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...
Anna Hazare, the crusader against the evil of corruption, was arrested early this morning by Delhi police. Clearly, to avoid having a law and order situation with thousands (including fascist lumpen elements) expected to gather for an indefinite period at a public place in the national capital with hounding news channels hungry for 24/7 sensation. Anna Hazare's second fast unto death was not allowed to go in public. This is undemocratic, everybody is saying. Yes, it seems to be so. But, there is one more angle to it. The April fast was a huge success and the government of India had to agree to draft the Lokpal Bill promising to present it in Parliament in the monsoon session which they did. But the civil society members had been adamant since, constantly demanding what they thought was the best and soon making the movement 'Our Bill' Vs 'Your Bill'. Blackmail of another fast followed insistent demands despite the 'Your Bill' being presented in Parliament fo...