Back to Roots

Usually, i don't discuss politics with the mass on social media because most of the people out there flaunting their knowledge about everything hardly knows how the government, especially at the grassroots level, functions. For example, most of my friends don't know what a three-tier panchayat is or what a borough office does in a city like Kolkata. Even at a higher level, intricacies of governance are not known to us; and, i don't blame them for this because we are never encouraged to learn so-called mundane stuff of life.

Exactly a month back when one of my friends, who stays abroad, shared a positive story from an English daily that highlighted how the chief minister of West Bengal doled out Rs 20,000 each to 5 lakh cyclone Amphan-affected families in 9 days since the severe storm had devastated a vast area of south Bengal, i sent him a text. "It has gone back to the party leaders from beneficiaries, who hardly got anything left to repair their houses," i wrote. 

My friend agreed that it's not possible for him to gather details in abroad although such a gesture from the CM should be appreciated. And, we ended the chat with me saying that i also want cash should reach right people at this hour of crisis. 

Today, when reports are coming in from several block offices in worst-affected districts of south Bengal that people are queuing up to return money, it hardly surprises me.

My question is: what went wrong in end-May or early-June when the first tranche of cash was to be disbursed among villagers without a roof when the cyclone had struck on May 20-21? First, it was not possible like in earlier years that people throng BDO's offices for cash, as with Aadhaar linking in force, the amount is directly transferred to the beneficiaries. That leads to the second argument: who would draw up the list of beneficiaries in the aftermath of Amphan? As has been the rule, block-level government officers inspect a village and draw a list of families entitled for any relief operations. 

The twist in the tragic tale lies in the second factor. Instead of asking the government officers, the administration requested grassroots-level lawmakers to make the list. This logic was based on two other factors --- 1. most government offices were working with skeletal staff because of coronavirus pandemic 2. fast and timely disbursement of relief in cash was the administration's focus.

Once that was decided, the rest has been a simple process. Almost every part-level member and village heads came up with list of families having political inclination towards their parties, mainly the ruling one. And, thus opened the Pandora's Box. True to the news story that the government indeed sent millions in total to accounts of beneficiaries but that included some real and some bogus. Today, the bogus ones, and several ruling party workers, are returning money in lakhs back to the exchequer under instructions from higher-ups but have the all real sufferers got all of Rs 20,000? No.

The administration, or even the party, should find answers why someone has to part with almost entire amount of Rs 20,000 after withdrawing it from bank, and is left with just Rs 150. Such stories are galore, and known to the top party brass. If i get such information sitting hundreds of kilometres away from ground zero, i hope that officials know much better than me, and party bosses are the best to answer the question. 

The ruling party, Trinamool Congress, has less than a year to retain power in the Assembly even as its main opponent, Bharatiya Janata Party, had an astounding vote share in last year's general elections. It's barely 3 per cent vote share that Trinamool had an edge over BJP last year. In 2008 panchayat elections, Trinamool catapulted itself as the emerging party with a strong leadership that steered it with winning 14 seats in 2014 Lok Sabha elections and finishing it off by winning the 2011 elections on a huge margin. South Bengal has been its fortress since its electoral debut in 1998 general elections in which it won seven seats. Later, its first zilla parishad-level victories were from East Midnapore and South 24-Parganas --- both are hit by Amphan this year with the latter bearing the brunt with its neighbour North 24-Parganas.

In a nutshell, Trinamool has a tough time ahead, particularly after losing seven Lok Sabha seats to BJP in north Bengal; barring one constituency, Lok Sabha seats in six districts in the western part of the state also went to BJP. If such corruption in the aftermath of a natural calamity is not plugged in south Bengal soon, it'll be difficult for Trinamool to return to Nabanna next summer.

Swachh Bharat: A Dream or Reality

Room No. 3, Advaitananda Bhavana, Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur, 1991: Gifted a broom by one of the hostel seniors to clean it in 10 minutes. No, it was not ragging. it was my first brush with what people call Swachh Bharat Abhiyan nowadays.

Charity begins at home. So cleanliness should also begin at home. Yes that was the mantra we learnt when I was in the first year of my long hostel life in school. And, learning came with reward also. Every Sunday night, the "best room" award used to be announced in which the roommates of the best clean room were given a lozenge each. 

Besides the "best room" contest, we also shared our duties every week to keep our campus clean. I vividly remember one of our friends, the son of a wealthy businessman of the city then, was given the duty of surrounding cleaning. As the tell-tale name suggests, the boy — with long broom in hand like what we see celebrities use for photo-ops these days — was supposed to clean the hostel surroundings along with five of his friends. He was not very keen and our warden just used the broomstick on the kid's back several times to make cleanliness, and responsibility, a habit! Such was our grooming unlike millions of Indians outside the 15ft wall around us. 

