College Street

 "Coffee house r shei adda-ta aaj r nei.. aaj r nei..
kothaay haariye gyalo shonali bikel gulo shei.. aaj r nei.."

Some say it reminds them of Oxford Street, the die-hards chant “Nakshalbari Laal Salaam!” and the long-bearded intellectuals sum in the immortal lines quoted above. Paradise and indispensable to those who earn their livelihood here, College Street is abhorred by others due to its puzzling traffic-jams and (almost every day) road blockades. In spite of this, College St. and its hinterland remains one of the most intriguing and unique niches of the metropolis.

It’s the place where the true spirit of the Bengali Renaissance blends harmoniously with the ideology of the turbulent ‘70s. But, today, it is best known for the innumerous bookstalls lining its pavements. From ICSE projects to “Tagore’s Secret Love”, from a copy of Harry Potter to a collection of the black and white photographs of the bloody World Wars, myriad are the number of books that catch your eye. And if you are particularly adept at bargaining, then the world of print is yours.

The first landmark that’s bound to catch your eye is the Coffee House, by which the intelligentsia can swear. As you go up its dilapidated flight of steps, and enter the smoke-cloaked room, you are sure to find people from every walk of life here - from the Bon Jovis of the bathroom to the Kishore Kumars of the canteen, from long-bearded, kurta-clad undergrads to beedi-smoking intellectuals.

At the other end are a cluster of video-handling foreigners, who blend with the surroundings with equal ease. Then of course, there are the Romeos and Juliets whispering softly at their new spring of love, the truant students from college regaling each other with lively anecdotes during their never-ending ‘adda’ sessions, the office-goers dropping by for a quick sip, the budding politicians, the philosophers (both pseudo and real) and many others. But, today this building is fast succumbing to the damp and polluted air that gnaws away bits of history. Lack of maintenance, inadequate funds and the sorry fact that the food, once ordered, takes almost unbearably long to appear has left this piece of historical evidence in a state of disrepair and semi-oblivion.

Once you take a stroll down the streets of College Street ‘boi para’ (as it’s fondly called by book-lovers and non-lovers alike), it becomes evident almost immediately as to why it is so named. An array of ancient buildings with their flamboyant, Gothic architecture preside serenely over the street. Relics of another era when all was right, and literature reached its apex, they remind you of that oft-repeated (but no longer relevant) quote : "What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow..". Presidency College (my second home), Medical College, Calcutta University - all leave you awe-struck by their magnificence.

Another inseparable part of this street is the College Square swimming pool. It is one of the city’s remaining places of refuge for its innumerable couples. On the other side, romance of a different ‘taste’ prevails as you indulge your gastric juices at the numerous eating outlets. Perhaps it is the best place in Kolkata to quench your thirst with a glass of lime-water. It is a slice of Kolkata’s colonial past offering a unique taste of the lost legacy of the British Raj.

Then there are strewn remnants of the Naxalite eruption. A legacy of the by-gone age is the omnipresent microphone that attempts to solve problems, but ends up adding to them instead. You can almost hear it every day - the familiar “cholchhe cholbe” and “maanchhina maanbona”, the bloodcurdling warcries of “lorai lorai lorai chaai, lorai kore baachte chaai!” and the hair-rising “Inquilaab Zindabaad!” - it is where the politicians receive their first training.

This, in a nutshell, is a kaleidoscope of the little world of College Street - a planet of booksellers, students, revolutionaries, of broken dreams and lofty ambitions. Generations fade away, yet the spirit remains - searching for an opportunity to blossom again. In spite of all these, it endures and withstands the ravages of time in a bid to fulfill its tryst with destiny…..

But today, the centuries-old buildings of College Street are being remodeled to pave way for the cyber-cafes, while the Coffee House is losing its glory to the nearby Food Station. If for nothing else, the essence of College Street and all it signifies should be protected simply to assure future generations of their cup of infusion, their cigarette-burning adda sessions in the college corridors and their right to experience the true spirit of Kolkata’s college life. The way I am..