Rowan Ainsworth landed in Calcutta in late February and took over at the consulate general in March after serving the mandatory quarantine period. By Poila Baisakh, she was settled enough in the city of her new residence to buy herself a sari, a radiant red one. A socially distanced chat with the new Australian consul general in town.
What did you make of the sari?
It felt beautifully comfortable. I love textiles and North-east India has such an array of textiles, it’s amazing. The sari has so many beautiful designs and styles. I think I will have to take up wearing saris all the time to take advantage of the beauty (laughs). I had my friends and colleagues to help with the draping and pleating.
Where was your last posting?
I came here from Paris. Previously, I have been posted in Moscow and Tokyo, and now Calcutta — great cities of the world, each one completely unique to itself and fantastic in its own way. This is my first visit to Calcutta.
Have you been to India before?
Yes, I have holidayed here. My cousin lives in Goa. So I have had reason to visit earlier. That was just before Covid, in February 2020.
At that point, did you have an inkling that you’d be posted here?
No, not at all! But I am so thrilled I am here. When they advertised for the position, I jumped at it. I was in Paris and then I had a few weeks in Australia and now here I am.
What made you choose Calcutta?
The geopolitical significance of India. We have an expanding relationship. It is an amazing time, with the prime ministers having agreed on a comprehensive strategic partnership in June 2020. Prior to that, there was the India Economic Strategy To 2035. There is a lot of interest in Australia in what’s happening in India, and India is playing a major role on the world stage. I was fascinated by the possibilities.
What kind of preconceived images of Calcutta did you have?
(Laughs) I deliberately didn’t want to do too much research on modern Calcutta as I wanted to come here and experience it for myself. I did read William Dalrymple’s The Anarchy so I could get some historical perspective on the foundation of Calcutta through the British East India Company. The rest I wanted to experience on arrival.
You landed here in the middle of the pandemic.
Yes, I haven’t been able to do all that I had wanted to do. I have nothing but admiration for the way India has gone about their vaccination programme — 100 million people vaccinated so far. Incredible! We are still at the beginning of our vaccination rollout (in Australia). Of course, fortunately, we do not have a lot of Covid in Australia. There is no community transmission any more. There is not a lot of pressure to roll out quickly. We do have a few new cases but those are mostly from international travellers.
What kind of places have you managed to visit?
I went to Dhanyakuria (in Basirhat) and visited the mansions there. I have enjoyed walking around the neighbourhood as I wanted to discover the locality. I have been meeting the business community, sometimes in person and sometimes virtually. Even if I can’t travel far, I can meet people. We are responsible for not just West Bengal but also all of the Northeast. I am looking forward to when I can travel there.
What kind of interests do you have outside of work?
Textiles, of course. I guess one of the things I loved about coming here was after four years in Paris I was beginning to miss cricket. They do not show cricket in Paris. I was very pleased that my reintroduction to cricket was in January during my return home when India was touring Australia. Now we got the IPL running, with some good Australian representation, including in Kolkata Knight Riders. We have not seen Ben Cutting yet but we got Pat Cummins. I am hoping Knight Riders does well, though I have a soft corner for Steve Smith. I am relearning who’s who. After four years, players change.
Who are your favourites from the earlier generation?
I am of the era of the Waugh twins (Mark and Steve Waugh). Steve Waugh was such a favourite of mine. He has strong links with Calcutta (patronage of Udayan children’s home). I am learning about his foundation.
What do you do in your spare time?
I like reading books. I am starting The God of Small Things. I am looking for Calcutta-related reading. (We suggest Jhumpa Lahiri which she takes down).
Is your family with you?
Not yet. My daughter is finishing her final year of high school in Paris. I couldn’t drag her out. My husband is with her. She will finish in June. I am looking forward to the family coming here.
How are you coping with the heat?
In Australia, we get some days of high temperature. But this is really sustained heat. I am coping with the dry heat. No problem. Everyone tells me: ‘Wait till it gets humid. Then it will be an issue.’ May be when it’s monsoonal high pressure, I will change my mind.
Did you get a chance to talk to your immediate predecessor, Fiona McKergow?
Yes. We talked a lot about the set-up of the consulate and the type of work we are doing. The big emphasis is on the trade agenda and in particular, energy and resources, health and education. Of course some of that, especially education, has been stalled by Covid. Some other areas can go ahead. Critical minerals are one. Australia has the potential to be a big supplier of minerals. We are about to receive a report on the demand and supply sides between India and Australia of critical minerals. That will outline the future, moving forward. She was very helpful in giving me the background.
Have you had a chance to explore local cuisine?
I have started. I think there is a world of fantastic cuisine out there, which I am at the edge of. I tried ilish machh, because I love seafood. I also enjoyed mishti doi. There are a couple of different types. There is one that has molasses in it and there’s one that is regular, that has a lovely tangy sweetness. It’s just delicious.
Which cuisine is your favourite?
I have to say probably Malaysian food. Also southern Indian food and Thai food. But the Malaysian Laksa is heaven to me. I am hoping to find a Malaysian restaurant here. Some Sikkimese momo I had was really good. That was one of the first dishes I had after I joined. I follow the restaurant reviews in t2. I look at the description of the food, tear the ones I like out and keep in my little stack of to-be-tried restaurants. I haven’t been able to try any out but I have got it all there, waiting.
You landed in the pre-election season.
Covid and election happened together. It has been fascinating to watch the election unfold here, in eight phases.
What are the biggest differences that you find with election in Australia?
In terms of the election system in Australia, there are two things which are marvellous. One is compulsory voting. I am not sure if that would be possible in India. The result you get is a true reflection of the Australian people’s choice. The other is preferential voting. We give a ranking. So even if someone’s first- choice candidate is unsuccessful, his vote passes to the next. Rather than the vote going waste if the first-choice candidate does not get enough votes to win, the vote moves to the second preference and gets counted. All votes are on a piece of paper marked with a pencil but are counted by machines.
You don’t have a ‘None Of The Above’ option…
You can spoil your ballot, not mark anybody or write a protest on your ballot. You have to turn up and vote but you don’t have to vote for a party. There seems to be a lot of passion involved in the election here. Our rallies are not as large as your rallies.
Once Covid is over, what would be the first thing you’d want to do?
On the Holi weekend, I had planned to go on a beautiful cruise up the Hooghly to look at Calcutta and beyond the city. It was a purely personal trip and I was so excited and looking forward to this cruise. We were leaving on Saturday and on Friday I got the message saying it had been cancelled because of Covid. I was devastated. So when Covid is over, I shall go on that trip.
Picture: B. Halder