Trinamool Congress members in Parliament are generally a feisty bunch. They are fiery and aggressive speakers and, of late, have been at the forefront of the opposition onslaught against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government.
But noted artist and professor emeritus of Kala Bhavan, Visvabharati University, Jogen Chowdhury, who entered the Rajya Sabha as a Trinamool Congress member six months ago, has proved to be an exception. Unlike his party colleagues, Chowdhury does not rush into the well of the House or join in their sloganeering.
Instead, the artist-turned-politician prefers to play the role of a spectator in the Rajya Sabha. Coming from the genteel environs of Santiniketan, Chowdhury has spent the last six months observing and drawing portraits of his colleagues. He can be seen busy sketching away even as the Rajya Sabha witnesses tumultuous scenes.
Like MF Husain, who had kept himself similarly occupied as a member of the Upper House in the early nineties, Chowdhury plans to publish the collection of his drawings in the form of a Rajya Sabha diary.
For Chowdhury, watching the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha is like watching theatre. The cast is replete with people from different regions, wearing colourful clothes and speaking in a variety of accents. “I find it very interesting when I see how they go to the well of the House and start shouting slogans,” he remarked, adding that he is fascinated by the scenes he witnesses and the faces he has been sketching.
Chowdhury says he has met a lot of politicians during his long career, but only now has he got an opportunity to “look at them at close quarters”. He said, “But I am still to discover the man behind the politician. That is my search in Parliament.”
Recalling his journey to Parliament, Chowdhury admits he is not a politician. He came in contact with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee when he joined Kolkata’s intellectuals to support her when she was fighting the three-decade-old Left rule in West Bengal. He was hesitant to get involved in political activities since it would distract him from his art, but he was eventually persuaded to accept Rajya Sabha membership by an insistent Banerjee following a 45-minute phone conversation.
“Basically I am interested in people and my country, so I agreed to become a Rajya Sabha MP and that’s what inspires me to stay,” he remarked, adding wistfully, “Tagore said the purpose of politics is to unite but in reality, I find politics is dividing people, which is really sad.”
Fortunately, Chowdhury says, he did not come to Parliament with any preconceived notions about the place, which is why there is no room for any disappointment with the way the Upper House has been functioning or rather, the way it has been disrupted by protesting opposition members. “I came here with an open mind,” he said diplomatically when asked about the prolonged disturbances in the House. “I am not surprised at anything. I take everything in my stride.”
Although Chowdhury likes to describe himself as an apprentice in politics and Parliament, he has been quick to grasp the essence of party loyalty. He concedes that opposition parties should not necessarily oppose all the time and should offer concrete suggestions to the government but, at the same time, he believes protest is their legitimate right. “Disruption is the policy of a party, I am not totally against it.”
The Trinamool MP is at his circumspect best when asked about his Rajya Sabha colleagues. He weighs his words carefully. “There are a number of politicians who are not deeply involved with their work,” he said. “At the same time, there are many articulate and motivated people in Parliament, but I believe they are not doing enough to use their potential to the full extent.”
Chowdhury says he is not a total stranger to Delhi’s political scene. He had an opportunity to see it at close quarters during the 15 years he spent at the Rashtrapati Bhavan from 1972 as a curator of the arts.
“I stayed there longer than the presidents,” he said. “I have seen five Presidents during my stay at the Bhavan.” He even recalls meeting Pranab Mukherjee as a young politician. Indira Gandhi, he remembers, was a frequent visitor. “She took a lot of interest in the artwork at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. She once ordered two paintings from an exhibition which are still displayed in one of the rooms at the Bhavan.”
His favourite story is about President V V Giri who agreed to sit for him for a portrait. “One day when I went for my daily session, I found the President looking extremely uncomfortable,” Chowdhury recounted. “After some time, he called a staff member and whispered something in his ear.”
The mystery was solved a few minutes later when a liveried bearer arrived carrying a silver platter with the President’s dentures. “After he wore his dentures, the session went off without any hitch.”
Given his long association with Rashtrapati Bhavan, Chowdhury was delighted when he went back earlier this year as the first Artist in Residence, as part of the In-Residence Scheme for Writers and Artists started by President Mukherjee. Describing it as a homecoming, Chowdhury said, “I really felt nostalgic. The place has changed since I left and yet everything is so familiar.”
