Calcutta to Kolkata
Lets fast forward to years closer to our independence, as I
will be looking closely to Calcutta during the British era while comparing it to where we stand
today.
Reality Check
Chowinghee 2000 |
Chowringhee, the central district of Calcutta has often been compared to internationally known city centers such as Piccadily, Fifth Avenue, Champs Elysees, etc.
And now?
The year 1990 marked Calcutta's tercentenary- a major landmark in the history of the city and there is a growing interest in India's unparalleled architectural heritage, and we should take advantage of it to promote tourism. One of the Calcutta's principal arteries, Chowringhee carries an aura of prestige and importance. Although dowdier these days than it's more illustrious partners, Chowringhee no less exudes similar allure and magnetism in it's eastern setting. Whether we, as the present inhabitants of this great city share a collective responsibility to restore the reputation it once enjoyed, is a question we need to ask ourselves before it's too late.
Lal Salaam from longest serving CM |
Even the College Street Coffee House has changed. The Chief Minister did not create the change.
Victory for TMC |
Mamata Banerjee |
Calcutta began life as East India's Company's foremost trading outpost. Today, it is trade and it's ancillary services that keeps the city vibrant. The present chief minister is not a great champion of capitalism as a historical process and unlikely our ex chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, she hardly understands Marxism. No wonder, Rabindranath Tagore and not Karl Marx, has remained the guiding force for a city that is rediscovering it's lost soul.
New Market/Stuart Hogg (about 1945) |
I couldn’t stop laughing when I came across the reason behind how
because of the kind hearted behavior of some rulers led us to be ruled over by
the firangs for so many years. The
story went something like this, the
daughter of the Emperor was severely burnt and a doctor, Mr. Boughton from
Surat successfully treated her burns and
in reward the Emperor allowed the company to establish factory at Pipili,
leading to English ships arriving at the Bengal ports for the first time, or
should I say the first nail in the coffin
.
During 1638, under Shah Jahan’s rule Boughton was
again used to treat one of the ladies in the palace, and in return, the company
was allowed to establish factories in Balasore and Hooghly in addition to Pipili. It seems
like had the people in that era been more healthy and careful to not fall sick
and burn themselves, we wouldn’t have ever been ruled over for years to come.
But who knew that Dr Boughton’s services would be so expensive that it would
cost us our freedom.
.
Shah Jahan |
Compare it to our present state, we are not under the rule
of any British or for that case any other Country but have we actually
developed or has our condition deteriorated??
I would support the latter.
For a place like Bengal, with so much history behind it, we
have witnessed a sea change over the years. Kolkata, formerly known as
Calcutta, was the capital of British Indian Empire till 1911. The city is also
noted for its revolutionary history raging from India’s struggle for
independence to the leftism naxalite and trade union movements. It was also home
to prominent people like Sarada Devi, Swami
Vivekananda, Rabindranath
Tagore and Subhas Chandra Bose, etc. Now,
whether we look at our rich culture, human values, social values, everything
seems to have gone for a toss. It is debatable whether these changes have taken
us forward or pulled us many years backwards, compared to other states and
cities of India.
Bengal, of the past used to be a very rich and prosperous
state. It used to be said “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow.” We
used to be the leaders, while the rest used to follow. Sadly, everything seems
to be opposite now. Bengal has become a debt ridden state heading nowhere.
Agriculture, the backbone of any forward moving state has suffered the
most. From being a self sufficient state
we now have to depend upon others for our needs. Lack of planning, lack of far
sightedness has led to this mess. Youth from villages have left for greener
pastures due to lack of opportunities. We have to hold the panchayat system as well as their political masters responsible for
this mess.
In the capital city of West Bengal, Calcutta the situation
seems to be more or less similar. Earlier people from other parts of India
would come to Calcutta to earn a living. Today, due to lack of proper planning,
lack of investments, poor government policies, unemployment is at all time high,
skilled as well as non skilled workers are moving away to other states as well
as to abroad to seek a better future. The government of the day has failed to
attract investors due to its land policy, labor problems and petty politics.
The government has to immediately rectify its mistakes and make the state an
attractive investment destination or we will see a continuous brain drain from our city.
From being the safe capital of the country we have acquired
the dubious reputation of being the rape capital of the country. West Bengal
ranks second in the list of crimes committed against women. Earlier it used to
be said that a women could travel anywhere in the city and not fell unsafe. In
the recent past there has been a phenomenal amount of crimes and atrocities
committed on women in the state as well as in the city. In the maximum number
of cases the perpetrators of these crimes get away scott free as they are
affiliated to some political party or the other. The administrators have to
take strong steps to stop crimes of this nature. Social values in our society
seem to have eroded completely. We have to instill fear in the minds of these
kinds of people.
The divide between the rich and the poor seems to have
widened deeply. On one hand we have the people who do not have to worry about
savings, while there are people who hardly have anything to save. The middle
class people seem to be nonexistent. They are either moving to the top or to
the other extreme, thus widening the gap between the two classes.
We can go on and on about the fall from grace of our state
and city but hopefully there is a glimmer of hope still flickering somewhere.
An ex Prime Minister once remarked that Bengal was a dying state. It caused
huge protests in the state. It is most unfortunate that those remarks are
slowly but surely coming true.
Let us all resolve to work hard without thinking of personal
gains and restore our city Calcutta to its earlier glory.