I have been listening to a lot of authors and journalists discuss how the milieu in which they grew shaped them. And I was reflecting on my own growing up days in cantonment areas which are like a township away from town.
When I used to stay in Hakimpet, one of the Air Force stations where baba was posted. The main gate of our quarters was almost 2 - 3 km from the last bus stop and there was a semi broken road which we had to traverse to reach. We were asked not to cycle that path after dark. This was the 70's so cycles were the default mode of travel or walk.
I remember just after the gate there was a gurdwara, a masjid and a mandir - done in typical defence style, Of course we were regulars in langars and times when prasad was given in the mandir. Religion was not even in our radar - our introduction to religion at that age was food. Of course teasing a sikh person for their pug was a common prank we played without any malice.
My love for reading came from my father who was a voracious reader of Bangla novels and books - more than that he was a wonderful storyteller. With no TV or mobiles - most of the time was spent outdoors playing something or the other.
Our school library was stocked with the basics - Hardy Boys, Famous Five etc. Apart from that it was all based on exchange between friends.
There was an Air Force Library which had a fiction section - but what I liked the most were books on UFO & fascination for the unknown. There were no external / govt libraries which I could visit.
Train journeys spread over 5- 6 days were time for persuading your parents to buy some books. I think I had read some Col Ranjeet (Hindi) books and James Hadley Chase (in hindi) - which I had to hide from my parents.
Another big factor was personal - being the only child I could burrow myself in a corner and be lost in my own world. Which is even the case now - with the kids out to make their own life, I have gone back in time to relive my childhood.
I am mostly what I am because of what I have experienced through reading, whether it is philosophy of Ayan Rand or the travelogue book on Siberia & Japan I read or Murakami. I am tempted to say that Rand, Stephen Covey & Sri Sri Ravi Shankar are 3 people who had a huge influence on my outlook & it’s true - This probably will be a stock answer in an interview, but when I look back I attribute it to a phase of my life - youth - work - emotional setback.
We don’t in general give importance to the fiction we read - it’s a story to be read and forgotten but a lot of my understanding of society and its effect on people comes from these books, especially those which are steeped in history, regional translations - Indian & international. Many times I would read the book and learn about the country or state / region about its history and culture or an event like the Vietnam war (for Vietnamese) or slavery.
My choice of books is governed a lot by those like Persepolis & Vanni, both graphic novels which gave me an understanding of Iran & the Tamil conflict in Sri Lanka. I also crave for Bangla translations which helps me understand the Kolkata of the past.
Day 25: 200 words/day challenge: 582 words
Postscript: https://bit.ly/3cw2i8Y Blossoms in Bangalore is one of the places for book lovers across Bangalore (past n present) to congregate, it’s a labyrinth of books mostly second hand. Last time I picked a book which was bought in 19 72. Click the link to read about Square books and how it’s nurtured readers and writers. The New Yorker publishes a few of the best articles which I have ever read. Enjoy.
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