a dream called kolkata

sadhuji

(I have just returned from a visit to the wonderful city called Kolkata. I have observed that it is surely but certainly shedding its old identity – it wants to get noticed and, no matter how others may interpret this, my personal feeling is that politics has, for once, taken a back seat …)

Buddha is synonymous with sacrifice, with denouncement of the good things of life, with an oneness surrounding all those around you. There have been a number of Buddhas in the life of the Bengalis – Buddhadeb Bose and Buddhadeb Guha are writers, Buddhadeb Dasgupta is a famous film director who loves sailing in uncharted waters and now we have Buddhadeb Bhattacharji, the Chief Minister who is sparing no efforts to turn Kolkata into a dream destination for intellectuals, for business tycoons, and for software giants. In a very short time, he has sent out a clear message that turning over a new leaf is one of his primary objectives. In the initial stages, his mentors might have had reservations but, as time passed, he proved that his selection to the hot seat was not such a bad decision after all.
Yes, Kolkata is gradually easing itself into the high speed lifestyle; the flyovers complemented by one-way streets are proof enough. These add-ons have reduced traffic congestion considerably. Buses in the ‘S’ and ‘C’ category (of the State Transport and the Tramways respectively) offer a reasonably comfortable journey to those who do not mind shelling out a few extra rupees. When compared to the fares one pays in Maharastra, this is very much on the lower side: one option to increase revenue from the public transport system is to increase fares on such routes. This should be explored!
The environments of the Netaji Subhas International airport, however, need to be spruced up. The airport is the entry point for foreigners into the dreamland called Kolkata – the administration should ensure a certain minimum standard of vehicles is available to the outsider. A fleet of taxis in need of repairs with drivers sporting unshaven stubbles and munching paan in between puffing at beedis does not present a good picture. The drivers who intend to ply from the airport should preferably be in uniforms, be clean shaven and be more presentable. These minor things impress the visitor.
Of course, roads that do not fall in areas that require red carpet treatments continue to be hell holes. Any Kolkattan will agree that improvements in the roads were primarily forced upon the authorities due to the underground metro rail system. Obviously, all arterial roads connecting to the route of the metro rail reaped benefits. The prices of land soared; opportunists descended on the scene and brought to the forefront the culture of shopping malls like the City Centers.
One thing that has yet to catch up on Kolkattans is ‘blogs’! Yes, English language newspapers that are available on the net do not have this popular corner!
(to be continued…)

Paagla Dashu

Did you go to Sector V in Salt Lake or travel to the Airport via the New Rajarhat New Town expressway instead of going via Ultodanga?

Kolkata ekdin kallolini tilottama hobe.....

sadhuji

i stayed in salt lake, sector 3. i travelled from airport to salt lake via the normal route but, later on, my nephew took me along the rajarhat new town expressway. it was fantastic!

i agree with you. 'Kolkata ekdin kallolini tilottama hobe....' kintu kobey?

Paagla Dashu

When India becomes truly a Knowledge Economy and the IT sector moves upstream beyond call centres. When the call centre job Chintu took away from Charles is taken away by Chang. Then.

takhon hobe.

sadhuji

this may take quite some time. tell me, why are there no 'blog' section in the Daily Telegraph net edition? right now, call center jobs pay miserably less in kolkata compared to mumbai or chandigarh. why is there such a disparity? if you ask me, the job that chintu took away from charles will first be taken away by some verma or patil or pawar. changs will have to wait.

Paagla Dashu

When I said Chintu, I did not mean someone from Kolkata - in any case the CC jobs are mostly in Bangalore or Delhi. Chang will take away the basic Call Centre job as soon as they start to speak English - and believe me that will happen sooner than we like to think about.

The jobs are lower paid in Kolkata because its easier to get people to work and the cost of living is supposedly lower and there is also this great reluctance we bengalis have in moving away from the "ghorer kheye ghorer kachhe kaaj kora" mentality.

why the Telegraph does not have a blog section - I don't know. But then, in India, having a blog section is always a bit risky. Before you know vested interest groups will start posting messages claiming that the Victoria Memorial used to be actually a Temple!

"Suchetana, tumi ek durotoro dwip
bikeler nakhkhotrer kachhe;
seikhane daruchini-bananir phake
nirjonota achhe |
ei prithibir ron rokto safolota
sotya; tobu shesh sotya noy |
Kolkata ekdin kallolini tilottama hobe;
tobuo tomar kachhe amar hridoy.

aajke onek rurho roudre ghure pran
prithibir manushke manusher moto
bhalobasa dite giye tobu,
dekhechhi amari hate hoyto nihoto
bhai bon bondhu porijan porhe achhe;
prithibir gobhir gobhittoro ashukh ekhon;
manush tobuo rini prithibir-i kachhe"|

SHIMLA

Translation please !

