[Assam] A Bowstring Winter - By Dhruba Hazarika

Mon Aug 28 22:04:44 PDT 2006

Barua,

Not sure about reviews, but the Sentinel does carry regular articles/stories
by Dhurba. There was once even an interview (I think either the AT or the
Sentinel) with him. It was a very interesting interview about him, his love
for sports, his sons etc.

--Ram

On 8/28/06, Barua25 <barua25 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>  I think it is a great news for the Assamese literary world.
> But I don't see any news paper report.
> Poor Assamese media.
> RB
>
>  ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Ram Sarangapani <assamrs at gmail.com>
> *To:* Rajiv Baruah <rajiv.baruah at usa.net>
> *Cc:* assam at assamnet.org
> *Sent:* Tuesday, August 22, 2006 8:18 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [Assam] A Bowstring Winter - By Dhruba Hazarika
>
>
> Thanks for sharing that with us. Over the years, I have seen a number of
> articles and interviews by Dhurba.
> I knew him (and his brother) from our university days. Even in those days,
> Dhurba was very outgoing and a great pleasure to to around with.
>
> --Ram
>
>
> On 8/22/06, Rajiv Baruah <rajiv.baruah at usa.net> wrote:
> >
> >  Hello All,
> >
> > I heard of "A Bowstring Winter" during my holiday in Shillong last week.
> > I mm told captures the Shillong of the 70's very accurately - I have not had
> > the chance to read it as yet.
> >
> > Dhruba and his sibling were our heroes in those days, especially his
> > brother who was a black belt in Karate - a sixth dan  I was told by another
> > kid from their neighbourhood - so that was huge. I am told he is still as
> > fit as ever, which I guess he has to be being the commandant of the India
> > Reserve Batallion in Dibrugarh.
> >
> > A book review is attached.
> >
> > **
> >
> > *A Bowstring Winter
> > Dhruba Hazarika.
> > Penguin. Pages 343. Rs 295.*
> >
> > *[image: A Bowstring Winter]D* hruba Hazarika's realistic novel is set
> > against the lush-green hills and the mist-laden mountains of Shillong. The
> > pristine silence of the valley suspended in time and space stands in direct
> > contract with violence and bloodshed in the work. The story deals with one
> > winter, the book itself being divided under the headings *November*, *
> > December* and *January*.
> >
> > John Dkhan, a teacher of political science at St Edmund's College,
> > enters into a dangerous friendship with James Kharlukhi and his gang. These
> > gangsters had connections with the bookies and made money out of
> > manipulating the number of arrows. These occasions never went unscathed
> > without incidents of violence and killing.
> >
> > Loneliness is inherent in each of the characters. Without family and
> > friends, John Dkhan craves nostalgically for a world that now existed only
> > in his mind. James Kharlukhi, an orphan and a philanderer, makes dirty money
> > and spends his entire life playing with dangers. Dor Kharkonger, who finds
> > poetry in the bow, fails to relate to a similar situation in his marriage.
> >
> > Friendship is what knitted James and his companions together: "It was
> > the code of friendship, like a bowstring: tight, like an arrow: straight."
> > The blind faith and loyalty to James lands all of them into trouble. John
> > Dkhan walked tightrope between friendship and love, guilt and justification.
> > He now finds himself a stealthy lover, a hypocrite friend and a coward with
> > no guts to face the truth. Was it James' personality that swamped his or was
> > it Jemmifer, the woman he fell for?
> >
> > The mysterious hands of destiny work their way unexpected on human
> > beings. One can try to be what one can be and if one is pulled away from it
> > by other things, then that is the way it was meant to be. John Dkhan had the
> > least premonition when he first met James that instead of holding pen and
> > paper, he would pick up a knife.
> >
> > There is an unending yearning for love. John was looking for love, but
> > instead enters a circle of violence over which he had no control. Life at
> > the Kaizang was a feast all the way until love came in, but finally when it
> > comes, it feasted on all of them. Almost all the characters are swayed by a
> > ruling passion. James Kharlukhi has a passion for danger, Charles has it for
> > hatred, Dor Kharkonger for friendship and John's for his woman. Passion
> > leads all of them into serious consequences. The book is on the whole an
> > amalgam of human instincts and emotions. The context of the work makes the
> > use of swear words necessary. The narrative is racy and the use of
> > vernacular makes it even more charming to read.
> >
> >
> >
> > AND ANOTHER
> >
> >
> >      A new novel for Shillong lovers - A Bowstring Winter by Dhruba
> > Hazarika <http://dkvblog.sulekha.com/blogs/blogdisplay.aspx?cid=52708>  A
> > Bowstring Winter by Dhruba Hazarika. A novel set in Shillong
> >
> >  by:   Dev Kumar Vasudevan<http://dkvblog.sulekha.com/blogs/blogdisplay.aspx?contributor=Dev+Kumar+Vasudevan> on May 18 2006 11:16AM in
> > Books <http://dkvblog.sulekha.com/blogs/blogcategory.aspx?catid=4796>
> > *comments rss:*
> > <http://dkvblog.sulekha.com/blogs/syndication.aspx?feedtype=blogentrycomments&cid=52708>
> >     Memories of Shillong:  Hills, clouds, rain, mist, cold, plums,
> > pineapples, oranges, good music, guitars, good clothes, faded jeans, pretty
> > girls, the Khasis, Garos, Jaintias, Assamese, Bengalis, Army, Assam Rifles,
> > Geological Survey of India, Laitumukhrah, Nongrim Hills, Nongthymmai, Spread
> > Eagle Falls, Laitkor peak, Happy Valley, Burra Bazar, Police Bazar, State
> > Central Library, Rock concerts in Laban, Dhankheti, St. Edmund's College,
> > Brother Pinto and his Alsatian.....
> >
> > For Shillong lovers and Shillong watchers (and for book lovers too). A
> > new novel set in Shillong. Just came to know about it from the *Penguin
> > India website* <http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/>*.
> >
> > **A Bowstring Winter * <http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/Books/BookDetail.asp?ID=6280> by
> > *Dhruba Hazarika. *<http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/AuthorLounge/AuthorDetail.asp?aid=3614>
> >
> > Dhruba (b. 1956, Shillong) is a product of St. Edmund's College Shillong
> > and of Guwahati University. He has won the Katha award for creative writing
> > in English in 1996.
> >
> > Looking  forward to getting a copy of this book. Will send a
> > recommendation to my online bookshop.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > assam mailing list
> > assam at assamnet.org
> > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> >
> >
> >
>  ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> assam mailing list
> assam at assamnet.org
> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.assamnet.org/pipermail/assam-assamnet.org/attachments/20060829/5464c4e2/attachment.htm>