Department of English and Other Modern European Languages, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, March 10, 2000: We took up brooms as our collective responsibility towards cleaning the department. It has been a decades-old tradition in Santiniketan when its founder Rabindranath Tagore began cleaning the ashram in honour of none other than Mahatma Gandhi, who was a visitor to Gurudev's abode of peace. Even today, ashramites gather in their respective places for a mass cleaning exercise on March 10, christened "Gandhi Punyah" by Tagore himself.

Gandhi's influence on people — from Tagore to Narendra Modi — seems immense so far as cleanliness is concerned. Even 10 years ago, I saw several posters on railway stations with Gandhi's message: Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Nowadays, even railway officials hardly try to pass on this message to either the passengers or the junior officers. Time has changed but not the indiscipline attitude of people towards cleaning their surroundings. Which "ness" is to be blamed for that — awareness, laziness, carelessness, callousness, fearlessness of law or obliviousness to our values?

I feel angry to watch people spit on the streets and litter around roads. Do they behave at home like this? Do we need a Prime Minister to cane around us to teach us about cleanliness? Do we need a Bharat Ratna cricketer to record a video of broom in hand to teach us what cleanliness is all about? 
Most probably, yes. 

Cricket, and beyond

"Eat cricket, sleep cricket" — a slogan once popularised by a cola MNC still reverberates from the Valley to the Ocean. Like many an acquired stuff from our colonisers, we have "inherited" the game, we have reinvented the game with its shortest form, an annual money-spinning exercise. I've nothing against it. It's a game millions love to watch, we bask in the glory of our champs on the field. We cheer for them. We cry for them. We seldom cry for Sukhen Dey, or Rituparna Das, or Shreyasi Singh, or Amarjit Nagi, or Nilesh Shinde. The list is endless.

No, they are not from Mars. We, the cricket-fed crowd, have hardly thought existence of any other sporting activity other than the 22-yard summer masaala matches. Yes, i'm talking about IPL. We claim that cricket is in our DNA. Yet, we hardly bother to watch men in white. Blue is the colour. Ranji? What's that? Test? That boring one? Who has the time to watch a Test match? But we like football — one of the highest viewership of Fifa World Cup 2014 was from India. Population, not passion, is the reason.

Who wants to play football? Body-contact game. Don't even go for that. Play Fifa 14 on iPad instead. Yes, the parents — the concerned ones. But what do they do after school? Tuition. Else, learn something fruitful that may make you a billionaire like Sachin. But why not Schumacher? No, who wants to die so fast? But he hasn't died yet. The risk is there. So many speeding cars on the road. But you have bought him a motorcycle? Oh! That's for his tuition and cricket coaching. Then, why doesn't he get training for Moto GP? Training for what? Moto GP, where Mahindra has been the first Indian team to take part in 2011. 

Sporting activities, especially the outdoor ones, are on extinction among the youngsters. It's certainly not a good sign. Do we have interest in hockey? Who is the Team India hockey captain? Would be "some Singh". Who is Nilesh Shinde? I don't know. He's the captain of Bengal Warriors. What's that buddy? It's a team in Pro Kabaddi. Yes, i saw SRK, Big B and Aamir's picture the other day at some kabaddi match. Yes, we need the glam factor. We've seen this in cricket, sorry in IPL. 

One of my friends told me a couple of months ago when we thought of organising an anti-cancer cycle rally that to make it a success we need a celebrity. Finding a celebrity to talk against smoking, or cancer, is like searching a footballer from Shivaji Park. Moreover, who is interested in cycling? Two wheels only. Out in the open. No AC (!). And, you consider it as a sports? Why not, have you watched Tour de France ever, maybe on TV? No, we went to France on a 19-day European tour, but that Tour de France was not included in the itinerary; should i call up the travel agent for skipping that?

Simply, we don't know anything other than what the politicians, celebs and media feed us. We never wanted to know beyond that. We just love to be what we are: checking inbox, typing texts, waiting for the video to buffer, changing handsets, downloading movies, and what not! Physical activities are confined only to moving the brain tissues. And, sporting activities can stay on the small screen in the drawing room. 

Telephone Travails

The cellphone hardly stopped ringing, and that too in the national roaming when my balance was on reverse mode. Still, i picked up calls and following is a series of conversations with unknown numbers! 

Sir, we are giving you special 10% discount on down payment for your dream flat in Greater Noida. When can you come for a visit?
No, I don't need it right now.

