TIMES CITYTHE TIMES OF INDIA, KOLKATA | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015

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Kolkata: Banners have al-ways set the Puja tone inthe city but this timearound, there’s been atwist in the tale. And theprotagonist in the tale isnone other than MadanMitra, who was till lastyear an active Puja orga-nizer but now injail.

Puja organiz-ers have shroud-ed the entire theBhawanipore-Rashbeharistretch and mostof them have thename of Mitraprinted in bold. Insome of the ban-ners, however, the leader’sname has been coveredwith a brown tape. Theseare the pujas chief minis-ter Mamata Banerjee isscheduled to inaugurateover the next few days.

For instance, 66 Pallypuja organizers have cov-ered Mitra’s name becauseMamata is coming to theirpandal on Friday. YubaMaitree, on the other hand,has no such ‘compulsion’.Their banners continue toflaunt Mitra’s name. Goingby the thumb rule, thispandal doesn’t figure inthe CM’s inauguration list.

If you thought this isjust a coincidence, ask Pin-tu Sengupta, treasurer of66 Pally Puja Committee.“Madan Mitra was active-

ly with us till last year.However, things are not thesame any more. We havedecided to drop his namefrom the committee,” Sen-gupta said. The organizershad put Mitra’s name on

the banner. But they drop-ped his name after the CMagreed to inaugurate thepandal.

Even the big-budget pu-ja in Mitra’s locality haschosen to go without hisname. However, Badamta-la Ashar Sangha and 75Pally organizers said thatMitra had himself disso-

ciated from some of thesebig-budget pujas. “Wedropped his name after theTrinamool MLA requestedus to keep him out of thecommittee,” said Badam-tala cultural secretary Ta-pas De. Organizers of 75Pally went a step aheadand claimed that Mitrawrote to the Kalighat po-lice station two months agosaying that he is withdraw-ing himself from all clubsand puja committees thisyear.

Yet, Mitra’s para pujaAgradut Uday Sanghaflaunts his name as presi-dent till date. Yuba Maitreeclub treads the same path.“We will keep his name un-less he is proved guilty,” anorganizer said. Even thepuja organizers along BTRoad in Kamarhati havestarted taking banners andposters off the road.

Madan’s name playspeekaboo in banners

Saikat.Ray@timesgroup.com

While the banner ofAgradoot Uday Sangha stillcarries Madan Mitra’sname, organizers of 66 Pallyhave decided to cover it up

PUJA2015

Kolkata: It will be a long dry spell duringDurga Puja this year. This is not a predic-tion from the Met office. The excise de-partment has decided to put an embargoon liquor sale during the festivity. TheMet office, on the other hand, has predict-ed rain over the next few days.

The ‘dry spell’ starts right from Ash-tami, October 21, and will continue tillSaturday, Muharram. There is, however,asilver-lining for tipplers as liquor shopswill be allowed to sell liquor for few hourson Navami-Dashami, October 22. “Nightclubs and restaurants have been restrict-ed from serving liquor on all four daysstarting Ashtami. Liquor shops will beallowed to operate on Thursday till 3pm,”said a source in the excise department.

In the past, Ashtami and Dashamiwould be dry. But this year, Navami and

Dashami are on the same day. This prohibition might dampen the

spirit of revelers. “My friends and I hadplanned go club-hopping all night duringPuja. Now we will have to chalk out an-other alternative. But that cannot be asmuch fun as hitting the dance floor,” said

Piya Mazumdar, a final-year college stu-dent from Lake Town.

Night clubs see a surge in footfall dur-ing the festivity as many who do not par-ty regularly makes a beeline for theclubs. “I was zapped when a bartendertold me at a night club about the dry spell.Now I will buy liquor and organize a par-ty at home,” said Sumendu Saha of SaltLake.

Meanwhile, the Met office has pre-dicted rain for the next two to three days.A cyclonic circulation hovering over theBay of Bengal is likely to trigger rainacross south Bengal, including Kolkata.

