Mahendra Lal Dutt

As the Calcutta Confusion faithful will know, I had found myself in Trieste in June 2013 to attend a James Joyce summer-school. On one particular occasion, when I'd gone off for a casual stroll around late evening (I think), I realised that I had been caught in a dreadfully strong wind. The previous day someone at the school had mentioned the Bora (same root word as the Borea) and I had recalled Marlowe's lines, "Stand staggering like a quivering aspen-leaf/ Fearing the force of Boreas' boisterous blasts!" (Tamburlaine the Great, II.iv). Ah Marlowe. Umbrellas (for there was a light but sharp drizzle accompanying the wind) were being upturned left, right and centre. Many of those umbrellas had been built to suit that particular clime. Only my umbrella was unyielding, and as the Mahendra Lal Dutt tag caught my eye, I felt I could as well have been holding in my hands there some flag-like item of community pride.

Today while reading the truly remarkable adventures of Bimal Mukhopadhyay, who set out in December 1926 along with three friends to travel the world on their bicycles, I came across this passage, and the conviction of Bhabani Dutt won me over. Remember, that they are already carrying on their bicycles metal trunks attached at the back, haversacks, and some fire-arms.

We lost track of the number of things we received as gifts along the way. Bhabani Dutt, who was then the owner of Mahendralal Dutt’s umbrella company, was a dear friend of mine. He was convinced that one of his umbrellas would protect us from the terrible heat of the desert. In those days, umbrellas were a considerable weight! (Du chakae duniya, p. 10)