It is easy to mint millions in Bengal if one knows the ropes and has the right contacts

KBC, hosted by superstar Amitabh Bachhan, is a very popular TV show. Some of the participants hit the jackpot and win lakhs of rupees, a few even win crores. However, in Bengal, anyone can mint millions provided he knows the ropes and has the right contacts. This is not a fig of one’s imagination but true. It seems a relative of Partha Chatterjee, who worked as a house painter, now owns a number of hotels in tourist spots like Darjeeling, Uttarakhand and Puri apart from Dubai. He also owns multiple land and farmhouses in New Town-Rajarhat area. This individual is Prasanna Kumar Roy, the second middleman in SSC scam case. The CBI has taken him into custody from New Town. His is a rags to riches story and proof that it is easy to mint millions in Bengal if one has the correct contacts. CBI arrests close relative of Partha Chatterjee - once a HOUSE PAINTER, now owner of farm houses, hotels in DUBAI. It was a shock to the state of Bengal when it saw the mountain of money and properties belonging to Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukherjee. Partha is now in jail. He was a minister in the cabinet of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Another person who is believed to have benefited from contacts in right places is Saigal Hossain, bodyguard of Anubrata Mondal. CBI has already arrested both of them on charges of cattle smuggling. In its chargesheet, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) claims that Saigal Hossain received 'illgotten' money on behalf of Anubrata Mondal. The CBI alleged that Hossain earned Rs 26.35 lakhs over a period of seven years from 2015-2022. Investigations revealed the entire amount was deposited in an account maintained by a local bank. CBI arrested Hossain in June. According to the CBI chargesheet, Mondal is the alleged kingpin of the cattle smuggling racket. Enamul Haque was another of his associates. His role was to extend protection and patronage to those who bought the animals at a market in Ilambazar. The modus operandi was to ferry the animals from the market to thr Indo-Bangla border. Cattle smuggling case: Over 26 lakhs earned by Anubrata Mondal’s bodyguard in 7 years, says CBI. Saigal Hossain had purchased innumerable properties during 2015 and 2022 in various places.

Tourist hotels in Puri, Darjeeling and Digha –

GosaniYatra or The Durga Puja of Puri

Darjeeling hotels brim with tourists

How Can You Enjoy Durga Puja At Affordably Priced Hotel In Digha?

Some popular stories of this blogger –

Warships of the U.S. enter the Taiwan Strait, adds to tension in the region

India and Pakistan meet in Dubai for Asia Cup 2022

Treaty to protect marine life on the high seas

China uses drones and rockets for cloud seeding to get rainfall

Business mood in Durga Puja markets in malls and footpaths

South Korea updates operational plans to counter nuclear and missile threats from the North

California to go electric by 2035 with more climate-friendly vehicles

Severe rain and floods kill more than 900 in Pakistan

The CBI special court sends TMC leader Anubrata Mondal to jail

It is difficult to mop up black money

The source of one’s earnings are usually authentic like employment or business. One portion of these go to the government. These are the norms all over the world and followed dutifully. However, in some countries, people do not like to part with their money. They falsify documents and conceal the money in hard to locate places – they choose banks where one can park his cash safely. These are unaccounted money and is known as black money. Switzerland is famous for its watches, the Alps and banks where it is not too difficult to open an account and store money and other valuables because those will be difficult to locate. It seems it is a global phenomenon and it is customary to refer to such holdings as ‘black money.’ Black is usually associated with evil – like black magic. Witches wear black clothes, and no one likes the black sheep in a family. However, the Men in Black was an exception – it was a Hollywood movie and dealt with Extra-terrestrials ETs. There was also a Bollywood movie of 2005 titled Black where Rani Mukherjee portrayed the role of a blind girl. To her the world was black. Amitabh Bachhan was also there.

To return to the subject of black money. It is a topic that can embarrass people in high places. Those in power in the government know about the existence of such unaccounted assets but are unable to lay hands on them. It would amount to stirring up the hornets’ nest. Therefore, they follow the policy of let sleeping dogs lie. In India, there was jubilation when BJP came to power. The new Prime Minister made an announcement on the subject but there has been no visible progress on the issue. Indian kitty in Swiss banks jumped 50% to over ₹30,000 crore in 2021

Some popular stories in this and related sites –

Floods in Kentucky leave at least 28 dead

The wonderful hobby of throwing mud at each other

Priyanka Chopra eases out Deepika Padukone from Captain Marvel

If only I had become a doctor

TV, the idiot box, has really made us idiots

Akshay Kumar receives ‘samman patra’ from the Income Tax department

Pandora’s Box opened in Kolkata from residences of screen celebrity

Russia could vacate International Space Station by 2024

Sri Lankan cricketers become bus drivers in Australia to earn a living

For our eyes only – blind man’s bluff

Abhi Shake for industries to boost Bengal’s image (satire)

