Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrests Sujoy Krishna Bhadra alias ‘Kalighat r kaku’ after 11-hours of marathon interrogation. Bhadra also called Santuda, is a close confidant of Banerjee’s and once an all-in-all of Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Trinamool General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee’s company, Leaps & Bounds. He was officially a director in the company.
However, it will be interesting to see if Bhadra remains loyal towards the Banerjee’s or opens up.
Major setback for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had banned the film, ‘The Kerala Story’ on May 5, 2023. She also questions, “Why make films like Kashmir Files?” Mamata Banerjee known for her appeasement towards the minority community fundamentalists had made it clear that she would not allow any film that showed the community in negetive shade even if the film is based on facts.
On Thursday May 18, 2023, Supreme Court (SC) gave it’s nod to the film. West Bengal state government bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud asked the state government to allow people to watch the film.
Chief Justice DY Chandrachud reprimanded the Mamata Banerjee government over imposing a ban order on the film, “Why ban the film? Who are you to decide what people should watch, let them decide what to watch.” He directed the producer of the film to put a disclaimer in the movie by 5 pm on May 20, 2023, on the claim that 32,000 Hindu and Christian women were converted to Islam.
Senior Congress leader and lawyer, Manu Singhvi said the state government banned after it had received an intelligence report of a communal violence, there was nothing personal against the film.
Hearing this Justice Chandrachud asked the West Bengal state government to maintain law and order as the film has been granted certification by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Back home in the state, an embarrassed Trinamool, tried to make up by saying it was due to the intelligence report but now the film will be released as per the Supreme Court order.
People in the state expressed their happiness over the Supreme Court order. However, the producer and director, Sudipta Sen, of the film will have to put up the message as per the order of the Apex court. The film will be released on Friday tomorrow.
“I know there was an illegal cracker factory in the area. I can assure you that it has nothing to do with Trinamool…,” was the reply of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during a Press conference at Nabanna immediately after the news of bomb blast in Egra, East Midnapur surfaced. According to prima facie reports, nine people were killed officially. However, opposition claimed over 22 are feared dead.
People in the region were traumatised to hear a massive blast around 11 am in the morning. A massive blast took place at the factory in Khadikul village under the Egra police station. According to the police, the factory was operating illegally and the owner had been arrested last year and a chargesheet was filed. They said that efforts are underway to arrest the accused, identified as Krishnapada Bagh alias Bhanu Bagh.
Bharatiya Janata Party state President Dr Sukanta Majumdar said, “I earnestly request your kind intervention to direct the NIA to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the Egra bomb blast,” Majumdar said. Majumdar shared the letter on his Twitter handle he wrote.
Leader of Opposition and Bengal BJP leaderSuvendu Adhikari Tweeted, “This is the IC of Egra; Mr. Mousam Chakraborty. He is the one to be blamed for today’s horrific incident. The Mamata Police cadre was on the payroll of the perpetrator Krishnapada Bag.
The situation is grave and this was brought to the notice of the Mamata Banerjee in 2014, the powerful bomb blast had rocked Khargragarh. National Investigation Agency (NIA) Chief Ajit Doval had personally visited the place with his team. However, the state Chief Minister as always showed her defiance and made Doval understand that NIA was not welcome. Later, a special NIA court sentenced 19 people in Kolkata, convicted in the 2014 Burdwan blast case to varying jail terms. Those sentenced include four Bangladeshi nationals, who received a jail term of ten years. The punishments for the remaining convicts range from 6-10 years. The NIA team had also unearthed live bombs submerged in the water. Doval in his report had said that a large number of houses are employed in making bombs. He expressed his anguish that this may result into a serious bomb fiasco in future Banerjee had accused Doval and NIA of vindictive politics.
Years later in 2018, a bomb blast had rocked in Dum Dum’s Nager Bazar in North Kolkata. A seven-year old boy succumbed to his injury. Injured were removed to hospital. This incident once again raised questions at the planned module of bomb politics especially across Murshidabad, Berhampore, Midnapore and areas adjoining Bangladesh border. Once again, news-hounds repeated Kharagarh rhetoric, raised what NIA Chief Doval had warned in 2014. (My story from the archive).
Tuesday’s blast has once again raised those old questions. Dr Majumdar’s demanding NIA probe has reminded Doval’s conviction in 2014 when he wanted to sanitise the slipper cells active as he then called West Bengal is sitting on bombs.
According to BJP leader who had visited the place on Wednesday said,
The locals have also claimed that the local administration ignored their repeated pleas for action to be taken against the illegal fire crackers factory that has grown in the area.
