Calcutta (Kolkata) India
Trip to Darjeeling in the Himalayas
India story - BK
Arrive in Calcutta 15th March 1977
Left 13th June 1978 for volunteering work in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tokyo and Sth Korea
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In 1976 I went into the city frequently to the Melbourne Public Library to pore over this book on 'Calcutta' by Geoffrey Moorhouse. It became my 'bible' to gather an understanding of the history of the city and the Bengali people. |
Introduction Page 10 - Calcutta (Geoffrey Moorhouse) THE HISTORY OF CPI (M) IN WEST BENGAL 1977 On 29 September 1977 the West Bengal Land (Amendment) Bill was passed. Through Operation Barga was done before in 1967 under the Leadership of Hare Krishna Konar and Benoy Choudhury , in which share-croppers were given inheritable rights on lands they tilled, 1.1 million acres of land was distributed amongst 1.4 million share-croppers.On 4 June 1978 three-tier panchayat local bodies were elected across the state, elections in which the Left Front won a landslide victory. Some 800,000 acres of land were distributed to 1.5 million heads of households between 1978 and 1982. The Left Front government was also credited with coping with the refugee situation created by the Bangladesh Liberation War and severe floods. |
| THE HISTORY OF CALCUTTA |
This is a photocopied map of Calcutta which I obtained from the book 'Calcutta' by Geoffrey Moorhouse. I consulted it often for the year that I spent in Calcutta. Mother Teresa's principle building was in Lower Circular Road not far from Sealdah Station. |
Howrah Bridge Calcutta
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Ganges River Calcutta
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Main Street in Calcutta - most of the cars were British Austins
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Chowringhee View of Calcutta
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Calcutta was the capital of India until 1912 - this is the Victoria Memorial in central Calcutta
Here is a photo I took of the Victoria Memorial
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Buying and selling produce on the streets
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Weighing fresh produce on the streets of Calcutta |
General Post Office Calcutta |
New market - Calcutta
Morning exercise in Calcutta |
Hooghly River in Calcutta |
Banyan Calcutta
The frustration of my fellow volunteer 'old William' endeaavouring to return to London in May 1977 |
