Argentina’s Tagore enthusiast: Author Gustavo Canzobre reflects on India-Argentina cultural bonds

Canzobre sees Argentina-India ties maturing diplomatically and culturally and said that since 2018, the bond has evolved into a strategic association with growing trade and a deep cultural history.
After meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he praised her strength: “I just met her today but I was impressed… There is an election soon, I wish her the best. I know that she is an independent movement in herself and she looks strong. Very strong and our world needs strong women because strong men have done disasters.”

Canzobre’s 40-hour journey from Argentina was grueling, but he found peace in Shantiniketan’s tranquility, staying in a traditional Bengali home. He immersed himself in the local rhythm, staying in a traditional house where he savored authentic Bengali cuisine.
“Yes, yes, I was living in a Bengali house with a Bengali cook named Sharmila,” he said, adding, “She cooks all these incredible food.. Khichuri, fish of different kinds. We had curd daily, with this sweet that you get out of the palm. Nolen gur I love.”

The author also loves Kolkata’s football fervor. When asked about Messi’s visit to the city in December last year, he empathised with fans, saying, “I was asking Bengali people because we didn’t properly understand what had happened.”
“We came to know that the people wanted to see him more. But those things are happening. Actually, you don’t get to see Messi that frequently. So they had come from different cities and traveled for hours to just get a glimpse and finally due to some situation… I think Messi should have been very sad because he’s very close to people. My wife Heidi comes from Rosario, Messi’s city and one of her cousins is close to Messi’s family and each time he comes to Rosario and each time he comes to Argentina he shares with the people. Even though he has lived all his football life in Spain he never lost his tongue away from Rosario. Not even from Argentina, from Rosario itself. Because each area has its unique dialect, Bengal has its own way of pronouncing the language,” Canzobre said.

For Canzobre, the disappointment of the Messi episode stood in stark contrast to his memories of Diego Maradona’s visit years ago. “In my first travel to Kolkata, or second, I don’t know it was the time when Diego Maradona was here ….long back and that football space was being inaugurated because he had made a donation and we were impressed on all the line of the little Bengali children going towards him and placing their hands on Diego’s feet. It was incredible to see how the Indian way was so present, even in football. For us that we value so much the Indian traditions, the Indian spiritual traditions, the Messi episode was really shocking.”