Sujan Dutta of The Telegraph, the ‘war’ correspondent, currently covering the 5-nation naval drill, Malabar 07-02, in the Bay of Bengal, has this interesting piece on Subrata Mukherjee, the city’s colorful ex-mayor.
Trinamul leader and former Calcutta mayor Subrata Mukherjee was on board the USS Kitty Hawk on Friday and as soon as he took the first few steps down the flight deck and looked around him, he was struck with wonder. “Eta toh ekdom ekta bheelez’er moton, maaeeri (this is just like a village, Mother Mary).”
The Kitty Hawk is much more than that and there is little in it to make one feel bucolic. It is the oldest aircraft carrier in the US fleet.
Mukherjee was here on a “distinguished visitors’ programme”. The US consul in Calcutta was here, too. The Andamans fall in the Calcutta consulate’s area of responsibility.
Now, back to Mukherjee. He said it was with great difficulty he found two days off from his busy schedule. He was worried a bit about the arrested landing or “trap” and the catapulted take-off “shot” but appeared to bear it well. He was carrying a spare suit, unsuitable for the tropics, in a “Traders’ Assembly, Gariahat” plastic bag.
Just 2 things that puzzle me. One, Sujan mentions Subrata as a Trinamul leader. As far as my knowledge goes, he is now in Congress. Or is it that he has changed side again..!
Two, I didn’t know maaeeri stands for Mother Mary. Did you?
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