually carry things like this in your backpack?” “Yes, it’s better than insurance,” I said and he laughed his characteristic hearty laugh—full of life and straight from the heart.
In the following year, I entered graduate school and asked Ed to be my advisor, to which he graciously consented. During my studies with him, I learned that the CC was a very big part of Ed’s life and academic career. While doing research for his dissertation and subsequent book The Place of the Hidden Moon in the late 50’s and early 60s, Ed studied the CC and became convinced of its literary, philosophical, and historical value. During this time he, started to work on a translation of the CC. This was a big undertaking, since the CC has approximately 18 thousand verses in Sanskrit and medieval Bengali. Earlier in the twentieth century, several Bengalis had translated portions of the CC into English. At the time Ed started his translation, there had been only one complete translation into English. Ed wanted to not only translate the text, but also to provide a complete scholarly apparatus, so that the Western academic community could understand the historical and religious context of the CC. He worked on this translation for over thirty years. Progress was slow because he worked on many other projects during this time, and he kept rereading the text and refining his translation. His students were privileged to be able to read various “incarnations” of the translation. For years, Ed told us that the translation was almost done and would soon be sent to the publisher. During this time, I also remember that he would always talk about working on his boat at his ancestral home at Cape Code. This boat was almost ready to go out to sea, but it needed just a little more work. It seemed to me that, like tinkering on his boat, Ed derived joy from translating, refining, and thinking about the text. Despite becoming sick with cancer in the eighties, he continued to work on the CC, determined to complete his big project. By Thakur’s grace, Ed’s determination, and the help of his student, Professor Tony K. Stewart, the book was finally published in the Harvard Oriental Series in 2000, just a little more than six months before his departure from this world. The CC is the first Bengali work to appear in the Harvard Oriental Series.
Ed would teach for nine months in a year. As soon as the grades were turned in for spring quarter, he would drive non-stop to his home at Cape Code. He would spend the summer doing research and working on his boat that was always almost ready to go to sea, but not quite. Every few weeks he would drive back non-stop to Chicago to take care of administrative matters. Afterwards, he would drive back non-stop to the Cape. His family members would join him, all following their own schedules of coming and going back and forth between the Cape and Hyde Park. Once he asked if I would take care of his house in Hyde Park over the summer. I happily agreed, since I would have access to one of the finest collections of Bengali books in the West. Ed had thousands of books in practically every room on all three levels of his house. During his many years of living in Kolkata, Ed had built a library that contained many rare books, especially on Bengali Vaisnavism. That summer was a real Shangri-La for me. I would study in Ed's library, reading his books or working on my Masters Paper, until very late at night. I would sleep for a few hours and then have breakfast with his collection of Jamini Roy paintings. After working at my job in the library, I would return to his house, eat dinner, and go up to his study on the third floor, starting the cycle over. Periodically, Ed would return from the Cape, arriving at all hours. We would talk about Bengali culture, my research, and his boat.
Ed was a man of the sea. Perhaps he liked Bengal so much because its river culture appealed to his love of boating and open waters. At heart, he was a sailor. As a Midwesterner, this was a mystery to me. But his love of the sea manifested in so many ways. Some days he would come into his office wearing a navy blue pea coat and stocking cap, looking more like a sailor on shore leave rather than a famous professor. When he became ill with cancer, he coped with the pain by building a skiff in a spare bedroom on the third floor of his house. When I was in Bangla Desh, I purchased a carved wooden model of a boat that was used to transport goods to the market in early times. To me, it looked like a barge with oars and a sail. When I presented it to him in his home, he was absolutely delighted, and placed it on the mantle over his fireplace. His boat at the Cape was his friend and companion.
Ed was the best mentor that anyone could have had. He had a great wisdom and an enthusiasm for studying Bengal. He treated his students like friends and colleagues, caring deeply about them. In my own life, I owe so much to his guidance and support. Thanks to him, I was able to study in Kolkata in 1977, which led to meeting my future wife. Thus, even the faces of my children remind me everyday about how much he has done for me. He was a great scholar, wonderful human being, teacher, poet, sailor, and lover of books. He is, and will always be, missed by those whose lives he touched.
