BA Block
What does the next generation think about our mother tongue? BA Block held a panel discussion on Poila Baisakh where residents were invited to speak on this topic.
“My mother, though educated in a missionary school with Irish teachers, wore saris at home and participated in Bengali drama and dance drama written by Tagore. But now-a-days, most children speak in Hindi or mixed languages. Even college students need guidance to identify the number ‘baaish’ as 22,” began the moderator Sohini Deb, who is also an editorial team member of the block’s Bengali digital magazine Swajan.
Amalika Ghosh, a Class VII student of Our Lady Queen of the Missions School, proudly shared that she reads and writes in Bengali, and had even submitted a write-up in the language for the block magazine.
Shatarupa Poddar, also in Class VII, said she regularly reads Bengali books, encouraged by her father who buys them for her, and listens to Bengali songs. Kritartha Ghosh, an MBA student originally from Delhi, remarked: “Even in Delhi, Bengalis speak more Bengali than in Calcutta.”
“How many in this generation have read Thakumar Jhuli or works by Ashapurna Devi? Some claim to promote Bengali culture on social media, but do they genuinely care about the language?” wondered Aayushman Chatterjee, an IT engineer.
Ankur Majumder, a senior resident and theatre personality, felt that Bengalis don’t speak pure Bengali anymore but Hindi speakers are learning the language to attract Bengali clients. “The fault lies with us — parents and teachers — and not with the youth. Our children don’t even know who Sukumar Roy is. Thakumar Jhuli was written long before Harry Potter, yet we’re not ashamed of neglecting it. We don’t encourage our children to read these classics.”
Sohini concluded the session with Samsur Rahaman’s poem Bangla bhasa uchharito holey.
The panel discussion was the brainchild of past president Arunava Das, who had also conceptualised the block’s magazine Swajan. “We need to inculcate a love for our mother tongue in our children. Let us not forget that Bengali (works translated in English) was the language that brought Asia its first Nobel Prize,” said Das.
There were a number of cultural performances too. Six-year-old Raktim Roy recited Tagore’s poem Bharat Tirtha, Oishik Karmakar sang a Rabindrasangeet and a modern number.
Octogenarian Sisir Ganguly recited Jibanananda Das’s Adbhut adhar ek eshechhe and reminisced about Poila Baisakh celebrations from his childhood: “We used to wear new clothes and seek blessings from elders. Both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan clubs used to celebrate the day with their traditional ritual of Bar )goal post) Puja at the same venue,” said the East Bengal supporter. “A Charak mela used to be held too at the time, where daring acts like Boti Jhap and Kata Jhap were performed with stuntmen jumping on sharp objects and emerging unscathed. It’s something I truly miss.”
Kalpita Saha sang a collage of songs and Moumita Sarkar performed a rare folk song, accompanied by a graceful dance by Sambhabhi Ghosh of Class VII. Uma Das, who anchored the show, also recited Brishtite by Sabyasachi De and Tin Paharer Swapno by Birendrakrishna Chattopadhyay.
Bengali teacher Champak Ghosh entertained with an audio drama titled Athoh Serial Katha — a satirical play on the conversation between a TV serial director, his assistant, and the sponsor of a Poila Baisakh release. While Ghosh played the director, Debarpito Mitra enacted the role of the assistant, and Ankur Majumder the sponsor’s. “I wrote this piece to highlight how most serials now-a-days are meaningless, without logic or sequence,” Ghosh said.
The event ended with a collective rendition of Banglar mati, Banglar jol and a united pledge from the residents to speak in pure Bengali as far as possible to ensure that the language continues to thrive.
CK-CL Block
The backdrop of the stage was a festive red, adorned with kulo, hathpakha, and marigolds arranged as motifs. The mood, however, was sombre. Although residents met and greeted one another, the smiles were restrained and new year wishes subdued.
Goutam Dutta, an elderly resident of CK Block, had passed away the night before CK-CL Block was slated to hold its Nava Varsha celebrations. “Since the arrangements were already in place, we are going ahead with the event, but Goutamda and his family are in our prayers,” said Shanti Ranjan Paul, secretary of the Bidhannagar CK-CL Block Residents’ Association. “There is so much hatred and unrest around at the moment, and global markets are down too, that we really need to come together and pray for peace.”
The event began with a minute of silence in memory of the departed. This was followed by Papiya Dasgupta, who opened the cultural segment with Lalon Fakir’s Khachar bhitor ochin pakhi. “Lalon’s lyrics speak of humanity above all and so I felt this song would be relevant at today’s meet,” she said.
Next, Papiya Mukherjee recited a shloka from the Rig Veda, marrying it with the Rabindrasangeet Akash bhora surjo tara. Later that evening, the “Papiya triad” was completed when Papiya Dutta, a doctor who practises at several hospitals as well as at her CK Block chamber, danced to a medley of Somarohe esho hey and Dekhecho ki taakey.
