It's a very unconventional novel in the sense that the book not only describes the City of Joy with its pros and cons, but also does depict lives of ordinary citizens faring the streets of Kolkata, along with a view on social, cultural, political, environmental, infrastructural, literary, education and sports-related activities of State of West Bengal, in the eyes of a teenage girl who lost both her parents at a tender age, surviving all odds & adversaries around, with head held high - not succumbing to any type of pressure ...
Read More
It's a very unconventional novel in the sense that the book not only describes the City of Joy with its pros and cons, but also does depict lives of ordinary citizens faring the streets of Kolkata, along with a view on social, cultural, political, environmental, infrastructural, literary, education and sports-related activities of State of West Bengal, in the eyes of a teenage girl who lost both her parents at a tender age, surviving all odds & adversaries around, with head held high - not succumbing to any type of pressure. There are some interesting observations relating to background of Kolkata - its rich socio-cultural history, apart from the great role played by many patriot citizens during the freedom-struggle prior to attaining India's independence. Places of interests in and around of Kolkata may prove to be a valuable guide to travellers; discussions and new information can enable one to grasp a better handle on understanding the city; environmental concerns have been addressed with a view to educate people not to pollute the city further; festivals all year round here were discussed; infrastructural developments and areas of concerns were analysed; popular destinations including restaurants were kind of reviewed; and, many corners of Kolkata not so much known to outsiders were detailed in the book.Various scams, spams and corruptive practices that have been rocking the City lately have been summarised with a view to educate the next generation, young minds in particular, to raise awareness so that they can initiate positive changes when they grow up, due to the sad fact that the current generation couldn't contribute much to the success of the City's living conditions, etc. - it seemed that many of us have made lives difficult for our next generation. Polarisation and politics of appeasement are hurting the City in many ways; attempts have been made to consolidate & fortify our nation against enemies. Nepotism, favouritism, inequality and unfair practices are impediments for sustained growth - the author has tried to point out the ills that inflict damages to our own selves, with an objective of enabling readers to make their own decisions for betterment of our nation, so that we may soon be called a Developed nation. The sacrifices and inhuman tortures many of our great freedom fighters and many unsung heroes had to endure in order to liberate our country from aggressors should be reminded to our next generation, so that all those sacrifices and blood-spills do not go in vain. The book tried to address those issues, along with issues which flare up communal tensions - primarily fuelled by vote-bank politics and ignorance of commoners.Children on the streets of Kolkata who do not have a safe shelter above their heads, as also destitute children abandoned at homes and other places by their parents are the worst sufferers. Not only do they get to enjoy a healthy nourishment and safe home free from predators, they are often traded by handlers and agents for making money. Many children die prematurely or end up being locked up in asylums after losing the will to fight back. Since the author has the privilege of working with many destitute children, apart from helping some of them in various ways, she tried to describe the conditions and background of some of those kids, hoping that better sense will prevail amongst the good Samaritans, to constructively aim at eradicating such horror for good. After changing names of actual victims, many untold real-life stories were narrated throughout the book, along with the poor state of education and health-care prevalent in Bengal, so that positive thinkers may start thinking of ways to improve state of affairs. Problems created by unethical hawkers & street-peddlers, as also by errant drivers & auto-rickshaws were detailed through a project work, so that people understand the root cause of those problems. The usual disclaimer pertaining to names & characters is hereby claimed.
Read Less
Add this copy of Streets of Kolkata: a Prodigious and Unconventional to cart. $26.47, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Independently published.