Kolkata gets country's first elevated rail transit system

Now reading this headline many people might jump of this seat in disbelief. Kolkata is it? The capital of West Bengal? Isn't it the same state which chased away the Tatas? A Rs 60 billion project in Kolkata is the Government nuts? How is it that a dying city like Kolkata which already has the country's oldest metro can get an elevated rail transit system?

The reason is simple Kolkata needs a mass public transport system and secondly Kolkata can sustain a elevated light rail transit system. It may surprise many people across the country but Kolkata had got its Metro in the days of what we call as the 'Licence Raj' and the first trains began running in the year 1984 much before the today's IT, BT and MBA kids had learned to speak.

The hurdle for a such a project in any other state in India will lie outside it but in West Bengal it is within. There is a huge amount of insensitivity among a certain sect of politicians who want to make political gains at the cost of the State's development. Opportunistic politics is currently ruling over developmental politics the policies and program of such parties

The Singur fiasco was a shameful example how politics prevented a respected corporate like Tata rolling out its People's car from the state. What a day it would have been for the state which is starved of industrialisation. But for one party and its leadership the state lost a golden opportunity to re-establish its place among the developed states and regain its past glory.

As I type my blog an insane opposition in West Bengal may be already planning its next course of agitation to halt this project for the sake of fame and media coverage. The may already have the roadmap of the places where tyres will be burnt and buses will be torched. Hopefully this time around some sense prevails among such leaders. The state which has a visionary Chief Minister just needs people to stand behind him.

Should Dada do political Dadagiri?

Sourav Ganguly might have bidden adieu to international cricket but people outside the game still seem to admire his leadership skills. West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has always tried to create a poster boy out of Sourav Ganguly and now the Samajwadi Party leaders want him to contest elections form Uttar Pradesh.

Sourav for now has made it clear that he is still busy with his cricketing commitments and not joining any party. Known to be straight talker throughout his life, he said that he doesn't need to go to any other state to fight an election. If ever he steps into politics it will be in West Bengal itself. So the question arises should Dada join politics?


Well the answer has to be affirmative. If he has any interests in politics he should give it a go in the near future. He has a huge experience having travelled all over the world which could come in handy in bringing about a change in a state starving for development. He is the biggest brand ambassador that Bengal still has and this may be useful in bringing in investments to the state.


Now the big question arises which side should Sourav go to in case he wishes to join politics. Lets see where he cannot go first. On top of the list is Trinamool Congress, after the Singur drama a person like Sourav who has seen the world cannot be in company of such insane people. Congress and BJP do not exist in Bengal so joining them would serve no purpose. So what is Sourav's political option in the event he wishes to join politics.


The only existing political option for him is the Left Front often blamed for the underdevelopment of West Bengal. The reason I say this despite being an Non-Leftist is only because they have a visionary and forward looking Chief Minister in Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Or else Sourav can form his own party considering the appeal he has. But history has always shown us such parties hardly make an impact to the political scene as they slowly get crushed under the larger political force.


Critics might argue that being a leader on the cricket ground doesn't make sure one will be a good political leader. True, but it doesn't even guarantee that he cannot be a good political leader. Sourav has mass appeal over the people of West Bengal and can shape public opinion to bring in much needed development. After all no body can raise a finger on his leadership skills.

The Sleeping Race

Talking about race doesn't necessarily mean I am a racist and when I am self critical about of my own race I shouldn't sound racist at all. Well the title of the blog might have given you a hint on whom am I talking about. Yes, I am talking about the 'Bengalis' or the 'Bongs' as the Y generation would like to call it. Its a race which has been on a long and uncertain sleep.


An analogy can been drawn between Bengalis and the West Indian cricket team. Like the Windies team of the 80s when we were at our peak nobody in India could take us on, but when we started falling apart we did not know how to come up again. There have always been the genius of Brian Laras and Courtney Walshs but somehow they haven't been enough to push the brand Bengal to the glorious position it once held.


Famous freedom fighter Gopal Krishna Gokhle had once said “What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow.” As someone rightly put it in today's context reversing the order of the sentence would make more sense. To be honest the state and the city of Calcutta in particular has been let down but its self inflicted catastrophe, sense of denial and obsession with its glorious past.


Politics and a single party rule has been often been blamed for the state's misfortune. This thought has made sure that we kept on ignoring all other factors. Had the communists not taken over would Bengal been among the top five states in India? I say NO, the reason is Bengalis have been very good when it has come to art, literature, science and every possible profession other than BUSINESS. The gap between Bengal and other states actually widened in the post liberalisation era when the 'B' word became the way to move forward.


The complete ignorance of the Bengalis who have left the state has also hurt Bengal. From Huston to Manchester and from Bangalore to Delhi these people have always taken pride in having the hilsas and rosogollas but never cared to look back at Bengal. True, opportunities are less and obstacles many but ignoring the present state of affairs and blowing the trumpet of the glorious past no solution to Bengal's woes. We should be proud of Bose, Tagore and Satyajit Ray but we need more of this people right now.


Calcutta is often referred as the 'sinking ship' and which literally means the end of the story for many. This attitude of hopelessness has cost the city and the state. Let us rather refer to it as a ship in rough waters which can be steered back to a calmer dock. For that to happen a race has to wake up, it has to be self critical of its acts, it has to come out of the state of denial and most importantly separate emotions from politics. It may sound cliché but honestly change comes when there is hope and belief and we got to hope and we got to believe.

