Hello Ms Bhattacharjee

Your writing on Sylhet and Sylhetis is great. I was born in Barlekha, Sylhet. My grandfather was a British civil servant in Shillong where my father grew up.

I always feel about the sylheti Hindus who had left Sylhet. I don't know what made them (or forced them) to migrate. I can only remember after 1969. I used to have so many schoolmates in my primary school (Ajmir Primary school). Almost all of their families left Sylhet. I remember going my friends houses. All hindu houses in Barlekha had distinctive entrance. KAMINI, JOBA and GHONTA (that’s what we used to call them) flowers were a must in front of every house. Unlike today’s Muslim houses, hindu houses were full of trees. Behind every houses there was a mini jungle called "Balla". These "Ballas" were so thick with trees that sunlight could not penetrate. Somewhat like 'mini' Amazonian rain forest. Every hindu houses, no matter how the it was built, was cleaned and organized. Nowadays you wouldn't smell those 'dhup dhuna', or hear Kortal/Mredong sound in the evening.

Almost 80% of houses (except our 'Bari) near our area used to be hindu houses. These were still called Madhob Bari, Kamar Bari, Palor Bari, Mazon Bari (My friend Deepak Das' house), Nath Bari, Dhuli bari, Huna ramor chowk (This was the goldsmith village), Shonamonir bari....many more. When I was very young I used to think about the past of these houses. I remember Deepak, Deepali, Hirendra, Tutul, Moni etc used to come to our house to collect Beli Fool for their pooja. It was such a nice environment. Then came this virulent xhenophobia that gradually vanished everything. People became greedy & narrow-minded. This is a great injustice. I don't know exactly but I think hindus had been living their for thousands of years and as such they had every right to live there. Now, I am sorry to say that new Muslim owners of all hindu houses have ruined that completely. These greedy people first cut all trees to make few ‘bob'. They have no respect for the nature and the history of the houses.

Whatever happend is sad. I think new generation Hindus should try keep their ancestral dream alive by making forums, making contact with sylhet, visiting their ancestral houses.. etc. Who knows one day this part of the world may get together. I like those poems in your website. This piece of poem " momotabehin kalsrote...tumi shundori sreebhumi...." reflects the pain of hindus. For me Sylhet is SHREEHOTTO or SHREEBHUMI if these two words mean " Beautiful". Because Barlekha is (may be was) a stunningly beautiful place. Whoever has seen this will agree with me.

Keep up the good work. And let me know more about you, your place, your work etc. Of I can be of any help for your website or anything from London please do not hesitate to contact me. Take care. BHALA THAKOIN

Regards

Shaheen
5 Kimberley Road
London E16 4NT

Mr. Saheen can be contacted at shaheen