Lessons from the east

Representation Pic

Pheroze! Excuse my frankness, but I think you might have put on a few kilos since I last spotted you. What caused this mini transformation?" remarked Lady Flora, as she rushed to greet her friend near the entrance of the Cathedral's compound, a day after his weeklong visit to Kolkata.

"Calcutta, my Lady…it will always be Calcutta for me," smiled Sir PM; his face blushed pink after his friend's observation. "Well, you can say that I have gained a bit. Blame it on the countless varieties of sandesh, rasgullas and kheer kadams that your sweet-toothed friend was pampered with. I am still reeling from the extent to which Calcuttans will go to get their mishti fix. Every meal has to end with a sweetmeat, and nothing is served as one portion; it's always two of everything. It was impossible to control this daily observance, despite my family engagements and indulging in Calcutta-style bhonu and dhansak. I meekly succumbed to this saccharine routine," he chuckled, quickly adding, "Apro Bombay's pace and frenzy will ensure I lose those extra kilos in no time."

"I will be tracking that for sure," Lady Flora giggled. "But food apart, how was your trip, given that you were heading to the city that has been in the news for all the wrong reasons? Did you participate in any of the protests? Or face any issues during your time there?" Sir PM had brought out a box of mishti for his friend, "Here, try one at least…I promise you won't regret it." She looked at the nolen gurer sandesh for a moment, and popped it into her mouth. Two seconds later, she said, "Drops of heaven! Paradise! Pheroze, I can relate to your helplessness. But we are digressing, so tell me all…"

"Well, for starters, I was moving around the city with a lot of trepidation. I was hoping that I wouldn't get caught in any conflict scenarios," Sir PM shared, who usually played it safe, outside of the courtroom and when he wasn't in nationalist leader mode. "I noticed banners, hoardings and a lot of graffiti extolling people to raise their voices and not back down against bad decisions in the horrific hospital case. I was quite impressed by how the community - and not just doctors - rallied around to ensure that justice is served in the right manner. On one afternoon, as I tucked into my avocado and salmon toast at good ole Flurys on Park Street, I was joined by Behram, a former legal eagle and Bombaywallah, who is now happily spending his evenings lounging at the Dalhousie Institute. He shared the most amazing anecdotes about the ongoing people's movement.

Turns out, the white-collar junta, including corporates, bankers, accountants, businessmen and women, are all united in this cause. Behram told me that they have community gatherings, like peaceful marches along the footpaths so traffic is not disrupted, but yet the message is out there - loud and clear. They hold candlelight marches at night, to reiterate their steadfast focus. One young neighbour of his joined us a few days later for some ‘adda' - their favourite pastime - and he too said that this time they won't let the momentum die down, like it happened with the Park Street case years before."

Lady Flora listened intently, interjecting when she couldn't hold her silence any longer, "This is inspiring. How wonderful that the common man across professions is joining in to show solidarity, to ensure that justice is called correctly. I am mighty impressed with their citizens for showing such resolve and sustaining their efforts to ensure it remains in public memory for as long as is required. On a related note, this is a great lesson for other cities, including Bombay, that we never forget our fellow citizens in their time of despair. It's very easy to get on with our lives and forget things after a month, but not these Calcuttans, clearly."

Sir PM gave a sagely nod. "This should be a terrific lesson for all of us, here. I hope we can see such solidarity in Bombay for people-centric causes. It was encouraging to see the fight during the Save Aarey campaign when trees were felled to make way for the Metro car shed. But I feel more should have joined hands in that movement. What a rich forest we have in our midst; it must be protected; its original inhabitants cannot be threatened nor should they lose their livelihoods," he thundered.

"Let's hope we can stir a mini movement here, the next time our city needs one. Pheroze, you must share these observations with more friends. Until then, we hope that our dear readers take a leaf from Calcutta's book and act when they need to stand up and speak up for the right cause," Lady Flora signed off, not before popping another sandesh into her mouth. She loved sweet endings.

mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her.
She tweets @bombayana. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com