tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27860302.post1250926682523964014..comments2024-03-23T15:36:01.841+05:30Comments on Kolkata Curry: The green triumphAnirban Halderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15210502797271658022noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27860302.post-41443654669791726242007-10-30T03:24:00.000+05:302007-10-30T03:24:00.000+05:30The Kolkata Book Fair was not stopped by the Hon'b...The Kolkata Book Fair was not stopped by the Hon'ble Court suo motu. A petition was filed by an Advocate in his own name urging other reasons where environmental questions were only some of the questions raised. The learned advocate is not a resident of Kolkata, but resides what is charitably known as Greater Kolkata. The expert chosen by them, is not only not a resident of Kolkata but heads an environmental activist group of Howrah and resides at Howrah. He is a chartered accountant, who is ubiquitous in High Court during public interest litigation days, and drafts and pleads cases himself. Presumably he finds time to attend to his profession. These persons succeeded in blocking the uninterrupted Kolkata Book Fair, which has been occurring for more than 32 years, as the largest open air book exposition where people can not only read books but also buy them in situ, and keep on reading books without buying them for hours, and thereby created an international smudge on the face of the achievements of the city dwellers who patronize and read books and even today give books as gifts at weddings. It used to be, in the Maidan, a place where rivers met, inspiration was commonplace and the erudite and the lumpen met on equal terms. No resident of Kolkata wanted it stopped. An essential element of Kolkata's culture was not allowed to happen at the instance of those who dwell in the Mofussils. While having great regard for the expert personally, one must point out that his motives have been questioned both in the print media and on oath. Incidentally the locus of the petitioner to maintain the petition was never decided because of the principle of law that in environmental matters relating to pollution any citizen has a right to complain and follow it up.Madame Sosostrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10649111319123860140noreply@blogger.com