My inspiration!

Whenever I roll back to history, a time beyond my very existence in this world. I try to imagine all the amazing things that happened. The world has always dealt with its share of challenges no matter what the era or time period. A society coming to a stable existence, the struggle, the pain, the yearning, the dream, the loss of hope and birth of another, the relief, the laughter, the love, the kindness and much more, it all framed the stories of those who came before us lived the life and left a legacy or a lesson.

Despite everything, I always know there has always been space for some good to always bloom even into the darkest parts of time and people made it happen.

When I think of all the people back then, I try to imagine the moments of their thoughts, what were they doing exactly when that particular thought emerged for the very first time which decided not only their own personalities and way of lives, but also the very world around them, be it small or big. Did it happen when someone stared at the river, or when someone experienced suffering or did it happen because the seed was already laid by another and the thought was waiting to bloom through another generation. A lot of happenings, a lot of moments, a long history to dwell in.

Historical figures are intriguing. Various men and women from different walks of life, did what they felt was right, up to different extents, with different will and inspirations, and they marked their presence in this world for reasons on various levels of being right or wrong. They were the representative of their era, their time, the culture and activities that existed in various corners of life. The situations they dealt with or the dreams they weaved, it made a difference. They are also markers of human existence or evolution throughout the existence of humankind.

The figure from history who remains my favourite is someone who has been very close to me, my grandfather. He was a journalist, and also the closest link to history I lived with and learnt from. In his years of prime, when the means of communication were still under development, the requirements of his profession took him to numerous places. He interacted with what always seemed to me an endless list of people, and was able to experience different sides of life. A lot of those people were everyday people and a lot were people of high prominence in the society. All through his life he kept on learning more and more, not through any website but through his experiences of life itself, which I can say without a doubt was a lot. I always felt there was no better way to learn of history than from someone who has lived it, and when it was from a veteran journalist, it was a treasure trove. What was regular news reporting for him was a story of adventure to me.

His achievements are many, but what truly mattered to me was his every smiling face and the ability to find the beauty in life. Although I have heard a lot of his stories and experiences which are a history to me and others of my generation, I can only imagine what a young journalist of that time had in mind with a profession which allowed him to have a closer look at things which are a thing of distant past today.

– Anuran Chatterji