Fishy Affair
A Delectable Tale for Fish Lovers by Rajat Sarkar, Hamburg A few days back, a friend told me that the ‘fish’ in the 'Some' restaurant was good. She got to know about it from her brother. She herself is not a fish eater. I said to her, “Never say anything to a Bengali about fish and their quality. Leave the Bengali alone! Fish exists in the Bengali psyche from the womb to the tomb! Satyajit Ray even made use of fish scales in one of his movies. The world, including Hamburg, may boast about its fish, but none can match the Bengalis’ affairs, both licit and illicit, with fish. While the EU and Britain may continue to fight over fishing rights in the North Sea, Bengalis handle fish with care so that there is no real culture clash, domestic disharmony, marriage mistrust, relationship rupture, or sports strife. Fish exist in the everyday existence of a Bengali. Fishy politics ensure pride of Bengaliness. And a Bengali eats fish with his/her hands – not with cutle...