Longing, Belonging Quotes

“During dinner, the governor, Phani Bhushan Chakraborty, asked Atlee why the British had left India in such a hurry. Atlee replied that the British had left because Subhas Bose's campaign was leading to an uprising in the Indian army and the navy, and that Gandhi had a minimal role in their withdrawal. The governor mentioned this conversation in a book that he wrote later on.”
― Bishwanath Ghosh, Longing, Belonging: An Outsider at Home in Calcutta

“The empty trams, in a way, define Calcutta. That they mostly run empty means the city has long moved on; but that they continue to run despite poor patronage shows that the city, even as changing times push it into the future, finds great comfort in its past. Calcutta's eagerness to hold on to the days bygone— perhaps born out of the Bengali's inherent love for nostalgia—is what sets it apart. It's a once-upon-a-time-city.”
― Bishwanath Ghosh, Longing, Belonging: An Outsider at Home in Calcutta