But after Navratri, you will not get any discount Sir.

But i don't want to buy a flat at all.... forget discount!

Sir, i heard from one of my friends that your company is hiring. Can i send a CV?

Right now, i'm not at office. Can i call you back next week?

But Sir i'll be in Delhi then. My cellphone will be switched off.

But i'm in Shimla for a mountain bike rally. How can i say my office is hiring or not?

Sorry Sir, i must be disturbing you. Are you riding now?

No.

OK. Then let me send my CV to your mail. Can i have your mail id Sir?

Yes. Write it down....

Am i speaking with...

Yes.

Sir, your DP account has gone into negative.

Yes. That's because of the non-performing stocks in a bad market.

Yes Sir. It's just an alert and a reminder so that you can deposit Rs 880.13 to our account.

OK. i'm out of Kolkata at present. Can i do it next week?

Sure. But can you please write down the amount? Rs 880.13.

Thank you. 

Hello.

Yes.

Do you remember me?

Of course. I usually don't forget anyone. But i can't make out who you are as the number hasn't been saved.

Oh! Then you must have forgotten me!

OK. Whoever you are, can i call you back in 10 days after i'm back to Kolkata.

Where are you?

I'm middle of nowhere. At 7,500ft, i cannot tell you the exact name of the village but it's in Himachal.

Wow! Enjoying with wife?

Not at all. Haven't had lunch yet. Going to rescue a cyclist who fell on downhill broken tarmac?

Oh! How come? Where's your wife?

She is in Kolkata.

So what are you doing in Himachal?

I can still do a lot of things without my wife.

You must be joking.

No. I'm serious. 

OK. It seems you are not in a mood to talk now. Give me a call once you are back.

OK. Will do.

Sir, your subscription is due to expire in December.

Yes i know.

Sir, we are offering fabulous discount and goodies to our existing subscribers.

OK. 

Sir, for how many years are you going to subscribe?

Right now, i cannot take this call. Drop me a mail. Will get back to you.

But Sir, our subscription offer ends today only. You will get instant Rs 500 off, a pair of shoes, a pair of sunglasses, a trolley bag, two holiday guide books.

OK. I'm in Himachal at present. I can consider if your offer is valid for at least one more week. 

So Sir, should i put a tick on five-year plan?

Nope.

Then 3 years?

Nope. I've net connectivity problem here. Let me take a look at the mail and i'll get back to you.

But Sir if you don't give your nod today, i'll miss the target.

Target? What?

Yes Sir. Please. I have promised them 10 subscriptions today.

Tomorrow, we are meeting at Chowringhee. Are you coming, na?

No.

Why? You have been riding cycle for so long and a long associate with us.

Right. But i can't join the Chakra Cycle Satyagraha on Gandhi Jayanti.

But you are supporting our cause to demand in lifting the cycling ban in Kolkata, na?

Yes, of course. 

So, we can use your name as one of the signatories, right?

Sure!

Arreh boss!

Bataiye!

Your Reliance number is unreachable! What happened?

Nothing. You have reached me. That's all. How does it matter if another phone is unreachable?

But where are you?

I'm in a small village near Narkanda. 

Narkanda?

Yes. Himachal.

What are you doing there?

Helping riders finish off MTB Himalaya.

Oh! Are you riding? Should i call back later?

No. Have i said so?

No. But i thought...

Anyway. But who are you? Your number is not saved.

I'll be in Kolkata during the Puja.

Great!

Yes, we should meet one day. 

Sure!

Happy riding!

I'm not riding idiot!

Musically Yours

An elegy has been scripted across all media this morning: shutdown call of a music store in Calcutta. As if representing the city of culture in this subcontinent, it came as a “shock” to my fellow citizens – some of who have made it big in the industry in the last 13 years. Certainly, they owe a lot to the music store, promoted and owned by a company, which is one of the last few still headquartered in the city once considered next only to London for its sheer royalty and financial prowess.

That financial prowess is over. We have conceded that to Bombay long back, maybe just a decade after Independence. Now, is business over? Or have the businessmen shifted their focus to something else? We, the laymen, have hardly an answer. Coming back to the music store. It will, as has been reported in one of the leading English dailies, soon make way for a coffee joint – a perfect proposition to lure couples for a sip or two in the lazy afternoons after a stroll in the Maidan – especially when the famous Coffee Houses of the yore are also struggling to survive, forget profits.

