Rooted

I am a probashi (non resident) Bengali. Born and brought up entirely in Hyderabad.
Until about 3 years ago, if someone criticized Kolkata for its impoverished conditions, I would have supported their views wholeheartedly. But not any longer. I agree, that in comparison to other metros, kolkata is sadly lacking on several counts, especially infrastructure!!!

However, there is absolutely no way in which any other city in the WORLD can be "THE CITY OF JOY" other than kolkata. And these are not my words, they are DOMINIQUE LAPIERE'S.

To understand the dilapidated condition of this historical city, u must first read up its history. U talk of expansion, infrastructure malls, industry, maintenance.....Remember the number of times, this very city was chosen as the capital city by different rulers time and time again?

Remember the time when this little city had to accommodate an exodus of refugees from Bangladesh and Pakistan? Remember how this glorious city of ours provided food, shelter, clothing, work and prestige to our homeless brothers and sisters?

U complain of lack of space!!!! Answer this question first - where would any of us b today, if Kolkata had not given our ancestors space then???

U want to know of industries here!!!! Kolkata houses the largest and possibly the best leather industry in the country!!! It has jute and cotton industries as well. And why wud u want to build industries in a city where every inch of land is cultivable!!!!

Check out the week magazine article of June 2006. It has an article on the rising industrialists of Bengal. From leathers exports to jute mills, from packaged food to cutting edge technology, we have it all!!!! AND NO THEY R NOT MARWARIS. They r very much "BENGALIS"

There was a time when I too complained of the such things as dirt, ill-maintenance, potholes, open drains, dingy roads, pollution, rickety buses, dark alleys....so on and so forth....

I was loathe to visit that beautiful city every summer. Never understood its beauty before. Never saw the beatific smile of the poor child, bathing on the road side.

Today I know what I have missed! Don't go by first impressions, they are not always right! Look around the city on foot if possible and u'll simply fall in love with Kolkata.

Despite all that apparent disarray, Kolkata is a shopper's paradise. A unique city that houses the filthy rich and the sickly poor with equanimity. Why do u think, that despite such under development, the richest Indian "Mr. Laxmi Narayan Mittal" celebrated his wards marriage there?

Show me one other city that can match up to Kolkata's variety of sweets and delicacies!!!
Show me just one more city where u get to eat a stomach full of "Bhaat, dal and Macher Jhol" for just Rs 8!!!!! Show me one other city where u actually get merchandise below the prescribed MRP (which is as it should b).

Show me one other city where the entire community comes together to celebrate one single festival on the scales of our DURGA PUJO. Not even Mumbai can come close to it.

I request u to read the novel "shei shomoy" or "THOSE DAYS"(in English) by Sunil Gangopadhyay before ur next visit to kolkata. It will possibly help u to understand Kol better. It certainly did help me. Remember, there is more to kolkata than meets the eye. Don't blame the lack of infrastructure on the city. The blame lies with incompetent old fools who used to pass by as politicians earlier.
Check up on the development of the city in the last couple of years and u'll b proud to b a part of the city.

Of course, non-resident Bnegali's like me will probably choose Hyderabad or other metros over kolkata, but we have absolutely no right to criticize this splendid city.