I love Calcutta…not only because I grew up there, but
because it has a feel that no other city in india does. I cannot quite say what
about Kolkata makes me pine for it. Honestly speaking, infrastructures of all
the other Indian metros seem to be way better than that of Calcutta. I agree
the number of flyovers in Delhi or Mumbai is much more, the civic sense of
people of Calcutta isn’t quite the greatest, even the roads are narrow and
travelling through the city is a problem; but still there is something about
the city which makes me pine for it? What is it? I had several questions in my
mind.
Is it the sweet snobbishness with which people talk about
literature, movies and art? Is it the timeless debating over nonsensical
issues? Is it the fact that people there take more interest in your personal
life than their own? Is it because of the weather which makes you feel like a
winner at the end of a day’s work? Is it because of football and how people
have songs dedicated to their favourite clubs? Is it because of the food? Is it
because of the fact that, even today, if you have five rupees in your pocket
you can eat your fill on street food? Is it because of the loud radio on the
shuttle autos? Is it because of how politics still rules most arguments? Is it
because of the sweet sound of Dhak during Pujo?
People call it a dying city. They say that nothing changes
in Calcutta. Everything is constant. But I ask all of you, how many cities have
actually withstood the test of time? Name any other Indian city which hasn’t
changed? Not everything has to change everything about itself. There are some
who needs to hold on to their old charm.
Can you replace an Inidan Coffee House with Barista? Can you
replace football at Maidan? Do you want to? Can you replace kochuri with pizza?
Can you replace a mutton tikia with barb-e-cue? Is there any replacement for
phuchka? What about anandabazar, anandamela, sukhtara? If there was one Chacha
Choudhury in India, there was nonte-phonte, baantul-the-great, handa-bhonda,
aranyaded, most importantly Indrajal comics in Calcutta. When I grew up Tintin
was published in Bengali but not in Hindi or any other Indian language. May I
ask why? Although most Calcuttans have cursed it at least once, every one of
them has boasted of trams in front of his non-calcuttan friends. I know how
good Delhi Metro is or even Bangalore Metro is, but what about Calcutta Metro?
Every station has a different story tell with respect to the paintings. Would
you find it anywhere else?
I don’t know about all of you, but when I was a child there
would be frequent power cuts and all of us would go down from our apartments to
play in the dark. This too, absurd as it may sound, has contributed my love for
Calcutta. As kids we were encouraged to speak to everyone and mingle, even if
it was dark. There was some unquestionable trust that was brewed in us. Yes
Calcuttans do fight a lot, but Calcuttans also make up very fast. Have you ever
noticed this? Or that no matter how poor his Hindi or English is, every
Calcuttan tries and somehow manages to put his point through.
Calcutta has contributed to all the Nobel Prizes won from
India, from Ronald Ross to Amartya Sen. Movies of Hrittik Ghatak and Satyajit
Ray are studied in most film schools. We have produced the first Olympic medal
for India. Calcuttans have led the country in various fields and continue to do
so. Calcuttans are even the richest in the world? Still you feel bad for the
city? What else can you demand? If we think that there is something to be
changed about Calcutta, why point fingers, you can start today. Calcutta
resists change, but it will surely not resist a change for a better Kolkata.
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