Vol. II. Issue. III September 2011 - The Criterion: An International ...

www.the-criterion.com The Criterion: An International Journal in English ISSN 0976-8165
transformed by the magic spell of an evening power-cut. And Chaudhuri
perceptively adds that:
If there had been no power-cut, or if it had still been light, the
maidan, needless to say, would have throbbed with its own din
and activity (Chaudhuri, 49).
The novelist also gives a hint of the magic spells that an evening power-cut
casts over the people of Calcutta when he says:
But the darkness had brought a strange lethargy and even peace
to these otherwise highly strung men and women, and there
was a perceptible sense of release, as if time was oozing by,
and the world happening elsewhere (Chaudhuri, 49).
Poetic reflection apart, the author, however, is often critical of the
government for the frequent and tedious power-cuts in the city. This he
denotes through an incident that happens in Chapter 12 of the novel. It was
around eleven thirty in one morning when Sandeep’s Chhotomama had a heart
attack even as he “was planning to take a late bus to work” (Chaudhuri, 90).
When the other members of the family were trying to give him relief before
taking him to the hospital, “There was a [sudden] power-cut”, which made the
patient’s condition more critical. Sandeep’s mother went on constantly fanning
“her brother with a newspaper” (Chaudhuri, 91), but the situation became so
insufferable that they all began to criticize the government “for its inability to
rectify the power shortage” (Chaudhuri, 91) in the city. Historically, it was on
30 th May 1899, that is over one hundred and twelve years back from today,
that electricity began to be supplied for domestic consumption in the city of
Calcutta (Cathcal.com, May, 2008). That a period of a century and a decade is
not sufficient for a developing metropolis like Calcutta to meet the
requirement of power is a sad reflection of our capabilities. That this is a
haunting issue for Chaudhuri is revealed in the last chapter of the novel which
is entitled “Coolness,” which begins with the words: “THE POWER-CUT had
begun at seven in the morning. Now it was twelve” (Chaudhuri, 173). The
author’s use of capital letters in the words, “THE POWER-CUT” denotes his
virtual protest against the nonchalant attitude of the authority towards this
problematic issue of the city. It is true that in almost every reference to powercut
in the novel, the author more or less tries to romanticize the situation, but
here he clearly indicates that he has a serious apprehension too for this
problem.
Drooping Condition of the Calcutta Telephones:
Amit Chaudhuri’s observation on the indescribably poor condition of
the telecommunication department in the city of Calcutta especially during the
80s and 90s of the last century has also been very critically represented in A
Strange and Sublime Address. Since its birth, telecommunication, however,
has been a vital landmark in the development of human civilization especially
the urban civilization. In fact, Telecommunication and Information and
Vol. II. Issue. III 197 September 2011