Tribals dance for peace

12 October 2012

biswabrata goswami
JHARGRAM, 12 OCT: While the whole state is gearing up to welcome the goddess, the tribals in Junglemahal of West Midnapore, which was infamous for Maoist violence even a year ago, are preparing to worship the deity in their own special way for peace.
This year, the tribal people from different regions will celebrate a five-day long festival in honour of Goddess Durga. “We will perform our traditional dances during these days with a prayer to our gods and goddesses so that peace in our forest land is restored forever,” said Mr Jayram Tudu, a local farmer in Kantapahari. 
Another farmer, Mr Sukhu Tudu, said; “For the past few years, we have lived under the Maoist threat and have witnessed much bloodshed here. We want peace.”
The tribals will perform the Bhuyang dance, a blend of indigenous Aryan features, characterised by the rhythmic tapping of feet to the accompaniment of traditional instruments such as versions of cymbals, gongs and flutes. The main instrument is the bhuyang, a stringed instrument made from a dried gourd, with intricate bamboo fixtures and supports that help it produce the basic tunes for the dance.  Vijaya-Dasami is an auspicious day for the Bhuyang-dance. Male artists wearing dhuties ~ napkins around waist ~ red tape in their unpolished hair, and feathers of peacock upon their heads, will dance from afternoon to night.
“During the festival, the tribals will not cut down trees. On this auspicious day, girls will fast, wishing a long lives for their brothers. If everyone celebrates this festival, we can have peace and harmony in society,” said Smriti Dutta, a social worker.
According to local residents, the tribals will perform the dance to worship the deity as a symbol of Shakti and welcome her as the vanquisher of all evils. The dance is also a means of getting her blessings for peace and prosperity.
Mr Sakti Patnayek, a dance teacher at a school said: “The musical mosaic of Junglemahal is incomplete without the vibrating notes of stringed instruments.
“The booming notes of the Bhuyang have a streamlining effect on the tunes, beats and tempos of the songs being sung. According to legends, they perform this typical dance to search for a girl named Durge who was kidnapped by attackers. This year, they will not only perform the dance for Durge, but for peace in their locality,” he said. 

‘VU authorities failing to act on financial scam’

11 October 2012

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 11 OCT: Despite Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's occasional calls for a corruption-free administration, the Vidyasagar University authorities seem to be trying to shield the financial scam of Prof. Swapan Kumar Pramanick, the varsity's former vice-chancellor.
This was revealed through replies to several RTI applications filed by Mr Abhijit Guha, Senior Reader in the Department of Anthropology. 
University Finance Officer Anandamay Sarkar in a 19 August note on the Mr Guha's 10 August RTI application, admitted Prof. Pramanick submitted neither the boarding cards nor air tickets for his tour to Beijing to attend the 36th World Congress of Sociology, which was held 7-11 July 2004. 
After receiving this information, Mr Guha on 3 October complained to Acting Vice-Chancellor Ranjan Chakrabarti, seeking action against finance department officials since copies of air tickets and boarding cards are the two essential vouchers for getting reimbursed money for air travel. 
"The vice-chancellor, however, did not initiate any action against the concerned officials of VU on the ground that already a two-member inquiry committee has been formed by the West Bengal State Council for Higher Education to probe the alleged misappropriation of UGC Unassigned Grants fund by Prof. Pramanik who enjoyed two successive terms during the rule of the Left Front government in West Bengal," Dr Guha said.
Meanwhile, despite the issuance of a letter dated 27 July by the deputy secretary of the UGC to the registrar of VU to refund Rs 60,976 and show reasons for the misappropriation of the money, Prof. Chakraborty and the Trinamul-led executive council have not taken action. No move has yet been taken by the varsity authorities to refund the money allegedly misappropriated by its former Prof. Pramanick, Mr Guha alleged, and the West Bengal State Council for Higher Education has not yet announced a deadline for the investigation by the committee it created. When questioned, Prof Chakraborty said: “The higher education department has set up a committee and the committee has only right to speak about this matter. This apart I was not vice-chancellor here when the incident occurred. And so, I have no idea how the former vice-chancellor withdrew money without showing proper documents”.

