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...
There were two long queues for local train tickets at Wadala railway station in Mumbai harbor railway line segment. I was in a lot of hurry, but there was never any option but to join in . Then I saw something.
A poor man (let’s not call him a beggar) was sitting on the floor in front of the counters. His little son, very pale and weak, was stretched on his lap. There were some x-rays and documents scattered around him. The man was muttering amidst tears, ‘Please help me get some treatment for my ailing son. He may or may not be saved. But please help me do something for him.’ As usual, busy as ever, Mumbaikars hardly seemed to be noticing the father and son duo. But what followed moved me in my innermost soul.
Everybody, I mean one and all, booked his/her tickets and deposited whatever change s/he got with the poor man on the ground. It was ten bucks or more for some, five bucks or less for some others. But they followed the same routine. Mumbaikars, irrespective of age or gender or any other differences, gave the change to the poor man and ran to catch their trains. I did the same when my turn came and hurried off for the platform with tender emotions filling my heart.
Yes, Mumbaikars are mechanically busy, materialistic and always struggling for competition and survival. But still, they have lot of humanity left in their hearts. That’s the good news. Memories of the incredibly humanistic scenes witnessed during the 26/7 deluge in 2005 flooded my mind causing emotional high tides that did not submerge, but calmed me overpoweringly.
Just thought I should share this with you all.
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