Should not forget TagoreOn the 8th of May, the world would celebrate the 148th birth anniversary of Tagore. It would be once again that time of the year when Bengalis the world over would remember the Nobel laureate. There would be the usual songs and recitation programs held in Jorasanko, his birth place , and in Shantiniketan, the campus that he set up to educate young boys and girls in various subjects with stress on arts. There would also be serious discussions on his life and letters. Debates would rage on some of his long lost letters that have surfaced. In places outside West Bengal, there would be similar methods of paying homage to his memory – but, and this stands out like a sore thumb, the culture is gradually dying out. Present day kids hardly have the time to devote to songs or dances – if at all they do, it is with an eye for getting publicity via one of the many reality shows on TV channels that promise popularity and riches. We are continuously seeing budding singers and dancers – they showcase their talents through Hindi songs. In the Bengali channels that have national coverage, one seldom hears Rabindra Sangeet – the art that was once a must for prospective brides has been shelved, they now learn computers. On the occasion of his birth anniversary, the singers who will be seen rendering his songs on stage will usually be from the older generation. Roadmap for budding scribesStudents of Calcutta University (CU) and NSHM Knowledge Campus organised an interaction between students of mass communication from the two institutions and James Richard Dickenson, a veteran correspondent and political editor of The Washington Post, USA, on April 24. The 75-year-old journalist answered the queries of students regarding the present US election campaign and also listed the dos and don'ts to become a successful journalist.Search for my Kolkata – Part - IIThe time was just after twelve – the stall owners were opening their counters. It was off season because there were no imminent festivals, hence most of them were slow on their feet but their eyes were continuously wandering over the faces of all those who passed by – if they felt that the person was a prospective customer, they would immediately put on their most charming smile and welcome you with open arms. If you so much as expressed curiosity over any item, you would have committed yourself to purchasing the item – depending on your bargaining powers, you could emerge victorious or be a victim of leg pulling. I remembered that there used to be a permanent hawker’s corner in the vicinity of Hatibagan – it was called Subhas Corner. It was still there but was hidden behind hundreds of other stalls that have literally taken over the footpaths – pedestrians are compelled to walk on the roads avoiding the rush of four and three wheeler vehicles. The cinema halls were like ghosts – only a couple of them still survived the onslaught of multiplexes. The Post office and the Town School held their sway and even the Shambazar tram depot appeared to be the same with its rusty gates and passengers eagerly waiting for the next tram to roll out – it was nice to see that this wonderful pollution free vehicle had its share of patrons. I walked up to the five point crossing - in the middle of the central island was the horse mounted figure of Netaji Subhas Bose. As I took the left turn, I saw a medical store that had been there in the late fifties also. I grinned to myself – yes, these were the relics which held the attraction of Kolkata so that we continued to return to the roots. I walked down Bhupen Bose Avenue – I once lived on a house on this road and saw that it was there, only it was not maintained as it used to be. It must have changed hands. The original owner had two daughters who must have been married away and, the new owner must be harboring thoughts of erecting a multi storied building in its place. Right next to it was the central office of BSNL and, the station of the Metro rail. A few feet further on, I was delighted to see an old book shop – my father purchased a whole lot of books from this shop to build up his private library. The books were classics penned by great Bengali authors like Bankim Chandra, Sarat Chandra, Nripen Krishna Chattopadhaya, Rabindra Nath Tagore, Banaful etcetera. The sign board of the shop was as it used to be; only, there were huge locks on the vertical wooden bars that concealed the main door. The shop is probably under litigation. Special kids shake a legRehabilitation Centre For Children (RCFC) - a resource institute for children with or thopaedic disability - celebrated its 35th Foundation Day on April 24 in its first-floor auditorium.Green reliefThe Ramdhanu Park has become an integral part of the life of the people of the Golf Garden’s area of Prince Gulam Muhammad Shah Road. Built a few years ago, it has greatly affected the lifestyle of the residents of the locality. With a wide stretchChetan’s 3 Mistakes The ‘biggest selling English language novelist in India's history’, according to The New York Times, Chetan Bhagat, was in the city on Sunday, to launch and promote his new novel, ‘The 3 mistakes of my life’. A chorus of questions was heard from the crowd waiting to greet him at the Metropolitan shopping mall in Chak Garia. People wondered when the author would arrive and whether or not he would entertain questions.Tipple taleToday it's the fairer sex that's making the cash register at bars ring aloud, fast catching up with their male counterparts. It isn't a new trend, you may argue. The number of women downing a few at bars, nightclubs, or at restaurants has seen a significant increase in the last 10 years. What's new however is the changing colour of the tipple tale every season.There’s a great deal of patience and belief in what we’re doingWe have played four successive matches for four losses. The last three being against Mumbai Indians at home, Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur and finally being beaten in a close finish to Kings XI Punjab in Chandigarh — certainly not what we wanted at this point of the season, nor I am sure the fans, sponsors and all our followers.Salman Butt itching to make presence feltSalman Butt is in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ XIV for Thursday’s faceoff against the Bangalore Royal Challengers, but it’s to the XI that he’s itching to return.DareDevils have the advantageFive days after routing the Chennai Super Kings at the Chepauk, Virender Sehwag’s Delhi DareDevils are hoping for an encore when the two teams meet in the return match of the IPL at the Kotla Thursday.The cheerleader controversyPolitical leaders are passé and cheerleaders are in. And that even applies for a politically sensitive city like Calcutta.
