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Calcutta: Victoria clings to Charnock legacy

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  • Calcutta: Victoria clings to Charnock legacy

    The Statesman, India
    June 21 2005

    Victoria clings to Charnock legacy

    Mathures Paul
    in Kolkata

    June 20. - The Calcutta High Court might have changed history books,
    removing Job Charnock 's name as the city's founder, but Victoria
    Memorial is yet to get away from the colonial hangover. In the sound
    and light show, held on its premises every evening, it still claims
    Charnock to be the founder of Kolkata and retains 24 August 1690 as
    the birthday of the city. It maintains that three villages -
    Sutanuti, Govindapur and Kolikata - were purchased by Charnock from
    Sabarno Roy Chowdhury for Rs 1,300.

    `I'm aware of the mistakes but a substantial amount of money and
    expertise is required to make the necessary changes. We have spoken
    to the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and during the monsoon, when the
    show will not be held, necessary changes will be made. Kolkatans will
    get to experience a new version of the show in October,' says Mr
    Panda, curator of Victoria Memorial.

    A landmark judgment hammered out by the High Court a couple of years
    back stated that Kolkata existed much before Charnock. Although the
    programme admits that the Armenians arrived before Charnock, it still
    considers Britishers to be the founder of Kolkata. The show makes no
    mention of the grave of Rezabeebeh, wife of the late Sookias, who
    died in 1630, to establish the arrival of the Armenians before the
    Englishmen. The initiative to establish that people lived here much
    before Charnock's arrival was taken by former MP Mr Ajit Kumar Panja.
    The popularity of the show seems to be decreasing, for much of the
    chairs remain vacant on weekdays. Though the show features an
    excellent combination of light and sound with the Raj as the
    backdrop, it speaks little about post-Independence days and events
    like the Emergency period, Naxalite movement and so on. Even events
    like the 1857 uprising, formation of Congress and the birth of Indian
    Museum have been left out. While celebrities like Rabindranath
    Tagore, Netaji, Swami Vivekanada and others find place in the show,
    Mother Teresa, V Balsara, Amartya Sen and Saurav Ganguly are still
    waiting in the wings. Also missing is the fact that the first
    recording of human voice in the country was done here in the city in
    1902 on behalf of the Gramophone Company by Fredrick William
    Gaisberg.

    `Since the show was produced quite sometime back, Amartya Sen and
    Sourav Ganguly have not been featured. The October version will
    feature important personalities from the city,' adds Mr Panda.

    http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=22&theme=&usrsess=1&amp ;id=80611
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