Michhil, Bandh and Bangali

For the non-starters ‘michhil’ most unequivocally stated is a Bengali term which signifies a rally organised to create awareness among people or to make a protest in a democratic way, which I am particularly convinced of. And ‘bandh’ clearly everybody knows and if strangely enough somebody doesn’t he is not suited for the blog.

Now these two words or should I say phenomena hold a significant place in any Bengali’s life; Kolkatans should identify better. More often than anybody thinks, one fine evening office goers while returning to their wives’ bastion finds out thousands of people for some reason, which can be as grave as a police shootout on innocent people or graver if Dada has again been sacked by some inept selector like Kiran More, have taken to the road on foot and have clogged major arteries like Lenin Sarani enroute Wellington Square towards Dharmatala, or through College Street, or towards Maidan Brigade Parade Ground. Catching a train for the suburbs then is a distant dream. From the melee all you can hear is loud speakers blaring “Cholche Cholbe”, “Amader Dabi Mante Hobe”, “Lal Selam, Lal Selam,” (we have to be granted our right, we will keep on demanding our right). Traffic comes to a halt and it’s an ordeal for most of the people. Sometimes you are lucky enough if the march is declared in advance, so you can brace up for it, and for a change your wife will think of you as a body made of flesh and bones and to your amusement also commiserate with you. (Not such a bad price to pay for being steam rolled in the middle of the road though). But if there has been a development within the day which the opposition party or the so called intellectual group considers worthy of a protest on that day itself, you are caught unawares and then you are in a disadvantageous position, because your wife will again commiserate with you alright but with the amount of energy and body fluid loss you won’t be in any position that night to lose some further. The next night will be a different story and you will not be a darling again until the next michhil comes your way. So you see the pitfall of losing the vantage point of knowing the date, time and place of the ‘michhil’; and I haven’t talked of the ordeals of patients and people with very urgent work yet.

But hey! If you think it’s difficult to get worse than that then it’s not the case. We have a different tool to deal with graver mistakes any party or for that sake a group or individual have committed. It’s much more potent in its lethality and it’s called a ‘Bandh’. The occurrence of this form of protest will be declared earlier and you won’t be stranded in the middle of the road one evening because the ‘bandh’ has taken place suddenly. Bengalis have a heart you see. But again you can be unlucky that day, your one day’s wage or daily business will be lost and if you have an urgent work and need to get out of the state its better if the work can be postponed because trains and flights do not remain public property that day. It goes without saying that there is no end to the trouble of common man on these days, and probably acknowledging that the Kolkata High Court gave a ruling against organising ‘michhil’ in week days. But again people protested for the deprivation of constitutional right to protest.

These issues remain the most endemic problems of the region and was one of the major reasons I chose to graduate from Delhi University and not from any good college of Kolkata which by the way are in much larger numbers than in Delhi.

‘Bandhs’ and ‘Michhils’ rarely occur in such regular frequency in other states or mega cities and people do not support loss of business so often. A good thing I thought. After all business drives economy and should never be compromised with.
But after I have stayed in the national capital for over 4 years I now find so many things I thought were misplaced. And so many things I never thought of because I took it for granted which only now I understand to be so precious and not earned easily. I never saw disgrace and utter disrespect of human life ever in my life until the last 4 years. The omnipresent ‘behen****’, and ‘teri ** ka’s, the lustful glares of 50 year olds and the abhorring impertinence in general made me feel if respect is such a difficult thing one can give to a fellow being. I do not intend to be naïve and callow and project a point which is at the most juvenile that you consider, neither do I disagree to the point that it is money that speaks and in the process to earn more and more people do internalise a way of living. But when disregard and disrespect becomes the Modus Vivendi, something is amiss and in the process of this disregard people stop being aware and become apathetic to the surroundings which could never seem juvenile anymore.

Bengal may have its endemic problems, business may be affected, difficulties may arise but after inhaling the stench for 4 long years I do realise that at least people there respect each other, take a stand, neither antipathy nor apathy is sweeping as in other places, and above all they have not forgotten the essence of humanity. No, it’s not my wistful recourse and my love for my native place that is speaking; it’s the truth. ‘Bandhs’ and ‘Michhils’ are only a manifestation of the care. It’s not a onetime publicity gimmick or an agenda to be made of. I agree political parties do take out these rallies to gain political mileage but then the common man too take part in protests and that too without any political provocation. Why would they if they were not aware, if not for what they consider right? People talk of spirit in megacities when they are attacked but I find the spirit that is Kolkata everyday there. It’s not the spirit that is to be shown once in a while, it’s the spirit that is Kolkata. ‘The City of Joy’. You think I am a Bengali Chauvinist? I will not mind the acquisition. It’s the humanity that I praise, it’s the love and respect for people that I praise and for that if you accuse me and deride me, I give a damn.

I go back to sleep every night thanking GOD for giving me a heart of a Bengali and I am proud to be a Bengali for I know I will live for something more important than money.