Newtown : Lacks foresightedness

That day I was on a long drive through Newtown, its  City Centre to VIP Road which leads to Airport. While passing through the New upcoming township of Kolkata, my daughter just snapped some photogrphs  of the township from the car on move. Few of them are posted below :

The thousands of acres of fertile land will soon be turned into a concrete jungle. This vast greenery was very close to the city of Kolkata,  was acting like lungs of the old city, but the Government decision was one sided like Singur. They never thought of  environmental and other aspects which came up later at  Singur.

Way to Airport, before reaching to congested area like VIP Road. Now Only cars move on this road .

The Governments and their officials are very short sighted. They don’t even see which is visible in other part of India. In fact this township should not have planned in the current location because it is too near to Airport and the most populated areas. This should have planned at least  40- 50 KM away from the city.  The shortsighted town planners,  should have seen how the second township of Bombay, the New Bombay, had been planned. The New Bombay is far from crowded Bombay but well connected  by rail and roads . The local train stations of Navi Mumbai (New Bombai) is far better or equally good at par with  Kolkata Metro Sations now.

Newtown Kolkata : An upcoming township

I have seen New Bombay and its connectivity with the old Bombay. Thats why I think, the Singur or some place  at that distance should have been a right place for this township.  Singur controversy came because the land was acquired by the Govt. but for a Industrialist and over the selection of  the most fertile land. Once I was passing through Singur,  when the the Nano factory was under construction. I saw the entire area was paddy fields  and was full of green due to  grown up paddy and it was really a panoramic view. The healthy paddy itself  was showing the fertility of the land. It was very much disturbing for me to see concrete structures amidst such lush greenery.  Only enemies of humanity  can damage such a vast fertile land.  Those beautiful lands could have been saved had the movement started at the initial stage. The issue has been discussed in length in the all media, so I should not divert the issue and make it lengthier. My only point is that those fertile lands should have spared which now the Govt. has realised but it is too late. Let me come back to the point , the Newtown.

Newtown

The VIP Road and its adjoining areas are already over populated and with narrow roads and lot many crossings on the VIP Road, traffic chaos are at maximum. The Newtown population will be added to the present population of the adjoining areas, then what will be the condition of that area …… I can’t think.  The Township will  be surrounded by the thickly populated areas. The Airport is too near but it will be  too far to reach. There are plans to build some roads which will connect New Town and the Jessore Road from the back side of the Airport. But the jessore road or the VIP Road are not fit for the 21st century township. This is where the shortsightedness of the planners are exposed. They have planned a township without developing the infrastructures. Here everything comes in pieces, as and when required basis.

Here in West Bengal, all developments are Kolkata-centric thats why in west Bengal, we dont’ have a second city like Pune for Maharashtra. Burdwan or Durgapur or Siliguri should have  been developed in that line but we are unfortunate when we look at the  villages where no developments took place for their basic necessities.

City Centre Newtown. The greenery and the tiny villages in the sight from the City Centre now,  will be gradually covered by concrete jungle.

Temple Trauma

A journalist from Delhi came to Dakshineswar Temple with his family, to offer Puja (Worship) to Goddess Kali of Dakshineswar Temple, Kolkata. But to his surprise, some of his family members became target of eve teasing in the Temple campus by the local miscreants. It is reported by the media that he  was thrashed by the miscreants for tease protest in the presence of  the temple security guards.

According to locals, the temple arena has become a veritable den for miscreants and eve-teasers. It is a shame that such incidents are allowed to take place at a place visited by worshippers from across the world. The Dakshineswar temple authority and local police should crackdown on miscreants immediately who have converted the area into a den of their anti-social activities.

Re-naming spree of Mamata Banerjee

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee has gone on a Metro station re-naming spree, changing the old favourites with completely unexpected names. She has garnered mixed reactions. Of all the changes, it is the re-naming of Kalighat metro station that has shocked every sensible citizen of this city. What she is doing all senseless. Just make one community happy, she renamed the metro station “Kalighat” as Shahid Bhagat Singh who is no way is connected with the place kalighat. Kalighat is a place of pilgrimage known to all over the country and nearest Metro station was appropriately named as Kalighat. Just for the sake of change, she is renaming the stations. That’s not the way to show respect to the personalities.