Bengal Leader of Opposition (LOP) and BJP leader, Suvendu Adhikary had squarely accused the police for this blast in his tweet, “This is the IC of Egra; Mr. Mousam Chakraborty. He is the one to be blamed for today’s horrific incident. The Mamata Police cadre was on the payroll of the perpetrator Krishnapada Bag. Mamata Police personnel Surajit Sinha & Biswajit Maity acted as emissary between the two. They collected Rs. 50,000/- every month from the perpetrator in exchange for the ‘licence’ & immunity for carrying out illegal activities such as stocking up explosives. Also look how the Regional Tola-Mool Party workers are shifting the dead bodies.”
Adhikari on Wednesday tweeted after coming from Egra and meeting the affected people,
The ongoing agitation by state government employees in West Bengal enters 100-days on Saturday. These employees have been siting at the Shahid Minar (Ochterlony Monument) in Kolkata.
The members of the Sangrami Jautha Mancha (the platform) plans to take out a protest march on Saturday (May 6, 2023), against the defiant state government. The march will start from Hazra and travel through Harish Chatterjee Street, Harish Mukherjee Road and culminate at Hazra. “Tomorrow’s agitation will shake the state government. It’s a we expect over one lakh people to participate in tomorrow’s agitation,” Sougata Lahiri, members of Sangrami Jautha Mancha.
Speaking with the representative of Nonsense Talk News in Kolkata, Sanat Jha and Sudhakar Ray, members of Sangrami Jautha Mancha said, “The protest march will have big impact on the West Bengal state government that has been defiant towards us.”
The platform members have decided to continue with their crusade against state government as they say. “DA is our right and we shall get it.” Saturday’s protest march is just another initiative by the agitators to awaken the government that has been defiant towards these employees. “We don’t know if the state government will awake after Saturday’s protest march which is going to be really big but we want to assure all that our agitation will continue as we will see an end to this, Mamata Banerjee may turn a deaf ear and blind eye to our demands but we too vouch to get our demands, till them the agitation will continue,” said Debabrata Mukherjee, member of Sagrami Jautha Mancha.
Let’s keep aside paintings, songs and not to forget poems like ‘epang opang jhopang…potang…dang dang…” the masterpieces by Trinamool Supremo Mamata Banerjee, what should we call a Chief Minister who says, “Will offer stone chips to PM Modi in Bengal” or “Shall slap him”? Or are these very civilised words? The issue has come up as Governor CV Ananda Bose complimenting Banerjee being conferred upon with DLitt by St Xavier’s University.
Few observations – A blunt compliment from the Governor for a political head is dangerous. This means the Governor either has no clue of the ‘jungle raaj’ in the state or least interested in the plight of people. It’s indeed scary as Trinamool is using Bose as a ‘reply’ or sand bag. From past Governors – MK Narayanan, Keshari Nath Tripathi to Dhankar, Banerjee had problems. Is this a political posturing? Trinamool has a least interest for administrative chairs, why still, Bose is so appreciative? Many missing links…
Re-joinder: Governor Bose has compared Trinamool Supremo with names like Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Vajpayee, Winston Churchill… Dr Radhakrishnan and John Milton (the worst comparisons …perhaps). Supremo called Park Street gangrape “choto ghotona” (petty incident) and sent the Investigating Officer in exile posting for bringing facts. She could identify ‘Maoists’ just by seeing – Tumpa and Moushumi Koyal to Shiladittya and even a college student in TV show Taniya Bhardwaj. Gave the slogan ‘bodla noy badal chai’ (not revenge but change), mere slogan. Never complimented Barun Biswas, the man (a real hero) stood against marathon rapes in Sutia. No ‘bhushan or shree’ awards. Height of shamelessness when she introduced compensation for rape victims – more money if victim is young. Never heard a word when oppositions are attacked. Least talk of her schemes – ‘Shree and Sathi’, I have seen in Kolkata, interacted with incumbents and parents. Not going into political inefficiency, she has ruined health, education and governance.
