GOSSIP MOST SOUR

I decide to take an evening walk after an interlude. The previously enacted walk at the maidan was hard to come by given a crunch on Huxley’s primary predicament, TIME, so instead I decide to take one en route a professional commitment in the Bowbazar area to the MW head office at Wellington Square. My little adventure was disproportionately dismantled midway by the “everywhere people” – the over enthusiastic two wheeler rider who shoved and shuffled his way into every inch available ahead of him- right, center and left putting me and others aligned to me at risk.

I was finally relocated to the smallest of the small sidewalk, which was in a state of respiratory failure what with a plethora of hawking wares.

The protagonist of the two-wheeler is followed close on the heels by one of Kolkata’s vintage heritage as I am given to understand by many– (add the buzz word:“non-polluting”) – the rickshaw puller (we hear we’ll be ridded of this lifeline or menace- whichever way you are, well err… only to be replaced by a more “modern” A1 version.)

Running neck to neck with him is the cycle van rider shouting on the top of his voice along with his associate behind atop the wares and goods. We hear they do great service to trade & business so you can’t really complain even if you break a bone or two while negotiating with them. It’s larger societal benefit buds…


Cloud Nine Securitas:

The lanky private security guard collects visitor passes from families of patients at a city nursing home but doesn’t know which card to return to whom-well, if you are confused, the fella doesn’t know how to read and write…no kidding (well we are assuming he can’t write as well because if he could he would be reading as writing requires reading while writing).




What Bengal & Greg Thinks Today:

Well even if Greg, he of the Ganguly fame, doesn’t see Banglar dada as international material, the national electronic media sure has a different story to tell when it comes to Bengal & Bengalis:

· ABP has a major stake in STAR TV network which runs STAR News
· CNN-IBN with Rajdeep Sardesai at the helm. Well, Rajdeep’s wife is a Bengali and is a key member of the team.
· Times Now has a Bengali Vice President in P. Dasgupta
· NDTV…we all know the suave bearded doctor.
SSSh…Greg’s watching….

Rajib Kumar, Offline (The Material World Online Management Journal) Volume-4, No- 3, February 2006