Barack Obama's Bengal adventure

Barack Obama's mission to reach the world and his 'Yes We Can' slogan brings him to Calcutta. He comes with the CEO of Public Motors to set up a automobile plant in the Communist heartland of India. He decides to take a walk around the streets of Calcutta with Moti Basu and opposition leader Janata Banerjee.

Obama – Mr Basu its a pleasure to take a walk with you early morning. I have always heard about you since my childhood.

Moti Basu – What...You knew about me. I never thought I was so popular in America

Obama – Well you are Mr Basu. Americans always keep an eye on extreme development or extreme deterioration. You and your party have overhauled the 'City of Joy' into something the old time Britishers and Bengali intellectuals will cry if they see.

Moti Basu – No Mr Obama. We have just made sure that wealth is distributed equally across all sections of people. Its impossible to make everyone rich, so we closed down the industries and made sure everyone is poor and there is equality in the society.

Opposition leader Janata Banerjee walks in and greets Obama but ignores the presence of Moti Basu. In her trademark agitated tone she says.

Janata Banerjee – No he and his party have turned Kolkata into City of Khoy (Loss) and the City of Bhoy (Fear)

Obama – Well I can see that Calcutta opps Kolkata has lost some of its beauty.

Moti Basu- You can't say that we have graffiti all over the place to beautify our beloved city. The Britishers just left us plain white buildings we have added colour to them.

Janata Banerjee – I strongly object to that, these people paint all the walls and the bus stops with 'red' a sign of danger. We are left with walls and railway stations in the outskirts of the city. DO YOU GET THAT BARACK DA?

Obama – Well Ms Banerjee my ears are hurting. Why do you always scream at the top of your voice. Why can't you talk softly?

Janata Banerjee – That's a trade secret. When you have to make pointless arguments its better to scream to ensure that others are forced to listen. People are emotionally attached to people who scream rather than act intellects.

Just then a group protesters are passing shouting slogans against the government and the police. One of them turns towards Janata and says

Protector – Didi, by what time will you join us? We have already jammed the main road and set three state government buses on fire.

Janata Banerjee – Let me finish my appointment with Barack da, I will meet you in the grounds of the high school till then keep screaming. In the mean time make arrangements to burn tyres on the road.

The protester along with others leaves the place

Obama – What is this protest for Ms Banerjee?

Janata Banerjee – Nothing serious, its a daily ritual here in Bengal. A shopkeeper was selling a packet of cigarette to an under age boy when some intellects protested, The police rounded the shopkeeper and beat him up. We are protesting against that.

Obama – But that's a crime right? Selling cigarettes to under age people.

Janata Banerjee – I don't care about that. The shopkeeper is a person who votes for me and nobody can touch him whatever the reason may be. I am like his mother and have to safeguard his business.

Obama – By even going against the law?

Janata Banerjee – See that's the only source for income for the shopkeeper so he also has the right tor earn a living. The boy who was buying the cigarettes was from a affluent family so his parents can take care of him.

Obama – Ms Banerjee its easy to understand Mr Basu's party but not yours. They believe in one thing to oppose America and people like me and they do it pretty well. You seem to have no ideologies or logic behind most of your action. I failed to understand why you chased out the auto giant from Bandur.

Janata Banerjee – Well you are not a smart enough politician and not eligible for politics here in India. You missed my achievement in the entire issue.

Obama- What achievement? People seem to be disappointed with you

Janata Banerjee – The auto giant going away was a loss for the educated youth who any ways don't vote for me. Secondly I have 10% seats in the assembly so we can't match up with the decibel level of Mr Basu's party in the assembly and this was a perfect platform for me to show my strength in the state politics.

Obama – Let me get it straight I have come here with a business plan to set up a automobile plant. We have seen some signs of development in the last five years under the leadership of Shuddhodeb and we consider this very encouraging.

Moti Basu – Shuddho is like my son and that is why I vacated the seat of Chief Minister for him. But to tell you the truth many party colleagues don't like him. He is turning into a capitalist comrade now.

Janata can't take this and returns to her trademark screaming again.

Janata Banerjee – No there has been absolutely no development. Barack da where do you see the signs of development?

Obama – An American President leading a team of business leaders looking for investment in communist West Bengal is development I guess.

Moti Basu – But we can't allow you to set up any industry here.

Obama – But Mr Basu why?

Moti Basu – You are Americans and that's reason enough. We have always protested anything American from your industries to your joint military exercise with our forces.

Obama - But see times have changed I am the first 'black man' in White House. Moreover we now talk about some bit of regulations and restrictions in our economy after the financial turmoil So you can also change your stand against the Americans.

Moti Basu – No we can't, we won't and we ill not let anybody else do it. Do not ask me for a reason I don't have one.

Obama turns towards Janata Banerjee with some hope in his eyes

Obama – And you Ms Banerjee?

Janata Banerjee – Barack da we can't give you any land unless you pay the price similar to that of Manhattan. And all my party workers given the contracts to supply goods to your industries and paid leaves when I sit for protest against your automobile plant.

Obama - Anything else Ms Banerjee

Janata Banerjee – Yes you will get the land 200 kms south of Kolkata

Obama finally says to himself 'No We Can't' and decides to return home. Suddenly his cell phone rings and he gets a call from Gujarat CM Virendra Body who promises him a huge plot of land and other freebies. He says goodbye to West Bengal and files off for Ahmedabad.