paash baalish, translated wholly inadequately as “side pillow" or bolster. Neither word has the emotional heft of paash baalish or captures its singular cultural significance in Bengali cultural life.The paash baalish’s moment in the national spotlight came thanks to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
At a time when covid-19 infections were shooting up in the state, and her administration was scrambling to deal with trainloads of migrants coming in, she said, on 29 May: “It is not in my hands any more.
There is nothing I can do. You can sleep with corona by your side. Make it your paash baalish."That evoked great confusion, mocking tweets and chortling memes.