Election day is independence day!

Mou Chakraborty

NADIA: For the 200 residents of Kullupara village in Nadia district, the elections have a special meaning. On Saturday, after many years, the residents of the village had the right to move in and out of the village at will and that too for the whole day; it was their independence day.

Located at Kulupara check post on India-Bangladesh border, the village is located on the other side of the barbwire fencing the Indian border. Though very much under the jurisdiction of Indian territory, the village is just 150 meters from Bangladesh.

Comprising only 38 houses, the village dominated by Muslim population has 200 residents of which 105 are voters. The only way of livelihood for these people is cultivating the land adjacent to their huts.

“Because of the strange geographical position of our village we have to go inside India by crossing the BSF check post. The gate is not open throughout the day and is shut by 5pm. Even on Eid the gate does not remain open beyond schedule time. We feel like living inside a jail. It is only on the days of elections that the gate remains open all day so that we can cast our vote and we are truly free to go in and out of the village and get into the other side of the fenced Indian territory,” said Bogul Mondol, head of the village.

Majdiya, the nearest town from the village, is 4 km away. Without any public vehicle available villagers have to walk down all the way to get their daily groceries, and get access to schools, colleges and hospital.

The zik-zak Indo-Bangladesh border also means that villagers have to walk through Bangladesh occupied land to reach another house across the same courtyard. Supriya Khatun, originally a resident of Jibanpur in Bangladesh, was married off to this village in India 20 years back. “I am an Indian at heart now. This is where my husband and family lives and like others I too have cast my vote today knowing very well that no political party would solve our problem.”

Goyeshopur in Chuyadanga district of Bangaldesh is nearer than the nearest town in Bengal. “There is no barb wire on the other side guarding the Bangladesh border. Farmers from that side come here to cultivate the lands belonging to Bangladesh. Sometimes we give them food and water. Our agony however starts when troublemakers from Bangladesh come and disturb our harvest and cattle,” said Jahanara Khatun from her mud hut.

Supriya, Jahanara and their whole clan speaks in chaste Bengali but had the accent that people from Khulna district of Bangladesh use. “Life here is very tough. After 5 pm the BSF closes its gate and we are cut off from India and are at mercy of these people from Bangladesh. We have no roads, no electricity; there are only two tube wells in the village. None of the political parties think about us. No one came for campaigning. Some people from both CPI(M) and Trinamool had come in one day and painted some of the huts with their symbols and names of candidates,” said Mithun Mondol, a 19-year-old resident of the village, now earning his living as a construction worker in Tollyganj.

Located in Krishnagangue Assembly constituency, this village comes under Matihari panchayat, which was won by Trinamool. For the Assembly election the village is voting for Mamata Banerjee but its residents have made it clear that they are not swept by the ‘Maa, Maati, Manush’ slogun of Banerjee. “We have understood that Didi would come to power. So we are voting for her party. This will make our life easy, we will be allowed to bring in fertilisers and our daily ration through the check post and take our harvest to the nearest market for auctioning without much hindrance,” said Saidul Mondol, a first time voter of the village.

“We know that no political part or its leaders will ever visit our village and bring in electricity and construct roads here,” he said.

First ever energy audit to power IIT savings

Kolkata, April 21

At a time when Bengal is reeling under a power crisis, IIT-Kharagpur has come up with a full-fledged energy audit. The report, the first of its kind for any IIT, throws light on ways to save power. The suggestions will soon be implemented on the campus.

Forty students of IIT-Kharagpur (IIT-Kgp) started the project at the initiative of AIESEC, the world’s largest student-run organization, and Ecozen Solutions, a startup by IIT-Kgp students. “The audit lasted for four months, from January to April, and is the first independent student-run non-credit energy audit initiative in India,” said Shubhanshu Mishra, a third-year mathematics and computing department student and a member of AIESEC. The students were helped in their endeavour by the electrical department faculty.

It was found that IIT-Kgp runs up an annual electricity bill of Rs 11.18 crore and the institute’s gross annual carbon footprint is equivalent to 25,000 tonnes of CO2. There were various aspects to the audit, ranging from electrical to heating, ventilation and air conditioning and fossil fuel consumption.

Several teams, under the technical supervision of senior Ecozen members, worked to assess the status quo by taking regular meter readings, accessing records and talking to on-site personnel. “It was seen that a lot of energy is being wasted in the institution’s kitchens. Energy is wasted when students do not switch off lights, fans or computers. Lights are left on even in the academic building. As responsible global citizens, we should want to change all this,” Mishra said.

