Sthitaprajna Debadutta Kar
An introduction to the scintillating tale of
"The Muffled Screams of Buriganga"
Authors Holding My Book
An august congregation of eminent stars for my book release.
A great feeling to hold friends book
Friends, Authors, Mentors...
Similarly, India’s own Mahendra Singh Dhoni has earned his pseudonym as “captain cool” because of his unperturbed attitude that puts even a cucumber to shame. There are countless stories of cricket that can produce smiles and goosebumps. We have curated a few lesser-known stories to tickle the cricket-loving muscles of all readers.
Come… Let’s laugh and cry on our way to reliving and relishing cricket with Bails’ Tales.
BY STHITAPRAJNA DEBADUTTA KAR | SATADAL LAHIRI
Bails' Tales
Life in Cricket; Cricket in Lives
Cricket is not only a funny game, but to some extent, it is uncanny too. The game of glorious uncertainty as it is called, and it is this uncertain nature of this game that makes it most admirable and intensely followed. It is not only a clash that happens between the bat and the ball within a stadium. The flames of rivalry between opponents often spread across countries and continents. The game has grown in stature over the years to supersede the divisions of caste, creed, color, religion and ethnicity. Like many other aspects of life, cricket too has survived through wars, disasters, economic downturns, political sanctions, crime, perjury, heresy, pandemics and evolved as a major source of entertainment for the present generation.
Cricket brings about a deluge of nostalgia to old timers when radio sets and transistors were the only source to be kept updated. The names of cricketers of yore bring about sweet memories of great matches and entertaining commentaries. However, cricket is not just about the supremacy of skills in bowling and batting. The cricket ground is a active arena where many life lessons are learned; careers are made to flourish or throttled to oblivion. Where we have fairy tale narratives about the lives of Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and many others who have glorified the game of cricket and inspired thousands to take up cricket as a career, there are also dubious tales of the likes of Hansie Cronje, Lou Vincent and several others who have shamed the game. However, modern-day cricket teaches great life lessons to the seeker. The ability to strategize, out-think the opposition and put one’s character through tests of patience and perseverance is an inherent part of the game. Mike Brearley was never a great bowler or a batsman. However, his place in Team England was always secure because of his ability for astute captaincy.
BY STHITAPRAJNA DEBADUTTA KAR
Muffled Screams Of
BURIGANGA
The term “Buriganga” in the title literally means Old Ganges. The name came from the fact that it was once the last stretch of the Ganges before it merges with the Bay of Bengal through the river Dhaleswari. This course gradually shifted and ultimately lost its link with the main channel of the Ganges and was renamed the Buriganga. Once a mighty river, now is on its dying stage because of rampant pollution and dumping of industrial waste. Here it is used as a metaphor for a community that was once powerful in this region but now is marginalized and their screams of agony are suppressed.
Human tragedies should be seen as human tragedies adding no adjectives to further divide them. When we classify them according to race, gender, religion, caste, etc…then biases, prejudices, preconceived notions, and previous misgivings set in to make the tragedy even more vicious. The idea of storytelling is to compel you to think and not to agitate or titillate you. The objective of this story is no different.
Whenever and whoever tries to write a crime story based out on the Indian subcontinent, has to be very careful while choosing his/her words. As you never know which word will hurt whom. And if the crime has a communal connotation, then things can go spirally out of hand in very little time.
The plot of the book contains such a crime and a struggle to get justice for it. I have tried hard to not give it any colors that are mentioned in the above paragraph. I would also request you to read it with no undertones.
I hope you would have as much fun reading it as I had writing it.
About Sthitaprajna
When Sthitaprajna Debadutta Kar decided to start writing fiction despite his cushy and demanding job in marketing, it was because he knew that more people than his colleagues and clients needed to enjoy his rare gift of storytelling. Hailing from a simple, God fearing, and well-read family of Cuttack in the heritage state of Odisha, he found unbridled joy in any literary work ranging from Tintin to Tolstoy and Archie to Archer. His vivid imagination brings his characters to life on paper. Writing fiction comes so naturally to him that he detests calling it merely his passion. ”Muffled Screams Of Buriganga” is his second creation after his last “Thank You I.R.”, which was widely appreciated by readers. Switching from the comfortable (yet complicated) genre of romance, Sthitaprajna tries his hands at a twisted thriller with this piece of work.
When he is not cooped up weaving literary pieces in his study, he loves to travel and is also an avid quizzer. He lives with his wife and son who, in his own words, are his pillars of strength and sources of inspiration.
Other Books
Thank You I.R.
A fast-paced love story of two people who were destined to meet, but not before lots of drama. It is the story of their journey, a journey from the Jungles of Malkangiri to Jagannath Temple of Puri. From gallis of Katwaria Sarai to by-lanes of Bollywood. From Maoists to music, from trains to tribals. And throughout this intriguing journey, a major role is played by the Indian Railways. So Thank you I.R.