Kolkata loves variety in foods and the Kokattans have their favorite food joints

I did my school and college education in Kolkata and left the city in 1967 after getting a job in Nashik. Since then, I have lived in Nashik – the land of grapes, onions, the Godavari River and the Kumbh Mela held every 12 years. I have realized that the food joints of the 1960s still survive in Kolkata and have their share of patrons. I suddenly came across this story on 8 heritage restaurants from Kolkata and their iconic dishes. It brought back memories. The list includes two of my favorites. One of these is Aminia restaurant in the New Market area. In my college days (in 1960-61), I used to go there for a cup of its special tea. The cost was 12 paise and its taste really special!! Aminia came into existence on the Independence Day of India. Another of my favorite joints was the Indian Coffee House on College Street opposite Presidency College. This was the meeting place for the intellectuals of Bengal. Manna Dey sang a beautiful song “Coffee Houser sei addata nei aar nei.” It gives a vivid description of the life of youth in the 1960s – their ideals, visions and disappointments.

Other popular food joints are Peter Cat on Park Street described as one of the oldest restaurants in Kolkata and as famous as the Howrah Bridge. Another is Flury’s. This is a Swiss bakery also in Park Street. It has been there since 1927, the time of the British Empire. The third is 6, Ballygunge Place, a restaurant located in one of the historical places of Kolkata. Its popularity stems from its rustic ambience and Bengali meals. Incidentally, rasogolla and sandesh continue to attract everyone and Chinese foods are also getting noticed.

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Independence of India – I was there on that day

Yes, I was present on 15th of August 1947. It was the Independence Day of India and I was a three-year old child at the time. On this, the 75th Independence Day, I still remember how people enjoyed the occasion. At that time, I stayed with my parents and younger brother in Belgachhia. It was in North Calcutta and my father owned a lorry. He with two of his friends had a business of sorts. They used to transport coal from the coalfields and distribute them to the local dealers. They had a very trusted driver who was a Muslim and played a crucial role. It was a period of unrest with riots between the two communities prior to the partition of Bengal. The driver would ensure that the lorry with my father and his friends would move out safely through sensitive spots. He carried a change of clothes in the lorry and the occupants wore them, as necessary, to avoid any local problems. These are what my father told me much later when I could understand the intricacies.

Anyway – to come back to details of 15th of August 1947. It was raining and I was in the lorry. It was crowded and my parents were there as were the families of his partners. There were many others and the, lorry was crowded as were the roads. They were jam packed with people who carried the Indian flag and shouted slogans of Bharat Mata ki jai. There were also lines of vehicles and all of them were moving at a snail’s pace in one direction. All of them wanted to see the huge statue of Bharat Mata that a shop in College Street had put up. The shop was a landmark. It sold readymade clothes and the statue was enclosed in a glass case on the first floor and visible from the road. It was still there in the 1960s when I used to travel to my school in Bowbazar Street and college in Park Street. I do not know if it is still there.

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Independence Day as I have seen it

Independence Day, for many persons like me, is a day to remember the valiant soldiers who have laid down their lives to bring Independence to our country. And, who have, subsequently, kept up the fight against intruders to ensure that our borders are safe from outside attacks.
On this day, the tricolor is unfurled in the capital New Delhi by the Prime Minister and in the states by the chief ministers. There are the usual lectures by the chiefs to maintain contact with the masses and, some states present parades of the local military, police, fire brigade personnel, NCC cadets, and the Home Guards etcetera.

Nothing is on a lavish scale because the day is in the middle of August which is the season of rains, hence any outdoor program has to be drawn up accordingly.
My memories of Independence Day is one of mixed feelings. In my school days, there used to be the prabhat feri – or procession early in the morning by young boys and girls. They would be dressed in white and would carry the tricolor and march through the streets singing patriotic songs. There would be band boys with drums and they would provide the music.
The tricolor would flutter from each house and the sweet shops would make special Independence Day sweets – usually sandesh in three layers corresponding to the colors of the flag. There would be enthusiasm all around because Bengalis had played a major role in the freedom struggle.
Foremost among them was Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose who had given the war cry – ‘give me blood and I will give you freedom’. He had formed the Indian National Army and wanted to tie up with foreign powers to help get freedom. However, he suddenly disappeared and it is believed that he died in an air crash in Japan.
Anyway, apart from Netaji, there were many other young freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives so that India could get freedom – names like Khudiram Bose, Prafulla Chaki, Bijoy, Badal, and Dinesh became immortal. Songs were composed to talk about their valor. Those patriotic songs would be sung on Independence Day.
It has to be membered that Bengal was one state that was deeply and directly involved in the freedom movement because of personalities like Netaji with added inspiration of Rabindra Nath Tagore. Bengalis are poets at heart and the freedom struggle got its dose of insulin from patriotic songs penned by the likes of Kazi Nazrul Islsam, Dwijendra Lal Roy, Tagore and others. (to be continued …)

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