Heritage expert GM Kapur, however, does not agree with this. He feels that stations highlight a locality and hence should bear the name of that locality. Nowhere in the world are stations named after personalities and this is bound to spread confusion. “Look at the predicament of a visitor to the city, who might wish to take the metro to reach a certain place. Its old name would have helped him locate the place, but the new name will just confuse him. Even the London tube, after which our metro is patterned, does not have stations named after personalities,” Kapur said. (Source : Times of India).

Beside Kalighat  she has changed the Park Street to Mother Teresa, Maidan to Gostha Pal, MG Road to Thakur Bari, Chandni Chawk to Tipu Sultan and Ballygunj  to Bahadur Shah Zafar. Why Bahadur Shah Zafar? As per Raiway Minister, Because while in prison, he wrote that before his death, he did not even got two yards of land.  Thats why our Railway Minister  dedicated one full Raiway station in his name. What an Idea.  Bahadur Shah’s soul will now be in peace.

One section of the intellectuals of the city are always seen with her. Where are they now?  What is their opinion about this meaningless renaming? Of course, by something or the others, they are supporting her moves because she neither listen to anybody nor anybody has courage to protest her or at least express displeasure.

She is trying to do some good job for Bengal keeping the election in mind but some of her acts, exposing her negative sides. She should realise this. For example this renaming of Metro stations. She should be told or she should realise  herself that this type of senseless meaningless acts of her will ultimately boomerang  because she is touching the sentiments of the majority public.

NOTE : Due to widespread criticism and resentments from all sections of public, the Minister changed her mind  and  Kalighat Metro station not renamed as Shahid Bhagat Singh. Good news, Kalighat remains as “Kalighat”. Now the Minister is on look out for a Metro station which could be named as Shahid Bhagat Singh.

Downtown Newtown

Today visited a construction site of reputed company in future downtown “Newtown” of Kolkata where huge projects have come up. Some of the projects includes IT park, Mall, 5 Star Hotel and  alongwith thousands of Residential flats. It is really amazing to see the change in quality in housing sectors which was not present few years back. The model flat which is in display (actual) is so impressive that no customer will go back if he has got money to invest. Even in one of the bedrooms, soft music is on. Its surprising that before launching a tower/ project, booking is going on for  a better location flats. When the project will be launched, none or very few of the good location flats will be available. All projects (other promoting company) are being booked like that, which myself have experienced it.

I had been there on request of my friend to see the location etc. In the past our Government departments (Housing Board)  only used to build flats for sell to the public and now this housing business has become a Industry. People of today going for quality and they are getting as per their requirement, because unlike earlier Housing Board days, lot many projects are coming up everyday.

Good and bad you have to select carefully according to your pocket. In this surging market many “Dadas’ also have turned  to be promoters  and trying to encash the situation. Too cheap of a rate is a indication of making money overnight and fly or a very bad quality. I have seen how the people became victim of such a cheat.  About seven months back, one fine morning an  Advertisement came in newspapers for booking of 3 BHK flat at Rs. 8.0 Lakhs in Newtown. Promoter was a NGO – “International Human Rights  for Development and Revolution”. People believed them. There was a Huge crowd for the  application brochure.  Bengali actress  Rituparna naugurated the sell of forms with her signature. Just after a week or so, when many people deposited their  Demand drafts of 20% flat cost, there was police raid in their so called office and the main promoters since then absconding. Police sealed their account, so some of the Demand Drafts they could not deposit/encash.  With the help of police, Bank and a court order, the Draft amount some of the victims were able to recover their hard earn money.

This is how a “cheap” turned to a Cheat. A human right NGO turned to be inhuman.

Pachise Baishakh – a tribute to Tagore

A Tribute to Rabindranath Tagore on his 148th birthday on Pachise Baishakh as per Bengali Calender, which falls on 08th May 2008.

