In the US, liberty is a statue

" In Singapore it's very difficult to imagine a person sitting on a roadside bench or in a park writing poetry. In Kolkata its normal."

Well these were the openning remarks of an article comparing Singapore and Kolkata. Some of you might not know but Singapore was built and initially controlled from Kolkata. The writer was just comparing the cities in the present day. There are many theories put forward for the so called demise of Kolkata. Some say locational hazards. Compared to a Mumbai I say it is. Others say the Left Fronts 30 year rule. True again.

Of late there has been some startling changes. 7 flyovers constructed in 2 years. Name an IT major and its there in Kolkata. Shopping malls filling the city. Transport system improving. Frankly speaking I was surprised. So to take a walk in the yesteryears, me and a friend of mine decided to go to our favourite movie theatre "Nandan". Built on a lake, this double screen multiplex is maintained by the Government of West Bengal. Since early 80's it has been a connoisseurs delight, lovers paradise. For a change, it paid host to movies of all genre excepting the Bollywood/Hollywood/Tollywood .......masala types. Perhaps one of its own kinds it slowly became the hall mark of bengali/kolktan pride........"You won't find a city culturally progressive like us".

Whether its true or not is not the matter of discussion. Every region, religion, state has something or the other to say about themselves. This is also not about Nandan.

The day we visited this place we saw a small stage being erected in the open space around the theatre. The space encompassed could hardly seat 100 odd people. The occassion.......well its not a dharna or a political meeting or a pre-strike meet......its a "Kavi Sammelan". It was only then that the small yellow posters started making sense. Phrases from every day life. Just to give a hint of what might happen in some time.

We decided to wait. The organisers came, so did the poets. And the gathering was unexpected. The 100 odd chairs were filled by people who looked like digniteries ( as they were cordially directed to their seats by the organisers). Finally it started. After a couple of poets presented their work we decided to take a walk. Not that we were bored but frankly we don't have an ear to it. And they were not like the ones we read in our schools. No poetic rhythm....just a flow of words. If you listen carefully it made sense... a lot of sense but you need to listen carefully.

After a small walk around the theatre we decided to move on. We had plans for Forum, the new shopping mall in Kolkata. We had plans for a movie and dinner. On our way out I had one last look at the sammelan. The crowd had swelled. There was some noise after each prose got delivered. And I must say I liked it a lot. It was so satisfying. Have you ever felt like that. Satisfied for something which doesn't go in sync with you. Satisfied that the world may say Kolkata is progressing. Withfly overs, malls and better roads it is. But surely cult of Kolkata has not whithered away.

I am a bengali but frankly know very little about it. Its language its food.......But this is a small prose written by one of finest poets of bengal...Sukanta. I leave you with his words

"No more of this poetry.
Bring on the hard, harsh prose instead.
Let the jingle of verse disappear
And the strong hammer of prose strike.
No need for the serenity of a poem;
Poetry, I give you a break today.
In the regime of hunger, the earth belongs to prose,
The full moon burns like a loaf of bread."