“All group dances and chorus performances have been shelved, as no one felt like going overboard with celebrations. Goutamda’s daughter-in-law, Mousumi, was herself supposed to perform in an item that got cancelled,” said anchor Sonali Sen. The CL Block elocutionist cancelled her own performance for the evening but her young student Rishaan Ghosh helped lift the mood by reciting a humorous poem many could relate to — Onkey Alur Dom!
“It’s a funny piece by Avik Basu that I love reciting, even though I’m actually good at math and expecting to top my Class I exams when the results come out soon,” said Rishaan.
There was also an instrumental interlude by Kamalika Munshi, who played Salil Chowdhury and Tagore numbers on the keyboard. “I enjoy music, so I found time to practise before my exams begin in a couple of weeks,” said the college student. Kamalika was dressed elegantly in a Kerala cotton sari she was wearing for the first time. “This sari was a gift I had received during the Pujas, but I was waiting to wear it on an important occasion such as Poila Baisakh. Bengalis are lucky to have 12 mashey 13 parbon so we get to celebrate January 1 as well as April 15.”
The evening concluded with guest artiste Swapnomegh Mukherjee, who had the audience singing in chorus to songs like Purano sei diner kotha and Notun surjo alo dao. There was also a free dahi phuchka stall outside, sponsored by Tanmoy Ghosh, who provides the light and sound arrangement for the block’s events.
EE Block
Not one, not two, but four hours. That’s how long the Poila Baisakh function at EE Block continued and it ended at 10.30 at night!
“Our block is brimming with talent and we are overwhelmed by response whenever we announce a programme. And we refuse no one,” said Sanjib Kumar Ghosh, who was the anchor for the evening. “Today we have 70 performers.”
The event saw song, dance and elocution. A trio of young girls had the audience swaying along a medley of songs like Somarohe esho hey and Tapa tini. “We didn’t stick to any one genre of music as we wanted to offer something for everyone. So some of the songs had a classical touch while others had funky beats,” said Himika Banerjee, who danced with Uditi Jana and Mohor Majhi. Mohor’s mother Dalia had choreographed the dances for them.
Credit is due to Poulomi Ray and Arpita Ghosh Basu who directed nearly 30 kids in an item called Shoishob Churi. “Kids today are buried under the pressure of studies. Parents are carving out time for them to learn extra-curricular skills but those are only adding to the competition and pressure. There’s no scope for free play. Even within our block, many kids don’t know one another,” said Poulomi, whose daughter Adhrika Bhattacharya, Anubhav Chatterjee and others recited for this piece. Singers included Uttaran Sarkar and Basundhara Rajpandit.
“My son Archisman Banerjee learns singing and has been excited about performing here,” said mother Shilpi. “He spent the morning rehearsing and we tried to teach him the months in Bengali.”
Ajay Kayral directed an audio drama, Tapan Ray and Sutapa Das recited and there were several more scripted musical items. “We presented Rongeen Mon showcasing all kinds of songs, from Aarti Mukherjee’s Hariye jete jete to Shreya Ghoshal’s Projapoti e mon,” said Pritha Kundu, who sang along with Barnali Sil and Mithu Patra. Kundu is a music teacher and many of her students performed on the day. “Stage events are good to build confidence but one’s base needs to be prepared through regular practise round the year,” she said.
Another piece titled Gaane Gaane Bhoriye Debo had resident Amlan Bhattacharya pre-recording tracks to songs like Ekla cholo re and Bistirna dupare by playing the guitar and violin and then a chorus sang along on stage. The message was a call for a better tomorrow in the new year.
“Our block is adjacent to Sector V and we have many of its employees living here as paying guests. These youths seem averse to our traditions, rejecting the wealth of Rabindranath and Nazrul for flimsy film songs, for instance. On Bengali New Year, we pray that they rediscover and appreciate Bengali culture,” said secretary of the EE Block association, Moktar Ali Khan.
Power Towers
The Power Towers complex in New Town celebrated its first Poila Baisakh event this year with enthusiastic participation from one and all.
“We’ve hosted many events before, but this is the first time we decided to celebrate the Bengali New Year. We came up with the idea on Friday and executed it on Tuesday,” said a member of the Power Towers Ladies’ Group. “It was on a short notice but we got positive response from residents and will improve and add to it next year.”
The show began with a ladies’ chorus to Anandaloke mongalaloke and Esho hey Baisakh. The senior-most resident, 83-year-old Achintya Banerjee, followed this up with a violin rendition of Khoro bayu boye bege. Tanushree Chatterjee impressed with her keyboard and vocal rendition of the RD Burman composition Tolo chhinnabeena, from the film Ekanta Apon.
Snigdha Sen recited a self-composed poem and sang the Rabindrasangeet Ebar sakhi shonar mrigo. Papri Ghosal sang the Nazrulgeeti Jobe bhorer kundo koli.
The audio play Bhalo Achhen was enacted by Dilip Banerjee and Aparna Banerjee. “Music and recitation are quite common at such shows so to break the monotony, we selected this format. And we chose Nirup Mitra’s humorous play to lighten the mood,” they explained.