Irrespective of what our sports minister Subhas Chakrabarty or few other ministers and political leaders have to say about cheerleaders, cheerleading has become a hit both on and off the ground.
Not only Calcutta crowd on ground is lapping up cheerleaders like anything, even they have become competitors to cricketers when it comes to post match analysis in the tea shops or in Writers’ Building.
There has been lot of discussions in recent time whether slightly over the top cheerleading (no pun intended) is a distraction to the cricketers or not, but the fact remains it definitely caters to the obstruction of viewing cricket. At least that happened to me during the Kolkata Knightriders match with Decan Chargers.
As a boundary was hit or a wicket tumbled, the cheerleaders started gyrating; hijacking the attention of most in the crowd – who stood up their feet, jumped on the seats, waved and ogled, not necessarily in that sequence – even as the batsman prepared to face the next ball. And in the process completely blocking those who wanted to see something else (read, cricket) other than cheerleading in the ground. Any protest and you are bound to be hopelessly outnumbered!
“This is bound to happen in a sex starved country like our’s, where few years back even a kiss was not allowed by the censor” observed a clearly exasperated middle aged person sitting beside me and struggling to see the match through the dancing crowd in front. “Doesn’t the guy look like an auto driver in city road who spends more time looking sideways rather than straight” quipped another pointing towards a teenager who was waving frantically towards the cheerleader girls even as they settled down after a bout of cheerleading.
“Don’t complain, in that way most in the stadium look like auto drivers” countered another. "Actually the whole thing has a social angle, it is a big turn on for most to see some firangi girls dancing to the tune of Indian music for pleasing indian spectators" observed another trying to delve into the mind of spectators per se.
Coming back to opinions regarding the sanctity of cheerleading, a complete contrast is on the plate.
“Don’t we ogle through out night watching skimpily clad girls parading their staff in beauty contests and even takes national pride when a Sushmita Sen or an Aishwarya Rai wins? What happens when our bolly bellies bare all not only in films but also in television within the privacy of your living room? Then why single out the cheerleaders”, is one kind of opinion.
“Agreed, the society has changed a lot and all these have entered in our daily lives via consumerism. But still our society is not ready for this kind of on you face titillation” is another.
“Why blame the cheerleaders, they are after all a small part of an entertainment package called T 20 cricket. If you are interested in this brand of cricket, you have to accept the cheerleaders as well” is kind of middle of the road third opinion.
And there are interesting other opinions as well,sample this one.
“I do not have any opinion about the cheerleaders but I am happy that because of them there has been less unrest within the crowd… crowd is so busy appreciating them that there was hardly even a murmur of protest when the local team lost so badly to the Mumbai Indians few days back, almost unthinkable in Eden Gardens” commented a senior police official.
Food for research for the social scientists? No way to walk!It was supposed to be a footpath, but has now become a mini bazar! The footpath along Garia Main Road, has now become a hotspot for roadside hawkers.Kolkata, 'amar' KolkataEverything has its firsts and this is my first blog.
Well its about Kolkata and our love for this great city.
But is it true? Do we love Kolkata? I have my doubts. What are we doing to keep it clean? We still see garbage hurled from the balconies of apartments. We still throw things from running bus or car, don’t we? We still don't make complain when someone in our locality dump all the garbage in a public place when he gets his house repaired. We accept everything with a smiling face.
Its time we really try to understand the depth of our love for Kolkata, it's time we take responsibility to keep it lovable.
