Bengal awaits a spectacle it has rarely witnessed.
A new government, the BJP’s first in Bengal, will be sworn in from a corner of the Maidan that has hosted many historic political events.
But rarely has there been a gathering bringing together the Prime Minister, Union ministers, Bengal’s new chief minister and other chief ministers on one stage. The audience, too, is expected to feature Bengal’s who’s who, top industrialists, film stars and sportspersons.
“I can’t remember the last time so many VVIPs shared a stage in Calcutta. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s historic Brigade programme comes to mind,” said a retired bureaucrat. Mujibur’s historic public address at the Brigade Parade Grounds on February 6, 1972, was a momentous occasion that marked Bangladesh’s gratitude for India’s support during the Liberation War. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, chief minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray and several political heavyweights were at Brigade.
On Saturday, Brigade will have 20 entry points for the general public and five for VIPs. The programme will begin at 10am. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to arrive around 11am.
From Rabindrasangeet to Chhau, and from jhalmuri to rosogolla, the organisers have promised a sensory feast. Only the weather threatened to play spoilsport. With rain likely, BJP sources said an alternative indoor venue was being considered in case conditions worsened.
cut-outs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Red Road on the eve of the swearing-in
Many questions about the rally have occupied people’s minds on the eve of the event. Metro tries to answer some of them.
Traffic curbs
Police said traffic will be regulated on the following roads, as and when required, on Saturday:
- Esplanade Row
- Kidderpore Road
- Hospital Road
- Lovers Lane
- Casuarina Avenue
- Queensway
Goods vehicles: The movement of all types of goods vehicles (except those carrying LPG cylinders, CNG, petroleum, oil, lubricants, oxygen, vegetables, medicines, fruits, fish and milk) will be restricted within the city from 4am to 8pm on Saturday.
No parking: In front of and around the Victoria Memorial, including stretches of AJC Bose Road between the Hastings intersection and Cathedral Road, and on Kidderpore Road, Hospital Road, Queensway, Cathedral Road, Casuarina Avenue and Lovers Lane.
PM's schedule
- Arrival at Calcutta airport: 10.25am
- Arrival at RCTC helipad: 10.50am
- Arrival at Brigade: 11am
- Back at RCTC helipad: 12.40pm
- Departure for airport: 12.45pm
- Arrival at airport: 1.05pm
- Departure for Delhi: 1.10pm
*Subject to last-minute changes
Police arrangements
More than 4,000 police personnel will be deployed in and around Brigade. Central forces will also jointly manage the venue with Kolkata Police. Common people will not be allowed with umbrella, bottle or bags at Brigade.
Senior officers from Calcutta Police and Bengal Police will be part of concentric security rings monitoring arrangements at the venue and on the city’s periphery.
The Special Protection Group will be in charge of the innermost security ring for Modi.
The state police’s director of security will oversee arrangements for the new chief minister.
Around 40 dignitaries from across the country, including ministers, chief ministers, deputy chief ministers and governors, have already arrived in the city. Their hotels and accommodation venues have been placed under tight security since Friday. Police sources said more dignitaries are expected to arrive.
Transport
Buses and cabs: Their numbers may be lower than on a usual weekend, at least during the first half of the day.
Metro: The carrier will run its usual Saturday services. On the Blue Line, the first and last trains will leave terminal stations around 6.50am and 9.40pm. On the Green Line, the first and last trains will leave around 6.40am and 9.55pm.
Weather
A Met bulletin has predicted “thunderstorm, lightning and gusty wind”, though the weather is more likely to worsen later in the day.
A Met official at Alipore said: “There is more than an 80% chance of rain in Calcutta. The showers are more likely in the afternoon and evening. But the sky is likely to remain partly cloudy from the morning. Localised showers are not ruled out in the morning, but the intensity of the rain and winds will likely increase as the day progresses.”
Malls, markets
They will remain open throughout the day.
Dining out
Restaurants will also remain open through the day.
Some owners do not expect much of a lunch rush because of the traffic restrictions. Others said they expect many people to dine out after the Brigade ceremony. “The evening is going to be busy everywhere,” several restaurant owners said.