Protests pour in on TMC’s Facebook page

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• Trinamool Congress
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KOLKATA: Protests against the proposed name change of West Bengal to Paschimbanga have been pouring in on various social networking sites, including the official Facebook page of the Trinamool Congress.

The group 'Not Paschimbanga', which began on Facebook within an hour of the announcement of the new name with a few memebers, grew to 1,544 in just 24 hours. The community has also decided to file a petition on reaching 2000 'likes'. In a matter of 24 hours there have been close to 30 groups on facebook alone where people are firmly criticising the government's act of christening the state.

Facebook polls also mirror people's sentiments. "Do you like the name change to Paschimbanga? Let's see how much support is with Mamata's decision,"went one of them.

A staggering 1,193 people have voted against it as compared to an insignificant 147 who have welcomed the name change.

The new name have left the people absolutely enraged and furious. Netizens are strongly voicing their opinion regarding the name change of the state. The common question raised by all is that if the government designed this move to get rid of a vestige of colonial heritage and bolster its dignity, the name Paschimbanga is not helping its cause.

"I lodge a strong protest against re-naming of the state as Paschimbanga. It is the single greatest mistake your government could ever commit, and dare I say,we didn't vote you in to usher "change" into any and everything possible. Kindly retract on the name and adopt Bengal/Bangla or even keep WB. Miss CM, we were expecting better things,"added Annesh Bilas Thakur, who posted this on the All India Trinamool Congress (official) page.

When it was chosen that 'west' wil be discarded from 'West Bengal', what sense does it make to rename our state as 'Paschimbanga'? Bengal or Bangla would have been better or even Banga would have been good. But its senseless to make it 'Paschimbanga'! Not only does the name sound weird, it's also very big, said Facebook user Jay Shade.

Social media is said to be the best place to express one's opinion and Facebook perfectly reflects that. "The whole point of change of name is not satisfied. Always it was about keeping the unnecessary burdain of 'West' tag off our head but that ridiculous legacy of partition will still haunt us after all that fuzz about a 'name change'. Ei muhurte ei poribortoner poriborton ghotanor jonyo mukhyamontri r kache argi janachhi," wrote Nirveek Sengupta.

"People are trying to change Kolkata into London...well London has not changed its name since ages....," wrote another. "Govt is trying to change the look of the city .... however check the condition of the roads ... seems Yamraj is sitting waiting for the accident to happen so that he can complete his target.... flood...is killing people and here govt is busy building road dividers and footpaths... gosh what blunder have people done,"went another post.

The second most important question raised is we needed change but did it have to be so impudent, with all the jokes and jibes being made at the expense of the new name. "What is this Poschim Bongo and where can I smoke it?" one user quipped on Twitter.
The other jokes doing rounds is the name sounding similar to that of Congo, a place in Africa and the musical instrument Bongo.

Page 1 - The Times of India Kolkata edition August 21

link: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-21/kolkata/29911459_1_facebook-change-ei

Films in cans, off to Cannes

Films in cans, off to Cannes

JHINUK MAZUMDAR

Annesh Bilas Thakur, R. Srinath and Satyaki Kundu: Cinema feats This summer, five lucky students from the city are headed for Cannes. Later this year, another two will be due in France for a year-long stint at some of the most famous film schools in the country. Annesh Bilas Thakur, who won the second prize at the national short and animation film competition, is off to Cannes with four members of his film team. R. Srinath of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) and Satyaki Kundu of St Xavier’s College had participated in the same competition, held from August to December 2009, as part of the French festival, Bonjour India, organised by the French embassy, in association with Campus France. A film course is on the cards for them. When they submitted their entry in November last year, they had little expected to emerge joint winners in the live action (short and documentary films) category. “To make a film, we have to bear all the expenses, so I sent it to the festivals to win prize money. But I did not expect to win. In fact, when the prize was announced, I was disappointed because there wasn’t any prize money. But I realised later that there was something bigger in store,” gushed Satyaki. Satyaki’s classmate, Annesh of St Xavier’s, won the second prize in the same category. The trio’s win was no easy feat, given that the competition received 267 entries in the live action and animation categories from 30 cities across the country. Annesh and four of his team members will go on an all-expenses-paid 10-day trip to the Cannes film festival from May 12 to 23, while Srinath and Satyaki will go for a 12-month degree course in film schools in Paris. Srinath, who has completed his post-graduation in direction and screenplay writing at SRFTI, will do a 12-month course in cinematography at EICAR in Paris. “I do not want this to be a pleasure trip, so I opted for a specialisation, where I will get to learn something I do not know about,” said Srinath from Hyderabad, who is soon to embark on a project as assistant director there. “It will give me an opportunity to participate in film festivals throughout the year and a chance to meet film-makers,” he added. Joint winner Satyaki is ecstatic about his 12-month course at Conservatoire Libre du Cinema Francais (CLCF), with specialisation in editing. “Coming from a middle class family, I couldn’t have afforded to go abroad for higher studies. From CLCF, people have the opportunity to go to Hollywood or other parts of Europe but I plan to come back to the city and make films and also represent my country in the international circuit,” added the third-year student of Mass Communication and Videography. While Srinath won the prize for a 25-minute film, Pocha Aapel (The Rotten Apple), a love story of two mentally challenged vagabonds, Satyaki won the prize for his 26 minute film, Pakhi, a lesbian love story. The two will not be going for their higher studies before September, but their friends at St Xavier’s are already packing their bags for the May visit. “It has still not sunk in that I am going to the Cannes Film Festival. You imagine so many things but hardly any of them comes true,” said an ecstatic Annesh, who directed the seven-and-a-half-minute film called Telephone, based on a short story of the same name by Satyajit Ray. Annesh will be accompanied by his cinematographer Debabrata Bhattacharjee, who chose film-making over chartered accountancy against his family’s wish. “We never thought we will win the prize, but sent it thinking the film will get an exposure. I am looking forward to see premieres of the latest film at Cannes, which might take some time to be released in India,” who is eyeing a master’s degree in cinematography either at SRFTI or FTII. - | Friday , April 16 , 2010 | Front Page > Calcutta > Story The Telegraph

