Monumental makeover

The Shaheed Minar,earlier known as the Monument and located on the Maidan,is set for a makeover.

Monumental makeover

The Shaheed Minar,earlier known as the Monument and located on the Maidan,is set for a makeover. The government will spruce up the war memorial,one of the major landmarks of Kolkata and built in 1848 by Major-General David Ochterlony to commemorate the victory of the East India Companys armed forces in Nepal 1814-1816. It was renamed Shaheed Minar in 1969 by the then United Front government in memory of martyrs of the freedom movement. The present government has decided to illuminate the tower during evenings and allow visitors to the top. The last persons who went up there were former governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and his family.

Buddha back in action

Former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is back on the streets,addressing rallies and party conventions in various districts. He has been taking up those very causes that the Opposition did in the elections and which eventually saw the left citadel crumble. For example,at Haroa in North 24-Parganas district where he addressed a rally of farmers,he said his party would resist all attempts at taking land forcibly from them. According to party insiders, Bhattacharjee is making the trips not just to give a boost to the morale of party cadres but to rejuvenate himself too. He had been so distressed after the party debacle,they said,that he had gone into a shell.

Congress vs Trinamool

The growing distance between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress is not only because of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees opposition to many decisions at the Centre,but also because of a number of armed clashes between members of the two parties. Congress members have usually been at the receiving end and party leaders are becoming increasingly vocal about this. A group of leaders have met Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi and updated him on the situation. The CPM has taken note of the situation; at a party rally at Sreerampore in Hooghly district,Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee expressed sympathy with the Congress for its helplessness.

Sabyasachi Bandopadhyay