Don’t treat this blog as blame game, think about the ways we can make things better, it will be nice if we can make it a movement, a real start, a platform to those looking for opportunity to give back something to their place they live in. the magical power of triple sVirendra Sehwag must be a wise player by now – the pathetic way in which the combined force of the Triple S ruined his hopes of a semi-final berth in the IPL is proof of the devastating power of the trio. Yes, the combination of Sourav-Shah Rukh-Shoiab is the Triple force. It is not just deadly but deathly as well – it was too much for the Delhi Daredevils to stomach. What looked to be a tame end to a much hyped game with the hosts managing only 133 runs suddenly somersaulted into a nail biting finish. The Delhi boys did not have any reply to the Rawalpindi Express. Let us keep our fingers crossed and hope that the Kolkata Knight Riders continue to move from strength to strength and lift the inaugural IPL cup.Young, drunk and hipJojo Roy, a high school student returns home late, drunk and exhausted. He sneaks in through the back gate, fearing he might get caught. The excuse for this late coming, if his parents ask, would be visiting a pal's b'day party. He was in a city pub, all this while, fagging & drinking.The Ramakrishna PathagarUniqueness is the right word to describe the Ramakrishna Pathagar a unit of the Belur Math Ramakrishna Mission at Indrani Park on Prince Anwar Shah Road. With the initiation of the idea in 1958, and the acquiring of a suitable plot of land where a siwrong strategy means lossThis 41st game of the IPL between Kolkata and Chennai should have not been lost by the home team. However, when over confidence strikes, it spells doom. That is what happened. It was a loss due to wring strategy. There were rains the previous evening and at this time of the year, the climate is always unpredictable with heavy showers, gusty winds and terrible atmosphere. Therefore, when Sourav won the toss, he should have asked the visitors to bat – that way, in the event of rains and the D/L system, he would have had the advantage. Unfortunately, he preferred to bat himself because he had tremendous faith in his batsmen and felt that they would have no difficulty in putting up a high score. That was not to be since the team managed just 149 runs. The rest is already history. Auto, bliss or curse? Kolkata, Our very own ‘CITY of JOY’, but let me ask you a question do you really feel proud for you city for its present status or all your ‘FEEL GOOD’ factors are due to the golden era what it has passed. Unfortunately answer is yes. We feel proud because of the tradition it has to its credit and we are heard of (not fortunate enough to experience).
Let’s look into it in a deeper note. If you make a survey amongst Calcuttans what is the reason behind their grudge, the response is going to be same in 99% cases. And the reply is ‘Present days Transport Condition’.
In fact, I support the reason behind this anger whole heartedly. While researching, I found some facts about one of the most well accepted mode of modern day public transport- ‘AUTO’, which has turnout to be the cause of headaches for most of the traffic problems caused in the city.
Unarguably, they are the major cause of unstructured traffic jams in the city. Due to their shape, mobility and no detail route map (most of the cases) they have a tendency to consider themselves as the king of the road, resulting hiccups at every crossing. Forget about other valid papers (like pollution control certificate etc); some of them do not carry their valid driving license as well. Only one thing they never forget to carry is a ‘CITU Member ship card’. Most of them run their vehicles in some fuel popularly known as ‘KANTA TEL’ (a mixture of diesel, kerosene and other liquids), which not only illegal in nature but also more heath-threatening in compare to its other counterpart.
More surprisingly the so called franchisee of this product runs their business openly in the closed proximity of local police – stations.
For example, one of the largest hubs of this fuel in south Calcutta is in front of JADAVPUR UNIVERSITY, 8B bus stand gate, a venue which is almost at a walking distance from JADAVPUR THANA. And believe me, JADAVPUR is not at all an exception in this regard, we can find the same picture in some of the northern suburbs as well like LAKE TOWN, KESTOPUR etc.
After the pollution aspect, let look at the commuting aspect. Most of the auto pullers use to pick 5 or more passengers at a time. If you dare to argue with them, trust me, they are going to show you hundred of reasons including socio-economic imbalance ornamented with typical AUTO-WALA phrases, (popularly known as derogatory word).
Their fare gets changed with the timing of travel and season of travel.
For example, from SALTLAKE, KARUNAMOYEE to TECHNOPOLIS it is 6rs during office time and 5rs during normalcy, similarly from BIDHANNAGAR RAILWAY STATION to SALTLAKE, KARUNAMOYEE it is 10rs during rush hour and 7rs normally. If it is during rainy season or festive season you can’t predict how much you have to pay for the same distance. During last year rain, some AUTO WALA asked for as high as 150rs for a distance that normally being charged as 10rs.Just think?