At least two major reasons have been cited by the company to shut down the music store. 1. Virus of virtual onslaught on CDs. 2. Piracy on the Net and elsewhere. But hasn’t it affected a store like M Biswas Symphony in Esplanade or Modern Music under the Sealdah flyover? While the former is still the largest selling music outlet in the city, sale figures of the latter decides chartbusters in Calcutta. In terms of business, where did the Park Street music store figure? It had, still has, fabulous collection of albums and movies but could not match – maybe because of its maintenance cost – the fabulous discount the Esplanade store used to offer for decades. Isn’t Symphony older than Music World? How can they survive the scimitar of piracy and Cloud? Somewhere, Bengalis are still cash-conscious. If someone gets an original barcoded CD for Rs 100 instead of paying Rs 149 for the same in Music World, why shouldn’t s/he make a queue that would spill on to the pavement? Such is the craze at Symphony that they had to open another outlet on Lenin Sarani some five years back.

The shutdown saga could have been seen in a different way. With changing times, and listeners of music, several audio firms and shops have gone the digital way. CDs and DVDs would be obsolete in another 15/20 years, Clouds will cover the entire world in its different avatars. Music World could have evolved – like they sold accessories such as Walkman or earphones – ways to sell CDs along with coffee or tie up with companies like Yamaha or Gibson to sell even musical instruments to utter fulfilment of music lovers. Shutdown is sort of escapism. Survival, battling against odds, is the key in life, particularly when the life concerns thousands of citizens. We have seen Oxford bookstore to survive even in the world of e-books and Kindle; we have seen Starmark (launched as Landmark almost the same time Music World was born) to spread its wings; we have seen Crossword making its foray into the malls also. What ails Music World then?

Has it anything to do with the demise of RPG, the quintessential Bengali with music and culture in his blood? Is it a symbol of beginning of the end of Bengali cultural journey? Questions like these have many answers, or raise further queries.

Bars, Debars and Debates

More than a month has passed since i updated my blog with a new post. It’s not that i did not have time to write or did not have an issue to share my thoughts on. Sheer laziness in addition to my addiction to treks and trips made me a bit busy from the mundane things of life, ruled by some people in our near and far circles. Right after coming down from a semi-high-altitude trek to Hemkund Sahib, i was greeted by an otherwise cool guy at an Old Delhi bar a few minutes before i was about to take the Rajdhani back home: “Hey dude! You are looking cool man”! I was pretty sure it was not intended at me, as i’d never come across such a cat-call (or compliment?) in my innumerable tipsy trips to bars in several towns in the country. But it is a different bar tucked in a corner of Paharganj. Christened ‘My Bar’, this one is a bit different from most of the Delhi bars in terms of ambience and patrons. Characteristically, it has more proximity to Kolkata’s Olypub, where we used to frequent even a few years ago as on any weekend afternoon, My Bar is teemed with college-goers, backpacking foreigners, mid-level corporate executives et al. Olypub, with its decades-old reputation of offering beef-steaks as well as booze at a much cheaper rate than its more affluent neighbours on Park Street, is not a mere popular joint for youngsters only but also a place that would stir debates on Anna and ranna (recipe)!

To talk of Anna (as i just mentioned his name), in a democratic country where we elect representatives to the legislature, a person has made it clear that he can hold the nation to ransom even as he hardly believes in parliamentary democracy. The self-proclaimed Gandhian — at least he is adept in going on fast for days like the Father of the Nation although he disdains degrees from foreign university even as the latter had studied abroad — has not allowed its fellow law-abiding citizens in taking part in panchayat elections in the last two decades! If people ask him questions why this had happened in one of the most progressive villages in not only Maharashtra but also in the country, he would hardly give an answer. An autocratic philanthropist in his heart, Anna probably thinks he is India, as some of his supporters took the famous D K Baruah’s phrase to compliment the septuagenarian who has made a vow to defy the Constitution and particularly Parliament to fight for a cause that seems unrealistic. He has been on a dramatic run, quite literally after the Raj Ghat episode, for the past fortnight. Being in the limelight for quite some time now, his attitude towards people at large, except his close comrades, is like a guardian angel of India. His disciples are growing fast with every hour as he is steadfast on his indefinite fast. Thousands of people in colourful attire with sumptuous khichdi on one hand and the Tricolour on the other, march for the Gandhian with a simple promise that they would cleanse the system of corruption; they would no longer pay Rs 1000 bribe to the DIB officer before verification for passport, or grease the palms of TTEs on trains for an upper class berth, or pay just Rs 5000 to the UDC for waiver of civic tax at hundreds of municipalities, or transfer some cool bucks under a heap of papers for releasing the pension file at the same office that he had served just months back!