Rejoinder: Honestly, I wanted to stay away from this too in volumes but a journo instigated me on Mamata Banerjee. Infact, I know I am more than a vocal, aggressive and blunt critic of Trinamool and Supremo. I can’t write everything on the public domain why, when and what has turned me into a critic but all I can say and those who know Bengal thick and thin or follow knows whatever I write, say in my LIVES on #nonsensetalknews are nothing but truth. The fact is people who today are against her were once the biggest admirers of her as they ushered-in immense faith in her but she lost it all to satisfy, appease and please vested interests. Eg. She called Park Street gamgrape as “choto ghotona” (petty incident) as the main accused Kader Khan was the boyfriend and fiance of actress turned Trinamool Nusrat Jahan. Numerous instances. All this gradually ditanced her from the people who simply regarded as Goddess. In 2011, when she came to power, people had immense expectations but she failed on the face value to keep their confidence. Ask locals across Bengal, and you will hear it yourself. She not only ruined the state but maligned humanity, may talk big on women safety but actually did nothing to protect the dignity of women… Talk to people in the state, find out yourself.
“keu keu bole berachhey Tata der aami Bangla theke ber kore diyechi, r Tata chakri dichhey… Tata der aami ber korini, CPI(M) korechey…” (Some people are saying that I had turnerd out the Tatas from bengal, and today Tata is offering employment. The fact is I did not oust Tatas but it was CPI(M). These were the words of Trinamool Supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee churning fresh controversy from an even in Siliguri. One fails to understand, if Mamata Banerjee is really so naive that she forgets or do these things deliberately. Anyways, the truth is this too like her many claims or convictions is a ‘blatant’ lie. Though for her it could be nothing but “choto ghotona” (petty incident), “sajano ghotona” (concocted incident), the two of her cult catch phrases out of the three. The other one is “bohiragoto der kaaj” (work of alliens).
Problem is Trinamool since its inception has been resting on the pillars of falsehood, people did not realise that the catch lines or slogans coined before the 2011 Assembly Polls – ‘Bodla Noi Bodol Chai’ (not revenge but change) and ‘Maa Mati Manush’ had nothing to do with reality. She was the first to infuse hatred among the rivals within the party and result we saw regular cat-fights between her leadres creating factions. Both ‘Maa Mati Manus’ and ‘Bodla Noi Bodol Chai’ are now forgotten.
Coming back to Tatas. It was Mamata Banerjee who had raised a hue and cry over Tata acquiring farm lands or green lands from the farmers by paying a paltry amount for the Nano project. This was happening when the Nano factory had almost established itself and was waiting for the first lot of Nano cars to roll out of the Singur factory. The agitation carried out by her saw immense drama including terror for the hapless farmers who opposed to her and wanted to remain with the Tatas as they saw development and in Ratan Tata’s words, “We would make the place a second Jamshedpore. We mean words, its our my conviction to give the locals job in the factory. I too would not have believed it had I not met people who had been in Singur. I was told that Didi had not only had spoil the the employment opportunity but have made them landless as Banerjee had promised them that the land would be returned once she comes to power but the fact is court had refused and said not Banerjee jurisdiction to comment on the land.
Suddenly, she has forgotten her own role in the Singur fiasco, and squarely blamed the then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattachrya for the oust of Tatas. Strange, she has forgotten how Bhatacharya had created the Information Technology hub Sector V in Salt Lake. Today, if you visit the place especially during the evening or night then you will see entire building that used to be illuminated earlier now wear a deserted look. I had spoken to many food stalls across Sector V and they all told me “aage to shara raat bhor manush thakto, kaaj korto, aamraao khabar toiri kortam…ekhun shondhey holei ondhokaar hoi jai…ager moton business nei… ei shashok dol Sector V ke shesh kore diyechey…” (earlier, people used to work here whole night and we too had prepared food for them, they would cpome at night and have food but now the area gets pitch dark once evening rolls. There are no business. The present regime has doomed the IT business…) If this is not enough then you can also talk to eateries, and even the drivers who ply the shuttle cabs or trekkers.
The fact is Banerjee and her party has totally ruined the state from health to education and even governance. Her party has done only two things – One, paint the city blue and white with the paints supplied by a particular hardware shop outside Harish Chatterjee Street. Two, raising mindless murals, and structures across the city that has no significance. On development, her government made tall claims but has done nothing. She may feel happy patting her own back over the numerous ‘Shree’ and ‘Sathi’ projects but if you take a close look or talk to people across the state then you would know the fact behind the projects. Even, some college students told me they were allegedly threatened y the in-charge of the ‘Kanyashree’ project in the respective colleges for refusing to take for refusing to take advantage of the so-called project. The equation is simple and easy, these projects are a facade to show development in the state and if the student backs out then he or she would not feature in the list used to show the success of her projects to churn votes prior to 2022 Bengal assembly Polls.
