Boi-mela fire-an eyewitness account
Arindam Basu
A friend from Calcutta has recently sent me a letter describing the fire
at the
Calcutta Book Fair.He describes it as "once in a lifetime" experience.Since a lot
of analyses and discussions are already going on in this newsgroup on this
tragedy, thought I might share the letter with all of you. He writes the letter at
11:00 P.M. on the third Feb.(the day of the 'Fire').Here is what he writes:-
"..Aaj sondhabelaye ek bichitro o bhayabaho once in a lifetime obhigyota holo-
jetar ongshidar hobar jonyo tor cheye utkristo kauke taratari bhebe uthte parlam
na.Tai ei raat egarotaye chitHi niye boshecHi.
KHobor ta itimodhye TV ba Internet marfot tor kacHe pNoucHecHe kina jani na,
aar kicHui na - aaj bikal saRe tinte ( 3:30 P.M.)theKe pNachtar modhye(5:00P.M.)
der ghontaye, saRe aatsho (850) osthai stall o pavillion somet prithibir brihottomo
open-air boi-mela amader gorber kolkata boi-mela - aguney cHai hoye gelo.
Ghotonar sutrapat tinte kuri minute-e(3:20P.M.); Udayan ( a dorm of the Medical
College Hospital- house-staff quarter)theke amra chhoijon tokhon sodyo boi-melaye
dhukecHi o Samir Biswas-er stall theke kolkatar opor aanka picture postcard o
writing pad ityadi kine kenakatar khata khulechi.Thik tokhoni mike-e aarto ghoshona
-- stall e agun legecHe domkol ( fire engine) sighro aashun.( pore jenecHi, ekti
khabar dokane gas stove phhetey aagun dhorey jaye-mamuli byapar{oops!please don't
bombard me - arindam;)} kintu gota doshek (around ten) fire extinguisher thokathuki
korleo ektao kaj koreni folotoh aagun pashe Monishar stall-e cHoriYe
jaye.).Domkol-er duto pray okejo gari,prothome naki start nichchilo na, tarpor
minit doshek badey aashey.Tader shirno jolodhara bishesh subidha korte pare ni.Ta
cHara, tara stall-er agun nevanor bodole Guild Office-ke(er bhitor auditorium o
united bank chilo) banchatey jaye.Aagun aste aste cHoriye poRlo.Amra ektu durey
dnarIYe sotorkobhabey dekhchi.Tokhono bhabini emon kando hobe.Kintu tarporei khub
hawa dite shuru korlo, domkol-er gota pnachek gari-o aaguner kache nehat oshohay
tokhon.Etokhon onyanyo stall-er lokjon collapsible-e tala diye (jate boi lutpat na
hoi!)dekhtey eshechilo.Aaguner lelihan sikhaye hu hu ogrogoti dekhey tara ebar
boipotro soranor chesta shuru korlo, kintu tokhon onek deri hoye gechhe.Boi-melar
chartey gate-i abar ek-i dike ( Park Street-er Mukher kachHe), orthat lokjon bhitore
pray atok.Ei somoye Maidan-e khelte thaka aspiring cricketer-ra eshe tiner prachir
koyek jaygaye bhenge diye atonkito jonogon-er rasta kore dilo.Maidan e beriye eshe
"stobhdobak rudhdhoshhash bimurHo bibHwol bishMoye" bisfarito choKhe dekHlam
aguner gola ki ashamanyo totporotai gota melar plywood-bnash-kapar-kach-boipotroke
rakkhushe khidey gile fello!!Maidan-er dike puro stall-er sari ontoto sho-khanek
stall( about 100 stalls)matro pNach -sat minit-e( 5-7 minutes) daudau kore jole
uthlo.Akashe kalo dhoyar punjibhuto megh,jolonto boi-er pata hawoay domka urche o
onyotro ognisangjog korcHe, boi-melar hajar chollish manush udbigno mukhe bhir kore
aache, itostoto pothe boshe jawa prokashok o boibyabshai-der ghire jotola,keu
hauhau kore kandchHe,karo mukhe bodh-hin bhashahin sob-harano bibhwalata-khub
jomaTi
Hollywood-i Chobite-o emon composition korte pare na bodhkori!puromath daudau kore
jolche,kotikoti takar (billions of rupees worth?) deshi bideshi boi dhnowa hoye
ure jachche, sobai mundopat korche songothHok committee o domkol-er(and
Subhobabu,you thought make-shift food stalls were..;)-arindam).ChHota nagad agun
ektu exhausted holo, chokHe jwala dhorano kalo dhowar gheratop thhele bhitore
dhuklam sarejomin-e tadanto korte.Park Street-er mukhe gota ponero stall rokHHa
peyechHe( tar modhy Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, swatantropokashoni
aar Mitra o Ghosh royecHHe.).Aar sobkichu matir songe mishe geche.
Emon ekta okinchitkor agun-ke kibhabe chorom opodarthotai(absolute lack of
planning and promptness) sorbograshi hoye uthte dewa holo, ta samner theke
stambhito holam.Aagun ebhabe choriye porbe sonslishto keu-i bhabtei paare ni, tai
somoy thakte boi bachanor chesta-o kore ni.Kuri-tirish lakh takar (Rupees two-three
million?)boi chilo ek ekta boro stalle,sob shesh.
......."
Apologies for my lousy transliteration.Any ideas, anyone?
Regards,
Arindam