The report suggests several infrastructure and behavioural changes to improve the situation. Technical changes were proposed, as were publicity and awareness drives. A competition among halls of residence, assigning consumption targets to departments and launching an aggressive green campaign were suggested. Changes in lighting systems across the institute were examined and the possibility of saving considerable electricity was discovered. Renovation of outdated cooling systems in the old building and building a biogas plant to utilise kitchen waste and save LPG were also suggested.

“The report took a complete view of the energy balance on the campus and identified areas of wastage and outlined proposals for implementation of corrective measures. Possibility of savings by implementation of these plans are twofold: Reduction in CO₂ emission and cut-down in energy bills,” said Mishra. The plan to replace HPSV street lights by LED lights alone would lead to around 58 per cent savings in energy.

The authorities are happy with the report and will implement most of the suggestions soon. The dean of students, Souvik Bhattacharya, who helped the energy audit team said, “The students have done an excellent job. With 19 hostels and 7,500 students, completing the energy audit was a huge task. Apart from students of IIT-Kgp, two students from Mexico and Chile were also part of the audit team. Some of the suggestions are reasonably inexpensive and we would try to implement them by the beginning of the next semester.”

Power saving plan of IIT-KGP

• Replacement of HPSV street lights by LED lights
• Modernisation of corridor illumination by replacing tubes with CFLs
• Installing motion sensors in low utilisation areas
• Installing master switches in high utilisation areas
• Building biogas plants to treat food waste from kitchen and use it for cooking
• Installation of solar cooker for boiling water
• Renovation of illumination system of central library by reducing the number of lights, installing motion censors and repositioning lights in some places
• Installation of online energy meters for academic complex and hostels
• Web portal to monitor and display energy consumption in real time
• Aggressive GoGreen campaign via posters, presentations, competitions and workshops
• Assigning targets to departments and hostels to reduce energy consumption through inter- hall and inter-departmental contests
• Using spring-loaded doors instead of sliding doors to reduce extra cooling load on AC
• Installation of underground insulated pipes along with pumps to supply chilled water for air-conditioning

Humorous & Feisty Mamata holds court during rail budget

Kolkata, February 24

Kolkata: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Pushed into a corner by opposition MPs who called her regional, a feisty Mamata Banerjee delivered telling counterpunches and humour to ensure that she was the last one standing at the end of her two-hour marathon Railway Budget speech.

If former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav’s budget speech are remembered because of its entertaining quality then Banerjee’s oratory tickled the funny bone of parliamentarians and general public glued in front of the television sets. Unlike Lalu, Didi was serious yet her speech will be remembered for the liberal use of improvised Hindi and English laced with bits and pieces of her mother tongue - Bengali. Dressed in a white and green sari and her trademark rubber slippers it was her funny pronunciations laced with her seriousness that many found amusing.

The Railway Minister, who has a strong Bengali accent, also apologised to the House for her pronunciation. “My pronunciation will go wrong if I go fast.... I apologise for my pronunciation,” she said. Banerjee, who was interrupted several times during her speech by members alleging that she was ignoring their constituency, was heard shouting back – “Aap shaant ho ke baitho to dega” (if you sit silently, I will give you), “chillao mat” (don’t shout), “jitna marzi chillao” (shout as much as you want) and “mera jaan kha gaya sab” (they have pestered me so much).

While Speaker Meira Kumar asked the MPs to sit down and let Banerjee finish her presentation, the minister did her bit by frequently interrupting her speech to tell MPs to let her complete the job. “I’m also a human,” a frustrated Banerjee said at one point. And then carried on gamely, not even stopping for a sip of water.

As names of various places of West Bengal came up during her budget speech, the opposition attacked her for being Pro-Bengal. Even as Speaker Kumar continued to pacify the MPs saying “Baith jaiye….baith jaiye” (sit down, sit down), Banerjee stopped reading her speech and said “Ke re” (Who is it?) and tried to spot the MPs creating uproar.

Then looking at Lalu, who had criticised her last year for giving a pro-Bengal railway budget, she deliver her clincher. “One of the Karma Bhumi Express trains will go from Darbhanga to Mumbai” and then chuckled “Laluji kahan hai? (Where is Laluji?)

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is not known to show her emotions much, was enjoying the way Banerjee held fort for nearly two hours. So when Banerjee reprimanded a MP, saying, “If you don’t listen, I will cut it,” (cancel your constituency’s name from the list)”, making Gandhi clap in glee. Banerjee also pleased Rahul Gandhi by announcing setting up of a bottling plant in Amethi, leading to some noises in the House.