Last but not the last, her ‘Utkarsha Bangla’ project rolled across Bengal that talk of skill development or vocational courses is also a big claim with no material in it. The fact is who ever had (baring the bhakts) enrolled with the project have left or cursed themselves as the state government took a 180 degree turn on all the convictions and promises they had made to the incumbents. The worst sufferers are those who had joined the courses out of good faith or with the zeal to learn the respective course inorder to pursue it as their career. They (may who can’t afford to even arrange two square meals) had enrolled with a hope of changing the lifestyle of their and their family but have been cheated and are now cursing themselves for trusting Banerjee and the ‘Utkarsha Bangla’ project.
West Bengal that once had boast of being the torch bearer to the entire world in all spheres – education, health, art, culture, literature, cinema is fast going down. There used be a saying, “What Bengal thinks today, entire India thinks tomorrow”. Offlate, things have changed and fact is there has been remarkable that would bring pride to people residing in Bengal or associated with the state. The ruling Trinamool has ruined the state on all counts – from health to education and even governance. Fresh embarrassment came from the incumbents who completed Utkarsha Bangla programme, a so-called skill development programme that promises jobs to incumbents after completing the vocational course they have opted.
Before going into the controversy, you need to the fact about the Utkarsha Bangla. Like average schemes with prefix – ‘shree’ to ‘sathi’, this too rests on the pillar of falsehood and fake conviction. Forget about jobs, the fact is average training centres are neither equipped with proper technical support system nor required faculty. The students have no say as they are made to understand that they belong to a small section or financially backward.
On average, incumbents are humiliated by the staff which has some close ties with the ruling party the reason the are enjoying the power at these centres.
Let’s come to the fresh controversy that jhas exposed the tall claims of the Trinamool over ‘Utkarsha Bangla’:
An FIR has been filed against an agency in Gurgaon responsible for issuing employment letters. The Chief Minister of the state, Mamata Banerjee, handed over appointment letters to 11,000 incumbents under the ‘Utkarsh Bangla’ scheme. But the controversy over the appointment letter is raging. The incumbents who received the letter have alleged that the appointment letter issued in the name of a fake organization. Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leaders like, Dilip Ghosh, Subhendu Adhikary, Dr Sukanta Bhattacharya etc have slammed Trinamool for allegedly issuing fake appointed letters.
State Chief Secretary Harikrishna Dwivedi opened up about the allegations of the so-called fake appointment letter in a press conference in Nabanna. He may claim, “thousands of jobs have been arranged for those who have received training from Polytechnic ITI under the initiative of Utkarsh Bangla through job fairs”, the fact is whoever had enrolled with the numerous touts offering vocational courses under ‘Utkarsha Bangla’ programme.
बंगाल में एक नया राजनीती का आग़ाज़ होने जा रहा है। तृणमूल सुप्रीमो ममता बनर्जी के भतीजे और पार्टी के नैशनल जनरल सेक्रेटरी अभिषेक बनर्जी का “नया तृणमूल” बनाने का नारा शहर भर के पोस्टरों और फ्लेक्सों में देखा जा रहा है। कुछ लोग इस सोच से प्रभावित होकर बनर्जी परिवार के कसीदे पढ़ ने लग गायें हैं। इनमें से कुछ को समझ नहीं आ रहा की आखिर झुके तो किस तरफ? एक तरफ तो ममता बनर्जी हैं और दूसरी तरफ भतीजा अभिषेक. वैसे सवाल उठ सकता है की आखिर तरफदारी वाली बात क्यों या कहाँ से उठ रही है, तो आपको बता दें की नया तृणमूल के पोस्टरों और फ्लेक्सों में अभिषेक बनर्जी का फोटो दिख रहा है, हाल फिलहाल तृणमूल नेताओं से बातें करें और पार्टी की प्रभुता पर सवाल पूछें तो आपको अजीब सा जवाब सुनने को मिलेगा – ममता हमारी लीडर हैं और पार्टी के कप्तान अभिषेक बनर्जी हैं। साफ़ है की पार्टी के लोग इस सवाल से कन्नी काटते नज़र आते हैं। ममता बनर्जी के खिलाफ बोलना नागवार गुज़र सकती है तो वहीँ अभिषेक को नाराज़ करना महँगा पड़ सकता है।
अभिषेक बनर्जी ने यह भी कहा की “नया तृणमूल” करप्शन को बढ़ावा नहीं देगी और ऐसे सभी नेता मंत्री जिनका नाम करप्शन से जुड़ा हुआ मिले उनको पार्टी बहिष्कार करेगी। सुनने में बोहोत अच्छा लगता है पर क्या तृणमूल अपनी तोला वाली छवि सुधार सकेगी? क्या अभिषेक बनर्जी अपने पार्टी के कर्मिओं को हिदायत दे सकते हैं कि कोई भी तोला लेते पाया गया तो उसको उसी वक्त पार्टी निष्काषित करेगी। तो फिर चुनाव कैसे लड़ेंगे? चुनाव से पहले ‘लॉलीपाँप’ का पैसा कहाँ से आएगा?
