Extended Winters
Kolkatans have, perhaps, never had it so good. Just when the mercury had startedrising and people were mothballing their woolens, cold winds started sweeping inonce again, sending temperatures plummeting. It has even started raining,sending Kolkatans into paroxysms of shivering. And a cursory look at thestreets, or people walking on them, would make any observer believe it's snowingin this city. Wrapped in thick woolens from head to ankle, including theregulation monkey cap, most, however, have just a pair of slippers on. "Thandalegey jabey" (you'll catch a cold) is the most common refrain amongBengalis--and it's usually over-insulated women who belt out this cautionaryline to their children/husbands, sending the latter squirming into another layeror warm clothing. It's a treat to watch the morning walkers, or at least most ofthem: they quite resemble Eskimos in the height of the Arctic cold. Pray, why doKolkatans have to transform themselves into jokers every winter season? Whycan't they simply enjoy the cold instead of going to such great lengths to wardit off? Because, well, 'thanda legey jabey'. As if catching a cold means the endof the world; but then, try saying that a Bengali woman.
Mismatch
This has become a sickening ritual--industrialist comes to town, is requested byBuddhadeb Bhattacharjee's minions to meet the CM, the meeting continues beyondthe scheduled 30 minutes during which Bhattacharjee reels out areas ofinvestment and the sops on offer, industrialist emerges 'impressed' to beconfronted by a gaggle of reporters and flashbulbs, makes some vague promisesabout giving the idea of investing in Bengal a serious thought, sings paeans toBhattacharjee's "dynamic", "bold" and "visionary"leadership (wonder why all the moneybags use exactly these terms; are theytutored before they meet the media?) and are driven away like VVIPs in amotorcade complete with siren-wailing and red light-flashing police escorts,most never to be heard of again.
Advertisement
Why does the CM have to make a pitch for investments when there are manyofficers whose job is to do precisely this? Why does a red carpet have to berolled out to every industrialist who comes here, even if he is on a totallyprivate visit? Why do these people have to be treated like VVIPs and be accordedfrills like police escorts? To massage their egos at the cost of the taxpayer?All this feting is in quite a contrast to how the draft political resolutionthat's being circulated ahead of the CPI(M) party congress scheduled for Marchspeaks of these sought-after moneybags--epithets like "predatory" and"capricious" are used freely in the document to describe'capitalists'. Wonder why Bhattacharjee's forsook his Sunday siesta to meet the'predatory', 'capricious' steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal at his office?
More 'Buddhaisms'
As they say, you can never take dogmatism out of a communist. Not even when hisrole demands a sense of responsibility and even brevity. Chief MinisterBuddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who often forgets the office he occupies and theresponsibilities it carries, was heard the other day encouraging centralgovernment employees to "fight" for their rights and assuring them hisgovernment would support them in their "fight". The very word (fight)denotes a clash, brawl, quarrel, coming to blows or, in other words, violence.So the call to the government employees to "fight" means a call toindulge in violence.
Advertisement
Bhattacharjee could have well used other terms, like "demand","claim, and "press for". And he also ought to have reminded thecentral government employees of their duties and responsibilities. The CM alsotried to paint himself as a hero by telling the central government employeesthat at the time his party was opposing the joint Indo-US air exercises atKalaikunda in November 2005, the US Ambassador had tried to call him many times."But I never took his call," Bhattacharjee declared in a vain attemptto position himself as a macho communist. Wonder how he swallowed his ego andcalled up the US envoy to plead with him to send a US business delegation toBengal soon thereafter? And anyway, is this sort of childish behaviour becomingof a CM? If he shunned the US envoy then, he ought to have shunned him foreverinstead of calling him up every now and then, as is the case now, to beg forinclusion of Bengal in those Yankee capitalists' itineraries.
Mamata's Paintings
But enough of Buddhadeb, let's go on to Mamata. There's a different, andpleasing, side to Mamata that few know of. Her paintings, definitely some ofthem. The stormy petrel can transform into quite a dove when she wields thebrush. As many as 45 of her paintings, mostly of flowers and trees, were ondisplay at the Ashutosh Hall gallery till last weekend and the exhibitionprovided an interesting spectacle. Some were, in fact, exceptional; her choiceof colour and shades, the bold strokes and the sheer magnificence of some of theoils on canvases provided a rare window to the depth of emotions, the child-likeinnocence and the vibrancy of the painter. Twenty of the paintings, I'm told,were sold for one lakh Rupees each and the money would go to provide relief tothose who've suffered at the hands of marauding CPI(M) cadres at Nandigram. Shehad priced each piece at one lakh rupees, the price of Tata's Nano. And no,Ratan Tata was not one of the buyers. But he, and CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee,could well have placed, anonymously though, advance orders for a few score (ormore) canvases. That would have ensured Mamata spends more time in front of hereasel than on the streets.
Words of Wisdom
Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi is one of those rare persons who speaksoftly but powerfully. Listening to him hold forth on any topic is actually arare privilege. Thus it was at an event last week when Gandhi brilliantlyarticulated his views on the environment-development debate. Our national flag,he pointed out, is known as the tricolour, but actually has another colour--theblue colour of the 'chakra' or the wheel. This wheel, which can also be taken todenote the wheel of development, rests on a green band that can signifyenvironment or nature. And the founding fathers of our nation, who also designedthe flag, provided a clear and uncomplicated answer to this contentious topic(environmental concerns versus industrialisation): that industrialisation/developmentwill happen only through preservation of the environment. This is powerfulimagery and Gandhi's articulation was extraordinary. Bengal is indeed privilegedto have such a person as its Governor.
Puerile Pursuits
Sourav Ganguly's exclusion from the upcoming tri-nation series sent Bengalisinto spasms of rage and indignation. Talk shows on Bengali channels featuredso-called cricket experts spewing venom on Dhoni; they argued that droppingDravid and VVS Laxman from the squad was justified, but not axing 'Dada'. Somemen and women took it on themselves to block suburban rail tracks one morningwhile Cricket Association of Bengal chief Prasun Mukherjee (yes, of RizwanurRahman-Priyanka Todi infamy) called up BCCI chief Sharad Pawar (what nerve, apolice officer calling up a union minister!) to protest Sourav's exclusion anddemanding that 'Dada' be reinstated and "sentiments of the people of Bengalbe respected".
First, about those people who blocked the rail tracks. They did so at about10 am, and I can safely conclude that these people are not engaged in anyworthwhile vocations or pursuits. They have, in fact, nothing better to do and,though unproductive members of society--parasites, in fact, since they live offthe earnings of their parents/family members--they stopped lakhs of people fromgoing to work. Should such people and their stupid acts be tolerated? And as forPrasun Mukherjee, shouldn't he have known better than voicing such a foolishdemand? Did his counterparts in the Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh cricket boardsalso take up the cause of Dravid and Laxman respectively? Ganguly doesn't needothers, especially someone like Prasun Mukherjee, to bat for him and the soonerMukherjee and the lakhs of other indignant Bengalis realise this, the better forthem as well as Ganguly. Displays of parochialism do neither Bengal, nor itsresidents any good.