With our utter astonishment they even restrict the transportability of some public vehicle as well. No buses (public, government, office etc) are allowed to stop at their allotted bus stop near CHINGRIHATA FLYOVER (towards sector-V), rather they are compelled to give a stop far ahead of the stop, only because of our very own AUTO WALA.
At the conclusion I just want to raise some question for our honorable ‘TRANSPORT MINISTER’?
1. Our honorable ‘TRANSPORT MINISTER’, once promised that there would be no AUTO in the city, running in any fuel other than LPG. He has set some deadline for the same but unfortunately that gets extended only. Can we ask him about the final deadline for the same?
2. Can we ask him, unlike other public transports why the fare of the auto is not set by any state authority like ‘RTA’? Why the fare is getting set by LOCAL CITU AUTHORITY and more surprisingly these fares are getting set not on distance but on the area where it runs.
3. Our honorable ‘TRANSPORT MINISTER’, has made another promise as well. Where he told that there would be no AUTO in the city, carrying more than 4 passengers at a time. Like all other cases even this time also he has failed to convince most of the AUTO-PULLERS, incidentally who are supporters and active members of his party.Kolkata departs from IPLThe bang with which the Kolkata Knight Riders owned by SRK descended on the IPL scene never expected that it would have to withdraw into the background with a whimper after the washout game in Delhi due to the rains. There will be many analysis, innumerable post mortems and TV anchors and experts will love the opportunity to discuss all issues threadbare – the phone lines would be open for viewers to participate even if they have to sit with the instrument and wait for hours trying to get through. These numbers, like the once-upon-a-time KBC numbers, remain unreachable unless you have a whole lot of patience. At least one of the seniors Rahul Dravid has finally come out in the open – his comment ‘if I were 21’ is an admission worth a mention. The further adventures of the fedora and whipBy MANOHLA DARGIS Published in The New York Times of May 22, 2008 CANNES, France — “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is a movie for boomers of all ages, though you can bet the bank that plenty of tots will be tagging alonThe failure of Panchvi passNews are trickling out that the latest game show ‘Kya aap panchvi pass say tez hai?’ has not become as popular as one would have liked it to. This will be one more flop in the bag of Shah Rukh Khan – after his association with the Kolkata Knight Riders. His sudden interest in outdoor games was fuelled by his success in the out-of-the-way movie on women’s hockey that won laurels for him. From playing an imaginary role of the coach of an all women’s hockey team, he discovered himself in the hotbed of professional cricketers. He imposed his trust in the most experience cricketer of Bengal and Sourav was only too happy to join him. Unfortunately, the players they finally zeroed in upon were unable to live up to their expectations. Added to the poor form of players were irritants like the unpredictable condition of the flood lights in the Eden Gardens, the bad monsoonish weather and under currents of struggle between power centers. But SRK being basically a showman is already looking for newer pastures to graze in – he finally had his tête-à-tête with Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal and, among other things, has proposed his desire to set up a cricket academy in Kolkata and also of associating himself in the movies of Tollywood. One could very well see him soon in Bengali movies dancing and romping with Bengali damsels in the limelight.
 Role of the Captain in IPL gamesThe Rajasthan Royals has taken a resolve not to lose any further games. They are charged up like nobody else – what is the secret of their success? Obviously, it is the captain who has developed an enviable relationship with his boys. They have not failed him and he is sitting on top of the world – yes, including the points chart. Aalo - AdhhariSRK is a brand treating KKR as its subsidiaryKolkata Knight Riders being at the bottom of the table in the ongoing Indian Premier League may hurt the KKR fans but to a cricket enthusiast it is not surprising. The on field performance of the team has truly been disappointing but Knight Riders seems to have lost the plot with the team selection. They are left with limited resources in their present squad and are not expected to go too far ahead in the tournament.The IPL heats up....As the IPL enters into its second month, the excitement and tension curve amongst the fans is slowly reaching its zenith. In the midweek matches this week, some crucial matches have taken place, which could have an important bearing in determining th"Korbo Lorbo Haarbo Re"With their second consecutive victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders, the Mumbai Indians have completed the first double of this year’s IPL— i.e. beating the same team over both the legs. It was a match which so prudently highlighted the kind of Time to come back, guysIn T-20 cricket, strategies have an ephemeral lifespan. Hence, those who hatch them shouldn’t be held as important as their ODI or Test counterparts are. But, as players go hell-for-leather from the first ball, a team without a strong leader in T20 is akin to a ship minus a rudder. In times of crisis, the