As we await the arrival of one of my closest friends to join us for what should turn out to be one of the most interesting and 'off beat' project handled by A-L, I cannot help but reminisce about the beginning of this month when my first vacation in the last one year of A-L took me around one of the most interesting journeys I have taken of late. I spent 10 days travelling, exploring and appetizing Kolkata and around. Now, I have an admission to make. I was prejudiced about the experience much before it started. As I came out of Netaji Subhash Airport, I was wondering as to what made me use up a precious vacation to travel around what is termed as a messy, future less, aimless 'City of Joy'! A probable reason was to go and see how my sister is coping up with her relocation to Nadia, but the quintessential 'dil' wanted 'more'. But still, who leaves a messy city (sorry delhi) to go on a vacation in another messy City (no offences, Kolkata)?
Having read a lot about Kolkata as I grew up and having a substantial number of Bengali friends, it remained the only part of the country, which I had not been to and here I was, roaming around the city and exploring it in a manner like a typical firang. Now, as much against my temptations, I will not treat this blog as a travel memoir about my beautiful experiences in the length and breadth of Kolkatta, Nadia, Shantiniketan, Sunderbans. I could go on an on about my innumerable experiences in the local from Sealdah(Kolkatta) to Kachrapada (Nadia), the ferry ride across Hooghly and spending three days on the ferry in and around Sunderban reserves! But, what remains is love with the Bengali heart!
What a majestic view it was! No, it was not honest and it definitely was not incorruptible or lacked crookedness that prevails in any other place in India (or maybe world), but it had a loving touch to it. It was a heart that would bend to your will, not on showering it with some Gandhis, but by merely imposing your assertiveness to it.
Every communication with any entity had to start with a strong usage of 'Dada' and see how the solution unfolded itself. It stood true at several junctures. A rude usage could be used to wake up a sleeping cabbie at 330 in the morning! A polite usage could get the waiter to serve extra curries with 'Ilsa' and 'Bhetki' or to get his expertise on how a crab is devoured to help enjoy the meal. A loving usage could get a rikshaw puller to act as a guide (and mind you, without any extra charge) to take you around in Shantiniketan to places that 'Lonely planet' definitely missed out on. A use in a manner that reflected unfamiliarisation with the local language could get half the bogey in a local to advise you as to which station is nearest to your destination . An affectionate usage could get people sharing their entire life's problems and a complimentary usage could nearly land you in a local meeting of a hot headed political party(depending which side you are on). Usage as a plea could get you pearls of wisdom that you would remember forever!
Travelling around Bengal, I met a heart that grossly underestimates its powers and its reach. It will not be fair to judge Bengal on the sight of a failed university or the fact that almost nothing happens without its share of bandhs or protests. You have to see the full 'josh type' university that is growing up amidst the ruins of the old agricultural university. You have to go in and around the salt lake city to see the growth potential. You have to see the thoroughness of their counsels who we regularly deal with and learn from. You have to see their utilised resources to understand what was the bedrock of Indian industry until half a century back.
wishing my new (and old) friends a happy future. And on the professional experience front, we have a lot to share! till next time ...