All sketches are courtesy artist and MP Jogen Chowdhury.
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But noted artist and professor emeritus of Kala Bhavan, Visvabharati University, Jogen Chowdhury, who entered the Rajya Sabha as a Trinamool Congress member six months ago, has proved to be an exception. Unlike his party colleagues, Chowdhury does not rush into the well of the House or join in their sloganeering.
Instead, the artist-turned-politician prefers to play the role of a spectator in the Rajya Sabha. Coming from the genteel environs of Santiniketan, Chowdhury has spent the last six months observing and drawing portraits of his colleagues. He can be seen busy sketching away even as the Rajya Sabha witnesses tumultuous scenes.
Like MF Husain, who had kept himself similarly occupied as a member of the Upper House in the early nineties, Chowdhury plans to publish the collection of his drawings in the form of a Rajya Sabha diary.
For Chowdhury, watching the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha is like watching theatre. The cast is replete with people from different regions, wearing colourful clothes and speaking in a variety of accents. “I find it very interesting when I see how they go to the well of the House and start shouting slogans,” he remarked, adding that he is fascinated by the scenes he witnesses and the faces he has been sketching.
Chowdhury says he has met a lot of politicians during his long career, but only now has he got an opportunity to “look at them at close quarters”. He said, “But I am still to discover the man behind the politician. That is my search in Parliament.”
Recalling his journey to Parliament, Chowdhury admits he is not a politician. He came in contact with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee when he joined Kolkata’s intellectuals to support her when she was fighting the three-decade-old Left rule in West Bengal. He was hesitant to get involved in political activities since it would distract him from his art, but he was eventually persuaded to accept Rajya Sabha membership by an insistent Banerjee following a 45-minute phone conversation.
“Basically I am interested in people and my country, so I agreed to become a Rajya Sabha MP and that’s what inspires me to stay,” he remarked, adding wistfully, “Tagore said the purpose of politics is to unite but in reality, I find politics is dividing people, which is really sad.”
Fortunately, Chowdhury says, he did not come to Parliament with any preconceived notions about the place, which is why there is no room for any disappointment with the way the Upper House has been functioning or rather, the way it has been disrupted by protesting opposition members. “I came here with an open mind,” he said diplomatically when asked about the prolonged disturbances in the House. “I am not surprised at anything. I take everything in my stride.”
Although Chowdhury likes to describe himself as an apprentice in politics and Parliament, he has been quick to grasp the essence of party loyalty. He concedes that opposition parties should not necessarily oppose all the time and should offer concrete suggestions to the government but, at the same time, he believes protest is their legitimate right. “Disruption is the policy of a party, I am not totally against it.”
The Trinamool MP is at his circumspect best when asked about his Rajya Sabha colleagues. He weighs his words carefully. “There are a number of politicians who are not deeply involved with their work,” he said. “At the same time, there are many articulate and motivated people in Parliament, but I believe they are not doing enough to use their potential to the full extent.”
Chowdhury says he is not a total stranger to Delhi’s political scene. He had an opportunity to see it at close quarters during the 15 years he spent at the Rashtrapati Bhavan from 1972 as a curator of the arts.
“I stayed there longer than the presidents,” he said. “I have seen five Presidents during my stay at the Bhavan.” He even recalls meeting Pranab Mukherjee as a young politician. Indira Gandhi, he remembers, was a frequent visitor. “She took a lot of interest in the artwork at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. She once ordered two paintings from an exhibition which are still displayed in one of the rooms at the Bhavan.”
His favourite story is about President V V Giri who agreed to sit for him for a portrait. “One day when I went for my daily session, I found the President looking extremely uncomfortable,” Chowdhury recounted. “After some time, he called a staff member and whispered something in his ear.”
The mystery was solved a few minutes later when a liveried bearer arrived carrying a silver platter with the President’s dentures. “After he wore his dentures, the session went off without any hitch.”
Given his long association with Rashtrapati Bhavan, Chowdhury was delighted when he went back earlier this year as the first Artist in Residence, as part of the In-Residence Scheme for Writers and Artists started by President Mukherjee. Describing it as a homecoming, Chowdhury said, “I really felt nostalgic. The place has changed since I left and yet everything is so familiar.”
All sketches are courtesy artist and MP Jogen Chowdhury.
