Thursday 22nd November 2009 bandh in Kolkata

Office-goers are set to get a five-days break towards the month-end. The Maoists and SUCI have called a Bangla bandh on January 22. The
next day being Netaji's birthday is a state holiday. And then, the weekend is followed by Republic Day, which falls on Monday.

Several truths – you may call them lessons – came upon us during this Thursday’s bandh called by the left trade union, CITU (Center of Indian Trade Unions).

• If CITU wishes, life in Kolkata (and indeed in entire Bengal) can be brought to a total standstill. Nothing, but nothing can move. Not on road, none on rail, certainly nothing in air, not even on water. Whatever moved were those who used their feet to walk (like human beings, cattle, dogs, etc.), wings to fly (birds) or fins and tails to swim (fish, duck, etc.).
• Even though common people were advised to walk to their destinations, there were notable exceptions. For example, CITU vice-president and state’s transport minister, Subhas Chakraborty had no qualms to use his official car to race on empty roads, thus enjoying to his fullest such rare rides.
• Very few people knew what the bandh was all about, which was okay with CITU because all it wanted was to enforce stoppage of any movement, no matter what.

Lest you think that bandh was all bad, here are a few reasons why it brought some cheer too:

• Since Kolkata consumes something around 450 kilolitre of petrol and 4000 kilolitre of diesel on a weekday, one may safely assume that Thursday has literally been a huge blessing for the city’s environment. It will not be wrong to say that the city’s air breathed a big sigh of relief on the bandh day.
• For city’s workaholic people, Thursday was a grand occasion to de-stress mind and soul. There was simply no reason to move out because nothing was open or moving, which meant one was perforce confined at home.

Here at last was a chance to spend an entire day idly, catch up on family matters, give quality time to near and dears, and discover the magic that is 'home'.
To that extent, day before yesterday’s bandh was indeed a great gift to savor and recoup. Not bad that, don’t you think!