body language of a team echoes that of its captain; hence the importance of the role of a captain grows manifold.Does Buchanan really have answers?Navjot Sidhu’s famous quip “The Indian openers in South Africa are as confused as a child in a topless bar” holds ever so true now. The Kolkata Knight Riders are in the same plight what the Indian openers got into during the 2001 tour. The lossHas the Left Fort been shaken in West Bengal?West Bengal was one state in India which was always painted red. Many people would have learnt to live with the idea that Left Front couple not be defeated in the Bengali heartland. But for the first time since the polls post Indira Gandhi's death in 1984 Left seems to be on shaky ground in its own bastion. Analyst believe the Trinamool Congress and Congress alliance might cause a dent in the Left stronghold.Stories from the LeagueThe cash rich Indian Premier league has been so thoroughly covered by the news savvy media, that there has hardly been any aspect of it that has gone unnoticed. Yet there have been many inside stories which have not gained the attention of the common man. A recent book called IPL Cricket and Commerce: An inside story by journalists T.R. Vivek and Alam Srinivas has unravelled such unexplored stories with the dexterity of an Aesop. The book marries cricket with commerce and highlights how strong business minds have culminated in making cricket a billion dollar industry.Kolkata Knight Riders hit by racism rowKolkata Knight Riders cannot win. This seems to be the statement which is the talk of the town in the cultural capital of India. If the multiple captain theory, more than needed media promotion and the fake IPL player blog wasn’t enough now we have the worst thing imaginable in sports RACIAL ABUSE. All this is taking a toll on the performance of the team and the loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore just about an hour ago has proved that this team has lost the self belief of that they can win a match. A Warne-ing for all the teamsGenius cannot be explained and Shane Warne is no different. His bag of tricks has been puzzling for the opposition in the short history of the IPL. Prior to the crucial match against the Mumbai Indians, the newspaper reports were that Shane Warne was going to be out for at least a week with a hamstring injury. Unbelievably he had made himself available for the match and walked out for the toss. And not surprisingly turned out to be the difference between the Mumbai Indians and victory. It seems that if Shane Warne were to stand for an election from Rajasthan, there would be hardly any candidate wishing to stand against him. The Royals in the IPL has been the Shane Warne show. He should be declared the state icon of Rajasthan.Has Bengal had enough of Left?The results of the 15th Lok Sabha polls hasn't been too surprising but in the context of West Bengal 'shocking' is the word. The Left was expected to perform badly but nobody thought they would crumble in the manner they did. Not even the worst of the political critics of the Left Front could have predicted this just about two years ago. Mamata's 'Maa Maati Manush' appealed to the people and they did the unimaginable.Mind games on the fieldShahrukh Khan in one of his memorable dialogues in the movie Chak De! India had said “Hamla samne wale team ke goal pe nahi, dimaag pe karo, Field pe goal apne aap ho jaayegi”. The very statement holds a fundamental aspect of every sportsperson’s performance throughout his career. The importance of the “process” of work often takes a backseat with respect to the end result. And to successfully implement the process, a calm and strong mind is required. The history of sports is replete with performances where sheer grit and will power have enabled teams or individuals to overcome their more talented opposition. After all, every match is played more in the mind than on the field.En route to the winning formulaA surprising series of incidents commenced on Saturday with the defeat of the Left in Bengal after more than 30 years. Then, Sunday witnessed a fit Rafael Nadal lose a match on clay after over a year. And on Monday, the Kolkata Knight Riders, won forWho wants to be a 'Minister'Just when the people of the country and the markets were breathing a sigh of relief having voted a stable government there are first sign of trouble. The friction has started even before Manmohan Singh assumes office as the 18th Prime Minister of India. The reason well the most expected one 'ministerial berths'. After fighting the election as a part of Congress led collation all the UPA partners want a share of the pie.Pranab da should bring goodies to BengalFor the better part of the last three decades politicians from West Bengal have occupied the opposition benches in the Lok Sabha. The Left Front MPs time and again failed to grab developmental projects by the Centre. What that meant was Bengal remained aloof from the national race to become a global superpower from a third world nation. When the Karunanidhis, Modis, Naidus and the Krishnas were grabbing huge pies from the Centre politicians from Bengal lived up to tag of being OPPOSITION in every sense.A fitting end to a great tournament The majestic Wanderers in Johannesburg was the setting for the IPL final as glitz and glamour icons from all across the world descended on the bull ring. The final of this year’s edition pitted two teams against each other who had occupied the last