My Article for KolkataMirror.com (ToI website)

ENTERTAINMENT - ART

Angles of Emotion

Ayushman Mitra’s paintings have tried to capture different angles of emotion through vibrant colours and bold lines

Posted On Monday, February 01, 2010

By- Annesh Thakur

Ayushman with his own painting

An exhibition of paintings at Genesis Art Gallery, by Ayushman Mitra, was held between January 15 and January 17. Ayushman Mitra is a student of Mass Communication and Videography at St Xavier’s College.

Ayushman, as defined by his friends and associates, is “a fantastic painter”. On-lookers believe the sheer confidence of strokes on the canvas is a reflection of the artist’s undeterred will to assertion.

The latest collection of Ayushman’s paintings was aptly named Angles of Emotion! When quizzed about the name for the exhibition, he said, “I believe an emotion cannot have a single meaning. Joy for me is different from what it is for you. Similarly every emotion has a different connotation for every individual. My paintings have tried to capture these different angles of emotion through vibrant colours, bold lines and abstract concepts. Painting is like a colorful narrative where each stroke tells a story.”

Art lovers check out the paintings on display

In his recent collection, each painting has a unique sense of structure; complex emotions such as confusion, contradiction, envy, love, despair, hope, agony have been depicted with different shades. The paintings are a mix of contemporary art and old Bengal school type - they are very Indian at the core but have contemporary techniques.

“To me emotions are a very important aspect of life. Emotions construct our world. Each colour is significantly similar to an emotion and thus, my art constructs a parallel world of free thought and expression,” said Ayushman when a visitor asked why so many colours had been used without any scenery depicting the beauty of Nature.

Ayushman has been painting ever since he was six years and has honed his skills at Mayo College, Ajmer. The grandson of celebrated Bengali painter Sri Goshto Kumar, Ayushman wants to be a film maker. According to him, “Art shall forever remain with me, but I want to see myself as a filmmaker some day. I think cinema is the only medium in which I can experiment with all my creative traits.”

My Article for KolkataMirror.com (ToI website)

KOLKATA TALKING - DISCUSSION BOARD

Army vs Hawkers

Do you think the Army would be able to evict hawkers permanently from the Maidan and keep the 'Lungs of Kolkata' free from encroachment and unlawful activities had they been given independent charge of the premises?

Posted On Wednesday, January 20, 2010

By- Annesh Thakur

The hawkers in the Maidan area run their business illegally throughout the year. The only day they are made to evacuate the area is on January 26.

Civic authorities have invariably failed to evict hawkers from the city’s roads. Now the Army has filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court, seeking full, autonomous charge of the Maidan area.

Do you think the Army would be able to evict hawkers permanently from the premises and keep the 'Lungs of Kolkata' free from encroachment and unlawful activities had they been given independent charge of the Maidan?

My Article for KolkataMirror.com (ToI website)

Tough To Fill

Find out how ready Alipore Jail is to execute a death sentence after the demise of hangman Nata Mallick

Posted On Wednesday, February 24, 2010

By- Annesh Bilas Thakur

Alipore Jail

Kolkata: Since Dhananjay’s death sentence in 2004, a corporal punishment has not been issued to any criminal in the Alipore Jail, Kolkata.

Nata Mallick, the man who tightened the noose around a criminal’s neck, is long dead and Alipore Jail has not employed anyone else in that position.

This form of corporal punishment has always faced opposition from Human Rights activists. However, it is not only a question of whether a death sentence should be ordered by the courts, but also a question of employment for men.

The hangman, 87-year-old, Nata Mallick, declared soon after the hanging that had catapulted him to international fame that it was his last act as a hangman. Having so far acted as hangman in 25 years of cases since independence, he had started a new livelihood by selling puja items on the streets near a Kali temple. He died in 2009, December 15.

A hangman’s job depends on the weight of the person to be hanged. A sack is filled with sand with the same weight as the man and then mock hangings are held three to four times.

