Calcutta regales, oblivious of ravaged rural Bengal

In districts like Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum and Hoogly, the Durga Puja festival is as big an occasion as it is in the city proper. In fact, it is rural Bengal which still retains the religious fervour of the festivity much more than it does in Calcutta, where fun and frolic rules over devotion. Evidently, the battered rural Bengal has failed to cast any shadow on the urbanites.

The city’s response seems to have been limited to a `token donation’ for flood relief in cash or in kind to voluntary organisations or political party cadres. So far, one has not come across any exemplary case where the community puja organisers have decided to scale down the pomp and glamour of their puja to sympathise with those hundreds who have perished in the floods and those surviving millions who are still struggling for a roof over their heads.

Over a 100 villages have simply been wiped away from the map of West Bengal and over 20 million have been affected by the floods which are still raging in large parts of North 24-Parganas and Nadia. In most of the affected parts, the puja pandals have not come up at all. For thousands of small traders who look forward to this time to earn some money that sees them through the rest of the year, economic activity has come to a standstill. Small artisans who traditionally supply hundreds of small items to the city’s markets have been busy otherwise. Each of them is trying to eke out an existence on the meagre relief provided by the government.

Back in Calcutta, there is no let-up in the number of community pujas that are organised every year – approximately about 1,200 community ones, besides hundreds others in private households and suburban pockets. The budgets have been soaring with the big community puja organisers like College Square, Mohammed Ali Park, Vivekananda Sporting, Ekdalia Ever Green, Nebutala Park, Sealdah Sarbojonin, Park Circus and Babubagan in Jodhpur Park. The budgets range from anything between Rs. 10 lakhs to Rs. 50 lakhs with these organisers. Most of them would be making a donation of few thousands rupees to the chief minister’s relief fund, though.

In the post flood scenario, there is but one grudge with the urban middle class – the rising prices of winter vegetables. With supplies of vegetables from the districts reduced virtually to a trickle, the prices have started soaring. This apart, it is Puja as usual in Calcutta with all its pomp and gaiety. Even a slight shower this afternoon and an overcast sky seemed to have failed to dampen the spirit. By late afternoon, thousands were on the streets, with vehicular traffic standing bumper to bumper in many of the city’s thoroughfares.

Flood toll goes up to 943

CALCUTTA, OCT 4: With the recovery of 29 bodies overnight from Murshidabad and Nadia districts, the West Bengal flood toll rose to 943 today while another 72 people were still missing, official sources said.

However, the overall situation in the state improved with rivers receding in most areas save North 24-Parganas district, they said. Worst-hit Murshidabad alone accounted for 520 deaths, followed by Birbhum witth 228, Nadia with 96, Burdwan with 52, Hoogly with 27, Midnapore with 13, North 24 Parganas with 4 and Howrah with 3.

The Army had been withdrawn from Hoogly and Murshidabad though relief operations are continuing in Nadia and North 24-Parganas, deputy Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee said.

Finance minister Asim Dasgupta said he would meet Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha and Union Agriculture Minister Nitish Kumar on October 9 to discuss the devastation.

Meanwhile, extensive areas of North 24-Parganas, including Baduria, Swarupnagar and Bashirhat are still inundated though the water level has fallen in Bagda, Bongaon and Gaighata. In North 24-Parganas, 62 Army and 152 state boats are being used for distributing relief among the victims.

— PRESS TRUST OF INDIA