Whats Calcutta's problem – An outsider's perspective

The 'City of Joy' as it is called is currently the 4^th largest city in India by population but not among the most sought after destination be it for education, jobs or business. From being the nerve centre of British India to fading away as another populous city in India, Calcutta or the modern day Kolkata has seen it all. Once considered to be the hub of education and culture the capital of West Bengal has be synonymous with bandhs and strikes in the recent decades.

It is not very surprising that once former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had once quoted “Calcutta is a dying city”. All the residents of the city and Bengalis like me around the world would never like to believe it but to be honest we have lost the plot somewhere. The entire eastern part of the country seems to be surviving in a different era as compared to the rest of the nation. Calcutta's decline has resulted in the underdevelopment of the entire region.

Being a outsider to Calcutta and working in Delhi and Bangalore I have observed some of things which I personally feel is the problem with Calcutta. People might not appreciate an outsider's perspective but at times its easier to understand things from outside.

1) An over influential political system, from education to land allotment everything is decided by which party one patronises. Politics is a drawing room conversation in the city which leaves it little time to talk about developmental issues.

2) The present Chief Minister is good but his party took Kolkata and West Bengal inside the black hole. Also the absence of a good alternative in terms of opposition leaves voters with hardly any choice. They are compelled to send the same people to the assembly.

3) All Bengalis like me are very emotional. The problem with being too emotional is at times our logical thinking takes a hit. Singur is a shining example where emotion and political ego cost the state an golden opportunity to revive industry.

4) Cities grow in proximity and Calcutta has been unlucky in this regard. Being far away from any other major city has made sure that it has been denied of indirect development. Pune gained heavily from being close to Mumbai, Gurgaon and Noida have benefited from being Delhi's neighbour..

5) The enormous brain drain that happens also hurts the city like anything. The cream of the city goes out and adds to the development of other major cities. This deprived the city and the state of visionary people who can bring in the change.

6) The pride in Kolkata's golden past many a times overshadows its present state in the minds of people. Its good to be proud of the past but the hangover should not be a barricade stopping people from venturing into a new future.

All the above mentioned arguments are my understanding of the situation after closely observing Calcutta and talking to the people of Calcutta. However I invite arguments from all those who do not agree with any of my arguments.