Nata Mallick on his death bed

Sadly, today the job is vacant but has no takers. Nata Mallik’s father was also a hangman and a reputed one at it but none of his children ever took to the profession.

When the authorities in Alipore Jail were approached for comment, most denied and all we could get was a little inside story from a clerk with the jailor, “We don’t employ people any more as criminals will not be hanged any more. The law will undergo change to correctional homes or so they say!”

It is believed that the “Hanged till Death” sentence should be abolished, and manyNGOs are fighting cases for the same. “Other than Nata Mallick, we never had a hangman. We have to look for a new hangman since we expect plenty of convicts to be sentenced to death. It is a tough vacancy to fill and people must be trained in such stuff,” said the jail minister (name withheld on request).

My Article for KolkataMirror.com (ToI website)

NEWS - CITY

Hues Of Holi

Eco-friendly colours or synthetic ones; powdered abeer or paste; reds, oranges or shocking pinks – find out what’s hot this Holi

Posted On Thursday, February 25, 2010

By- Annesh Bilas Thakur

Kolkata: Holi will be celebrated on March 1 this year. Scientists have been advocating herbal gulals(colours) like the ones produced by National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) for years, and this year is no different. Besides celebrities going for eco-friendly colours, commoners too feel the need to stay away from synthetic colours which harm the skin.

The use of natural dyes or homemade colours, has decreased as artificial colours are cheaper. But environmentalists have been putting in great efforts to spend Holi, in an eco friendly way! Rituparna Paul, an activist with an NGO, has suggested some environment-friendly tips:

Reduce the number of bonfires to decrease pollution and deforestation

Avoid chemically-produced colours to prevent skin and eye irritation

Teach school children how to make their own Holi colours from natural and safe ingredients like beetroot, onion peels, rose petals, spinach and turmeric.

Madan Mukherjee, a local vendor inCollege Street area, insists on better marketing of eco-friendly colours. He says, “Colours made at home from flowers like teshu and palash have a sweet fragrance which the customer is aware of. We must vouch for their sale. Why can’t the buddhi-jibis be as vocal on this issue as they are for politically motivated topics?”

The other option is to buy gulal which comes in bright shades of pink, magenta, red, yellow and green. Abeeris made of small crystals or paper like chips of mica. This is mixed with thegulal for a rich shine.

This season brighter, cheerful shades of red, blue, orange and green are “in” while blacks, silvers, golds, and shocking pinks are a strict “no way”. The colours are reasonably priced this year. While the artificial colours are between Rs 15 and Rs 100 for a packet, the eco-friendly versions are priced at around Rs 65 and Rs 75. For even better quality, you may have to pay anywhere between Rs 150 and Rs 250.

“Prices may increase further due to inflation,” said Rabindranath Kayal, vendor, from Behala Parnasree area.

Local clubs in areas like Golf Green, Jadavpur, Behala Parnasree, New Alipore etc are keen to organise the Dol Jatra the way it’s ‘always been in Bengal’ or even atShantiniketan.

My Article for KolkataMirror.com (ToI website)

KOLKATA TALKING - BEYOND BORDERS

Kolkata is a Shangri La

It’s funny to discover that people here do not know Kolkata has its pubs, and bands and a Park street

Posted On Wednesday, February 10, 2010

By- Subhajit Roy Chowdhury

Subhajit Roy Chowdhury

I stay in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, 200 kilometres from London. When you first come abroad you are really excited. The images that fill your head are usually glances from Hollywood films and lines from the old Brit rock numbers. I was planning for this for quite a while, being no exception. However staying here is quite a different picture. Adjusting to the no-comfort life is a struggle. Only if you are loaded with cash, can you adjust well and can forget about these worries. Kolkata is a Shangri La. A proper cosmopolitan city. Maybe because I grew up in Kolkata, I could adjust with the UK faster as a lot of things here are similar, the road names, the architecture, the multiculturalism, the pubs and the steaks. Though in £1 you get a steak in good old Oly-pub, it costs at least £8 here in Cardiff and even more in London.

I used to cook in Kolkata. Usually it was pasta and bacon, which I quite like. I did not understand the value of proper home food till I left. Man, now I know, how great my maid servant is. Household jobs are tiring and I agree that women are goddesses because they do it so well. But I like shopping here. One literally gets everything here down to the least common spice.

I am a musician and been playing for almost a decade now, and leaving it for a year was difficult. I miss the head rush of a show and the crowd of Kolkata. I don’t get to play here at all cause my research is too time consuming and I also work for Sky TV which takes up my free time.

We know Kolkata bears the shades of British architecture. Out of all the cities in India only Kolkata I guess is truly a 'British City'. It’s funny to discover that people here do not know Kolkata has its pubs, and bands and a Park street. I realised back home we are more tolerant about other cultures and religion and I always think Kolkata is higher on the scale on this one compared to other cities. UK is multicultural on the top. But it has an underbelly which is not so open as it usually looks.

When I eat out alone sometimes, or when I hear bands play or when I see something exciting, I feel most nostalgic but alas! I can’t share it with others. I do miss my city; I do miss Kolkata.

(As told to Annesh Bilas Thakur)