White fields of today are filled by dead silence of snow, whipped up by fierce wind. Stubborn young oak stands waiting for spring and another cycle of birth, yet holding on to its old coat of brown leaves, cannot let go, dreaming of acorns yet to come for many years, spreading roots beyond the snowline. You live far, far away from here, away from my time, my place, my list of meaningless tasks but our memories always converge to the limits of our childhood under hidden roots touching times and places and chores. We rolled down the emerald meadow with the silver bezel of a sparse road dotted by hand carts, pushed by patient people, perfumed by roasted corns on the glowing fire of charcoal. We played hide and seek around neat rounds of shrubs with prolific flowers, but with no name, scratchy leaves holding possible poisons to protect those brilliant colors of crimson red, cadmium yellow, magenta, and lavender. You made me mad, sucking the honey from the flowers, just teasing me. I did beat you up with the scare of poison on my mind. Later, we walked past the bamboo grove of our childhood kicking shallow roots, but not the passive snakes under our feet, the rhythm of Kerosene lantern illuminating swinging tree fairies. The wick, trimmed neatly by our mother, dared not to spew up soot as it drank the foul fuel. In the darkness, I wished to name the flower with invisible roots shooting for ever to live and making memories for me and perhaps for you. It is invasive Lantana, I found out today, waiting for humming birds to drink from their numerous cups of honey From now on, Lantana will live forever under my white field of snow.
We are proud to announce, that in appreciation of their exceptional commitment to provide voluntary service to the Cook County community, BAGC members Manjushree and Ananta Ghosh have been selected by Mayor Richard M. Daley to receive the prestigious Cook County Sheriff’s Senior Medal of Honor Award . The ceremony will be held at the Chicago Cultural Center on April 18, 2001. The award is given to senior citizens throughout Cook County who best represent the spirit of volunteerism.
Congratulations to Professor Biswanath Datta, of Northern Illinois University, for being selected to receive a Presidential Research Professorship for the four year period, July 2001 through June 2004. After the four years, Prof. Datta will thereafter hold the title of Distinguished Research Professor. This is the highest honor awarded to a researcher in the NIU in recognition of past accomplishments and current renown. The selection is made on a university-wide competition, based on the recommendation of a committee of 13 members who are past recipients of the award.
BAGC member, Dr. Satyendra Ghosh of Mount Prospect, was a member of the expert team of seismologists and structural engineers that recently visited India for a first hand evaluation of the earthquake in Gujarat. The team was from the Mid-America Earthquake Research Center based in Illinois.
Dr. Ghosh’s expertise in the arena of earthquake engineering is internationally recognized and his technical evaluation of the earthquakes provides important lessons.
Congratulations to Subir and Devipriya Roy, Kalyan and Rekha Maitra, and to Pranab and Indira Bhattacharya on their respective silver wedding anniversaries
The BAGC Community was saddened at the sudden demise of Dr. Sanat Dhar on February 9, 2001, following a brief illness. We offer our sincere condolences to his family.
President's Message
by Amitava Deb
In response to the concerns raised in the President’s message in our last issue regarding monitoring of youth during BAGC events, we received letters from several members identifying the causes of the problem and proposing some constructive suggestions as long term solutions. Because of limitations of space, we are not able to publish each article in its entirety. However, we have compiled the salient points and presented them below. While engaging security staff may be a short term solution, we feel that further exploration of the proposals suggested below may help us gain greater participation from the youth members and provide a long-term solution in eliminating disruptive and destructive behavior. …(Editors).
Jyoti & Indrani Mondal: “ We would like to make some suggestions that could possibly help alleviate/avoid some of the embarrassing situations mentioned in the (President’s) letter.
