Rich Kolkata..Poor Bengal....

As part of my job I have visited many places. Few places I have already seen during my college days but most of the places were new to me and I always feel a great joy and enthusiasm while visiting ant new place.

In this series , recently added element was Calcutta or should I say Kolkata for purists. This was my first entry to east part of India. I have learn that whether you are A connoisseur of art or a naïve person, you will get plenty of things of your interest in Bengal.

So this was my first journey to the land of Tagore, to land of singur controversy, to feel the wind of Maoism, to the land of freedom fighters.

Well so let me start the verbal view of my journey to Bengal:

Just prior to my landing I was watching the lights of the city and the scenario was looking like a milky way …Different series of road lights was welcoming me from sky.

I reached to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose airport at around 11 PM. I came out of airport and took a taxi to Hotel Oberoi grand. Whatever impression you are getting by the name of hotel, you are getting it right because it was a kind of palace. During my way to hotel I had chat with auto driver who was a Bihari and he told me that 20% of total population in Bengal is from Bihar. I was amazed to hear this, I mean in Delhi or Mumbai you can expect people from all part of country but in Calcutta?

Second day in the morning I left for a nearby town, Behrampur. Behrampur is 4 hr away from Calcutta if you are in a Travera. But it took us 6 hrs to reach there, thanks to all the traffic we got . On way to Behrampur, I observing the dressing of village people and I noticed that in few villages the traditional dress for men’s were Lungi only while women had just a sari on their body that too without a blouse. Strange!!!

I was disappointed with the fact that KOLKATA IS CITY OF RICH PEOPLE while BENGAL IS STATE OF POOR PEOPLE.

I was travelling with some senior persons whose experience was more then 2/3 of my age so initially we find it difficult to talk but thanks to little bit humor I gathered in all UP-DOWN’s of life, I get along very well with them and I have understood that every man is a philosopher from heart and with experience, your humor quotient will improve.

During my trip ,I got real problem when it comes to lunch. In lunch they served rice with fish. I was searching something for me in menu but later on I have to satisfy my tummy with rice and pickle.

The journey was normal till I was coming back. On our way back, I was watching a long row of peoples with domestic animals. Initially I thought it’s a kind of fare or something but later on I realized that it’s a huge crowd. They all were going in opposite direction. When I ask my colleagues about this then he told me that Bangladesh border is very near from here and security man of both sides, will allow these man to cross border in 50 Rs per head rate. My eyes were wide open.

After 1 hour , we were crossing a forest kind area suddenly we feel some problem with our vehicle. All 4 of us came out, my colleague were trying to stop some other vehicles to get some help but no one was in mood to stop there. Later on, one colleague called police and for my surprise police came in 10 odd mins. They stopped a truck. When we were talking to police people, one Bulero was coming to us but just almost 1 km away they stopped their vehicle and took a u-turn and all of sudden they disappeared in the night. I ask my colleague about this and he said “welcome to place of Maoism”. It was enough for my small mind. When I was coming back to hotel I was thinking about all these incidents, happened in 1 day.

I was thinking that india is really a diverse country and every part of it has something to offer.

PS: Tea is still costs Rs 2 or 3 in Bengal.