Amazing Kolkata

Shamsher Chowdhury

IT is my belief that you will seldom come across a city like Kolkata. Its history is both tragic and unique. Millions around the world are still attracted to this city for one reason or the other. Kolkata has more to offer to its visitors and its own people than any other metropolitan city of the world. For years, Kolkata had been called the slum of the world. Yet it moves on. In order to understand and appreciate the essence of Kolkata, you need to approach the city with an open mind.

Kolkata was named the capital of British India as early as 1772. Kolkata itself was established in the year 1686. The city kept progressing until 1756 when Siarajuddowla attacked the British and drove them out of Bengal. However, in 1757, the battle of Plassey took place in which Robert Clive once again took over Kolkata after defeating the Nawab.

Kolkata is as rich with its diverse population as with its traditions, culture, legacy and history. Its population exceeds 15 million, making it India's third largest metropolitan area. It is also the largest city in India. It had been under British rule right through 1911, witnessing unprecedented political turmoil since then. Yet it has witnessed an economic rejuvenation by way of the city's growth, particularly since the year 2000, despite the fact that to this day the city is often bogged down by all sorts of political turmoil (including leftists and trade union movements, poverty and pollution).

I was in Kolkata for about a week in mid January this year, accompanied by my wife, my daughter and her four-year old son. This was my first extended visit to Kolkata after 1996. Prior to that I had only transited on my way to Mumbai, Lucknow, Jodhpur and a host of other cites in India. It was thus like a pilgrimage to the city. I, too, like many had some preconceived notions about Kolkata. I had my first awakening as our car proceeded towards the city from the airport. I heard the call of the Muazzin to prayers. It was about late afternoon, a pleasant surprise indeed. Throughout my stay I had the same experience at different hours of the day.

We stayed at a small guest house (a prototype of a regular hotel) on Sudder Street, a rather congested area, the residents of which came from the lower middle class. I stayed here on purpose since I wanted to witness Kolkata in its real colour and interact with people at large, particularly the common man. It is a treat talking to the common man at Kolkata. I was amazed to find out how well informed they were. As you come out on the streets in the early hours of the day, you would find that shopkeepers and small vendors are all engaged intensely in reading the newspaper/s of the day. It reminded me of a statement once made by a senior staff of one of our leading dailies to the fact the even his editor does not read his paper regularly.

Kolkata has something for every one, from the millionaire to the slum dweller. Despite the popular belief that Kolkata is "harsh", I found the people of the city friendly and helpful. I, being somewhat disabled, often sat by the roadside to catch my breath. I have a walking stick that can be turned into a makeshift "chair" at random. Each time someone passed by, he greeted me with a smile and a "Namaste".

Hundreds of people are walking in different directions on wide and clean pavements, no beggars or makeshift hawkers blocking your free movement. People, old young and even school-going children as young as seven to eight years old, are crossing roads through specified zebra crossings, talking and laughing.

Kolkata has a complex network of roads. It has a huge number of cars and various other kinds of vehicular traffic that come out on the streets from as early as five in the morning. Despite the heavy movement of traffic, and an acute shortage of regular parking lots, vehicles are parked on the roadsides and by lanes in such a way that the free flow of traffic is seldom hindered. Standing by the roadside I watched the traffic moving in four different directions at midday without the slightest chaos and confusion. This was one of the busiest of traffic movements anytime in the heart of the city, managed and controlled single handedly by a traffic constable, not even a Sergeant. The week that I was there I neither saw nor read a single report of road accidents where someone was killed.

The people of Kolkata, particularly the common man, practise frugality and moderation in all aspects of their lives and living. They appeared to be contended and at ease with whatever they have. One cannot but notice a kind of high work culture that exists there. The entire city is up and about by five am. Streets are bustling with men and women of all ages rushing in all directions to their workplaces on foot, by bus etc. You will seldom find one standing by the side of the road gossiping and idling away. I also found an increasing number of women in various kinds of professions. This has not only added a new dimension to the image of Kolkata but also the whole of India.

I visited at least two of the recently built shopping malls where women were in charge of main entrances, including carrying out security checks of incoming visitors. They were not only professional in discharge of their duties but also courteous.

You seldom come across beggars pestering you while you walk the streets or wait in your car for traffic clearance to move on, not that there are no poor people in the city.

Over the past few years, I use the services of a wheel chair due to disability caused by an arthritic condition. I was most impressed with the services provided to me both during entry into, and exist from, the airport. On both occasions the staff pushing the wheel chair not only had a smiling face but also refused to accept gratuities offered by me, a unique experience indeed.

Kolkata can rightly boast of its share of poets, writers, musicians, singers so on and so forth. Remember Sharat Chandra, the creator of that timeless love story Devdas. What of Mother Theresa, Dr Amartya Sen, Rabindranath Tagore, Sir C. V. Raman Nobel laureates for their brilliance in their respective fields, that famous legendary Dancer and Choreographer Uday Shankar and internationally acclaimed Sitarist Pundit Ravi Shankar. What about singers like Kanan Devi, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Begum Akhter, Shachin Dev Barman, Pankaj Kumar Mallick K.C. Dey and a host of others of the past and the present.

Indeed we have much to learn from Kolkata. It tells us about human dignity, self-respect, self-determination and commitment of the highest order.

Long live Kolkata.

The writer can be reached at

e-mail: caa342@yahoo.com