Rabindranath Tagore is the first Asian person to be awarded with the Nobel prize in 1913 in literature for his book “Gitanjali” and probably the most prominent personality in the cultural world of Indian subcontinent. He is mainly known as a poet, but his multifaceted talent showered upon different branches of art, such as, Poetry, novels, short stories, articles dramas, essays, painting etc. He was a social reformer, patriot and above all, a great humanitarian and philosopher. To understand his multifaceted talent, his works, one has to do research work on him. It is amazing the way he has written so much in his life time. Here is a piece of his work from his “The  Gardener” :

IN THE DUSKY PATH OF A DREAM

by: Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

In the dusky path of a dream I went to seek the love who was mine in a former life.

Her house stood at the end of a desolate street.

In the evening breeze her pet peacock sat drowsing on its perch, and the pigeons were silent in their corner.

She set her lamp down by the portal and stood before me.

She raised her large eyes to my face and mutely asked, “Are you well, my friend?”

I tried to answer, but our language had been lost and forgotten.

I thought and thought; our names would not come to my mind.

Tears shone in her eyes. She held up her right hand to me. I took it and stood silent.

Our lamp had flickered in the evening breeze and died.

Bangla culture, especially music of Bengal (India) and Bangladesh too has been greatly influenced by Rabindranath Tagore – by his thousands of songs and poetries. The songs known as Rabindrasangeet is still popular. The songs of Tagore have an eternal appeal and is permanently placed in the heart of the Bengalis. In Bengal its like a rituals in their lives that in every house children learn and practice Rabindrasangeet.

Amartya Sen in his book “Tagore and His India” says : “Rabindranath is a towering figure in the millennium-old literature of Bengal. Anyone who becomes familiar with this large and flourishing tradition will be impressed by the power of Tagore’s presence in Bangladesh and in India. His poetry as well as his novels, short stories, and essays are very widely read, and the songs he composed reverberate around the eastern part of India and throughout Bangladesh.”

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Train to Bangladesh

“That is my country …. How near is it. Still, I can never reach there.” This was a dialogue in Ritwik Ghatak’s film “Komal Gandhar”, which captured the pain and grief of partition and his dream of reaching there remained just a dream . But on the day of poila Baisakh, Bengali New Year 1415, the Bengalis of both side of the International border got a gift to cherish and to make their dreams of “reaching there” fulfilled.

“Maitree Express” (Friendship Express) a train to Bangladesh from India, (Kolkata to Dhaka) started its journey on the auspicious day of Poila Baisakh that is 14^th april 2008, after 43 years of snapping rail link between India and Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). The rail link between India and the then East Pakistan was snapped during Indo-Pak war in 1965.

The two countries, India (particularly West Bengal) and Bangladesh supposed to be very close at hearts to each other because of their common bond of language, culture and food habits. But we are not so due to politics and misunderstandings. An International Boarder separated us from each other. India always respect sovereign state of the neighboring countries and never believe in aggressiveness or Dadagiri to any neighboring country. India always stood by the side of Bangladesh, at the time of distress like a good friend.

“Maitree Express” alone can not bridge the gap or erase the border between two nations built or created through many years unless there is heart to heart communications by way of cultural exchange and tourism. Let there be more “Bharat Bangaldesh friendship society”, and let us extend our hands for friendship with each other. The same was reflected on the first day run of “Maitree Express” when the passengers reaching Kolkata expressed their happiness shouting “we are very happy to be here. We Bangladeshis share a common bond with you people. We especially thank you for standing by us during our war of liberation”.

If East and West Berlin can unite by breaking their “Wall of Berlin”, why can’t we work for union of two Bengals ?

Note : During united India (before Independence) the present Bangladesh was known as “East Bengal”. Then came the partition of INDIA in 1947 on the basis of religion and then “East Bengal” became “East Pakistan” ruled by Pakistan. In 1971, “East Pakistan” was freed from the clutches of Pakistan by India and a new nation was born , thats “Bangladesh”.

