[Reader-list] changing Industrial landscape in kolkata

[ranu ghosh]

*The changing industrial landscape of Kolkata: documenting the
transformation of a half century old factory, Joy Engineering Works, into
Kolkata's South City Project, "Eastern India's largest mixed use real estate
development"*

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*Posting 4:*

I am sorry for the delay in posting.

*THE LONESOME SOLDIER FIGHTS ON*

* *In my earlier posting I had mentioned about my dramatic first encounter
with Shambhu Prasad Singh and my resolve to follow and document the twists
and turns in his future along with the 'development' of the South City
Project. Till date Shambhu continues to hold on to his ground 'zero'amidst
the rapidly rising towers of eastern India's most ambitious real estate
project. Shambhu does not know how much longer he will be able to put up
with his fight. He takes each day as it comes.

 *A sudden turn of events:*

On Friday, the 7th of September, Shambhu Prasad Singh was told that Bimal
Chatterjee, the erstwhile President of the Union of Joy Engineering Works,
would like to meet him. Shambhu went to Bimal Chatterjee's office just
outside the premises of the South City Complex. This used to be the Trade
Union Office. Now the signboard outside announces it to be the office of
some philanthropic organization. Here, Bimal Chatterjee and Sanjoy
Chowdhury, the CEO of the South City project, were waiting for Shambhu. They
informed him, " A cheque worth 3.5 lakhs has been sanctioned for you. You
will be handed over the cheque as soon as you vacate the South Citypremises."

 Shambhu thought for a moment and replied, "No Sir. I must have the cheque
first. I shall give you in writing that as soon as the cheque is honoured, I
shall vacate my quarter and move out of the walled city."

 Shambhu told himself, "I cannot trust you and your team after what you have
done to my colleagues."

 *Shambhu's dilemma:*

His mind was ticking!!! Bimal Chatterjee and his team (read hoodlums) had
been the mediators between Joy Engineering Works and the factory workers
right from year 2004 – or even earlier. They had forced most of the workers
to accept the voluntary retirement scheme. They were instrumental in
persuading the other 14 workers who had refused to accept the VRS, to vacate
the quarters. Shambhu was the only bone of resistance sticking out of the
otherwise smooth pie of 'development'. South city had not made their full
payment to Joy Engineering Works because of Shambhu. JEW would get Rs. 45
Lakhs from SCP as soon as Shambhu vacated the premise. Bimal Chatterjee must
be feeling the pressure from both sides.

 Was this talk of 3.5 lakhs true after all? Bimal Chatterjee had said, "
Take the deal while Sanjoy Chowdhury is there. He will quit his South
Cityjob next month and then there will be nobody to protect your
interest."

 Shambhu had heard that there were charges of corruption against Sanjoy
Chowdhury.

 Apartments in South City would be handed over to the owners in a few
months' time. Shambhu's two room quarter, without electricity and water
supply since the past two years, needed to be razed to ground and made over
very quickly. They could not afford to have Shambhu hanging around when the
residents moved in.

 But how would Shambhu verify the truth of Bimal Chatterjee's offer? It was
difficult to figure out who was hand in glove with whom. Under Bimal
Chatterjee's leadership the 14 workers who refused to take VRS, eventually
vacated their quarters and filed a case against South City Project. That
case is still pending in the court. Shambhu escaped this eviction because he
had independently filed a case against Joy Engineering Works and South City.
His contention was that since he did not accept the VRS scheme, officially
he was still holding on to his job and was thus eligible to live in his
quarter.Thus had begun Shambhu's lonesome battle against the mighty Goliath.

 *Shambhu and me:*

I had stepped into the picture around 2006 beginning and have since got
indirectly involved with Shambhu's fate. He is the subject of my latest film
and he finds in me a friend and a confidante. Since I am not allowed inside
the South City premises, I have given a handy cam to Shambhu to document the
rapid change in his life and his environment. I have also given a mobile
phone to him and one more to his family – to make sure that we are always in
touch with each other. Given the precocity of their existence, they needed
this support system. Shambhu often called me from his mobile and kept me
updated of the new twists and turns in his life. He proved to be a 'natural'
with the camera and captured his crumbling environment with great love and a
sense of loss.