Mamata’s call to Maa Mati Manush

9 October 2012

biswabrata goswami
TAMLUK/ HALDIA, 9 OCT: Ahead of the Durga puja, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared a slew of development projects for the people of East Midnapore and urged the people to raise their voice against the Centre’s decision to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail.
On the second day of her two-day visit in East Midnapore (sns photo), Miss Banerjee slammed the UPA government saying, “looting is going on in the name of reforms”.
She said: “The Centre is trying to ruin and sell the country through its economic reforms. But I will not allow FDI in retail in our state. Like Nandigram, you (people) will have to raise your voice against the Centre now”.
“They have allowed FDI in retail, restricted subsidy on cooking gas and now, they will invest pension money in the share market,” Miss Banerjee said while addressing a public rally at Nimtouri in Tamluk this afternoon.
“The Centre wants to snatch your land and livelihood and set up Walmart here. But, I will not allow Walmart to enter. Do you know what FDI in retail means? How will small traders and farmers survive if they can no longer work? But, I have got nothing personal against Walmart.”
She said that in the USA, Walmart has been told that if it has to do business in America, it will have to buy 60 per cent of American goods. “But in our country,” she alleged, “The Central government did away with the 30 per cent restrictions that were there,” she said.
While talking about her government’s initiatives towards the betterment for the common people in the state, she asserted that her life was dedicated to the cause. “My government will never take any decision that goes against the interests of the people. I do not have a family of my own. Whatever I have is yours and I belong to you.  So long as I am alive, I will continue to work for the welfare of the people. I have dedicated my life to Maa Mati Manush,” she said.
“For the betterment of health services, three super facility hospitals will be set up at Nandigram, Tamluk and Egra. Another such hospital will come up at Panskura in the second phase plan. At every block in the district, there will be an ITI. Our government has sanctioned Rs 177 crore for the Kapaleswari-Keleghai river project to control flood in the area. I have also asked our Minister Soumen Mahapatra to visit Patna for implementing the  Ghatal master plan soon,” Miss Banerjee said.
She also blamed the erstwhile Left Front government for the widespread unemployment and the critical financial crisis in the state. “For the past few decades, there has been no employment generation. Under the new regime we have provided three lakh government jobs and we will continue to give more non-government jobs in the future,” Miss Banerjee said.
She reached Kolaghat in East Midnapore last night and held an administrative meeting with officials to take stock of the progress of the ongoing development projects. She inaugurated Dhunseri Petrochem and Tea Ltd’s second PET resin plant, JBL’s edible oil plant and ABJ’s logistic hub at Haldia before holding a mass rally at Nimtouri in Tamluk.
Surjya’s rejoinder to Didi 
KOLKATA, 9 OCT: Reacting to the CM's address in Tamluk today, Leader of Opposition Dr Surjya Kanta Mishra said: “She doesn't live a single day without telling lies. Today again she has said that the land in Singur is in the state government's possession, though the everyone knows that the matter is pending with the Supreme Court. She has announced projects worth more than Rs 58 crore today in Haldia, whereas her two MPs in the region are up in arms against the people working in the Haldia docks.” “Her new trend these days after quitting the Union government is to blame the Centre for everything. She is now blaming it for non-payment of ICDS and ASHA workers in villages.We think this will hold no ground among the people,” he said. sns

