Mark Tully, the celebrated BBC journalist and one of the most perceptive chroniclers of India, died earlier this month. Long before he became synonymous with nuanced, empathetic reporting on the country, Tully had already formed a personal bond with it, spending five formative years of his childhood in Darjeeling during the Second World War. I…
Once in a while, we come across people who make us pause, think, and question the ways of the world. Bidyut-da is one such person. I spent some time with him last month, and since then have been meaning to share my thoughts about the pleasant autumn afternoon. Finally, here it is. Bidyut Roy is…
Hill Cart Chronicles–Post #5 Welcome to Hill Cart Chatter, a monthly feature under Hill Cart Chronicles. In this space, I chat with people who live—or have lived—in Siliguri. They might be born here, or they might have moved here and never gone back. Some may now live elsewhere, but their hearts still beat for this ever-changing,…
Cafe the Twins and Chhimeki collaborate to organise Analogue Connect monthly, a unique initiative to promote digital detox. Earlier this month, I found myself on a rather unusual panel at Analogue Connect, a monthly gathering at Café the Twins in Salbari, aimed at digital detox. (Aside: This café, run by my dear friend Lekha, is…
Hill Cart Chronicles–Post #4 Today is Nepali Language Recognition Day, a day that marks the recognition of Nepali as one of India’s scheduled languages. It is a day of pride for millions of Nepali-speaking people in the country—a celebration of their literature, culture, and identity.But whenever this day comes around, I cannot help but think…
Read more On Nepali Language Day, Remembering Siliguri’s Fragile Unity
Hill Cart Chronicles–Post #2 “When the rains started on a Saturday, we’d say it would last a week. If it began on a Tuesday, it would go on for three days.” That’s how 90-year-old Suhas Basu of Subhash Pally described the monsoons of his youth. Back then, Siliguri saw two seasons, he said—rainy season and…
Hill Cart Chronicles–Post #1 As part of my ongoing research into Siliguri’s past and present, I recently visited Siliguri Town Station—the original railhead that once marked the beginning of this town’s story. Accompanying me was Raj Basu, or Rajda, as many of us fondly call him. A phenomenal figure in the field of tourism and…
Read more The Forgotten First Stop: A Visit to Siliguri Town Station
Something exciting is brewing—and I can finally share it. My very first book, a biography for children on Ganju Lama, is at the printers! If all goes well, it should be out by the end of this month, or next month. And I’m still processing the fact that I’ve just written a book. This journey began…
On May 1 this year, I received an invitation to attend the celebration of 139th International Labour Day at Longview Tea Estate. I wasn’t quite feeling well and there was a lot to do, but it was an opportunity I did not want to pass. So, I joined a bunch of lively young members of…
This is indeed a terribly late post. Last year, after a very long time, I got to see my byline on the Himal Southasian, the magazine that I have huge, huge respect for. An editor reached out to me wondering if I could write a review essay on the recent works of fiction that were…
Anuradha Sharma 