Things were getting jittery for Abhi Shake – from the way Didi behaved, he had got the impression that Moo Cool was a goner and Abhi could occupy the seat quite easily. But – that may not happen so soon.
‘What is biting you?’ Omit Misra asked. He was a wizened old soul and knew from experience that there was trouble brewing.
‘Nothing,’ Abhi replied – ‘actually, I was thinking about nolen gur. This year, winter has not set in properly and nolen gur is suffering.’
Omit Misra grimaced. Abhi had, unknowingly, touched a tender spot. Didi had asked to invest money in the nolen gur industry and, with the climate playing truant, how could such an industry survive?

‘I am worried about the return of Moo Cool,’ Abhi admitted.
Omit Misra knew that the return of Moo Cool had spoilt the party for many stalwarts. He had heard that Moo Cool and Didi had a long association and he also knew that Moo Cool always thought up winning strategies. Omit had an inkling that Didi would suddenly spring some surprise.
Suddenly Dee Wreck entered with Show Van and Patro Chatto.
‘Why are you so forlorn?’ Dee Wreck occupied the chair beside Abhi and asked.
‘I am worried about nolen gur,’ Abhi said. ‘It has vanished from the market.’
‘If you want I can get you loads of them,’ Dee Wreck said. ‘Do you want the raw gur or the finished product like nolen gurer sandesh? I know a shop that can supply in Kgs.’
Before Abhi could reply, Patro cleared his throat to draw attention.
‘As you all know, Didi is worried about the new-found energy of the Reds,’ he spoke. ‘She wants to wipe them off the slate. And, we must help her retain her position. Remember, if she goes, we are sunk.’
‘I will launch a campaign in the social media,’ Dee Wreck assured. ‘That is the best way to attract attention.’
‘I will gather support from the poor gur makers,’ Abhi said. ‘Their votes will also count. Since nolen gur is what our brothers pine for, I will take up the issue and fight for their cause. If they survive, our industry will also survive. It does not require much land. Whatever land bank we have will be sufficient. Investment also is less but profits are huge. Remember the Amitabh Bachhan movie Saudagar – the name means ‘businessman’.’
Omit Misra heaved a sigh of relief. If only some business house invested in nolen gur it would open up the doors for others. (to be continued …)

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Moody gifts his neighbor a turban on his birthday (satire)

Lord Shiva’s solution for global warming – go under water (satire)

Didi discusses industries with Moo Cool and Omit Misra (satire)


Use online honey trappers to test the fidelity of the spouse

NASA developing hopping drones to explore Martian caves for human settlement

Cleanliness drive by Railways - collects Rs 58 lakhs in fine from Delhi Railway station


Kissing scenes in movies – why this fad has never caught on in Bollywood

All female pop-group Moranbong Band cancels China goodwill tour

“The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar” - Disney’s upcoming television movie


Christmas Day bushfire destroys 100 homes in popular tourist spot of Lorne in Victoria

Migrants ready to pay £1,200 to people smugglers for trip across Channel in UK-registered car

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

Moody’s team blames dogs for the debacle (satire)

It had to happen and has happened. The sudden fall from grace was most unexpected and, as is usual, the blame game has started. It is strange that when there is success, there is invariably the ‘I’ factor that comes into prominence – ‘I have done this’, ‘I have given you that’, ‘I paved the way for prosperity’, ‘I brought light where there was darkness’ etcetera.
That was the agenda in front of Moody – who was really to blame, who was to be made the scapegoat.
Moody had with him his man of all seasons in the form of Jet Lee. He appeared to be out of form. Also present were Uma-ji – she had to put on hold her clean-up of the Ganges and devote some time to clean up the mess in their backyard. And, Vijay-ji was the third – he loved dogs.
‘Are we convinced that the trouble maker is Shotgun?’ Moody asked.