“We expect scattered rain in Kolkataand other parts of South Bengal fromTuesday onwards. We will be able to pre-dict whether it will rain during the pujasor not,” said GC Debnath, deputy direc-tor general at the Regional Meteorologi-cal Centre, Kolkata.

It may be a rainy Puja, but ‘dry’ too

Rain may hamper shifting of Durga idolsto pandals from workshops

Sumati.Yengkhom@timesgroup.com

Kolkata:First, it was the killing of authorM M Kalburgi. Then, the cancellation ofGhulam Ali’s concert. Monday saw an inkattack on former diplomat SudheendraKulkarni by Shiv Sena supporters to pro-test the launch of former Pakistan foreignminister Khurshid Kasuri’s book. Kolka-ta’s literati has strongly condemned thisstrong-arm tactics.

Author Shankha Ghosh, who has re-ceived Padma Bhushan and the SahityaAkademi Award, is extremely upset.“Such things can’t go on. The central gov-ernment must take immediate steps to en-sure that the nation’s image is not tar-nished in front of the world,” Ghosh said,insisting the government can’t remain si-lent when India’s reputation is at stake.

Sahitya Akademi Award winner JoyGoswami is livid at what he calls a “hugeassault on the secular image of the na-tion”. “Those who have smeared the blackpaint on Kulkarni’s face don’t realise that

their action has tainted their own faces.The central government should immedi-ately take action against this,” Goswamisaid, adding that the murder of Kalburgihas pained him.

Reacting to the cancellation of GhulamAli’s Mumbai concert, Goswami pointedout that music has been used by every reli-gion as a form of communication withGod. “Bhajans, Sufi songs and choirs servethis purpose. Those who are stopping a

concert are actually hurting the tenets oftheir own religion. Ghulam Ali lives in Pa-kistan but his music belongs to everyone inthe world. Any attempt to restrict his mu-sic hurts India’s image,” Goswami added.

While ‘Atithi Devo Bhav’ is the taglinefor India’s tourism campaign, author Sir-shendu Mukherjee feels that the recentevents will have a detrimental impact ontourism as well. “Tourists will feel scared

to come to India now. Whatever is happen-ing is shameful. People across the worldare seeing such images on television. Amidhikkar janachhi (I strongly condemnsuch acts). Those at the helm should under-stand that if they don’t control people whoare indulging in such actions, they willsoon lose their support base across India,”Mukherjee said.

Actress Roopa Ganguly, who is a BJPleader, also voiced her protest. “In my per-sonal opinion, it is inhuman and undigni-fied if any person or a group smears ink onsomebody’s face. There are other dignifiedways of protest. If you don’t want to attenda programme, give it a miss. It is sad that acitizen of India will have the indecency tosmear black ink on a person’s face to regis-ter a protest. What’s worse is any attemptto politicise it,” she said. “Performing ar-tistes, writers and players don’t belong toany one country. They are global citizens.Rabindranath Tagore belongs to the wholeworld and not just to Bengal. The same istrue for other authors.”

‘Ink attack smeared India’s image’

INTELLECTUALS SPEAK OUT

Priyanka.Dasgupta@timesgroup.com

Kolkata: Who is the biggest starthis Puja inauguration season? Theanswer is unanimous, loud andclear. Mamata Banerjee. She hasbeaten celebs like Dev and governorKeshari Nath Tripathi by a longmargin.

Flooded with requests, Mamatahas lined up a touch-and-go sched-ule to accommodate all pujas. HerPuja schedule started on Mahalaya,the first stop being Chetla Agrani.Over the next four days, she will in-augurate pujas like Ekdalia Ever-green, Singhi Park, Badamtala Ash-ar Sangha, Naktala Udayan Sangha,Bhowanipore 75 Pally, 66 Pally, Bose-pukur Sitala Mandir, Bagbazar andShimla Byam Samiti.

