Something New in the New Year

Shubho Navavarsha to Piyali, Ayan and Debashish and everybody. The Bengali New Year 1412 has started with first day of Boishak month on 15 April.

On 2nd Boishak, I went to Siliguri. It’s was again the same journey with cool breeze while the bus passed through lush green tea gardens. This route had been my educational route for six years. Now after the artificial airy life of office, on that day, the breeze was soothing for my soul. After necessary works, I bought three books, first an English thesaurus "The Oxford Thesaurus", the second one “The Complete Reference Java - J2SE5" and the third one "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari". The smart young shopkeeper gave 15% discount on my purchase. I couldn't wait to buy those from College Street Bookshops, Kolkata where I shall be on the coming Sunday. Don't know whether College Street Dadas might have given more discounts.

The Oxford Thesaurus is originally priced for £ 22.99 but the special Indian price, tagged on the cover is Rs. 995.00. Well printed on acid free paper, this hardbound edition from Great Britain is another feather in my personal mini library. Among the entire thesaurus at the shops there, I found this one as the best buy. Prior to the last month, I was unaware of the importance to thesaurus until I used the only Hindi thesaurus published from National Book Trust. To an extent, I know the key of expression in Hindi, the selection of right kind of words and the bend of the reader’s mind. Naturally, I started penning my Hindi writings and people appreciated that. Like any other ordinary man, I felt more responsibility towards my writings. Now coming to my English, like many of you, I did not studied in a completely English medium school, since the medium of communication in my Navodaya used to be in Hindi. So apart from the English dictionary and grammar I never felt the need of other reference book in English. Now while writing more responsible on my part, the actual problem comes, when I have the ideas as well as the logic but I feel handicap in lack of suitable words in English to express efficiently. Recently, I discussed this thing with Ma and she after reviewing my Hindi writings, suggested me to work for English too with a thesaurus. Now with the thesaurus, I too can find the suitable word for my expression. In the good people’s circle, if inputs are taken positively, ultimately one improves. The humans have five sensory receptacles to receive thousands of impulses for indexing the input and a brain to ponder over the inputs. Somewhat similarly every thesaurus too have two parts, first the index part containing the alphabetic words and nearby synonyms and reference number attached with each synonym. Using this reference number one can look into the second part, the main content, containing the referenced words and nearby meanings and their usage. It helps the writer when he/she is in need of suitable word. I think anyone, who wants to take writing seriously must posses a handy thesaurus.

While returning from Siliguri on the same day, I was thinking that I might have bought it quiet earlier itself. Anyway it’s better late than never.