Kolkata Beautification Projects

[AbhishekDatta]

Originally Posted by SarafIndian

No one is "bashing MB" here. We live in a democratic society. Even if you are an angel you have to face the criticism..

Anyway, welcome to the forum

thank you... criticism and biased/one sided hammering are completely different thing...we should b careful when criticism crosses the line and sounds politicking ..there are n number of forums/media(star ananda/24 ghanta) already into it...btw did bengalees live in a democratic society?

[SarafIndian]

Originally Posted by AbhishekDatta

btw did bengalees live in a democratic society?

Yes

[SarafIndian]

And Kolkata forumers are most well behaved members of SSC India. No fights, no ugly comparisons here..

[AbhishekDatta]

Originally Posted by SarafIndian

Yes

[AbhishekDatta]

Originally Posted by sidney_jec

yeah
Beware all you Mamta lovers. I might be closer to where you think I am. muhahahahahaha

[AbhishekDatta]

Originally Posted by SarafIndian

And Kolkata forumers are most well behaved members of SSC India. No fights, no ugly comparisons here..

precisely my point

[khatbhej]

Looks like we are having a "bash" here.. I'll join too

On a lighter note, MB wants to convert Kolkata to London. Much appreciated initiative indeed, but I feel the first step could be "modifying" her dressing habits a little. As a CM of would-be London, a white saree and a pair of slippers looks a bit out of place.

[khatbhej]

Originally Posted by AbhishekDatta

btw did bengalees live in a democratic society?

At least the urban Indians live in a democratic society

[BengaliTiger]

Originally Posted by khatbhej

Looks like we are having a "bash" here.. I'll join too

On a lighter note, MB wants to convert Kolkata to London. Much appreciated initiative indeed, but I feel the first step could be "modifying" her dressing habits a little. As a CM of would-be London, a white saree and a pair of slippers looks a bit out of place.

She is "Maa-Mati-Manusher" CM. Dress is not a criteria. We dont need some one like Hina Rabbani, where the main issue is hidden behind the branded accessories and attire. We need someone who can bring some change to the WB and Kolkata. Starting seems to be good, only if the projects get executed within stipulated time.

[Joy_ghosh02]

Itna asaan nehi Kolkata ko London banana..........

First she has to remove all these hawckers and other ugly enrochements from the foot path, because London does not have it.
She has to shift the Esplanade bus terminus immidiately as It is the most dirty part of the city.
She has to make the streets much more smooth and clean.
There should be no open garbaje dump on the footpath..............
She has to make the roads wider, may be for this she has to demolish some shops and houses (with proper compensation).
Kolkata Buses and Trams are horrible. She need to make it world class. Only A/C buses and Trams wud ply on the road.

Can she do all these things to make Kolkata a world class city???????????????????

[soumalya747]

Originally Posted by Joy_ghosh02

Itna asaan nehi Kolkata ko London banana..........

First she has to remove all these hawckers and other ugly enrochements from the foot path, because London does not have it.
She has to shift the Esplanade bus terminus immidiately as It is the most dirty part of the city.
She has to make the streets much more smooth and clean.
There should be no open garbaje dump on the footpath..............
She has to make the roads wider, may be for this she has to demolish some shops and houses (with proper compensation).
Kolkata Buses and Trams are horrible. She need to make it world class. Only A/C buses and Trams wud ply on the road.

Can she do all these things to make Kolkata a world class city???????????????????

Give her some time at least. She is ruling for just 70 days. And she took such a impressive step to make Kolkata beautiful. Former CPM govt spoiled the city for 34 years long. Atleast give her 34 months to improve the situation. She is trying her level best to make Kolkata beautiful like London.

[mountaincloud]

Originally Posted by soumalya747

Former CPM govt spoiled the city for 34 years long. Atleast give her 34 months to improve the situation.

be careful. CPI(M) cadres will get you.

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by soumalya747

Give her some time at least. She is ruling for just 70 days. And she took such a impressive step to make Kolkata beautiful. Former CPM govt spoiled the city for 34 years long. Atleast give her 34 months to improve the situation. She is trying her level best to make Kolkata beautiful like London.

Kolkata was not a heavenly place before the Left Front came to power. Please check this newspaper clip from 1966 I( have posted this before).



Kolkata improved a lot between mid nineties till around mid 2007.

Cosmetic changes can be done to beautify the city but the root problems will remain.

[BengaliTiger]

Originally Posted by Suncity

Kolkata was not a heavenly place before the Left Front came to power.



Kolkata improved a lot between mid nineties till around mid 2007.

Cosmetic changes can be done to beautify the city but the root problems will remain.

"The violence was inspired by the leftists, who are capitalizing on the deteriorating situation." Res ipsa locquitur.

Obviously Kolkata has improved over the years, It would be a balant false statement if some one says there has been no change in the last 3 decades.

But, when we make a comparison with other Metros in India, Kolkata lagged behind in most of the aspects of development. Though Kolkata faced certain problems which were unique to it, the measures taken were no doubt ineffective.

Regarding the Cosmetic changes, you are correct Suncity, we need changes from the grass root. We need to identify the problems at the grass roots rather than making some cosmetic changes.

[Joy_ghosh02]

Originally Posted by soumalya747

Give her some time at least. She is ruling for just 70 days. And she took such a impressive step to make Kolkata beautiful. Former CPM govt spoiled the city for 34 years long. Atleast give her 34 months to improve the situation. She is trying her level best to make Kolkata beautiful like London.

