Pleasant Surprise
Unlike the past many years, Kolkata seems to be experiencing a prolonged winterthis time. It just rained the other day, pulling the mercury down. And the metoffice says it'll continue to be pleasant for a few more days at least. Allthese years, February has reminded us that summers are just round the corner. Iremember switching on the ceiling fan from early February these past seven yearsI have been living in Kolkata. But this year, we're doing without the fan evenduring daytime. Given this pleasant run, maybe, just maybe, we'll experience abit of spring this year. It's too early to predict, say met officials; but theweather gods may just oblige us for once. Would there be this gentle wind withflowers in full bloom for us to experience and savour next month?
Ghastly Act
This doesn't pertain to Kolkata, but could well have happened here. At Durgapur,Bengal's premier industrial town, a mob set fire to a truck driver who had lostcontrol of his vehicle and run over a young boy on Wednesday. After theaccident, the driver tried to speed away, but was caught and thrashed. The mobreasoned that if he was handed over to the police, as is expected of law-abidingcitizens, the cops would take a bribe and let go of the errant driver, as isquite often the case. Hence, it would be better to teach him a lesson. A fewsuggested that the driver be set afire so as to serve as a brutal example torash drivers who care little for people's lives. And so he was tied to a post,kerosene oil was poured on him, a matchstick was lit and he was set ablaze. Copsfrom the nearest police station, less than half a kilometre away, arrived afterwell over an hour, by which time a local politician reached the scene, rescuedthe man and took him to a hospital. But it was too late.