No matter where you are -- in a bus, or at your workplace, in a restaurant or at a party, it is likely that you would hear murmurs in Bengali from some distant corner.
Decoding the idiosyncrasies of world's third largest ethno-linguistic group is a new non-fiction book, "The Bengalis A Portrait of a Community" by Sudeep Chakravarti.
Chakravarti traces the genesis, growth and the continued existence of the Bengali community, that has been largely divided between the West and East Bengal (now Bangladesh) in the Indian subcontinent.
"I have for long wanted to write a book on the social and political aspects of Greater Bengal by that, I mean West Bengal and East Bengal with a personalised touch," the writer told PTI.
And, Chakravarti's own history being rooted in both the Bengals helped him make the narrative real and enriched, contrary to the "seemingly dry history", he said.
The book, published by Aleph, is a product of a two- decade-long research about what he calls the "Banglasphere".
"But the book contains a vast amount more," he said.
It has everything from vigorous research into history, linguistics, culture, and politics to travel accounts and interviews in the region.
"It took me eight workaholic months to write the first draft, and a couple of months more to polish the second," he said.
But Chakravarti made sure there weren't any biases in the writing owing to his Bengali origins.
"Perhaps, I found it easier because I carry no religious, casteist or 'bhodrolok' bias. I am also not particularly enamoured of running down other communities or people who Bengalis have an unlovely habit of calling 'non-Bengali'," he said.
"My approach was clinical and unsentimental," he added.
He said his aim in the book was merely to draw a portrait of the quintessential Bengali with "honesty, honour, some horror and a lot of humour".
Launched recently, the 432-page hard bound book is available for Rs 799.
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