Train reached Kolkata from Dhaka. ( Pic : Times of India)

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New Year Celebrations in April

It is not just the Bengali New Year or poila Baisakh which falls on 14^th April for celebration in West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh. There are more states of India and some neighboring countries, celebrating New Years in this fortnight of April. There is the Assyrian New Year, which is celebrated on April 01. The Punjabi New year, Baisakhi, falls between 13 and 15^th April. The Tamil New Year and Vishu ( Malayalam) are celebrated on the same day and falls on 13^th or 14^th. Nepali New year falls between 12 and 15^th. The Thai and Lao New Years are celebrated from April 13^th to 15^th. The Cambodian New Year too is celebrated from April 13 to 15.

Wishing you all – a new year filled with peace, prosperity and good fortune !

(Source Times of India)

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Bhuban dacoit & Shantiniketan

Once upon a time today’s Shantiniketan was known as BhubanDanga, which was the den of a local dacoit named Bhuban. “Danga” means a vast unfertile plane land. The land was owned by the Tagore family. Rabindranath Tagore’s father, Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, renamed it as Shantiniketan, which means abode (niketan) of peace (shanti).

Path Bhavan (Above) & Basant Utsab during Holi, festival of colours

Rabindranath Tagore started an open air school there for children named as “Path Bhavan”. Tagore’s idea was that of learning in a natural environment, in the open, under the trees, would be more closer to nature. Classes in the open still in vogue there.

Khowai, Shantiniketan

After Tagore received the Nobel Prize in 1913 for literature (for the book Gitanjali), the school was expanded into an university named as Visva Bharati. Today Visva Bharati is one of the renowned universities, which attracts thousands of students each year. Shantiniketan is also a tourist attraction because Rabindranath wrote many of his literary classics here.

This building was built by Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, father of Rabindranath Tagore

First woman Prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi, renowned film director Satyajit Ray and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen are among its most illustrious students.

Rabindra Bhavan, the useum from where the Nobel Medallion was stolen

Adda during Off period

The most prestigious possession of Shantiniketan, the pride of the nation, the “Nobel Prize” medallion of Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore which was in display in the ‘Rabindra Bhavan’ (Museum) till it was stolen in the beginning of 2006 and it was done so precisely that country’s top investigating agency too failed to trace it.

Though BhubanDanga has undergone lot many changes in the past but Bhuban dacoit, it seems, has left his legacy and still alive through his modern day decoits who unlike Bhuban decoit, are with us in the society, in disguise. These decoits are more dangerous than the Bhuban decoit because they are in disguise and CBI too failed to find them.

UNESCO will soon declare Shantiniketan as a world Heritage site.

(Visited Shantiniketan  in March 2008)(Some picture taken from Times of India)

Darker side of ‘Festival of lights’

Today’s the ‘Festival of Lights’ all o’er;
a joyful day for minds and hearts and souls;
And people throng the Temples to offer,
Prayers, resolving to take roles.

And most of them are richly clad and clean,
and eat such dainty foods and sweets with mirth;
Whilst noisy crackers burst, their lights are seen,
It seems to be a happy day on Earth!

But are there not hearts woe-filled, very sad?
Denied of laughter, smiles for days;
Today’s the triumph of Good over bad;
But what about the wastage in much ways?
True joy is when you see someone else smile!
True charity gives joy in Heav’nly style.

~ John Celes

Acknowledgement : times of India

 

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Awful tragedy

I thought of not to post this love story of awful tragedy but my conscious did not allow me to be silent, at least in this case. Because this case has many angles like inter-religion marriage, corruption, money power, police in-actions, true love, economic and social status. Because of all these, city has seen the unprecedented public and media resentments in this case. So I decided to post it for my readers. Better late than never.

In films we always find that a boy from a poor family fall in love with a wealthy father’s only daughter and they overcome the hurdles on their way and finally love wins and get married with the approval of parents and they live happily ever after. The story ends like this in most of the cases.

