And here it comes after several riots with the over opinionated self. The inquisitive immigrant from Calcutta with broken Hindi accent and absolutely no intention of homogenizing cultures, is surprised at the debasing and immodest attitude of the city's service providers. In the land where 'burqa' stands for modesty, the preying devourers never fail to leave you unattended while over charging you for food, auto-fare, lodging and the list grows longer everyday. Kudos to the IT animals, who have chosen to be looted, plundered and stripped of all their assets.
The immense pride that I take is not just in being a Bengali, but the fact that I hail from the land inhabited by decent and humble people. And to replicate one you have to be an integral part of the city.Yes, we react vehemently to the tiniest provocation, we are chaotic and stand out the noisiest in the crowd, we don't own a clean and green city with broad metalled roads everywhere, we don't have a Bengali Tata-Birla icon or giant infrastructure like other metros. We rather value emotions and ethics, endorse the might of pen in poetry and passion for art. We might be tagged as one of the most commercially unstable states, but the state has produced the best economists. We appreciate indulgence in literature, politics, cinema and artistry. The politically sound 'bhadrolok' (gentleman) with a sharply etched view on the world news is whom we support.
It feels magical, and nostalgia overruns me the moment I step into the Dum Dum Airport. My Calcutta! The city with a soul. It is the charm of the city that entangles you like no other city does. The city still breathes through the boulevards of Rabindra Sangeet , opus of Manna De and genesis of Satyajit Ray. This is the city where you would still find Rs. 4 as Auto fare for some 2 kms, three-rupee chai in tiny earthen pots called 'bhaar', and big samosas for Rs. 5. The slight dash of arrogance that comes with the subtle bong intellectualism crossed with the feeling of superiority after proving someone wrong, is a rare breed in India, found only in Kolkata.
There is lot to learn from the city, like they say, 'what Calcutta thinks today, India thinks tomorrow'. Living in Calcutta means, a bit of it will go with you wherever you go. With true Bengalism running in my veins, it becomes little difficult to amalgamate between indigenous cosmopolitanism and ethnicity. The love and zest for life is what makes Calcutta unique, and alluring.
The immense pride that I take is not just in being a Bengali, but the fact that I hail from the land inhabited by decent and humble people. And to replicate one you have to be an integral part of the city.Yes, we react vehemently to the tiniest provocation, we are chaotic and stand out the noisiest in the crowd, we don't own a clean and green city with broad metalled roads everywhere, we don't have a Bengali Tata-Birla icon or giant infrastructure like other metros. We rather value emotions and ethics, endorse the might of pen in poetry and passion for art. We might be tagged as one of the most commercially unstable states, but the state has produced the best economists. We appreciate indulgence in literature, politics, cinema and artistry. The politically sound 'bhadrolok' (gentleman) with a sharply etched view on the world news is whom we support.
It feels magical, and nostalgia overruns me the moment I step into the Dum Dum Airport. My Calcutta! The city with a soul. It is the charm of the city that entangles you like no other city does. The city still breathes through the boulevards of Rabindra Sangeet , opus of Manna De and genesis of Satyajit Ray. This is the city where you would still find Rs. 4 as Auto fare for some 2 kms, three-rupee chai in tiny earthen pots called 'bhaar', and big samosas for Rs. 5. The slight dash of arrogance that comes with the subtle bong intellectualism crossed with the feeling of superiority after proving someone wrong, is a rare breed in India, found only in Kolkata.
There is lot to learn from the city, like they say, 'what Calcutta thinks today, India thinks tomorrow'. Living in Calcutta means, a bit of it will go with you wherever you go. With true Bengalism running in my veins, it becomes little difficult to amalgamate between indigenous cosmopolitanism and ethnicity. The love and zest for life is what makes Calcutta unique, and alluring.
