Kumartuli or Kumortuli is located in the northern part of the city of Kolkata . The locality is a traditional habitat of the potters for nearly three hundred years. The potters or the artisans or the artists settled here during the restructuring of the Kolkata colonial region by the British East India Company . Earning a livelihood by making earthen pots and utensils first they gradually shifted to the making of the idols of Gods and Goddesses for various festivals round the year. With increasing demand and quality of their creations over time the artisans became famous and Kumartuli came to be known as the hub of idol makers supplying thousands of idols, particularly of Goddess Durga , to whole of the state of West Bengal and to NRIs of around 90 countries across the globe. At least three months before Durga Puja , the biggest festival of West Bengal and one of the biggest across Eastern India, more than five hundred workshops come alive with hyper activity day and night. Fir...
The genocides, tortures, murders and rapes currently coming to light in Uttar Pradesh of Northern India only prove that feudalism still rules in this region. Feudal lords of states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar may have assumed a democratic nomenclature, but their basic nature and execution of duties remain horrifyingly the same as in the middle ages. The situation is confounded by still existing poverty, illiteracy, damnable traditions and exploding population. Though bitter political fights are being fought over this saga of inhumanity, it’s hardly political. The ruling party may be under a lot of pressure and if this eventually effects transfer of power to an opposition party the situation would not ever improve. This basically means a transfer of power from a feudal lord to another equally reactionary feudal lord. Feudal exploitation would remain its mantra. No wonder, the Women Reservation Bill has been facing maximum opposition from these two states. Because, the basic ...