In the lonely nights of Kolkata...

EAST INDIA GAZETTE

The following section has been written by Soomitra M, a popular writer who wrote numerous bestselling books in the genres of Romance, Thriller, and Documentary. She and her team 'The Calcutta Telegraph', an e-newspaper site collected and researched data and present the effects of the war on the nation. 

In the lonely nights of Kolkata...

This city has come far in its history. From a village to a British settlement to the capital of Colonial India to the economic and cultural hub of the subcontinent, then to the cradle of communism in the Indian subcontinent, then to a dying city, with its eventual death on Balkanisation. It was revived by East India, briefly served as the capital of the nation, and was later set up under the joint administration of Bengal and East India.

The city has had some damning good history in its existence. Today, Kolkata is a bustling metropolis of 20 Million, with traffic-led streets filled with yellow Ambassador Taxis and its vast Tramway network. Once a mere tourist attraction now serves the people of the city, from the student to the old, from the factory worker to the service worker since 1873, the oldest in Asia.

The Calcutta Tramway

As time passes in the war, the people of Kolkata grow scared. People are scared about war again entering a nation that has conveniently tried to avoid war for a long time. The hysteria has led to people visiting more coffee houses, tea stalls, auditoriums to listen to music, and the Chinatowns, which have been the center of the city after heavy renovation and removal of tanneries. There are two Chinatowns in the city, one in Tiretta Bazaar and another in Tangra, both famous for their Chinese restaurants and neon lighting. They are connected by a special Chinatown Tramway, which has been beautifully designed to mix with the neon lighting and the colorful buildings of the colonies. The two colonies are known for another popular thing, relationship proposal. 

Numerous couples come to the colonies' restaurants and propose their other, which has been a very popular thing to do in Kolkata and its suburbs. However, the proposals went strangely high in the recent 3 weeks since March 19. The government of East India keeps track of any relationship proposal made, for the sake of analysing and improving its bad s-x ratio of 2000:1000. The widely accepted reason is a mass hysteria over conscription. 

Both Bengal and East India are concerned about the world war and are trying to prepare against any foreign invasion in these times. Hence, even after being a shared city with special administration, Kolkata may end up having mass conscription in the city. The couples are marrying, proposing to their other for the last time, before some unexpected conscription happens. 

Tangra, Chinatown at midnight

This phenomenon of more visitations was limited to big entertainment districts only though. The rest of the city saw a significant drop in traffic. Most people are sitting, playing Carrom and Bridge in local clubs. Children are leaving schools early after attending the 4 1/2 hours compulsory school day and doing group study in their homes, which is another popular trend among children this year. Normally, children used to roam for the next 3 1/2 hours chatting, reading comic books from the library, playing video games, and the "nerdy" or "weak" students attending doubt classes. However, this phenomenon has raised concern, and the children reportedly are responding to violent behavior for such absenteeism. 

The nation's youth are feeling lonely more than ever, because of a scare of war roaming in everyone's heads. This has been reflective of the increased school fights and rebelliousness among teens. Following was what a very optimistic 15-year-old female student said about the current scenario:

"I am surprised at how the school has become. Heck, even my schoolmate Riya became a rebel. I knew she had a bad time since she performed badly in the Tennis league, but her keen interest in the news has caused serious problems. The newspapers and media outlets have been just spreading bs and spreading mass hysteria, which has somehow convinced her that she will be forcibly conscripted lmao; the laugh aside though, she does seem concerning to me, and not only her but the whole school. I mean, a war happening around 1000 kilometers away won't be hurting us, innit?"

The bustling road of B.B.D Bagh, the administrative center now almost empty at midnight, unlike rest of the times.

It is truly concerning what has come to happen in Kolkata. Hope this does not escalate further into a bigger problem for the city. This city's beauty is in its people and the buildings, and when they stop showing their charm, this city falls into darkness. 

(Heading image is of Howrah Bridge, situated on the skyline of the city.)

END OF GAZETTE

(Chinatown image generated by AI.)