‘But naturally,’ Uma-ji was serious as always. ‘Do you know how many visits he made to the opposition camps?’
‘You have maintained records?’ Moody was surprised.
‘Yes,’ Uma-ji smiled – it was a rare occasion.
‘But, why? He is one of us,’ Moody was surprised.
‘Because he was the odd man out,’ Uma-ji replied. ‘He was always ambitious. He wanted to be a Bollywood hero but Amit-ji beat him to the pinch.’
‘Amit-ji?’ Moody fell from the roof. ‘I never knew that Amit-ji wanted to become a Bollywood hero.’
‘I mean Amitabh Bachhan and not Amit Shah,’ Uma-ji clarified.
‘Oh!’ Moody said. ‘So – what do we do now?’
‘Officially we let the world know that somewhere down the line, the arithmetic went wrong,’ Jet Lee mumbled.
‘We know all that,’ Vijay now spoke. ‘I think we should blame it on dogs.’
‘Dogs?’ Moody, Jet Lee and Uma-ji spoke in unison.
‘Yes – dogs are faithful animals. But, they also fight – you must have heard of dog-fights. And, they spread rabies – one bite means sixteen injections.’
‘Yes – stray dogs are a menace to society and must be uprooted,’ Moody nodded. ‘I think it should be a part of our Swatchh Bharat campaign. Eliminate stray dogs and make the roads safe for the people.’
‘That is an option,’ Jet Lee added.
‘Then let me have an estimate of funds that we would need,’ Moody heaved a sigh of relief.
Three heads are always better than one and he was happy at finding a solution.
When there is failure, usually vocal leaders lose their voices and try to merge into the background and remain there. The failure becomes a collective one and leaders grin and bear it. But, not with Moody. His band of men always had some solution at hand. (to be continued …)

(Image source wikimediacommons.org)

Moody wants ODIs in Silicon Valley (satire)

Fight fire with fire - have ‘Award Return Festivals’(satire)

Moody in the mute mood (satire)


Mad rush for tourists stranded in Egypt to return home

Study reveals that online shopping is good for health

Inmates use mouse to carry drugs between cells in Brazil prison


Amitabh Bachchan to inaugurate 21st edition of Kolkata Film Festival

Sandra Bullock planning an all-female version of Ocean's Eleven

Horror Museum in Colorado could be a money spinner


Bomb in Airbus A321 responsible for Sinai Peninsula crash and 224 deaths

Two Russian TU-142 Bear aircraft shooed off from USS Ronald Reagan

Iran has already executed 700 this year and the figure could cross 1000 by year end

Joynagarer Moah – a unique sweet of Bengal

There are several food items that are unique to West Bengal and, while others may try to imitate them, their efforts very seldom deliver that which is there in the originals. Bengalis have a sweet tooth and sweets rule the roost – in every lane and by lane, alongside the tea shops there are the shops that sell sweets. The sweets appear to be the same but, each shop has its specific patrons.
Anyway – to return to some sweets that are Bengal’s identity. There is the Joynagarer moah which is available only during the winter months. The reason is the ingredients that go into making these sweets that are the delight of Bengalis. Anyone who is returning from Kolkata during winter would invariably be weighed down by packets of this delicacy.

The moah are made from a special kind of puffed rice that are bound with jiggery – that too special nalen gur which is made out of the juice of palms trees. The juice is collected and boiled over a slow fire till the liquid crystalizes and turns solid. There is a special tact involved and the final product depends on the artist who toils over the fire to create these masterpieces. Machines cannot create these.
There was tis beautiful movie on the subject – it was the 1973 movie Saudagar and its actors were Amitabh Bachhan, Nutan and Padma Khanna.
Anyway, the Joynagarer moah of South 24 Parganas Joynagar district has now won the coveted G I (geographical indication) tag. This tag attaches great prestige to the special sweet that has a very short life and has brought joy to those who make these.
Two more equally unique Bengali sweets are the Mihidana and Sitabhog of Burdwan.
These are under evaluation by the concerned people in Chennai and a decision is expected to be made known soon.
Incidentally, a GI tag is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin. (to be continued …)

Some more interesting 'must reads'-

Take care of the heart – a few dos and don’ts

Chinese research finds that spicy food is the secret to a long life

Swatchh Bharat campaign takes a beating in Delhi itself


Dame Julie Andrews to direct new ‘My Fair Lady’ in Sydney for 60th birthday of Opera Australia

There is a fight scene between Captain America and Spiderman in ‘Civil War’

Shah Rukh Khan’s fond wish - to see Ethan Hunt and James Bond in one movie


Parts of lost plane MH370 of Malaysia Airline washes up on Reunion Island

Niloy Neel, fourth blogger of Bangladesh, hacked to death in Dhaka

Suicide bombers attack Kabul –kill dozens of innocents


A street food named jhal muri

A tribute to Kishore Kumar, the legend, on his 86th birthday

The world of fuchka, golgappa and panipuri

Kids in television serials and reality shows

Everyone loves kids and, realizing that kids will draw viewers, the television producers instruct their story writers to include kids in their scheme of things – namely, to draw the sympathy of the audience and keep them on tenterhooks so that they remain glued to the couch with the remote in hand and eyes fixed to the TV screen.
Since the TV serials go on for years, the kids change. They grow up and, new kids enter to fill in the void while the previous lot graduates to senior roles. The bottom line is – once in TV, they remain in TV because they get recognition.

