[Reader-list] my belated posting05

[nilanjanb at 123india.com]

Posting 05    
Where is our land purchase deed:  We have purchased our
Purba Diganta land way back in 1975 from Santosh Kr.
Kha of Kalikapur. It cost us little less than
Rs.1500/-( Rupees fifteen hundred only) for those 3
kathas . Now the price in our locality is not less than
4 lakhs per katha. So now the same 3 kathas will cost
Rupees14 lakhs only! 

If you see Kalikapur today, it’s more like an alienated
confined habitation, an archaic existence.  The rapid
constructions of multi-storied apartment complexes, 5
star hotel, market complex, multiplex, water park, mega
health care units, all along side the By-pass. Some are
already in existence and the rest will come up soon. 
Though it’s understood that Kalikapur would no more be
able to survive this onslaught but even then it’s a
very unique and significant existence altogether.

I was facing problems finding out information about
Kalikapur in the old time. There is no written history
available. I have tried Land Revenue Office,
Corporation etc. but only to find out revenue Survey
map which only depicts the areas and some Tafshil or
landmarks like, rail lines, electric lines, and roads.
In this connection I met Gopal Kha, our land owner
Santosh Kha’s son. They used to own the whole Purba
Diganta land which originally was Bheri, or water body
for fish cultivation. They were also the owner of a
signifant portion of Kalikapur land adjacent to Purba
Diganta. I got to know from Gopal that his great
grandfather sagar Chandra Kha used to work for the
Jaminadar Bijoy Krishna pal as the caretaker of this
whole Bheri area and some point of time he got 70
Bighas as a gift from Bijoy Krishna against his loyal
service. 
As referred by Gopal, I met the oldest middleman
Haripada Das, who is around 77 now. He came out to be a
very interesting man. Initially he was very sceptical
about passing me any information about land etc. He
said, “ It’s quite dubious situation because the land
is the prime thing now and henceforth any information
costs.” However some how I could manage to talk to him
for hours and find out some important information about
Kalikapur and surroundings. These are quite scattered
as well as little technical too. So anything concrete
couldn’t be structured out of that information. But
ultimately he 
seemed to be quite impressed with me and have finally
suggested that along with Mohan Kha, and Chandan
Naskar, two other elderly persons who know a lot about
Kalikapur, he will sit to draw a separate map of that
particular area in Kalikapur where I am running my
study. But according to him it will take long time and 
number of sittings would be needed. He said that then
only they will talk about Kalikapur in the olden days.
I have tried to contact him later on but things didn’t
work out, as he remained eternally busy. Selling and
purchasing of land in Kalikapur and adjacent areas is a
thriving business now 
But I hope some time in near future I would be able to
pursue him to sit together. 
Whatever, let me try to compile the information which I
gathered taking to Gopal Kha, Haripada Das, and a few
other old persons in Kalikapur.
As the record says, originally Kalikapur was under
Borakhola Mouja, which includes Mukundapur on the east,
Santoshpur and Garfa on the west, Chak Ganiagachi on
the south and Kalikapur on the north. This is according
to the revenue map prepared on 1928-29. Kalikapur had
two settlement maps. Kalikapur1, which shows Kalikapur
as a village,and Kalikapur2, which shows all the Bheri
areas in Kalikapur. These Bheries used to satisfy a
major portion of city Calcutta’s fish consumption. As
Haripad Das’s memory goes, till 1955 water level in
these Bheries used to fluctuate in effect to the high
tide and low tide. Local boat was the main
transportation mode during those days. Migratory as
well as local birds used to fill the lakes in numbers.
Another veteran from Kalikapur, Ajit Mondal, told me
that they used go further east to catch birds, which
they would supply to city markets. I remember, a couple
of years back I met another old man (as people said
that he was 103 years old then) who said that he used
to work as an assistant to the Sahibs, who had come for
shooting birds in those localities. His job was to
collect and carry the birds after they were shot.  
Gopal Kha was mentioning that in his childhood they
have seen various birds in numbers of which he
mentioned a few, Manikjor, which would always move in
pairs, Mandan Tak, Bhuto Hnas,  Bali Hans, Knora Pakhi.
Turtle/ Tortoise, were found frequently. Even today by
fortune one can find one or two when the water bodies
dry up. In this context Gopal was mentioned about a
proverb which says that turtles dig the soil, lay eggs,
cover it back and goes off leaving the moon behind as
the guardian witness. And when the time arrives after a
few months, hatchlings come out under the sky on their
own and start their journey towards water (Kochchopra
chand sakhkhi rekhey dim perey choley jai, thik somoy
holey bchchagulo phutey beriey nijerai roana dey joler
dikey). What a way to describe turtle’s astonishing
embryological cycle!  

Foot note: as per our plan I thought even during the
process of collecting ethnographic information the kids
should accompany me and they had done so. But as soon
as we reached Gopal Kha’s place Shanu opened his shirt
and jumped inside the pond and started splashing.
Gwaja, as if innocently was trying to climb the mango
tree in the other corner of the pond. Gopal got so
angry! He ran towards Gwaja but Gwaja had climbed down
before Gopal reached him. Gopal came back to me and
said angrily, “ you just don’t know them- what a bunch
of rascals!” However, understanding the seriousness of
the situation I had to tell the kids to leave the place
and they followed the instruction. Otherwise, you know,
my all important interview with Gopal about the
ethnography of Kalikapur


Kids told me later on that they actually rag Gopal this
way. Even two days back they went to Gopal and asked
for the permission to climb the mango tree to collect a
few green mangos and in response he promptly offered
them a beating.