I dont think the situation will much change even after 34 months. Mamta Banerjee is not going to remove the Hawckers which she clearely told manytimes.
TMC is in power in the the Kolkata corporation for more than one year but still there is no improvement in solid waste management at all.
May be she can remove the ugly and dirty bus terminus from Esplanade.
To make streets wider she will demolish houses !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO CHANCE.
Only A/C Buses and trams in Kolkata ?????? May be I m dreaming too much

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by BengaliTiger

"The violence was inspired by the leftists, who are capitalizing on the deteriorating situation." Res ipsa locquitur.

Also note that the "free" press in the west has generally been anti Left/commie especially during the sixties (cold war era). They were overjoyed when Indira Gandhi's party won in the early seventies in WB. After that they shut up as Indira went on socialism spree and strengthened relations with the Soviets and relations with US went sour. But why was there a deteriorating situation? We all know the various reasons. But there is a tendency to overlook the complete picture and history and blame everything on 34 years of Left Rule. I was hearing dariwala painter a few days ago. He was telling that his friends in foreign countries still ask him about beautiful streets of Kolkata before Left Front rule. I do have many photos from 1950s to 1970s of main areas of Kolkata.

Also look at the rest of the story in the article. It describes what was wrong with Kolkata in the late sixties - apart from the violence.

we hear so much about the excellent health care and educational systems in Kolkata before left front from Happy Market intellectuals. Yet the article shows that those systems were in bad shape. The port was dying. The city was the cholera capital due to bad sanitation and water supply. So I think that the media and intellectuals have successfully built on a myth that things were so cool pre 1978. And everything went bad after that.

Originally Posted by BengaliTiger

[Obviously Kolkata has improved over the years, It would be a balant false statement if some one says there has been no change in the last 3 decades.

But, when we make a comparison with other Metros in India, Kolkata lagged behind in most of the aspects of development.

I think we overhype a bit about various places galloping away. And we tend to underhype about Kolkata and West Bengal.

[samrat_m]

Originally Posted by Suncity

Also note that the "free" press in the west has generally been anti Left/commie especially during the sixties (cold war era). They were overjoyed when Indira Gandhi's party won in the early seventies in WB. After that they shut up as Indira went on socialism spree and strengthened relations with the Soviets and relations with US went sour. But why was there a deteriorating situation? We all know the various reasons. But there is a tendency to overlook the complete picture and history and blame everything on 34 years of Left Rule. I was hearing dariwala painter a few days ago. He was telling that his friends in foreign countries still ask him about beautiful streets of Kolkata before Left Front rule. I do have many photos from 1950s to 1970s of main areas of Kolkata.

These dariwalas and other 'jhandus' are mere good for nothing. Whatever qualities they had as art stalwarts, I guess, are eroding with every single day as they are becoming full fledged politicians. They only know one mantra - everything of Left Rule was bad, bad & bad.

we hear so much about the excellent health care and educational systems in Kolkata before left front from Happy Market intellectuals. Yet the article shows that those systems were in bad shape. The port was dying. The city was the cholera capital due to bad sanitation and water supply. So I think that the media and intellectuals have successfully built on a myth that things were so cool pre 1978. And everything went bad after that.

I think we overhype a bit about various places galloping away. And we tend to underhype about Kolkata and West Bengal.

I totally agree with you on this assumption. Are yaar, 36 years of my life has passed here and in the last 12 years been seeing almost all other metros on a regular basis. Which city is in what shape is known to me pretty well. Yes, drawbacks are their in Kolkata on certain aspects compared to other metros, but not all & everything is in bad shape as often people try to point.

[arijeetb]

Originally Posted by samrat_m

These dariwalas and other 'jhandus' are mere good for nothing. Whatever qualities they had as art stalwarts, I guess, are eroding with every single day as they are becoming full fledged politicians. They only know one mantra - everything of Left Rule was bad, bad & bad.


I totally agree with you on this assumption. Are yaar, 36 years of my life has passed here and in the last 12 years been seeing almost all other metros on a regular basis. Which city is in what shape is known to me pretty well. Yes, drawbacks are their in Kolkata on certain aspects compared to other metros, but not all & everything is in bad shape as often people try to point.

The intellectuals in this city ( and that includes environmentalists and any such persons with a public/social agenda) and in India are suffering from an identity crisis because the inherent human nature to tell and be heard has dwindled for them. There were times a few decades back when the govt paid more attention and importance to them, but the same is not the case today.

The dariwala painter might as well paint..but no he has to gang up and protest in front of Calcutta club to get that feeling of self worth and also be listened to. Same goes with the TMC dog lover who jailed a person because of alleged ill treatment of a dog and some dancers/artists in the TMC camp.

Coming to Kolkata, the public image is bad and that matters a lot in every sphere of life.

[samrat_m]

Originally Posted by arijeetb

.

Coming to Kolkata, the public image is bad and that matters a lot in every sphere of life.

Yes, I guess so. That's what the "stars" of our new govt should try to change to get anywhere near to within a million miles of London. The Image of the city needs to change as a whole and a lot of misconceptions will automatically be negated and things will start falling into place. However, it is easier said than done as changing the image means doing a whole lot of such things which the govt may be wary to do.

[Suncity]

Let's look at the positive side. Even if just one kilometer of work is delivered in four to six months, it is a gain for Kolkata.