But real life stories seldom end like reel life stories. Rizwanur Rahman and Priyanka Tody love story has become a legendary love story of the city. The story shows us that real love does exist even today. Love is blind, it does not look for status, religion and nothing else. Rizwanur belong to a middle class or may be below middle class Muslim family, educated in St. Xavier’s college, gentle, sober. He was working as faculty in Arena Multimedia, a computer institute. Priynaka hails from a orthodox Hindu wealthy business family of Marwari community. Priyanka lives in a palatial house in Salt Lake city of Kolkata and Rizwanur in a small house in a narrow lane in Tiljala area.

They met in the same computer institute. Priyanka joined there for a course there. This difference of status and religion did not come on their way to fall in love and to further it to marriage. They knew the hurdles to be faced from her family hence they got married in accordance with the special marriage act. She moved to her poor husband’s home leaving the palatial residence literary with one cloth even leaving her costly N-series Nokia mobile phone, thinking that her father may give a police complaint of theft of that and ornaments. Her imagination was wrong.

Priyanka’s father lodged a complaint with local police station that Rizwanur abducted their daughter. But this did not hold good when they showed all proof of marriage and age proof certificates. Priyanka said I am with my husband, I have come here willingly and nobody abducted or forcibly brought me here. We are married and I want to live with my husband. The local police did not interfere further, they went back. But his father did not stop there. It is reported in the media that he was having unholy link with the police. When he did not get any help from local police he went to Police head quarters. Then the Police started unlawful actions for separating them by sending Priyanka back to her home. They were called to Police HQ three times and marriage witness Was also threatened. Priyanka all along was unwilling to go to her parental home back. She told to Rizwanur family members “Once I go there, I would not be allowed to come back again.” Rizwanur was pressurized to send her back to her home by the police. His friend later revealed that the police threatened for dire consequences if she is not sent home. Later, on Sep 08, 2007, on a written undertaking of her uncle assuring that she will be to Back to Rizwanur after 7 days, Priyanka went to her home. Mediator of this was none other than police. What made the police to act so much for breaking a legal marriage. Rizwanur was also assured of having communication with her but soon that was disrupted and both were separated. As apprehended, Priyanka never allowed to return to her husband and her 8 days married life ended abruptly. All communications were cut off and Rizwanur could not establish any communication with her till his death. Once he pleaded to his father-in law and mother-in law by SMS to listen Priyanka’s voice for once but his request was not met. Later, on the same day his body was found beside Railway tracks.

Role of police is now under a question mark. They are supposed to be the protector of the citizen but in this case they turned to be tormentor to the young couple. Since they all along trying to separate them as per the wish of Ashok Todi. It is unbelievable to think about the involvement of police for unlawful activities. It is understood that there is a clear ruling of Supreme Court on inter religion marriage for their protection. In spite of that the police has gone just in opposite direction.

There was tremendous resentments of the citizen against the police. Had it been in other part of India, there would have been a communal riot but here people from all walk of life, irrespective of religion including the print and electronic media stood with the family and shown their solidarity. All demanded for CBI investigation and justice. Calcutta High court gave a ruling for CBI investigation too and the same is in progress. There is nothing to say about the case now till its final judgment comes.

He realised that he is not going to get any protection from police. He did not approached to media or took any legal action bcoz Priyanka did not approve it. But now investigations revealed that finally he wanted to take help of some political leader and a meeting was fixed on 21 Sep 07 the day he died. It is now evident that his mobile was tapped and ‘they’ came to know from his conversations that he is going to meet political leader /minister and they wanted not to happen so. Next morning i.e. 21 Sep 07, he got a call and went out alone and never returned. His body was found on the raiway track.

It is awful. A poor innocent guy was fighting alone with money and muscle power. He can not win. Had he gone to media at the beginning, he would have saved his life. The rich can buy anything and the poor, the middle class people have to run from pillar to post to get the legitimate rights or justice. Surprisingly, the high ranking IPS officers who should be honest, dedicated and ideal and example of their integrity to the young generation, are involved in this case for the wrong reasons. The poor Rizwanur and Priyanka, newly married couple, having full of dreams in their eyes, having no money, had to surrender to the money power and a terrible tragedy came to their lives.

Riz’s college mourning his death.
Disclaimer : The story, facts are presented here based on print and electronic media reports, which may not be true.