Sword of faith instills hope in red corridor

7 October 2012

be god's glow
biswabrata goswami
LALGARH, 7 OCT: For about a year, Maoist violence has subsided in Lalgarh, a hotbed of Left-wing extremism which witnessed several killings, including the infamous carnage in nearby Netai village, in which nine people were killed.
Lalgarh residents, who used to live in constant fear of Maoist violence, are in a festive mood now, awaiting the arrival of the goddess Durga.
The people of Lalgarh are eagerly awaiting the centuries-old astra puja on Ashtami, when the sword is worshipped along with the goddess at the Lalgarh Rajbari by the descendants of the royal family.
“The weapon has become a symbol of power in our family since our ancestors came here from Etwa in Uttar Pradesh (earlier in Gujrat). We worship it every year on Ashtami along with the Durga idol, which is almost 400 years old," said Mr Pranesh Kumar Sahas Roy, one of the descendants of the royal family. In the Lalgarh royal family, two Durga idols are worshipped. With one of the Durga idols is Sarbamangala, which is also the family deity. With the other are Lakshmi and Saraswati. In a myth popular among the members of the royal family, an unknown warrior alone killed 11,000 Bargis when the Maratha plunderers invaded Lalgarh sometime between 1741 and 1751. Before leaving, he left his sword behind. Since then, the sword has been treated as a symbol of the power of the royal family.
Mr Roy believes that his ancestors were brave warriors, skilled with their swords and bows. Because of bravery of their ancestor Rasik Narayan, the then nawab, Alibardi Khan had given him the title Sahas Roy. "We respect the sword. Our ancestors believed that our family deity had taken the form of the warrior and saved us from the Bargis," Roy added.
"Owing to Maoist violence, we could not enjoy the festivity. But, from last year, the people have started coming out of their houses to celebrate the puja," he said. 
"This year, the puja will be observed with much fanfare and traditional rituals and people are expected to throng our puja mandap to observe the ashtami puja and astra puja, as they used to do in previous years when the Maoists did not rear their ugly heads in Junglemahal," he said.
Local resident Mr Tarun Mahato said: "We will celebrate Durga puja this year with a different zeal as we could not enjoy it for many years. We will see the astra puja at the Rajbari because it has different experience."
Members of the Lalgarh royal family said a few swords are taken to a pond near the Rajbari on the morning of Ashtami and washed as part of the rituals before being placed in the Durga mandap. 

What it takes to create the creator

5 October 2012

biswabrata goswami
MAHISHADAL, 5 OCT: With less than three weeks to go before Durga Puja, artistic hands here are busy around the clock giving final touches to idols of the goddess Durga. This is the period they eagerly await every year ~ when they get the opportunity to showcase their talents. 
The traditional countdown to Durga Puja begins with the Mahalaya, and if you’re one of those still contemplating a destination to visit, perhaps Mahishadal would be interesting. It's a place where community pujas are observed in the traditional way, although there are some committees that prefer themes.
Durga Puja became a popular community festival in Mahishadal in the early 20th Century. The styles of idols remained unchanged from then until the late 1990s, when the urge to be different to attract crowds led to theme-based pujas. Initially, organisers stressed innovation in pandals only. Before long, though, they started demanding innovations in idols as well.
"Every year, we try to work out something new for the pandal-hopper," said Mr Tarit Bera, a member of a puja committee. "Last year, our pandal was made with date-palm trees of various shapes and sizes. And this year we have decided to make use of wood to decorate our pandal."
Geometric designs made of bamboo and plywood will be used for decorations and various utensils used in the puja like **tirkati, sankha, kosha kushi will be displayed inside the pandal, he said.
But the traditional puja held in the Mahishadal royal palace continues to hold considerable appeal. Although the majesty and festivity surrounding these century-old pujas are gradually fading into the past, they still attract people here. Residents the Mahishadal area eagerly wait for the pujas throughout the year.  The Mahishadal royal family puja starts with Mahalaya. Queen Janakidevi first started this puja in 1778. Earlier, a large number of cultural events were arranged during the pujas but, now, as most of the members of the royal family are outside Bengal, such events are no longer held.  Here, Durga is decorated using Thermocol in the traditional style, akin to the idol of Goddess Durga that was first installed by Queen Indranidevi during her regime. In the past, animals were sacrificed. This custom, too, was abolished during the freedom struggle.  The pujas held by the Roy and Mishra families of of Mahishadal's Basulia and Baruttarhingli, respectively, are similar. Both are more than 300 years old.  Apart from the pujas, the chariot festival held on Bijoyadashami in the predominantly Muslim area of Rambag is another major attraction for the residents of Mahishadal. People from all parts of Mahishadal and Haldia gather at Rambag for the fair.
Mahishadal is one such place where community pujas are observed in the traditional way. But the traditional puja held in the Mahisadal Royal palace continues to hold considerable appeal. Although the majesty and festivity surrounding these century-old pujas are gradually fading into the past, they still appeal and attract the common people here.

