Speeches & Articles

Remarks of Consul General Beth A. Payne
On Kolkata: Today and Tomorrow
January 17, 2009

January 17, 2009

Mohammad Salim, Member of Parliament
Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti, Police Commissioner
Sumanta Chowdhury, CEO WBIDC
Ritupara Sengupta, Film Actress
Sumit Mazumdar, MD TIL
Sanjay Budhia, President ICC
Sumon Mulhopadhyay, Film Director
T. Singh, GM, Taj Bengal

Ladies and Gentlemen
Namashkar
 
Just over one year ago, I was thrilled to get the news that my next posting would be as the U.S. Consul General in Kolkata.  I had wanted to live in Kolkata for years after a friend raved about the city - describing Kolkata's vibrant cultural life, hours of intellectual exchanges or "adda," and how much he had enjoyed the melting pot of cultures that make up this amazing city.  Despite my friend's glowing description of Kolkata, the city has actually exceeded my expectations.
  
The best thing about Kolkata has been the people.  I'm from a small town in Pennsylvania and have always appreciated how close people become in a small town, where we all look after each other.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Kolkata is a small town of 14 million people!  Each neighborhood or "parra" has its own small town feel and as a newcomer, I've been warmly welcomed everywhere.  I often explore the city on foot with my camera and have been amazed how many people have welcomed me into their neighborhoods and even their homes, having no idea that I am anyone other than another tourist out to see the city.  I've traveled the world and there are few cities as welcoming as Kolkata.
 
Another thing I like about Kolkata is that it is truly a mélange of cultures and religions from around the globe.  I've eaten dim sum in Tiretta Bazaar, visited a Madrasa in Kidderpore, participated in a Kali Puja in Sovabazzar, and joined in the Christmas Eve festivities at Bow Barracks.  I've listened to tales of Baghdadi Jews, celebrated Diwali with Marwari families, eaten authentic Chinese food in Tangra, explored Bihari markets, and enjoyed Bengali "adda."  The people of Kolkata enthusiastically celebrate every religious festival - whether it's a puja, Eid or Christmas!
  
Kolkata is an intellectual hub, with constant debates and discussions that seem to keep the air buzzing.   Because of this culture of critical thinking and drive for new ideas, the city has generated some of the world's greatest thinkers - Amartya Sen, Satyajit Ray, Manik Banerjee and Rabindranath Tagore just to name a few.  I've enjoyed the spirited debates I have about the benefits and challenges of communism versus capitalism, where to strike the balance between industrialization and agriculture and how to create a free market economy that also protects the poor and prevents excessive greed.
  
Kolkata is also bursting with art and culture.  There are dozens of excellent art galleries, many showing works by new artists in addition to the museum pieces by Calcutta's masters.  I'm encouraged by the commitment my friends in the art field have made to ensuring that young, up and coming artists are able to show their work -- and the enthusiasm most Kolkatans have for buying artwork, not just a privileged few.  The same goes for other cultural activities - every week there are dozens of music and dance performances, many of which are free or inexpensive - most of which play to packed theaters.  Even your biggest community event - the Durga Puja - is a showcase of Bengali art, both traditional and avant garde.
 
Kolkata is a green city, with parks and plants everywhere.  I have never seen so many potted plants as I've seen in Kolkata - even in the poorest streets in the city, I find a potted plant on a window sill or peaking out from behind a fence.  Every neighborhood seems to have at least one park, where hundreds of people gather for their morning exercise.  Kolkata is the only city I know of that has wetlands inside the city - where someone can go and have tea with a local fisherman, with the skyline of the city rising above the fish ponds. 
 
Kolkata is surprisingly accessible and walkable.  I've spent hours exploring Kolkata on foot.  And while I have at times had to dodge street vendors or wade through streets after a Monsoon, I also enjoyed the cool evenings on Park Street and the early mornings at New Market.  By taking your clean and efficient Metro to other neighborhoods, I've avoided the traffic and did not have to worry about parking.
 
There is no question that Kolkata, like many other large cities throughout the world, has its challenges.  Polluted air and dirty streets hide the beauty of the city.  The Hooghly River has lost its glow due to pollution and neglect.  The best of the city's intellectuals and artists often live elsewhere, returning to Kolkata for inspiration but not for good.  Short term political goals often prevail over the long term needs of the city.  
 
The question is are you willing to accept this or do you want something more for Kolkata?  Do you want a city that is still accessible and walkable, with widely available and affordable public transportation and footpaths that everyone can use?  Do you want a green city that everyone can enjoy?  Do you want a city with a clean river and air you can breathe?  Do you want a city that adapts to the changing world while preserving its cultural heritage?  What are your priorities?  How do you balance conflicting goals? 
 
It's tempting to be fatalistic about Kolkata's fate and easy to reminisce about what Kolkata was, but I think we all owe it to Kolkata to do the work necessary to make the city what it deserves to be.  While it won't be easy, I believe it is possible. 
 
In my home state of Pennsylvania there was a time when our second largest city, Pittsburgh, was one of the most polluted cities in the U.S.  Steel factories had closed down, leaving thousands without jobs.  Empty warehouses littered the shores of the polluted river running through the heart of the city.  Young people left the city as soon as they got their education.  All Pittsburgh had little left except its art and culture, first rate educational institutions and a memory of better days.  There were many people who predicted that Pittsburgh would never regain its past glory, but would simply fade away as a forgotten part of America’s history.
 
Others, however, refused to accept this fate for their beloved city.  Instead, they organized themselves – bringing together government officials, private business and local city activists - and developed a strategy to save the city.  They included all of the stakeholders in developing their strategy and each interest group made compromises to help achieve a common goal.
 
The elected government worked along side industry and civil society to redevelop abandoned industrial sites to create new housing, shopping and offices.  They cleaned up the rivers and the polluted air.  They invested in a world class airport.  They shifted the city's focus from industry and granted incentives to private companies to encourage investment in healthcare, education, technology, robotics, fashion and financial services.  After years of hard work, a new Pittsburgh emerged.   Today, Pittsburgh is consistently voted the most livable city in America and has a thriving economy.  Even with the current economic crisis, Pittsburgh is economically strong and its housing market is relatively stable.     
 
I know what you're thinking - people here simply don't have time to devote the type of energy it took to turn a city like Pittsburgh (granted a much smaller city than Kolkata) around.  I beg to differ.  This year I witnessed an amazing annual feat of community commitment and organization - the Durga Puja.  Throughout the city, neighborhoods and clubs spent at least six months working out the logistics of their puja - raising funds, holding meetings, deciding themes, organizing entertainment and then hosting safe and enjoyable pujas for a week.  At the time, I imagined what type of city Kolkata could be if everyone devoted the other six months of the year to revitalizing the city.
 
So - what will Kolkata be tomorrow?  Whatever you make it.  As a newcomer who has already fallen in love with the city, I hope you do what it takes to make Kolkata the city it deserves to be.
 
Thank you.