Ekoda Nibhrita Sei Janapad by Kamal Bhowmick [Hardcover]

...or a story of a transformed Lataguri.

The dust from the wheels of tourist cars has settled on the leaves of the trees lining the roads during the tourist season. The chatter of colorful seasonal tourists has silenced the homebound birds. The old woman who used to sell whole betel nuts on betel leaves no longer comes, as evidenced by the crowded urban goods in the shops. A wooden house with a patterned tin roof is squeezed between two three-story resorts, suggesting it too should change if it wants to survive. The familiar clatter of buffalo carts loaded with logs from the jungle is gone, and the sawmills have gradually shut down one by one. The once-quiet settlement has now become the bustling tourist spot of Lataguri, and the once serene evenings are now seldom dark.

In the 'Prantakatha' series, people living on the fringes will narrate the stories of their peripheral lives. There is no compulsion for them to be writers. Their lives could be from remote villages or small towns. The narratives will be created outside the circle of Kolkata-centric place discussions. The connection to roots in a place and the unembellished storytelling style make it easier to understand the history of lesser-known places. This 'locality' is the main strength of this series, and we believe readers will warmly embrace it.