I
left the ORH in New Jalpaiguri expecting to be in Kolkata by 6 pm. The
expectation had factored in the 650 km that had to be covered in the day. As
the day panned out I had to change program and bypass Kolkata. Extremely
horrible roads, heavy truck traffic and snaking queues saw me take 5 hours from
Malda to Farakka - a distance of 25 km. What I experienced as so called roads
in West Bengal begged the questions: Is this India of the 21st century and, Is
this Make in India? Mamtadi's land is surely challenged in so far as civil
society infrastructure is concerned. Surely the excuse of heavy rains will be
forwarded. Then, is this all the technology we have? Or will vested interests
continue to play havoc with public funds and their use?
In sheer desperation as the driving day was
prolonging with no hope of reaching Kolkata I wanted to find out alternatives.
I was well and truly at my wits end. I reached out to Thulasiram in
Visakhapatnam, who connected me to his friend who had an encyclopaedic
knowledge of the area. He expertly guided me through the main roads and state
roads till I hit the National Highway 2. His expertise stemmed from his
professional engagements – he works with the Excise department. He suggested
that it would be better if I halted in Kolaghat and suggested a small hotel
too. Well past midnight I mercifully reached the Sher-e-Punjab at Kolaghat. An
ordeal of over 20 hours had come to an end. Imagine 20 stressful hours behind
the wheel to cover 650 km with hardly any rest in between.
The room at the Sher-e-Punjab was basic but
worth the price. The restaurant attached to the hotel was doing brisk business
even past the midnight hour. After ensuring that the car is parked safely I had
a small snack and hit the sack.
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