The Opposition MPs once again started shouting when Banerjee begun announcing the expansion plan of Kolkata Metro.  The railway minister hit back by saying, “Karte raho…katre raho (Keep shouting).” Before moving on to the next announcement, Banerjee stopped and asked “Kyun chillata hai? (Why are you all shouting?)” Then resorted to colloquial Bengali, “Hath, arre dhat (Shoo! What the hell!).”

She was at her funny best while announcing the state of art skill development centre for railway workers in. Banerjee begun by saying that Beleghata would get one such centre and the house once again became restless. This time the minister tried to pacify the angry MPs and said, “Khaali Bolta Hain…..nahi hain,  pehele thik se suno (You all talk too much. Ok I have not given anything to other states. First you all listen properly there is something for everyone).” She then announced that another Centre would be coming up in Cuttack. “Cuttack kahan hai?....Jabalpur kahan hai? (Where is Cuttack? Where is Jabalpur)?” after announcing trains for these places. And just as the MPs had stopped their murmur, she quickly named Coochbehar and Jalipaiguri as two other places where the centre would come up.

And did we forget to mention that the common man crept up in her speech every now and then as she fondly called them “peepul,” her favorite deviation for the word ‘people’.

Peace prevails outside Basu’s ‘haven’

Mou Chakraborty

January 18, 2010

Kolkata: At 12.30pm on Sunday, Ravi Das set out on an unusual journey from his Halisahar home. The man hit by polio pulled out his hand-driven tri-cycle and kept on paddling until he reached Peace Haven, where Jyoti Basu’s mortal remains have been kept.

The 35-year-old lottery seller cycled all the way alone. “He was the greatest Marxist leader of Bengal. I joined the party 15 years ago inspired by one of his speeches at Brigade Parade ground. The tricycle that helped me to come here was given to me by Jyotibabu,” said Das.

“The moment I heard that he has passed away, I knew that I must see him for one last time at any cost. Immediately, I brought out my cycle and started paddling. Even though there are supporters like me but Jyoti Babu’s death would definitely cost the party dear in the next Assembly election,” Das added.

During the course of his journey, Das survived on peanuts and slept at Sealdah Station all night. But the journey went in vain as police stopped him at the gate of Peace Haven. With moist eyes Das said, “Food and sleep is not important. It is already evening and if I could paddle such long distance, I can wait for one more night to bid farewell to the leader who inspired me to fight in life despite my physical limitations. I will go to the Assembly tomorrow to pay my last respect.”

Not only Das, football Olympian Sailen Manna too turned up at Peace Haven to catch a glimpse of Basu but he too was turned away. “He was a gentleman and the kind of love and respect I got from him cannot be expressed. Whenever I needed a car he used it sent it from Indira Bhavan. The last time I went to meet him he called me in by my name. Today too if he would have been alive and knew I was here to see him he would have called me in,” said 86-year-old Manna with tears in his eyes.

Asit Chatterjee, an official of Mohun Bagan Club who accompanied Manna, said, “From the moment he came to know that Jyoti Basu’s mortal remains have been kept here, he was desperate to come. Now he will have to wait for another day.”

Even though no one was allowed to enter the gates of Peace Haven, 72-year-old Arun Deb, an NRI from Basu’s favorite holiday destination – London, was allowed in. Basu is kept in drawer number 2 in the freezer at Peace Haven while Deb was placed in the one just above him.

If the claim of local resident and CPI(M) supporter Sahil Islam is true, Basu has been kept in the same drawer where his protégé and CPI(M) leader Subhas Chakraborty had been kept after his death last year.

“He came from London with his wife and went to Shillong for a holiday but died on the way due to massive heart attack. They are sharing the same freezer. It is such a strange feeling to know that my father-in-law is sharing the same freezer with the veteran Marxist leader,” said Kaveri Das.

Though there were some emotional moments but the crowd outside Peace Haven comprised mostly locals and showed no sentiments. Only passers-by would stop to find out why the place had such media presence and then walk away.

Now you can become a graduate in six years

Mou Chakraborty

Kolkata: Come 2010, it will be OK for Calcutta University students to take six laidback years to be graduates. The B.A., B.Sc and B.Com courses will still be three-year courses. But a student will have the leeway to clear his subjects at any time of his choice during the six-year period. He might skip or even fail in a given number of subjects, but will be promoted to the next year under a credit system and no-detention policy adopted by the university.

The university’s Undergraduate Council took a decision on Thursday, blessing the above arrangement. “The university had introduced the Part I, Part II and Part III exam at the end of each year with a view to starting a credit system and a semester system. Now we are introducing the credit system and with it a no-detention policy. Under the new arrangement, a student wouldn’t be detained in a class even he fails in a paper or skips it. He will have six years to finish the course,” V-C Suranjan Das said.