We need to be more realistic in our expectations. As the President mentioned, the total number of participants in various events has not only increased, the mix of participants will also become an ever-changing variable. It is impossible to monitor every situation and know exact facts. The President cannot possibly educate and remind everyone each year at every event about the consequences. To the best of my knowledge we as adults attend the various BAGC events to have some fun away from the stress of work and demands of family life…We tend to seek temporary relief from our kids. Many of us choose not to worry about our kids for a few hours. Our kids on the other hand grow to relish this temporary freedom from parental control and outlet their energies in various forms (not necessarily acceptable to us). Though we as parents feel hurt (sentimentally and culturally) when our kids refuse to sit at the auditorium and watch BAGC cultural programs , we fail to recognize the fact that our kids cannot quite connect to that wave-length. In order to improve the present situation, we suggest that BAGC executive committee members and youth leaders may consider initiating parallel youth programs of alternative interest (with youth leadership under energetic parental guidance, but not interference) to keep community kids happily engaged.
The format of BAGC events may need change and expansion, simply because the needs of the community are changing and expanding. To me, this change would be most effective if conducted by the youth themselves. Youth leaders may communicate with youth members in trying to investigate kids’ suggestions about how they want to spend their time when their parents are at BAGC events. The youth need to be given some freedom in choosing their own topics and programs.
Let us channellize and utilize their energy to help build good future leaders. If they have no idle time chances are they will not involve themselves in unruly unacceptable behavior. Let’s not cry foul if all the kids of our community don’t sing like we sing, talk like we talk and think like we think. With time they will be able to make connections and help our culture evolve.
Subham Sanyal: “For any organization to survive, remain active and expand, it is essential that its supply of fresh blood gets renewed constantly, flowing actively through its arteries giving renewed vigor, energy and activity to it. Societies, clubs and associations have stood the test of time, only when they have been successful in inducting young new members who enjoy the same activities and value system of the organization.
We can be proud that the BAGC has remained united and the primary organization of the Bengali community in the Chicago land region for twenty-five years. However, I do perceive a symptom in our BAGC too, which ultimately might cause its degeneration over the years. And that is an alienation and un-involvement of our younger generation in BAGC activities and functions.
Many of us, as parents, may not bother much about our children not accompanying us to a BAGC function or remain contented letting them play outside in their own groups rather than watch a stage event or religious ceremony. We have a laissez faire attitude: to each his own interests.
This nonchalance does have a short and long run impact though. In the short run we have experienced ‘unsupervised’ children damaging school property, presenting an image of unruliness and hooliganism to the critical outsider and finally even indulging in unlawful activity which has cost us the privilege of renting an excellent facility. But in the long run , we may be losing even more! Think of thirty, twenty or even ten years hence…These young children, grown up to adults by then, would have a minimal sense of belonging and affiliation to an organization where they find very little interest and relation to their newly acquired culture.
But can we really blame our young children for their estrangement? Can we blame them for running around and playing in the compound instead of watching a cultural show? In my perception, the BAGC events are forums of get-togethers of adults and shows that primarily cater to interests and involvement of adult members of the community. [I do commend the efforts of many of our cultural and sports secretaries (especially in the recent past) to get more involvement of young children in the cultural shows.] But we need to develop more sustained interest by our youth in the BAGC and its activities.
If we can generate enough activities in our BAGC functions (maybe even as side activities) which have a direct interest to our young members they would get more and more involved in BAGC and its functions. These could be sports activities, indoor sports competitions, youth oriented quizzes and word games, debates, video shows, discotheques etc.
I can suggest a couple of courses to resolve this: 1. Group Discussion forums as a side activity in our events to brainstorm on this and other community related issues. It would be good to involve the youth themselves in such a discussion panel. 2. Suggestion and Opinion Polls conducted by Samaj Sangbad and subsequently discussed by the Executive Committee. I am positive that if we as a community come up with a creative solution, we can make the youth as much a part of BAGC functions as the ‘grown-ups’ are and ensure the flow of young blood through our growing vibrant organization.”
Amarto Bhattacharyya (Grade 5):“There are a few reasons why parents do not keep their children with them during BAGC events. First, many parents have friends. During the "adda marra" part of BAGC events, parents do not want their children tagging along every moment. Many times the parents would just find a friend of the child and leave them alone. Many times this leads to accidents/trouble. Also, during the cultural programs, children do not want to watch the plays, songs, and dances, etc. While all the parents are in the auditorium children fool around in the main room. Moreover, many children have lots of energy but they do not have anything to do. Many times they need to blow off some steam.