Governor Tripathi, too, has hishands full. “The governor has al-ways been the most sought-after VIPduring the Left regime. With Didigetting involved with the adminis-trative decisions being taken re-garding organizing pujas, it is eas-ier to approach her and ask her toinaugurate the pujas,” said a top pu-ja organizer from Gariahat. Minis-ters like Partha Chatterjee and Sub-rata Mukherjee, who are at the helmof some of pujas, are themselves in-augurating 15-20 pujas each.

CM biggestinaugurationstar this year

Dwaipayan.Ghosh@timesgroup.com

The CM at the inauguration ofChetla Agrani Puja on Monday

Kolkata: Samba fused with the rhythm of dhaks.And fireworks lit up the evening sky as Pele tookcentre stage at NHSM on Monday.

The 55-minute show, co-hosted by Mir and sportsjournalist Boria Majumdar, had 10 questionslobbed at Pele by students. India, he said in reply to aquestion, had good footballers but lacked experi-ence. Indian players need more exposure to interna-tional football, he felt. “Get international players,international coaches and play abroad,” he urged.On being asked about the secret behind his success,Pele said: “Respect people, be prepared and neverthink you are the best”.

Replying to a query on who’s better, ChristianoRonaldo or Lionel Messi, he said the two have differ-ent styles and cannot be compared. “Both are verygood,” he said, adding that the future belongs toNeymar. “My son coached Neymar and preparedhim,” said Pele proudly. Asked how street footballshaped his career, Pele said he owes a debt of grati-tude to his days playing football on the streets. “Myfather was a football player and I played in the hin-terland as a boy, in school and on the streets with oth-er kids. That is where I learnt football,” he said.

Pele recalled his mother used to get angry withhim for dirtying his clothes while playing in therain. “We were not a rich family. My mother used totell me if I damage my clothes, she will not give me anew football. I used to plead with her,” he said. But itwas those days that made him successful.

Asked if stamina and physical fitness or skillwas more important for a player, Pele said: “Youcan’t separate the two. Physical condition is impor-tant. We see many good players not being able to playsince they are not physically fit. The most impor-tant thing in life is health”.

Asked when an African or Asian nation wouldlift the World Cup, Pele laughed and said: “It is diffi-cult to reply. It is not always that the best team or themost popular team wins. Brazil was five-time worldchampion, but I remember when I was a child andBrazil had hosted the World Cup, we lost and my fa-ther was crying. The second time Brazil hosted theWorld Cup we lost again. It is difficult to say who willwin, there are many factors”.

But it was his reply to a query from Mir that hadthe audience up on their feet applauding. Elevendays from now, said Mir, Pele would be celebratinghis 75th birthday at Buckingham Palace in London.“If you had a choice between a 75-pound cake fromthe best cake-maker of London or a kiss from QueenElizabeth, what would you opt for?” asked Mir. Pelesmiled, paused for a reply and said: “As a sportsper-son, I cannot eat too much cake. I’d prefer the kiss.”The crowd roared with laughter and cheered.

Pele’s visit to the campus was part of the ‘InspireThe Champion In You’ initiative by NSHM and theMulticon Group to get sporting legends to come

over and inspire the young. Pele unveiled a sculp-ture of his famous bicycle kick. He autographed itand dedicated it to the students of the institute.

Pele was gifted a portrait made by an NSHM stu-dent. Mir recited a short song dedicated to Pele, afterwhich the soccer legend played the dhak amidst fire-works. The event had commenced with a fusion mu-sic tribute to Pele. The soccer star was moved andsaid he recognized samba beats in the presentation.

