Padma Shri awardee Haldhar Nag may have earned accolades for the State after getting the civil award for his literary activities, but this hardly helps him earn his bread.
As such, the Asu Kabi (poet who has the talent to compose poems instantly) still clings to his old petty business of selling ‘Ghuguni’ and snacks.
The litterateur is in news these days when he was seen selling ‘Ragchana/Ghuguni’ during the Rath Yatra in his native place Ghens.
“I prepare the Ghuguni in my home and sell it in my small shop mostly to the children and all other devotees coming to the Rath Yatra,” said Nag. “Since my shop is my prime source of livelihood, I never hesitate to continue the business,” he added.
Long back he was running a small shop with snacks items like groundnut, chana, mixture, biscuits, apart from eraser rubber, pen and pencil for schoolchildren.
And after getting the most prestigious Padmashree award, he has not left his small business.
He further said he has neglected his shop a lot due to his engagement in literary activities. “But I have not left it totally.”
It needs a mention that Nag has composed volumes of poems and the ‘Haladhar Granthabali’ contains all of them.
But at the same time, financial stringency has not left him for which he has to do small business like this. “But I rather feel proud of it as I earn money from my labour unlike the present generation,” said a jubilant Nag.
“On the Rath Yatra (Dwitiya Rath), I sold Ghuguni worth Rs 4,000 and on Bahuda Yatra, Rs 7,000, but with less margin of profit. My preparation suits more to stomach than to tongue,” he added.