Why do you take it for granted that everyone on this forum knows Bengali?

__________________
Whoever said money can't buy happiness didn't know where to shop !

Paagla Dashu

Shimla - I do not. The quotation was meant for sadhuji and probably I should have sent it to him in a PM.

Its a poem by Jibonanando Das (one of the most romantc bengali poets of his time) and I am sorry but I do not have the competence to translate it. If it makes you uncomfortable - I will be very happy to remove it.

Paagla Dashu

Here is a poor attempt by me (Thousands of apologies to Late Jibonando Das)

"Suchetana (Conscience?), you are a far away island near the evening star.
There is solitude there within the cinnamon forest.
Its true that many sucesses in this world came through war and blood;but its not the ultimate truth.
Kolkata might become a bustling metropolis one day,
My heart still yearns for you"

And I give up after that ...I have already murdered the poetry.

natasha chanda acharya

No, pagla dashu, you havenot murdered t. The translation is quite good, and i am sure appreciated by all who don't know Bengali.

Sadhuji, still waiting for the other end of "to be continued..."
Come on...

Paagla Dashu

Thank you, Natasha for not being a "Ramgorurer chhana, haaste taader maana" (and can you please translate that for everybody, please?)

Now with your encouragement here is my attempt at the second para:

Scorched by the burning sun, my wandering soul
Still wants to spread love , but there lies the bodies of my brothers, sisters and
My own people - did I not kill them myself?
The world is suffering from a deep-rooted sickness now -
We still owe our lives to this earth.

No more. I promise.

somnath

Paagla Great job !!!! you are not stick to word to word translation only, the emotion behind this is quite clear. Please become the official interpreter of IM for the Bengali poems . And let me tell you, it is only Paagla Dashu (not you, but our childhood hero ) who can translate "Ramgorurer chhana, haaste taader maana" with the entire flavor inside.

right now, call center jobs pay miserably less in kolkata compared to mumbai or chandigarh. why is there such a disparity?

- Just another point, the cost of living is comparatively on lower side as compare to other metros. Call centers will be attracted for better profitability. So as a member of Buddha’s fan club it is my opinion “let the production start then we will try to optimize the production process”.

Yes Sadhuji we are waiting for the next release.

Paagla Dashu

<bows>

Thanks

sadhuji

(Some readers have voiced different opinions on ’a dream called kolkata’. This is to be expected. I have only penned my observations and the impressions that I have gathered in my brief stay of a couple of weeks. It may please be noted that I am not sitting in judgment on any person….)

After the shooting of the film Yuva starring Vivek Oberoi and Abhishek Bachhan atop the Vidyasagar setu (also known as the second Howrah bridge), it is now the turn of Aamir Khan to capture more cinematographic locales of Kolkata. He has chosen the steps of the heritage building, the National Library, to be precise. It is going to be the backdrop of Aamir’s movie on Mangal Pandey complete with sahibs, memsahibs and horse carriages. Let us hope the film will revive memories of the sepoy mutiny days.
Nico Park, like Swabhumi, has, for quite some time now, been an ideal getaway for families on weekends or on short holidays. An addition is on the anvil to make it even more attractive. The House of Horrors is being opened shortly. It is a light and sound show – the story revolves around a colonel, his witch of a wife, a couple of handicapped children and a brother. The hideous entrance is made of fiber glass.

Swabhumi itself is a wonderful retreat in the evenings. Just strolling up and down its stairs and sitting, once in a while, amongst nature upgrades ones energy levels. Whoever dreamt up such landscapes deserves praise.
The oldest living being can be found in Kolkata. A Galapagos tortoise, that has been around in the Alipore Zoo gardens for the last 175 years is about to celebrate its 300th birthday shortly. Before coming to the Alipore Zoo, it was in the Barrack pore Zoo for the first 125 years!

And then there is this movie house in Swabhumi called ‘89’!! All its tickets are priced at Rs 89.00 only. While going for a movie to Priya, I discovered a new look Gariahat – wide roads, tram lines uprooted on Rash Behari Road (for relaying after concretization). The board of the restaurant Hatari was visible from the road – I had to give it a miss for lack of time.

The Park Mansions, situated in the corner of the crossing of Park Street, Free School Street and Royd Street, was built by the Armenian Jute merchant Thaddeus Mesrope Thaddeus in 1910. It is presently lying in a state of decay. After a fire gutted the Alliance Francaise, the French Cultural Center and Sky Room downed its shutters; the landmark is fading from memories. In order to prevent such a catastrophe, plans are being worked out to renovate the complete set up, give it a totally modern look and throw it open to the public in another eighteen months time.

(to be continued …)

sadhuji

next episode is released - 'route to the roots'. hope all of you like it.