Haldia port officials to stage demonstration

2 October 2012

biswabrata goswami
HALDIA, 2 OCT: Amidst the ongoing crisis at Haldia Dock Complex (HDC), which is deteriorating fast with every passing day, the port officials at Haldia port have called a mass convention on various demands tomorrow.
The convention has been called at a time when the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) will convene another meeting tomorrow with all its stakeholders to resolve the ongoing impasse at HDC. The previous meeting last Thursday had failed to yield a solution. KoPT Chairman Manish Jain, however, hoped that tomorrow’s meeting will break the deadlock and appealed to everyone to be present. The port officials at HDC, on the other hand, are all set to convene a mass convention to protest against the actions taken by the KoPT management in the past few days.
“We will demand immediate resumption of cargo handling at mechanised Berths 2 and 8. Through our convention, we will demand immediate withdrawal of suspension and transfer orders against Mr Ramakant Burman who had been leading our movement to protect the port from imminent losses. This apart there are various demands that include dredging at Eden channel,” said a senior port officer.
Meanwhile, as a result of the ongoing deadlock, port operations at Haldia are getting affected and crores of rupees are being lost in trade by way of shutdown of cargo handling at berths two and eight, where Haldia Bulk Terminals (HBT), a special purpose vehicle of the LDA-ABG consortium, has been charged to operate.
“It is crucial for KoPT that HBT remains at HDC as it earns Rs 150 per ton as royalty for the 40,000 ton that is handled at these two berths. The royalty per ton for the other berths is a mere Rs 25,” a port officer said.
Today, there is a clear divide in the ranks of stakeholders. There is one group at Haldia that is pitching for HBT. This group, which includes the Haldia Dock Officers’ Forum and Haldia Dock Bachao Committee, wants the port to survive. The other group, which supports the private company operating at other berths, wants HBT to wind up operations at the port, even if this results in a slide in KoPT’s revenue, a senior port officer said. “Instead of addressing the basic problem, the KoPT, meanwhile, has made its junior assistant manager a scapegoat by suspending him from his job merely based on the district intelligence report, to resolve the dispute. But, a large section of port officials and a shipping circle believe that the report was made either on the influence of the port chairman Mr Manish Jain or on the influence of Mr Adhikari”, a Congress-backed trade union leader, who did not wish to be named, said.
The port officials said as the recent stand-off is continuing to affect trade, the port is losing Rs 80 lakh per day owing to the shutdown of two mechanised berths. This apart, many shipping companies are now diverting their vessels to nearby ports thereby leading to more losses of the Haldia port. 

KoPT blamed for Haldia Dock impasse

1 October 2012

biswabrata goswami
HALDIA, 1 OCT: The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) management has been accused of not having enough administrative accountability while dealing with private operators engaged at different berths in the Haldia Dock Complex for which the recent impasse due to the problems of labours and law and order have developed. The question which is already doing rounds in the shipping circle is whether the port management is biased towards the private operator working at berths other than two and eight. The problem first surfaced when a private operator working at non-mechanised berths threatened to retrench its worker, demanding the allocation of more cargo-vessels. “Instead of addressing the problem, the KoPT, meanwhile, has made its junior assistant manager a scapegoat by suspending him from his job based on the district intelligence report, to resolve the dispute,” a union leader said.