(4 Mar ‘07)
Last year was a
successful writing year for me. As I juggle job, domestic chores and then write
in whatever time I have to spare, it was a satisfying period. In the past, when
I wasn’t working, writing was a hobby. Ironically, now that I have pretty
little leisure, I consider it a parallel profession. It’s become an addiction,
a sort of catharsis. Over the years, I’ve taken to writing more fiction or
narrative non-fiction than articles. The payment that comes in from all of
these is little (freelancers will understand), but the joy is much. I have,
over the internet and in real life, made friends, acquaintances, contacts,
through writing. I’ve earned the respect of some, but most of all, I’ve learnt
to ‘think out of the box’. It’s been over two and a half decades that I’ve been
writing now, and going through my scrapbook is like going through several eras
at a glance. Great fun.
I get a daily update of
Goan news thanks to an energetic person I’ve never met, Fredrick Noronha. I
admire his perseverance and consistency in keeping alive and alert a popular
website. Like many other ‘friends’ on the net, this one is also someone I whose
mails I look forward to. This morning he sent me a write up on a library in
Saligao which has been opened in the memory of Frank Simoes. It thrilled me. If
there’s one thing I like about the area where I live in Mumbai, it’s the
libraries. They’re decrepit, run down and musty, but occupied. Run by the
municipality in peeling buildings, they’re overused. The Central Library in Goa
was a favourite haunt when I first set up home in Panjim. Through the years
when my husband had a transferable job, books travelled with us like members of
our family. Every pamphlet, second hand thriller picked up from the pavements,
was read. Nothing was considered trash. Even now, alongside heavyweight
literature, I like to browse through comics. Each plays a role in a readers’
life. Those who eat salads and soups may also enjoy ice-creams and burgers.
Why I like the idea of
this library in Saligaon is because it’s going to, I gather, combine reading
with other creative activities for an hour each evening. I hope they add on
story writing/telling by the children as we used to have at the Sane-Guruji
Kathamala in my childhood.
I guess my love for
literature began because of a neighbour, a commie union leader named Dada
Lonkar. My family gave me the books and education. He gave me a story every
evening at eight. I’d ring his bell, climb onto his bed and demand he tell me a
new story. His repertoire was seemingly endless. He drew from Sanskrit, English
and Russian authors. Or so he said. Did he make up some of those fascinating
tales? He certainly has been responsible for inspiring me. The other important
factors that contributed to my love for literature were my teachers. I owe them
so much, so much. I came from a troubled home and they stabilized my persona.
Back to Saligao. If one
can’t have neighbours like Dada, one can certainly have a substitute where
volunteers can pass on the love of the written word to the next generation. I
enjoy television. As much as I enjoy theatre or cinema. But the book has a role
to play. It allows the individual mind to form its own images. That’s what
gives it advantage over the other creative forms. Reading out one’s story can
give a child confidence of a sports’ person. The increase in vocabulary gives
expression to thoughts and emotions. The exposure to others’ thoughts gives
tolerance and understanding of other cultures.
The next time I’m in
Goa, I’m going to send across some of my books to this library.
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