Aviating Kolkata

2 days back Deccan, the rechristened Kingfisher-Air Deccan carrier, flew into Cooch Behar, heralding a new era in Bengal’s aviation history. The fact that the local people at Cooch Behar assembled at the airport to welcome the flight in more than a decade and a half spoke volumes of their enthusiasm.

Cooch Behar used to have regular flights from Kolkata for a long time since 50s till ultimately these were stopped in the 90s for want of passengers. It was entirely expected because Bengal was then experiencing an unprecedented anti-industry wave wherein the word ‘profit’ used to be looked at with venomous suspicion.

The income of average people dropped, their aspirations nosedived, and every development whatever that be suffered undesired meddling by those who enjoyed power. The latter’s myopic view of what could be really good for the people led to mediocrity and even worse. The end result: people who thought they could live better lives started leaving the state in droves.

Things have now changed a lot. Industry is being welcomed with increasingly open arms. The decay in the system is at last being arrested bit by bit. People have started believing that earning money is after all not a sin.

Deccan’s interest to start flights to Cooch Behar firmly indicates that there is a latent demand to be tapped, and since the political meddling has reduced a great deal, the prospect looks profitable to them. If Deccan succeeds, there is no doubt others will soon follow.

In the southern fringe of the city, in Behala, a long-unused tarmac is now being readied to receive flights. Though this one will presumably be used for resuming a flying club, there are talks that even small commercial flights can make use of it.

Meanwhile, starting this week China Eastern will debut its direct thrice-a-week flight from the city to Kunming. See my earlier post, Chinese first.

What do all these indicate? On a day (yesterday in fact) when the US treasury secretary Henry Paulson touches down in the city to talk business on way to Mumbai, it can be safely said that Bengal – and Kolkata in particular – is now caught in the radar of international community for development. How fast? Let the time tell.