Much is talked about child marriages – it is banned by law but the script writer successfully circumvents the law and comes up with serials like Balika Bodhu which translates into Child Bride! There are quite a number of similar serials where kids talk and behave like grownups and, in order to encourage them, they get awards on the special nights where they go on stage, clutch their trophies, beam at the crowd and blow kisses.
And then there are the reality shows on TV – yes, they get opportunities to showcase their talents on shows of music or dance but, putting such shows in the night time slots does more harm than good. We advise our kids to go to bed early, we do not permit them to watch television beyond a certain hour but, when it comes to reality shows in which kids are in the center of things, how can we not allow the kids to stay up and watch the shows?
It may be recalled that Kaun Banega Crorepati or KBC for short which was hosted by Amitabh Bachhan, used to have a show for children. It used to be timed on Sunday morning at 9am, or was it 10am? That is how it should be – let the shows for children, by the children, for the children not get pushed into late night slots that begin art 10pm and goes on till 11.30pm. (to be continued …)
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)
A few more must reads -
Maggi noodles are banned in India but, the same Maggi is safe in the UK

Top Ramen follows Maggi and goes off the shelves

India’s dreams of a Utopia vanishing, courtesy arrogant and corrupt ministers

Oil giant Shell to drill for oil in the Arctic off the Alaskan coast

Venezuela facing shortage of beer


Boko Haram unleashes another round of terror on Nigeria – kill 150 in Borno state

ISIS child executioners shoot and kill 25 Syrian soldiers in Palmyra ruins in public

Britain wakes from slumber after Tunisia deaths – to debate airstrikes on ISIS targets,br>

Mangoes are forever

Ripe mangoes and mango cakes or amsatta

Disguises in Indian movies and TV

Disguise is what one resorts to in order to deceive others. When it is done in Hollywood movies, the result is convincing enough. We have seen examples in Face Off with Nicholas Cage and also in Mission Impossible II with Tom Cruise. The disguise is incorporated meticulously through use of molds and latex coverings and is as good as the original.
However, when it comes to the Indian scenario, disguise appears to be so simple. It has been going on for ages and, the heroines find it most convenient to wear a turban, don a coat and get a new identity of a Sadarji. The turban hides the hair and the coat conceals the girlish features.

As to the heroes – they wear a moustache and goggles and fake the voice. At times they will wear the disguise of an old man with a shaky voice carrying a walking stick. The apron of a Father of a church is also a fairly good disguise which had been effectively used by Amitabh Bachhan.
A moustache symbolizes a man – these are of different shapes and also have names like Hitler moustache, walrus moustache, handlebar moustache, pencil moustache, toothbrush mustache to name a few. It takes plenty of patience to maintain the moustache and it is taken to be a sign of being a man. There is even a Guinness World Record for the longest moustache.
However, our moviedom takes the moustache too lightly even though Amitabh Bachhan had remarked in the movie Sharabi – ‘mooche ho to Nathulal jaisa’.
Moustache is considered to be a great disguise by the Indian film makers – stick a moustache and the other party cannot recognize you. One of the best proof is in the movie Golmal – the vintage one with Utpal Dutta and Amol Palekar.
Another favorite disguise in Bollywood is wig coupled with stammering and a walking stick – they can transform a young man into an old one in need of support to walk. Like I S Johar in Shagird. This sort of change in appearance by wearing wigs have been seen in other movies like Shaan in which Amitabh Bachhan and Rishi Kapoor don the disguise of sadhus and walk into the water.(to be continued… )
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

A few more must reads -
Popcorns in movie halls can contain too much salt and sugar for comfort

Glastonbury Festival might move out from Worthy Farm to a new location

China wants to revive silk route with high speed rail link between Kolkata and Kunming

Iranian women have tickets but cannot watch volleyball match in Tehran

Global warming – snow on the Himalayas is melting too fast due to rise in temperatures


61-year-old woman kicked and stamped her husband to death over a pack of cigarettes

Nine killed by a white man in a hate crime in South Carolina church

Bear bile farm in Vietnam finally closed down, only one bear survived out of 27


Today TV dictates our lifestyle

News on TV channels go from dull to attractive