With the official declaration regarding the takeover of ‘The Statesman House', Kolkata on November 26, 2022, The residents lost a site of cultural heritage in the name of development. The building is reported to be converted into a ‘Tech Mall’ after being acquired by the Merlin Group, a leading real estate developer in Kolkata.
The Statesman House, Calcutta is not just a building made
up of bricks and mortar, at least for me. It held the hopes and dreams of a
9-year-old girl, who was bewitched by the beauty and elegance it held. A child,
who simply wanted to work inside the building. Someone, who simply wanted to be
a part of ‘The Statesman House' as a child who had no idea about what working
for The Statesman entails, I remember rolling down the tinted windows of the
car and exclaiming with great enthusiasm, "I will work here one day."
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| The Statesman, Kolkata [Photo Courtesy: google/Flickr] |
Standing today, as someone more than aware of the economic conditions of ‘The Statesman’, the dream was yet to fade. A dream of stepping foot inside The Statesman House, as a journalist and a contributor.
With the statement of the auction, ‘exclusive retail: 87
lacs onwards’, a not-so-subtle rage and disappointment rushed from within.
Soon, the rage diminished till it left only a husk of disappointment and grief.
Time seemed to freeze and I can state with utmost
conviction that if a heart can shatter like it’s made of glass, mine did at
that moment. The morning cup of tea left a bitter taste in my mouth.
The economic situation of the once highly esteemed
newspaper suggested a similar fate but a mall in place of a newspaper which was
once the pride of Calcutta is unheard of and is unacceptable, to say the least.
The Statesman daily established in 1875 in Chowrangee
Square, Kolkata, played an integral role during the rising patriotic sentiments
within the Indians during the Colonial Era. It followed a liberal-independent
editorial stance. It bravely and openly criticized the East India Company and
its decisions. Unapologetic and relentless in its demeanor, ‘The Statesman’ was
the definition of Journalism. Incessant, and prideful in its ventures, the
newspaper seldom failed to achieve its goal. It successfully unified the
‘Elite’ classes of Bengal through the power of words alone. Hiding the echoes
of the past that the house has witnessed in its heyday and paying no heed to
the artistic and societal significance of such a place cannot be considered
anything less than an absolute blunder.
The conversion of architecture with such cultural
significance into a mall seems downright demeaning for its pride. With the
advent of technological development, it is a universally acknowledged fact that
a certain amount of culture will always be compromised, but at what cost?
Vestiges of lost pride still hang within the pillars of
the building only to be painted and hidden forever as collateral damage for the
sake of development. Alas, Erasing history seems to have become the
government’s new favorite pastime. Multiple viable options were available but
this particular decision was the most profitable and hence it was approved and
followed. Instead of reinstating the monumental glory, it was deemed fit to
destroy whatever remained of it.
Throughout the years, with the continuous diminish
in its ‘quality’, The Statesman Kolkata, failed to take a final stand. The
miracle of bringing back its lost glory never came. Thus with this advancement,
West Bengal yet again lost a piece of culture in the hands of Capitalism.
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