So this time what I really saw in calcutta? Nothing much really. This city has been able to keep its old smell with a hint of make over though. It wears miniskirt these days and kisses without shame. PDA is not a thing to feel shame about. Sex is on the rise as it is evident by all the MMS sites and the number of Bengali scandals there. Yes I am a pervert and I frequently venture into those sites. Do you have a problem?
Somethings which caught my eyes this time was the plethora of tv channels. There seemed to be n number of tv channels on the cable network. Star ananda, 24 hours, ne bangle etc etc. and the good part of it was that all these are news channels. Local issues really needed a voice and these channels if managed and handled properly can be just that.
But like all other Indian news channels these also tend to go overboard with certain issues. Just like they got with Rizwanur case, and just like they got with the UFO case. Star ananda had called two eminent astronomers to understand that the glowing thing on the sky is nothing but our very own venus and not a UFO. Jeesus Christ. Also like their news paper star ananda almost covered all the daily events in Suchitra Sen’s life in those few days while she was under treatment in belleview nursing home. Can imagine why she took this self imposed denial from the media and limelight. Guys for gods sake, no need to imitate English media. They have already killed their princess by doing this, do we need to go the same way? Also is personal life of a celebrity so much of an enticing thing for the avg Bengali people? I would say there is a lot of good thing which Indian media can learn from the british media, and being neutral can be one of them. But I saw our media is more keen on learning the paparazzy tricks.
Star ananda had its mind set on showing off mamata banerjee on the nandigram issue. Then CPM cadres attacked their pressmen and things changed overnight. The much praised and so called cultured CM of west Bengal suddenly became the demon of the day. And ananda went all ga ga about the cpm brutalities in Nandigram. We are not kids and we understand politics dude. Try something more subtle next time.
This Calcutta reassured me of one thing that human beings still live in this city. The procession by city’s eminent intellectuals in protest of inertness of government in nandigram was something which showed being unpolitical sometimes can be the biggest political statement. But it also raised a point of doubt in my mind. How much of hearitness was really in it. How much of all these hullagullas were driven by true concern for people? Why this voices didn’t shout before? Why now? The unpolitical character became a bit dirty and a lot more unclear in my mind. But I hope it was simple conscience which made people do these things and not by some other agenda driven by others. Calcutta a city of aantels truly showed still there are aantels who apart from being aantels can sometime think of real and hard lived issues as well.
Calcutta also revealed its real smell in the night of navami when I went on a night out trip through the city to have a glimpse of the most beautiful puja mandaps of this year. And all I can still remember is the foul smell of urine everywhere. Calcutta pissed and it pissed in its pants it seems. A place like New Alipore can be so dirty is something I can hardly imagine.
More to come on Calcutta and calcatians…
9 comments:
Eh, this is a very non commentable post as far as I am concerned. But I will try
Sex is on the rise throughout this whole world, the population meter says as much anyway. Calcutta is just more open about it now.
Wont comment on the political part, usually have very reserved opinions on these.
And revealed it then. It reveals itself every morning on my way to college, every afternoon on my rambles, every night when i coe back home. calcutta is submerged in the smell. it is something it has taken as its own and is developing it by leaps and bounds. dont despair by it, admire it.
non commentable because of its nature? hmm
and....about calcutta there are so many things to write about...nevr realised until i started to write.
nice one buddy !!
sex is always on a bengali's mind...for proof watch our brilliant bengali art films...
and i too watched the enthusiasm wi8th which star ananda reports, though I think i missed the UFO story
I never really understand star anondo, do they have to speak as if they are bankim chandra's characters?
having come to kolkata to 'settle' down just in june, and having come to love the city after absolutely hating it, ur post ws a very delightful read... but i ws disappointed to find no mention of puchka or mishti doi or bhapa ilish in ur post... :)
@Gauri,well, those are kolkata's essential and much cliched images. What I saw this time was a different city and wanted to portray that. Not sure how much I was successful. It was a different homecoming after a long time.
@Inihos,
sorry i missed the chance to reply you earlier. You should try to find that UFO story maan! You'd love it!
Waah I remember New Alipore being one of the cleaner localities. That's a shame.
And ya, for all of Calizen's claims that nothing beats their city, most if not all of 'em have the urge to keep up with the changing times. So in all walks u have Del and B'bay imitating the Stately trends, and Cal playing catch-up (but not in plain-sight).
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