In addition to being a distinguished author, Goutam Dutta has a strong interest in riding and travelling. His works "High on the Hills" and "Glimpses of Life" exemplify what it means to be a truly free spirit. Let's ask him about his recent journey.
Q1) Being a Traveler – you believe that “Travelling is an essence of life “. What are your life changing experiences while travelling?
Ans : Travelling is all about assimilating the experiences gained to become a more experienced person. One may recall that after his return to India and before embarking on his political journey, Gandhiji had spent a year travelling through the length and breadth of the country. His travel helped him to gain valuable insight about the country and made him aware of the plight of the people whom he wanted to serve. While this is an era of the internet and one can get access to all the data at the click of a button, it is still essential to travel as there can be no better way to improve empathy quotient; an essential element for making the world more humane. Empathy develops with people contact, reliving experiences in company of others and ultimately goes towards developing better human beings.
Life changing experiences occur in plenty during travel. Some leave an indelible mark while some simply remain etched in memory, to be savoured at later dates and occasions. “There is enough in this world to fulfil human needs but not enough to fulfill our greed”. Mahatma Gandhi's words find special significance in this modern-day world where consumerism and capitalism rule every human life. Travelling to remote, far-off places in India provides insight that possibly all is not lost. The rustic population, living away from the city still provide plenty of examples of how to live a happy, contented life without being consumed by the greed of possessing latest gadgets and clothes.
At Dalim bustee in Dalimtar, Mr Deo Prakash Rai of Sudip Homestay regaled us with the story of legendary Lepcha King Paeno Gabyo Achok. Sitting around a roaring fire, his storytelling ability held us spellbound for almost 2 hours and reminded us that there are much better ways to spend time fruitfully than staring at the mobile phone’s screen. Not even for once during the period of his story-telling did we feel the urge to check our mobiles. No wonder organisations are beginning to note the power of story telling for effective communication purposes.
Then there is nature, which is unobtrusive, though beautiful for all those who choose to revel in its hues and moods. Nature can turn fierce and menacing at the drop of a hat. While we were resting at Kopidara during our motorcycle ride through Hills of Bengal, the weather turned adverse in the evening. The sky became overcast, the wind turned into a shrieking banshee and the temperature plummeted drastically to send us scurrying indoors. It was the day of wolf moon and with approaching dusk the weather slowly calmed down and changed. Then, at the horizon, a coppery red moon rose over Darjeeling town, bathing the whole area in a magical glow. Despite the chill, it drew us out of our rooms and we stood wonderstruck, gazing at the beauty that nature had dished out in front of us.
Q2) “High on the Hills” is a book written by you . Tell us about what inspired you to curate the book ?
Ans : High on the Hills is a book about journeys...there are two journeys that I made, the experience of which I have penned down as this book. My friend who runs an adventure tourism business proposed to me one day, of touring the hills of North Bengal on a motorcycle. While it was interesting, it scared me initially; having had quit riding a motorcycle 20 years back. So the first journey, which is the first part of the book, was a journey of sorts-to re-discover my courage, my motor-cycling skills and my self-belief. It was this journey, of diving into the depths of my mind to seek out the courage to undertake this adventure, which I felt was worth sharing with others. Hence the inspiration behind my book “High on the Hills”.
The second part of the book is of course the journey that I, along with a few other 50+ like-minded individuals, made through the hills of North Bengal. We touched some beautiful, off beat places like Todey, Dalimtar, Takdah, Beesh mile, Megitar, etc. Every place had its own uniqueness and the book is about the way it touched us and enriched us. Our country is vast and unity in diversity is at its core of existence. This book is my attempt to take my readers along with me so that they can savour this diversity of our great country.
Q3) You know about the corporate life busy schedule. In corporates the office goers rarely have time to work. How is this affecting their schedule and mind?
Ans : Writing is a passion for me and any work done out of passion doesn’t tax the mind or the body. Hence my writing doesn’t affect my work schedule or my other commitments in life. I write whenever and wherever I can. I tend to write when I am waiting outside an office for a corporate meeting or even while waiting for a public transport. I am sometimes penning away my thoughts while having my lunch at work or even before going to bed. It is not at all taxing; on the contrary it is a great stress buster for me and sometimes works to relax me of some anxiety.
Q4) Tell us about a beautiful place that you visited recently ?
Ans : I would like to mention about a weekend destination not far from our place of residence. A small hamlet barely 35 Kms from the bustling fringes of the metropolis Kolkata, Sundargram, in Bengali, literally means a beautiful village. The quaint resort by the same name is set amidst rice fields that was full of near ripe paddy when we had visited. Prediction of a cyclonic storm that was set to approach in two days time had ensured a Ruby red sunset that splashed the horizon with shades of pink that held us captivated for a long time. A stiff barmy breeze occasionally rustled the heads of stocks of paddy, coloured golden with near ripe grains. With darkness gaining in opacity post sunset, we noticed the rice fields had been set alight all of a sudden, as if someone had sprayed the whole expanse with miniature bulbs that glittered in a synchronization of its own. Those, we realised then, were fireflies, which took flight after a few moments and turned the darkness around us into a magical, dream-like space. It is a sight that will perhaps remain etched in my memory for a long time to come.
Q5) Are their any books that you have been looking forward to writing ?
Ans : In Dec 2021 I had made a trip to Mechuka, a beautiful quaint village in the north central Arunachal Pradesh and close to the Chinese border. This trip too was on a motorcycle, riding with a few friends. We started off from Dibrugarh on a hired bike and when we reached Mechuka, we were wonderstruck by the natural beauty of the place. Having obtained permission from the army, we rode to the last frontier, manned by the ITBP personnel. Barely 20 Kms away was the border and hence it was practically a No-man’s land; a reason possibly for nature to blossom un-tampered and leaving us mesmerized. My next book, which is also going to be a travelogue, would be all about this.
Wonderfully written!
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