On my way to work one morning, I found myself stuck at a busy junction where the traffic was being managed manually. Nothing unusual about that in Kolkata—except for the person doing the managing.
He wasn’t a policeman. He was a KMDA traffic volunteer. In fact, I can’t remember ever seeing a KMDA official directing traffic before!
But this gentleman was in complete command of the junction. With a few well-practised hand signals, he was simultaneously conducting pedestrians, stopping vehicles, releasing others and somehow orchestrating the whole chaotic symphony of Kolkata traffic.
At one point, I half expected him to produce a baton and start conducting Beethoven!
His hand movements were so precise and confident that I found myself more fascinated by the traffic controller than the traffic itself. So, before it was finally my turn to move, I quickly pulled out my camera and managed to click a couple of shots.
And then, just like that, the maestro waved me through—and the show moved on without missing a beat!
