BAUDOLINO

An Umberto Eco novel. The first few pages I had to struggle so much with, that I had doubt if I could finish it. But then I began to like Baudolino, the protagonist.

This novel is about kings, wars, civilizations, religions set in ancient world. Who cares about these things, I told myself. But Eco's style attracted me, and I found him more and more readable. I liked such phrases as "He would shit in his pants" "The heat cooked his buttock".

But I have still to figure out why Eco wrote down the novel at all. No big story. Plenty of dud philosophy. Sometimes it feels like an adventure story. But what is the insight of it all? Does it make any sense?

I'm still continuing with the novel: one chapter each day. Let us hope I would get at its worthiness after I go through it.
MRINAL BOSE

FOR GOOD JOURNALISM?

Rajdeep Sardesai, the star reporter of NDTV, a well-known Indian 24-hour news channel, has left it to get his own news channel. He says he has to do it for the sake of good journalism.

Why an explanation?

These days new TV channels are coming up almost every month. They are plain clones of the existing ones with nothing new to offer. It looks like starting a TV channel is the simplest job today, and you can do it if you have money, and a little connection.

Some time ago Rajat Sharma, a newspaper journalist-turned-TV-personality, came up with his own channel called India TV. Dull and limping ever since its inception, it is now trying to thrive on tasteless sleazy stories involving film stars and politicians.

Of course, Rajdeep is different: he is a solid and savvy reporter who can hook up audience with his sharp and bold take on any event or politician. But can he play the same role when he has to function as the owner of a channel as well?
MRINAL BOSE

BENGALI NEW YEAR

It's the first day of the new Bengali year 1412. Although few Bengalis really care about this calender - more so in these days of globalisation - they would celebrate it anyway if only as a statement of their identity on the world map.

Each and every Bengali channel - there are so many nowadays, and the list is growing each day - comes up with its fare comprising of familiar faces from the world of Bengali music, film and even literature. Not that all these programmes are good, but they are somehow watchable because of their presentation, sanctimonious though, of Bengali culture which had once upon a time a distinct quality.

Like everything, the Bengali culture is also in the process of being cannibalised by globalisation these days. Today, it's difficult to distinguish Bengalis from other communities. Bengalis are no longer proud of its rich and clourful tradition.

It's just on this day that they like to call themselves Bengali.

MRINAL BOSE

SOMNATH OR MANABI

Somnath was handsome, fair, intelligent, educated (a college teacher, no less), cultured with tastes in literature and music, and a relentless fighter for his transexual identity. But the society, Bengali society in this case, looked upon him as kind of fun, but put up with his life style in its liberal way.

But all hell broke loose when he changed to Manabi, a female, with medical help. Her college refused to allow him to teach. Logic: it recruited a male, not a female, for the post. Her landlord ordered her to vacate. Logic: she would vitiate the milieu.

But Manabi, being true to her conviction, went ahead, and now married a young man called Abhijit Pahari, and began to live like a Bengali woman. Her dresses and make-up were meticulous, and you can hardly tell she was not a natural woman.

But the saga apparently ends on a sorry note. Abhijit has fled, and she is left in the lurch.

A Bengali TV channel recently telecast the episode in two instalments. My heart goes out to this fellow, and I find myself sympathising her. But she needs to be more circumspect and practical now.

MRINAL BOSE