Ah! Calcutta

Yes, I know it changed into Kolkata sometime back. But I wonder other than what really changed in Kolkata or for that matter in West Bengal. Yes, there has been a change in government, now Manna Da's songs play at traffic light junctions...but has something significant altered? 

When last I visited Kolkata after a gap of about 12 years, I expected lot to have altered in the city. But to my utter surprise I found Kolkata to be pretty much the same ... same taxis, same rickshaws, same streets, same roadside sellers at Garihat, same nowhere-leading political debates 'on the rock' at corners of the lanes...just nothing seemed to have changed or say changed for the good.

Recently, Calcutta....err...sorry, Kolkata has been in news for city being decorated and decked up for the FIFA world cup soccer. I thought world cup was happening in Brazil... ok! the news reports suggest that Kolkata streets decoration make it resemble like Sao Paulo. Great, so the city is celebrating.

Last time they were celebrating was about a week back when KKR won the IPL T20 cricket title. A official celebration was organized at Eden Gardens! It is another story that except the name Kolkata in KKR, there is hardly anything that resembles the city or the state. Celebrating again...for someone else achievements and some others' feats. Good, very philanthropic but I really wonder when the city and the state will start celebrating for itself and for what it does.

All economic indicators show that the city and the state as a whole is decaying and dying a slow death. Bengal’s GSDP or Gross State Domestic Product has shown a consistent slide downwards and the state ranked a poor 23^rd place if we look at the average growth rates over 2001-12. 

Agricultural growth has slowed down. In fact it has shown a negative growth. Industrial sector in West Bengal has also seen a slowdown. The average growth rates fell over the past decade, while even states like Orissa showed improvement. Remember this is the state that gave Tatas a complimentary drive out of the state.

West Bengal ranks very poorly in terms of per capita income among all the Indian states. West Bengal continues to be one of the poorest states in India. According a UNDP Human Development report published some time back, acute poverty prevails in the state. As per the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) study done in India West Bengal along with 7 other states in India together have more poor people than in the 26 poorest African nations combined!!!

The MPI assesses a range of factors or “deprivations” at the household level as well as income and assets. These include: child mortality, nutrition, access to clean drinking water, sanitation, cooking fuel, electricity, and years of schooling and child enrollment. A person is considered poor if they are deprived in at least 30 percent of the weighted indicators. West Bengal is home to the third largest number of poor people.

As per the Institute of Competitiveness report, states Nagaland and West Bengal are contributing to the greatest amount of misery to Indian economy. They run the risk of going into stagflation (an economic condition characterized by high Inflation and high unemployment). High degree of joblessness combined with steep rise in prices has pushed-up West Bengal’s ‘Misery Index’.

But most Bengalis revel in this misery. Misery makes them feel that their cause is still alive…Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo – the last word though does not quite rhyme with misery. Poems on misery, songs on misery, street plays on misery, even nostalgic about greater miseries in the past. Perhaps, misery is too dear to be let off! As Suman Chattopadhyay says - ' Preference for melancholia over enterprise is deeply embedded in the Bengali psyche.'

All the intellectual power of Bengal does not seem to know how to stop the down slide slip of the state and the city. West Bengal needs more of business-friendly climate, more enterprises, jobs, income and less of politics, ‘bondhs’, and populist rhetoric by the political leaders.

For now though the offering seems to be one year property tax holiday for those who colour their houses or building in white and blue. Welcome to the party!

I again wonder, taxes also drying up…from where will the money come now in the state coffers? That was the only source, after all.

Who cares? 

Misery is still there and poets, song writers are busy. By the way in Bengal every house has a poet.

Being a Bengali myself who is born, bred and lived out of Bengal, the sight of Kolkata city and Bengal state crumbling down is a miserable sight and thought. And I am not writing any poems. 

Ah! Calcutta...