Photo Courtesy vaishnudebi-dutta-JShfWXJrAvc-unsplash As someone who knows Bengali (the language), I often wonder how to describe maal (Bengali: মাল ; Hindi: माल ). The word may have a different connotation in different contexts. With a simple Google translation comes the following suggestions: goods, property, booze, wealth, merchandise, revenue, freight, etc. In my life, I have come across various others: fool/idiot, good looking (mainly the fairer sex), difficult, sperm, cash, object, etc. Catch the drift? No? Because the tangential reference lies in the topic being discussed at the particular time the word was used in a sentence. Or try to catch the drift of the word in tandem with facial expression, or eye movement, or gesture. Even while uttering the word, a slow shake of head may refer to an idiot, a quick glance may mean reference to the person being glanced at, flicking the thumb off forefinger may mean money, mi...

Encounter...  The meaning of the word as we use in India is unique. The word assumed it's new meaning in the late-1960s and acquired a unique place in our vocabulary by the time of Emergency. It was the time of the Naxalbari movement in north Bengal turning violent and entering large parts of urban areas in the state. Even scholars and professionals were supporting a fledgling group of so-called Communists who had broken out of the Left parties, accusing the latter of "compromising with a cause" by following Parliamentary Democracy.  "Power flows from the barrel of a gun," they quoted, conveniently ignoring the fact that if so, the state is many times more powerful. They made handful of poor villagers take on posse of rifle-toting police with bows and arrows. All in the name of "revolution"!  Oblivious to logic, students on (then) Calcutta streets chanted, "China's chairman is our chairman". It was romantic to be called a Naxal or a Maois...