ALLAHABAD CHARM

 This post is review of two books about Allahabad

Retirement and pandemic have given me time to catch up with my reading and I did read two interesting books about Allahabad: one is 'My Allahabad Story' by HN Verma and the other is 'Allahabad Blues' by Anjani Kumar Pandey.

HN Verma was much senior than me. He comes from well established family of lawyers in Allahabad and was an officer in the State Bank of India. He used to live at 7 Elgin Road. I never had good fortune to meet him but I knew his family well. His elder brother, SN Verma was well known advocate of the town and his other brother AN Verma was, one of the best judges of the Allahabad High Court. His nephew, Sharad was a good friend of mine and we formed a lawyers’ group - ‘Samvaad’. His other nephew, Yashwant, is sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court

The book talks about old Allahabad charm, some wonderful places and some well known personalities that lived there. I could easily relate with them. The book makes interesting reading and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The other book is in Hindi and its writer, Anjani Kumar Pandey, is junior than me. At present, he is an officer in Indian Revenue Service. It provides charm of the city from another angle – a family, who comes to Allahabad for better future. It presents a touching picture that will surely move you.

The book talks about a tea stall next to my house in civil lines, where author used to have tea with his friends. This reminded me of my outing with my table tennis friends. During rainy season, after TT practise, we used to have tea, Mangora (मंगोड़ा), and Chatni (चटनी) in a Dhaba, next to Employment Exchange. This used to be in late 1960s. I don't think that I have eaten more delicious Mangoras than those.

The book also has a chapter on change of its name. Well, Prayagraj lacks what Allahabad had. It is sad that the government has changed its name, without realising what it meant to those, who have spent best time of their lives in the city that was unparalleled in the country. There was no city like Allahabad at that time and there will never be any other in the future. In our heart, it will always be Allahabad.

The books reminded me of the good times that I had in Allahabad and what it gave me – education, games, intellectual atmosphere that perhaps no other city in India could provide. Whatever I am today, it is because of Allahabad. If you have anything to do with the city, then do read them.

There is also a message in the books – the city that has given so much to its residents, to those, who came to its bosom but they in their turn have not reciprocated. We took from the city but haven’t given back. We have to change; we have to reverse this trend: we must do whatever we can for the city. For my part, I have formed a Trust in the name of my mother – Krishna Virendra Trust - and do whatever little that I can do but much more is required to be done.

#Allahabad #BookReview