Chinese Connection
Believe it or not, China was the reason behind Kolkata being noisier and brighter this Diwali. To be precise, due to firecrackers and decorative lights imported illegally from the dragon kingdom. The China-made firecrackers were far louder than the ones made at Sivakasi. They offered more variety and visual thrills and were, to quote one who bought them, "far more powerful" than Indian firecrackers and fireworks. It is estimated that about ten percent of the firecrackers sold here were Chinese. Ditto with decorative lights like fairy lights.
The Chinese imports were far more beautiful that the Indian ones and had better finish. Also, they were a tad cheaper. Hence, they sold like hotcakes. In fact, a large chunk of the small and miniature idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Lakshmi sold here were also made in China! Imports of these idols started a few years ago and, now, customers show a marked preference for them over the made-in-India ones that lack finesse andcraftsmanship, especially the ones sold on the pavements. So Kolkatans have to thank China for a louder and more dazzling Diwali this year. Quite apt, I'd say, being ruled as we are by China's acolytes. What next, Durga idols imported from Schezwan?
Deafening Diwali
Every year, the state pollution control board and the police promise to crackdown on those selling or bursting crackers that emit sounds above the permissible decibel limits. And every year, Diwali seems to be getting more raucous. To be fair, the police did raid many places and seized huge quantities of the banned firecrackers. Teams from the Board also conducted surprise raids with the police on Friday evening and arrested many violators. Awareness campaigns on sound pollution were also carried out over the past week. But nothing seems to be working. And the culprits are those who're fully aware of the perils of noisepollution--the educated upper-middle and affluent sections. Most of the (decibel-limit) violations occurred at places that are the preserves of the rich: Ballygunge Circular Road, Salt Lake, Lake Town, Bangur Avenue, Alipore, the upscale housing estates along EM Bypass and other such areas. Perhaps the rich feel more emboldened than the less fortunate to break the law. This is not only shameful, but also bodes ill for our societal setup as such. To strongly discourage this tendency among the rich, the state ought to maintain special vigil at all these areas and crackdown more mercilessly on violators, imposing stiff fines and making them cool their heels inside lockups for a couple of nights at least.
'Tragic' Inspiration
Organisers of a community Kali puja at Chetla have been drawing inspiration from dramatic events, including tragedies, for their puja pandal. Last year, they based it on the rescue of Haryana kid, Prince, from a narrow shaft in that state. They had also re-created the tsunami disaster a few years ago. This year, it is (no marks for guessing) the Rizwanur Rahman-Priyanka Todi affair and its heartrending aftermath. Major milestones of the affair have been recreated inside the pandal with dummies: the first scene shows Rizwanur teaching at his computer institute, the next shows Rizwanur and Priyanka sitting under a tree as lovers, followed by the duo entering into matrimony in front of a marriage registrar. The next scene is the newly-wed sitting with mother Kishwar Jahan, followed by ones showing Ashok Todi at the Rahmans' residence at Tiljala Lane (where he had gone to get Priyanka back), police officers talking (or threatening) the couple and, the last, of Rizwanur's body lying beside the railway tracks. In a reenactment of the candle-light vigil, the exterior of the pandal resembled the façade of St Xavier's College on Park Street. The puja organizers put up a portrait of Rizwanur outside and visitors were encouraged to light candles and pray for his soul. This puja pandal drew huge crowds and has gone a long way in keeping the widespread, but now dormant, protests against Rizwanur's death alive. In fact, it has once again fuelled public anger over the injustices that Rizwanur was subjected to.
Obnoxious Cops
The police were at it again. Even after facing so much flak for their acts of omission and commission the in the Rizwanur case, they had the temerity to order the organizers of the above-mentioned Kali Puja at Chetla to choose some other event or theme to base their pandal on. The police, say the organizers, threatened and cajoled them, but in vain. Realising that the organizers would stick to their plans, the police then asked them to change the colour of the building in the scene that shows police officers grilling the couple from red (the colour of the façade of Lalbazar, the Kolkata Police headquarters) to yellow. The organizers, perhaps not wanting to anger the cops further, obliged. The cops had also asked the organizers not to depict the death scene on the ground that it could "escalate tension in the city". Such acts are nothing short of being both obnoxious and juvenile. Changing the colour of the police headquarters won't absolve the cops of their guilt or alter the poor image of the police force. Instead, such interference only proves once again that the men in uniform are high-handed, autocratic and have scant regard for the law and for freedom, democracy and Constitutional rights (including the inalienable right to choose any theme for a puja pandal as one wishes). And so, despite (the new police commissioner) Gautam Mohan Chakrabaroty's pious pronouncements and resolve to make his a 'people-friendly' force, Kolkata's cops will continue to be a thoroughly detestable lot.
Disruptions, Again
Trinamool Congress activists have been holding Kolkatans to ransom with alarming and frustrating frequency. The events in Nandigram, where CPI(M) activists have beaten them hollow, have led Mamata Banerjee's supporters to organise wildcat roadblocks all over the city. With the result that major disruptions have occurred all over Kolkata over the past few days, causing tremendous inconvenience and untold sufferings and losses to tens of thousands of people. The Trinamool may be holding us to ransom this time, but all political parties in Bengal (and in most parts of India as well) do so without any shame or guilt. The point here is, should we allow them to disrupt our lives and cause losses to us? There are many ways of protesting other than disrupting normal life. Things are fast approaching an unbearable stage when, I'm afraid, the suffering public may decide to teach politicians a lesson. The next time a handful of activists of some political party stage a roadblock (and the police watch silently for a couple of hours), the thousands stranded due to such antics may well thrash those scums and clear the road. In fact, this is what needs to be done right away. If thepolice--public servants who get their salaries from the taxes paid by people who're held hostage bypoliticians--don't act, the people will.
Dum Dum Dawai
CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat has caused quite a stir. Addressing a rally of women activists of her party in Kolkata last week, this lady, in heavily accented Bengali (she's had a privileged education, like so many other Marxist leaders), called for violence against Opposition parties. Alluding to the situation in Nandigram, she asked her party activists to give a dose of the 'Dum Dum dawai' to those opposing the CPI(M) there. The term (Dum Dum Dawai) was born out of the thrashing some vegetable and meat sellers had received from customers after they hiked prices arbitrarily in the mid-1960s. It has come to stand for exacting revenge in the 'an eye for an eye' context. Brinda Karat's exhortation drew condemnation, and the fact that she made it in the presence of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjeewith the latter remaining silent on this call for violence, added to the outrage. As is their wont, no Marxist has apologised so far for Brinda Karat's intemperate and abhorrent remarks. But they'd do well to remember that in most parts of India, they're in a hopeless minority. And if the ruling parties in other states choose to administer to the CPI(M) the same 'dawai' that Ms Karat recommends for the opposition in Bengal, the consequences will be catastrophic for her, her husband and her party (not necessarily in that order, though).