To stop any possible trouble, there are a few things that can be done. Most parents would like to bring kids to these functions. Not bringing kids is not a solution. Parents can usually take care of babies and toddlers. The problem is with kids aged 5 to 18.
There is not one solution that will solve the entire problem. There are 2 different type of age groups, pre-teenagers and teenagers. We can keep these pre-teens busy by doing many things. First, we can engage them in activities such as drawing competitions, karaoke, board games, etc. Also, we could rent movies and have kids watch movies. For the teenagers aged 13 - 18, we could also have the movies. Also we could include music from a DJ or a dance for children with no adults. This would keep the peace and also children would have fun.
There are a few things we could do with both age groups. For example, we could rent a part of a field or to rent a gym where kids can play soccer, basketball, etc., and do whatever they wanted without any trouble. Some parents, adults, or older kids may have to volunteer to watch kids. A gym or field would be a good alternative for both older and younger kids.
As you can see, there are many things we can do to prevent trouble at BAGC events. If we can do these things, I think there will be no trouble and children will have fun.”
Neil Chatterjee (Grade 6): “Every year, the BAGC holds mainly six events that allow us to meet and interact with other members of the community. Three of these events are based on our religious festivities. As a member of the BAGC, my family and I love to attend all of these occasions. I believe that many people in the community enjoy these revels also. Most of these events start from morning and last until night. During these long hours, I have noticed that most of the children run out of things to do. This often leads them to boredom and they engage in activities that are fun to them but not necessarily perceived as appropriate by adults. To engage children to constructive activities, I have listed some suggestions that were discussed by my peers and me.
In prior years, the BAGC held youth discussions in which children would gather together to learn and talk about religion and various other interesting topics. I used to attend these meetings and I thought they were very effective and fun-filled learning experiences. Later they were dropped from the BAGC agenda. I believe we should re-establish youth meetings so children become more interested and involved in meaningful activities.
The most recognized idea that children think would have the most impact is different sports events. Most facilities where the BAGC functions occur have a gymnasium. The Executive Committee could think of renting the gym for the children’s activities such as: basketball, volleyball and other sports. If the facility doesn’t have a gym, the Committee might consider providing an assigned area for children activities. Indoor sporting equipment should also be available, so kids will be able to play inside if the weather and the facility do not permit them to play outside.
Another idea is to provide music systems/audio for children of all ages, including karaoke, and on occasions DJs. Many of my peers have expressed to me that karaoke would occupy time in a fun and convenient way. We should also allow children to bring their own musical instruments to play music for fun.
The younger children, of ages seven and younger, frequently become restless when their activities are limited. To keep them occupied, BAGC supplies these children with crayons and paper. Sometimes, the kids end up with sitters having to look after them while coloring or drawing. This may not be fun for both the children and the sitter. I have heard numerous complaints about this issue. Possible solutions to this matter could be giving fun toys such as Play-Doh, Lego, and other things they could engage their time in and perhaps a nice, fun-filled movie to keep entertained.
During the last Saraswati Puja, two officers were invited to look after the kids of the BAGC. Though nothing went wrong many kids disagree with this course of action. I believe that the officers were a restriction for the kids to have a fun time. By keeping the children busy with the possible ideas I have listed, there would be no need for the officers to limit the children’s amount of enjoyment.
I feel the members of the Executive Committee should consider making a subcommittee for the children’s activities in BAGC functions. This subcommittee should be able to solve today’s problem by providing organized youth activities.
Every year in August, the BAGC has organized Children’s Day. This is a wonderful event in which adults come to listen to their children perform. I have attended Children’s Day for numerous years. It is a lot of fun for all of the kids, but I’ve also noticed that it is not getting the proper attention it deserves. I have seen equipment shortages, unclean stages and less and less people coming to observe the wonderful abilities of the younger generation. I think that the BAGC should pay proper attention into this event, along with the parents. Without the audience, children lose enthusiasm and their desire to perform. With the proper encouragement from elders, children will have an even better time and will want to attend more BAGC functions.
The problems that exist today can be easily fixed with a little help from the adults. I ask the BAGC Executive Committee and the adults of the community to consider some of these requests that we children believe would eliminate the predicament that is present today.”