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in

A little boy
Piali told me about the boy she met at the Calcutta Club in 2008. He wouldn't
have the hotdogs at the Bakery Festival. It is really a children's Christmas party
complete with Santa and presents. I remember going for the fancy dress as a
child. I think the boy had a ceremony during the year. Of course he had other
grandparents too. In fact Piali and the little man have one common pair of great
grandparents. Another ancestor used to visit our house occasionally on Sundays.
My grandfather was the host.

My Grandfather's Room
A frequent visitor on Sunday was Boro Pishemoshai. He had married my eldest
aunt. She was the daughter of a doctor who went to Iraq with the British in the
early 20th century. Their son is an engineer who was active in the VHP-America.
He was sitting in the club with his 'mama' (Piali's grandfather) nursing a beer. I
am not sure that he is in favour of temporary vegetarianism. Maybe the boy's
grandparents thought sanskar was important. One grandparent was amused back
in 1972- 'Boys do not skip', I was told.

The Wranglers
Boro Pishe had strong opinions. He commented on the news, the leaders and on
ideology. And he argued to the end. None of his brothers in law ever agreed with
him. Often he attacked the communists. The occasional visitor- our little man's
ancestor- had been to Oxford. He studied history there. And he had taught at
Rajahmundry when some of the first leftist thinkers were still in the AISF. So he
was drawn in to the debate. He was less noisy though. I saw him first in
Heathrow in 1966. His golf cap stood out.

Tradition and Beyond

The little boy may have acquired his quiet ways from that great grandfather. Piali
is an extrovert like her grandfather. Followers of the quiet Oxonian are loud in
their opposition to amulets and threads. But the little boy was in the year
following his sacred thread ceremony. Many changes indeed between the Volga
and the Ganga. That was the name of the book for which his ancestor- the
Calcutta communist was famous. My VHP cousin was explaining over his beer that
it was difficult for him to train priests for them to go to the USA!