Alive to pluralism, but found wanting in accessibility. Laid-back charm scores, but littering hurts. Eating delicious food but breathing poisonous air.
Calcutta delights and disappoints at the same time.
Metro spoke with a bunch of young Calcuttans who have chosen to stay back even as many of their friends have left the city. They shared what they love — and loathe — about their home.
Mohuna Dutt, 41
Lake Gardens
Works with underprivileged children; heads an NGO
What I love about Calcutta:
Calcutta celebrates every festival with equal aplomb. We are in a country that is secular by Constitution but is becoming polarised by the day. Calcutta is probably the only place where celebration goes beyond religious polarisation. We feast on biryani on Eid, bhog during Durga Puja and queue up for Christmas cakes. For a Calcuttan, celebration transcends religion.
What I want changed:
As a city, we need to look at more opportunities in higher education. Calcutta used to be a seat of learning, and we were proud of our higher educational institutions. Not anymore. The city has been dethroned.
When we were growing up, people coveted seats in reputed Calcutta colleges. I went to Kishinchand Chellaram College in Mumbai in 2003, and during an interview, they thought I was foolish to leave Calcutta for Mumbai. Today, that sentiment has vanished. Jobs come later; education comes first.
Once people leave the city for higher education, they more often than not find jobs elsewhere. As a result, we are turning into a geriatric graveyard.
Ranadeep Mukherjee, 40
Jadavpur
Works with an IT multinational and meets clients across the globe
What I love about Calcutta:
Calcutta is perceived as a slow city, and I love that laid-back nature. Other metros I have visited move at breakneck speed, leaving no room to pause or introspect. Everyone seems busy in their own world. In Calcutta, even in a rush, if we meet a familiar face, we pause for a brief conversation.
Almost every morning, I drive to Rabindra Sarobar or Southern Avenue and sip coffee at a local cafe before work. If I finish work on time, I go out for another coffee before heading home. Sitting with friends and talking rejuvenates me for my professional life.
What I want changed:
Littering must stop. Waste segregation should begin at every home. I live near Jadavpur 8B. At neighbourhood tea stalls, people discuss films, literature and politics. Yet, in the same locality, I see garbage — all dumped together in black polythene bags — on roads or near ponds. I see young people throwing empty cigarette packets on the road when a trash bin is right next to them. It is shameful.
I was in Kochi a few months ago. The city is squeaky clean. If Kochi can do it, why can’t Calcutta?
Responsibility lies with both citizens and the administration. Strict enforcement is needed. A decade ago, helmet use among bikers was far lower. If that could be enforced, why not basic civic sense?
Souptik Mazumder, 29
Tollygunge
Musician; composer for
Srijit Mukherji’s film Lawho Gouranger Naam Rey
What I love about Calcutta:
Calcutta’s plate is unmatched. From Chinese and north Indian to Italian, the variety and quality of food are exceptional. A city’s food culture is best judged by its streets, and by that measure, Calcutta takes the crown. You get tasty, affordable meals here; street food is far more expensive in other cities.
Calcutta also has great ears. The audience is receptive to new music and almost waits for a new song to love. On December 29, at a screening at Nandan, audience members asked me to sing my song. Halfway through, the entire hall joined in. That organic connection between performer and audience is special.
What I want changed:
I want the sky to look blue again. I want to breathe clean air. Every winter, Calcutta’s air quality worsens. Toxic air harms everyone, but it is especially bad for singers. I now suffer from frequent coughs, colds and sore throats. It affects my work. Dust, vehicular emissions and waste burning are growing deadlier. Open waste burning is banned, yet I see it everywhere.
Our street food may be great, but many places lack basic hygiene. There is little effort to change that.
Sourya Sekhar Saha, 38
Sealdah
Orthopaedic surgeon specialising in foot and ankle surgery
What I love about Calcutta:
The warmth of people here is unique. Thousands of elderly residents live alone while their children are settled elsewhere, yet they manage because of the people around them. Other cities feel more mechanical.
I often see elderly patients arriving with neighbours’ children accompanying them. I hope this spirit never fades.
What I want changed:
People need greater health awareness and must actively seek healthy lifestyles. Many Calcuttans are sedentary. Children don’t play outside. Both children and the elderly need better access to playgrounds and parks, and encouragement to use them.
I frequently treat knee and ankle sprains. Many patients are unaccustomed to exercise, and a simple misstep while getting off a bus or descending stairs leads to injury.
Dighvij Chirimar, 19
Salt Lake
Second-year student,
St Xavier’s College
What I love about Calcutta:
Culture here isn’t decoration, it’s daily life — bookshops, theatre, and adda at tea stalls. Old institutions still matter, and conversations about ideas are as common as traffic noise. Calcutta doesn’t force modernity. It blends the new with the old, proving a city can progress without losing its cultural backbone.
What I want changed:
The perception of Calcutta must change. The world should know us better. After the Lionel Messi event, the city’s image took a hit. But we are not like that. We are passionate about sports. We, as a people, are passionate.
Sakhi Singhi, 29
Ballygunge
Works with an organisation
for autism care, training
and research
What I love about Calcutta:
A community service mindset is ingrained in most people here. I see it in my sister, who feeds 150 dogs; in a teacher who runs a remedial centre for underprivileged children beyond school hours. These are conscious citizens I don’t see elsewhere. If people feel rights are denied, the city responds. Citizens roll up their sleeves. It’s part of Calcutta’s DNA.
What I want changed:
Our approach to accessibility is poor and insensitive. We don’t consider accessibility while building hospitals, hotels or cafes. Wheelchair access, staff training for developmental disabilities — these are not treated as essential. Why aren’t all Durga Puja pandals accessible? How many cater to people with low vision?