Panic Grips The City

Last evening the news channels suddenly started broadcasting red alerts and warning that a huge cyclone was going to hit the city, the likes of which had wiped out coastal Orissa in 1999. Predicting wind speeds of 240 kmph and huge showers through images of the coastal areas, our news channels were successful enough in creating a panic the likes of which I've never seen. By 5.30pm in the evening the streets started clearing out, people were scurrying back home and the sky plunged into darkness with black clouds looming over the city.

Since everyone in office was gripped in fear and panic, we were let off early. They were all making frenzied calls to friends and relatives to drop everything they were doing and head back home this very moment. People were glued to their mobile phones and the television which was showing scenes of coconut trees blowing in the gale.

A colleague of mine and me dismayed and unfazed by such trivial excuses for people to escape from work decided to make the best of an early evening off. We left the office at about 6.30pm and decided to go have a drink at OLYPUB. We were joined by another friend and the three of us had a jolly good time discussing the pathetic state of affairs in this city and how people had so much time to think of all things other than work.

What takes the cake is when we got back to our car which was parked across the road and found the parking attendant not allowing any cars to park there anymore and said it was the instruction of the Traffic Seargent. Why? Well all because there was a cyclone coming this way. We all just burst out into laughter.

I got dropped off a little way down and decided to walk back home because none of the taxi guys wanted to give me a ride. I noticed on the kilometer walk back home, a street that was famous for traffic snarls, that its was absolutely empty. An odd car here and there, else completely bare. The pavements which usually house a market and stalls on both sides was empty. Shops had pulled their shutters down and those that were open had owners waiting for customers to come and buy their wares, a hopeless proposition.

Its then that I came upon the hoarding of The Times Of India, that said "CHOOSE YOUR FUTURE LEADERS". Yes I think its about time Kolkata needed some new leaders and I'm not talking about toppling the government. I'm talking about leaders in the form of you and me. Lead people to believe that West Bengal can catapult itself into the future. A state that has been languishing in the echelons of a system of old school politics. Today's Bengal needs to catch up with the rest of the country. So people here's an appeal to all of you, lead Kolkata. Leadership starts with belief and if you believe that you can make a difference and you practice those beliefs, you will get people to believe and you'll lead.