Guru Mantra: Respect People... And Never Think You Are The Best

Pele Still Rules Kolkata HeartsI have heard a lot about Pele from my father. I know this for sure that he is a living legend and the moment I heard about his

visit to Kolkata I ensured I had a ticket to the auditorium. I have followed the Brazilian team perform magically and today, seeing their god is a completely different feelingAnish Chatterjee | CLASS XI, HEM SHEELA MODEL SCHOOL

I have come here to see the three-time world champion. I have been supporting Brazil since childhood and today is no different. He is, in my eyes, the best player in the history of football, and will always be. While growing up, we have seen other big players, but Pele is the tallest of them all. So, I believe I am lucky to have been able to see the legend walk among usPartha Pratim Chakraborty | STUDENT OF ECONOMICS, UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

I have seen videos of him playing. Like my brother, I too am a supporter of Brazil and there is nothing better than watching a

legend before your eyesSubhro Pratim Chakraborty | CLASS IX, DON BOSCO PARK CIRCUS

I got to know from my grandfather about the excitement Pele’s visit had triggered in Kolkata 38 years ago. The crowd is equally thrilled this time. I cannot explain how happy I am to get a pass to this event today. I wish TOI brought more such legends in the futureSusmit Chatterjee | CLASS X, SARSUNA HIGH SCHOOL

I am here to see the legend and thrice World Cup winner. I have seen videos of Pele’s speed and footwork and that’s enough to understand

what a great player he is. I wish I could see some players of the current generation as wellParvar Agnihotri | A CLASS 8 STUDENT, CALCUTTA

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

We are too young to have seen Pele live in action but I have seen Pele’s videos on the Internet and he is indeed a legend. I am crazy about Brazilian football. I have come here today because of my unconditional love for the Brazilian team. And, of course, the chance to see the greatest of them all... Pele!Ruchira Moitra | COMPUTER SCIENCE ENGINEERING STUDENT, IEMRuchira Moitra |

1. Mamata Banerjee offers a piece of cake to Pele 2. The legendwith Sourav Ganguly at Chetla Agrani pandal 3. Admires hisbicycle-kick statue 4. Pele shows his football skills 5. Checksout the TOI’s Monday edition

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Pics: Debobrata Shome

Sandip Roy

Sourav asked him about his three World Cupvictories, wanting to know why he felt 1970was special. It was the added responsibility of

being the most senior player, replied the legend.“When I played my first World Cup, I was just 17. Itwas like a dream. The onus of carrying the teamrested on players like Didi, Garrincha and Vava.But in 1970, the team looked up to me. So I said to my-self ‘God, I can’t lose this Cup’.”

Did the pressure to live up to expectations everget to Sourav, the cricket star was asked. “Therewill always be pressure and professional sportsper-sons get used to it. You need a bit of tension, nerves,and that ease after the first five minutes. You sawthe spark on Pele’s eyes when he spoke about the1970 victory. Eventually, it is the runs or the goalsthat matter,” said the prince of Kolkata.

Sourav was just four years old when Pele hadlast visited Kolkata, he said. So, he doesn’t remem-ber the match, but he does recall the hysteria that

greeted the Brazilian. Why does India lag behind infootball, Dada asked. It was important for young-sters to travel abroad and match their skills at theinternational level, answered the soccer king. Ex-perience is what can get India ahead, he felt.

The session had kicked off with Mamata Baner-jee cutting a cake to observe Pele’s birthday, 10 daysahead of time. Composer AR Rehman, who hasscored the tune for a biopic on Pele, hummed thehappy birthday tune. “We are proud to have Pele inour city. It’s Pele who has triggered the Bengalis’love for football,” said Mamata.

The session was thrown open to the audienceand questions came thick and fast for Pele. What ad-vice did he have for youngsters in India, asked actorProsenjit. Hockey Olympian Gurbux Singh wantedto know if physique was necessary to be a good foot-baller. Yes, affirmed the soccer great. “You need tobe fit and sharp,” he said.

Will Pele be coming back to India to help the In-dian team? “If I can help in some way, why not?”said the legend. A deafening cheer went up.

‘1970 World Cup win special’�Continued from P1

Pics: Sajal Mukherjee, Kamalendu Bhadra & Krishna Roy

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