 Now Shambhu was faced with a new dilemma – whether or not to believe Bimal
Chatterjee's offer. How would he resolve this dilemma? How would he verify
the truth of his offer?

 *Shambhu connects to the big man:*

Why not verify the latest situation from the highest quarter? Shambhu found
himself wandering towards the residential quarters of Mr. S.K. Todi, the
Director of the South City Complex.

 "Mr. Todi is in Mumbai", informed his security guard, Peter. Shambhu had a
good rapport with Peter  - and most other guards and workers who lived
inside the walled city. Peter gave Todi's mobile phone number to Shambhu.
The past year of struggle had emboldened Shambhu. He punched the number on
his mobile and asked, "Sir, has the Board taken any decision about me?"
Todi's voice responded from the other side, "Yes. The Board has sanctioned 7
lakhs in your name." 7 lakhs? But didn't Bimal Chatterjee say 3.5 lakhs?
Shambhu decided to inform the CEO of his conversation with Bimal Chatterjee.
The Director assured him, "I am coming back to town on 5th October. I'll
look into the matter as soon as I am there."

 Would Shambhu really start dreaming of the life outside the walled city? He
had everything lined up for the eventuality. He would take up a place in
Maniktala. He would buy an auto rickshaw and ply it in the Maniktala route.
He would survive in this city where he was born and his father and
grandfather earned their living. He could not relate to his hometown in
Bihar any more. Kolkata was his real home town.

 But he must get his compensation. That is what he has been fighting for
more than two years now.

* Shambhu's cases:*

Shambhu's case against Joy Engineering Works and South City was dismissed by
S.K Gupta of the Kolkata High Court. He wrote, *"The dispute between the
parties is clearly civil in nature, and as such, I find no illegality in the
order, as passed by the learned Executive Magistrate in dropping the
proceeding. If the petitioner's civil rights is in jeopardy, then he has to
approach the appropriate court for getting the remedy."*

 On 15.12.05, he wrote a letter to 19 persons – from the Chief Justice of
Kolkata High Court to the Governor to the Mayor to the editors of all the
major newspapers in town.  It was a letter written in Bengali, informing
everybody that he was being pressurized and harassed in many ways to leave
his quarter. The letter mentions that he was even given a threat of life by
some outsiders and ex-leader. Nobody responded to his letter

 He filed another case against South City for the life threat and harassment
they were causing him.

 *Inside the walled city:*

He continued with his precarious life in the South City premises and
remained a witness to the rapid pace of construction flouting all norms of
basic protection to the construction labourers. The labourers worked at high
altitude without any safety belt. No. of labourers lost their lives by
slipping and falling from a height. He witnessed the death of  seven workers
caused by the sudden collapse of a water tank  The authorities vanishd some
bodies and showed the death toll as four. Shambhu played an active role in
protecting the other dead bodies from disappearing. Through his activism he
won the sympathy of the construction labourers.

 He was also a mute witness to the work at breakneck pace going on at night
– even after 10.30pm, to the illegal filling up of the water body with
rubble – and to so many other irregularities.  He has managed to document
some of these 'developments' in the handy cam I have given him. The handy
cam has also helped him to befriend many people. He shot a video footage of
the guards. I made a DVD and he handed over that DVD to the guards. They
were deeply grateful to him.

 Shambhu is a survivor. He has been pressurized not only by Bimal
Chatterjee, but also by the lawyers fighting for him  - to withdraw the case
and opt for an amicable settlement. In many ways he is at the mercy of his
lawyer and the lawyer exploits him in many ways. Many a times I have made
payments to the lawyer to help Shambhu come out of a tight spot.

 *Latest update:* The case filed against South City has been dismissed.
Shambhu was not informed about the date of court hearing. One more case has
been filed by Shambhu against South City.

 Shambhu will soon meet Mr. S.K. Todi to hear from the horse's mouth what
compensation the Board has decided to give Shambhu.

*End of posting 4*

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