Dutta promotes Indian culture

Joyeeta Dutta Ray, Contributor, Jakarta

Arup Kumar Dutta is a man of few words.

Ask him to speak about himself and he is left groping for words. But ask him to speak on literature or culture and a stream of eloquence pours forth.

Jawharlal Nehru Indian Cultural Centre (JNICC) culture director Arup Kumar Dutta has been uprooted from the place he loves best, behind his books, and offered a seat at the helm of cultural affairs in Jakarta.

As an internationally acclaimed writer, penning books that have been recognized as classics, it's a role that, many agree, does him justice.

Says Rupa Dutta, his wife and a painter, his books have been translated into several languages, namely German, Japanese, Russian, Hungarian and Czech. Two of his works have been brought out in Japanese Braille and recommended for compulsory reading in Japanese schools. Three have won national awards and been developed into films."

What makes his works so prized? "Sometimes thorough research provides unexpected dividends for a writer" Arup Dutta states simply.

What he doesn't mention is his sensitivity, which makes him stand up for a cause with committed honesty.

Arup Dutta's spacious home in Jakarta reflects his vast vision. The desire to be a writer took seed early in life.

Born in Jorhat in the lush, northeastern Indian state of Assam, he completed his schooling at a prestigious boarding school in the hills of the Himalayas, spending most of his holidays in his humble hometown, watching rhinos graze.

"On one such trip, I happened to spot a rhino bleeding to death" he says, touching upon the reason behind his sensitivity. "The rhino is often poached for its horn, famed for its medicinal properties. Here was a rhino in front of me, its horn gruesomely ripped off, abandoned to die a bloody death. As a boy of just nine, the sight made a profound impression on me" he reminisces.

"The plight of animals and people in Assam made me take an unusual decision soon after I acquired my master's degree in literature from Delhi University. I decided to return to my birthplace to do something for my state instead of rushing to prove my merit in the Indian administrative services as my parents had dreamed," he says.

Although his family was sorely disappointed, Arup Dutta says he found a deep sense of fulfillment.

"When you stay away, home comes closer to the heart. The underdevelopment in Assam struck a deep chord in me. I felt I had to do what I could for the place I loved".

A paragraph in one of his books The Brahmaputra, which was released in 2001 by then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, elaborates his passionate views on Assam more aptly:

"The northeast (of India) is politically a hypersensitive zone. Colonial exploitation of its resources had impoverished this once-prosperous region; floods of increasing intensity have ensured that the agricultural sector remains perpetually backward.

"Its neglect during the post-Independence era has exacerbated the sense of alienation from the mainstream among the people, feeding secessionist aspirations and tendencies. Economic development of this region is the sole panacea through which the feeling of alienation can be removed."

As Arup Dutta went on to serve as a professor in English in JB College, Jorhat, he armed himself with the might of the pen to make his voice heard through articles and columns in journals and newspapers.

In 1978 he wrote Kaziranga Trail for youngsters. Based on his view, "the rhino bothers no one and no one bothers it. But it does have an enemy -- man", the story revolved around the plight of poached rhinos in the Kaziranga sanctuary and the adventures of three teenaged boys and their elephant in pursuit of the culprits.

"The book clicked far beyond my expectations", he says. It won him a national award among several other laurels.

In 1982, with an award from the journalists welfare foundation which took him to Europe and the U.K, Arup Dutta finally came into the literary limelight and ventured into full-time writing.

His penchant for meticulous research and documentation won him assignments to script compilations on diverse subjects. Many of his works have been acclaimed as veritable theses for researchers worldwide.

"Cha Garam- A Story About Tea is used as a reference book by researchers in the USA Rupa Dutta cites as an example.

"Unicornis is another such example. It's apparent that Arup Dutta feels deeply for the endangered Indian rhino judging by his extensive coverage on the subject.

In his own words, "The Indian rhino is not only under researched, it is also an animal about which much that is false and fanciful has been written ... my objective in writing on it is to acquaint the lay reader with its history, genetic characteristics, habitat ... and the reasons that have pushed it to the brink of extinction ... If today we create conditions that will entail the extinction of this animal, tomorrow conditions might be created that will see the extinction of mankind too. If my book can convey this simple truth, my labors would be amply compensated".

His desire to stand up for the downtrodden is apparent from this excerpt from an interview: "Though I never deliberately model characters on people I have met, I often draw upon traits and behavior that I have observed in people. For instance, during my days as a lecturer I had a blind student who punched notes in Braille and requested me to speak slowly. The relationship I developed with him helped me appreciate the viewpoint of the blind, and formed the basis for my book The Blind Witness. The book went on to become another national award winner.

Arup Kumar Dutta's published works cover a wide range of topics from environmental degradation, to elephant-trapping, cave exploration and drug trafficking. Firsthand knowledge of such subjects is essential for him.

"For instance in `Revenge' I stayed with the Khami tribe in Arunachal Pradesh, the far eastern corner of India, to learn about their way of life and how they trap elephants" he says.

His commitment, foresight and sincerity are evident in his plans for JNICC as well. "Soon the center will soon undergo a facelift.

Plans have been sanctioned to renovate the building to garner more participation" he says. "Exposing one another to each other's cultures goes a long way in promoting friendship and understanding. A new, updated library is also on the way along with soundproof dance and music rooms."

Arup Dutta stresses the importance of a well-stocked library even in this day of the Internet. "No amount of net surfing can equal the wealth of knowledge browsing through books can provide."

The extensive data in his journals are testimony to this. Educated long before the days of the computer, libraries were an invaluable source of information. "The Internet provides very basic information. Comprehensive knowledge can only come through volumes of books by assorted authors" he said.

To some, his views may be old-fashioned. To others, he is a man of conviction. But who are we to argue? As author of books that have found pride of place in the Literature of the World series published by the Asahi Shimbun Japanese newspaper, his works stand side by side noted Indian legends Ruskin Bond and Satyajit Ray.

Arup Kumar Dutta's modest demeanor conceals his meritorious career. In a crowd, he may be easily lost. But in the world of literature, there's no denying how tall he stands.