The boatman of Sundarban
Irrawady Dolphins have been calling me since Ghosh wrote ‘Hungry Tide’. I finally managed to visit Sundarbans, many months after the almost-sequel ‘Gun Island’. I did not see any dolphins but saw many other fascinating beings, including our boat man. Every day, we set out on a steamer ride and watched the water go down, exposing the roots of the mangroves in a very spectacular, and sometimes eerie, manner. By the time we came back the roots would go under water – the short trees standing out of the river, as though they’d gone in for a quick dip. Boat man lived in a neighbouring village, had studied till class 10 before joining this resort and was an Amitav Ghosh fan. He didn’t speak English or Hindi so I tried translating his stories to the rest of our gang, real time. Bon-bibi and Shah Junglee, Collared Kingfisher and Estuarine Crocodile, Bee keepers, how the tiger survives the salty water. He knew it all and after some time I stopped translating. I realised the gang was just st...