Gautam Sarkar recited Tagore’s Jhulon, noting its connection to Poila Boisakh and the environment. Rajarshi Ghosh observed that Bhatiali music is an integral part of Bengali culture and sang Majhi baiya jao re. The finale was a compelling audio drama Abhinetri by Sushmita Basu, highlighting women’s struggles. “My inspiration to enact this play stems from the fact that even in the Bengali year 1432, women remain helpless in many ways,” she shared.
Tarun Kumar Bhattacharjee, a resident, noted the shifting perception of Poila Baisakh. “Today, many equate this day with January 1 whereas its tradition is different. So it’s a good idea to celebrate such festivals and keep our culture alive.”
Ispat
Music by dhakis, vocals by bauls, dance by students of Dancers’ Guild and participation from more than 200 residents from all walks of life. A probhat pheri was organised on Poila Baisakh by the township-based group Initiative for Scientific and Public Awareness Target (Ispat), along with Dancers Guild, with support from EZCC and the state department of consumer affairs.
The procession started from Tank 3 Island, passed by Tank 4 and Bidhannagar Ramakrishna Vivekananda Kendra and culminated at the Manjushree Chaki Sarkar auditorium at Mrittika Bhavan in DD Block. This is where Dancers’ Guild is based. On stage, there were cultural performances by several groups after that.
Walking enthusiastically were students, senior citizens as well as eminent members of society. “In the coming year, let us not repeat the mistakes of the past year,” said film director and social worker Shatarupa Sanyal, walking at the head of the procession.
Ispat secretary Ritesh Basak said they had been organising this procession every Bengali New Year’s day. “We hope that along with the pages of the calendar, people’s lives also see a positive change,” said Basak, a resident of Karunamoyee. Officials from the consumer affairs department encouraged everyone to learn about their rights anew and to use the Consumer Protection Act wherever needed.
AJ Block
AJ Block held an adda on Poila Baisakh that had residents reminiscing the celebrations of yesteryears.
Nitai Roy, 84, recalled how the New Year meant new music releases, especially of Hemanta Mukherjee songs. “There would also be musical programmes and I remember watching Hemanta live on Poila Baisakh and seeking his blessings,” he smiled.
For Utpal Sinha, the first day of the Bengali New Year meant visiting College Street to buy new books. Sanchali Das, who grew up in Assam, recalled how the day is celebrated there. “As children we would visit friends’ homes and would be given gifts,” she said, before singing an Assamese song for the audience.
There were other cultural performances too. Maduhumita Roy and Madhumita Guha Roy sang solo numbers while Pratip and Ratna Roy performed a modern song in duet. Pranab Saha sang Ami je jalsaghare and Swagata Bhattacharya sang Shara dao. Monalisa Sil anchored the event and moderated the adda.
AD Block
Poila Baisakh being a working day for most residents, AD Block celebrated the event on the earliest public holiday – Good Friday. “Residents perform on stage during Durga puja and other occasions but for Poila Baisakh there was a demand for top quality music so we invited guest artistes who are associated with our block or ward,” said Arya Ganguly, secretary of AD Block Recreation Club.
Susmita Dey, a teacher of AD Block’s Laban Hrad Vidyapith, sang Bengali songs by Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. Anjan Banerjee, of BD Block, sang songs of Salil Chowdhury, Manna De, Kishore Kumar and Kumar Sanu. The third singer, Anurup Dutta, a resident of AA Block and an alumnus of the AD Block school, sang songs by Nachiketa.
The chief guest for the show —minister and MLA Sujit Bose — made a special request. He said he hadn’t heard his friend Bula (AD Block resident Sanjib Das Sharma) sing in a long time and requested him to hum a few lines. Das Sharma, who has grown up playing football and cricket with Bose, happily obliged by singing the Rabindrasangeet Dhwanilo ahoban impromptu.
CE Block, New Town
Before the break of dawn, close to 100 residents of CE Block in New Town stood waiting for the exact moment of sunrise at the block’s puja ground. Everyone had flowers in hand and as the sun appeared in the horizon at 5.21am, conchshells were blown. Block president Tarak Baran Mukherjee recited surya stawb. “We had checked the timing in the almanac,” said the 73-year-old, who also does the Chandipaath during Durga puja.
A group of seven women in red -bordered white sari sang Esho hey Baisakh in chorus. “We are used to waking up early as we come for yoga classes at 6am daily,” said Jaya Bhattacharya.
This was followed by a host of individual and group performances. Some sang, some recited and one lady also presented a dance recital. The programme continued till around 10am.
At the end, there was distribution of sweets, courtesy the block association.
“We have been holding this programme since 2017. Since the new years starts at the break of dawn our programme is held to worship the sun and welcome the Bengali new year at that auspicious moment. I had seen a similar practice at the Kalibari in Delhi where I had spent several years. When I came to New Town, I proposed replicating the custom on Poila Baisakh and everyone enthusiastically agreed,” said Alok Das, secretary of New Town CE Block Cultural Association.