A committee headed by pro vice-chancellor (academic) Dhrubajyoti Chottopadhyay will look into the nuances of implementing the system. It will table its report in three weeks. “We have agreed, in principle, to start a credit system and a no-detention policy. Once the committee tables its report, we will change the university statute,” Das said. “A student may pick any year in the six-year period to complete his course. We will declare him “passed” in that particular year and give him a consolidated mark-sheet. But he will have to spend at least three years on the course,” Das added.

The no detention policy and credit system will be applicable for both honors and general course students.

Highlights

*Exams can be spaced out or clubbed according to a student’s convenience

*No matter how well or badly he does, he will promoted to the next year

*He will have to spend a minimum of three years on the course and must complete it in six years

ICSE snubs Sibal on Class X exams, marks

Mou Chakraborty, Hindustan Times

Kolkata, October 27, 2009

Unlike the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) board is in no mood to introduce absolute grading for Class X examinations.

The ICSE council also refuses to make Class X exams optional, says its chairman, Neil O’Brien.

In August, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal had declared his intentions of making Class X exams optional.

He also said that those who wanted to write the exams would be awarded grades instead of marks.

Following that directive, the CBSE has already made Class X exams optional and said it would be awarding grades.

But O’Brien disagrees.

“Doing away with marks and awarding only grades won’t be useful,” he said. “If we award just grades, would colleges and universities accept the grades while admitting students?”

His logic: “College and university authorities would look for marks to draw up a merit list. Unless higher education institutions decide to admit students based only on grades and all other school education boards decide on grading, there’s no point in introducing them.”

The ICSE council currently awards grades along with marks.

About 1,600 schools are affiliated to the ICSE and more than 9,000 to the CBSE.

Principals of ICSE schools in the NCR agreed with O’Brien.

“There’s no point in giving grades in Class X and then making marks the basis for college admission,” said Anuradha Chopra, principal of Pragyan School, Greater Noida.

Komal Sood, principal of the Shri Ram School, Moulsari Avenue, Gurgaon, said, “I totally support the ICSE chairman’s views. If change has to be brought, it should happen at all levels. Class XII students should also be graded, and colleges should accept grades while admitting students.”

(With HT inputs from Delhi)

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/default.aspx?ed=264, http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/default.aspx

Gandhi fuels agri, industry debate

Kolkata, December 7
GOVERNOR GOPAL Krishna Gandhi might have fuelled yet another spate of controversy. Gandhi, who has been critical of the Left Front government’s policy of forcible land acquisition for industrialisation, refuted the pro-industry belief of the state government on Friday.
What could be his most scathing criticism of the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government, he denied the prevalent thought that industry not agriculture holds the key to the nation’s future. He was talking at a seminar organised by the Indian Society for Soil Sciences at the Indian Glass and Ceramics Research Institute.
“We all know Ramkrishna Paramhansa said ‘taka mati, mati taka’ (wealth is synonymous to land and vice versa). However, we should not misinterpret this and regard soil as fixed deposit, which could be enchased for the use of capital. I am all for industry and capital but industry and capital should not look readily upon soil as an encashable asset, to be put into the profit graph of private capital,” he stated.

According to sources, Gandhi said while soil was very important, the government needed to understand its significance and then decide whether to set up industry or give it away for agricultural purpose. Maintaining his tone, the Governor further said the deciding factor behind converting agricultural land for industrial purposes should be left on the fertility of the soil and not on margin of profit.
“Our natural balance of land should be maintained. Due to topographical reason, North Bengal is prone to landslides. In such a scenario, the plains are important for agricultural,” he said. Gandhi pointed out that it was as bad as trying to irrigate the deserts of Rajasthan for cultivation.
Sources informed that Gandhi also questioned SEZs (Special Economic Zones) and felt that these should not be allowed to come up just anywhere.
Although no media persons were invited for the seminar, contents of the Governor’s speech trickled out. Sources believe the speech is likely to bite the Left Front government hard enough and Gandhi would continue to be an eye sore, both for the administration and CPI(M).
Although the Governor has been critical of the steps taken by the sate government and its industrial policies ever since forcible acquisition of land at Singur, Gandhi gave vent to his angst and desperation in a statement following the police firing on peaceful demonstrators at Nandigram on March 14. Although he did not criticise the state government directly, he has often implied that he did not have faith in Bhattacharjee and his government. Recently, he further proved his lack of confidence in the government and Bhattacharjee when he met Marxist patriarch and former chief minister Jyoti Basu, requesting him to appeal for peace at Nandigram.
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