अब तीन अहम् सवाल जो मेरे ज़हन में उठ रही है और मुझे लगता है सभी के ज़हन में उठ रही है:
(१) “नया तृणमूल” का नारा क्यों? क्या ‘परिवर्तित’ या ‘बदलाव के साथ’ ऐसा कह कर परोसा नहीं जा सकता था? (२) अगर सुप्रीमो ममता बनर्जी ही रहेंगी तो पोस्टरों और फ्लेक्सों पर अभिषेक बनर्जी का बड़ा बड़ा फोटो क्यों? (३) अगर “नया तृणमूल” सुप्रीमो के संज्ञान में था तो उन्होंने इस पर चुप्पी क्यों सधी हुई है? (४) क्या ममता बनर्जी अब पार्टी में अब सेकेण्ड क्लास सिटीजन बन गयी हैं? (५) “नया तृणमूल” का ऐलान अभिषेक ने जिला के एक रैली से की। इतनी बड़ी खबर कोलकाता में आधिकारिक तौर पर प्रेस वार्ता करके क्यों नहीं? (६) क्या “नया तृणमूल” ममता बनर्जी को कोने में धकेल ने का एक बहाना नहीं है?
सवाल तीखे ज़रूर लग रहे हैं, पर यह मुद्दा इतना आसान नहीं है जितना हल्का दिखाया जा रहा है। इसके दो अहम् वजह हैं:
(१) ममता को बंगाल के लोगों ने मुख्यमंत्री की कुर्सी पर बिठाया था तो ममता के प्रति उनका विशवास और आस्था की वजह से, ममता ने कुछ काम तो ज़रूर किया है पर महज़ ममता के कहने पर जनता अभिषेक को क्यों उस कुर्सी पर बिठाये? (२) अगर ममता प्रधान मंत्री बन भी जाती है और बंगाल में नया मुख्यमंत्री बनना हो तो कायदे से चुनाव होंगे, इस तरह से भतीजावाद नहीं चल सकता।
बंगाल में तृणमूल ने जो भी किया न किया, उसका ज़िम्मेदार ममता बनर्जी हैं… न की अभिषेक बनर्जी। आखिर में एक सवाल, आखिर अभिषेक बनर्जी ने कौनसा खम्बा उखरा है की बंगाल के लोग उनको मुख्यमंत्री के रूप में प्रोजेक्ट करें?
It seems Trinamool Supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has forgotten the days when she (then opposition leader) would come on the roads, hold rallies, call long-bandhs screaming President’s Rule in the state during the Left Front regime. She even cried about the then police atrocities and accused Police Minister and state Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya of instigating his police against her and her party members. Banerjee did not hesitate to hold the city hostage as regular bandh calls would paralyze normal life from business to education and even had its impact on running of trains, flights as people often would miss their trains, flights due to massive traffic chaos in the city and districts.
On Tuesday today, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had called for ‘Nabanna Abhijan’ (march towards Nabanna) against the alleged corruption charges hurled at numerous Trinamool leaders. Mamata Banerjee’s police carried out brutal attacks on the BJP workers who claimed to have taken out a “peaceful protest march”. The protesters were stopped at various points in the city and brutally beaten up. Trinamool goons did not spare the women workers also. Stones were pelted at BJP protesters, there were instances of arson that spread terror among the city dwellers who tried to return to their homes apprehending more disturbances as the day passes by. At many places protesters trains were stopped. Several BJP leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, Locket Chatterjee, Taapshi Mondol and Dibankar Gharami were detained. Senior BJP leader and former journalist Swapan Dasgupta was injured among others.
However, as expected, the police said, they did not obstruct the protesters at any point. There were few road blocks that would be lifted shortly. The police agreed to have closed the Second Howrah Bridge (Hoogly Bridge) and Howrah Bridge for some time and that too would be lifted once the traffic is cleared. There were no reply on how would the people going towards stations commute.
There were no reaction from the Supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who is also the Police Minister. Trinamool spokespersons on different television channels are trying to project the brutality as instigation. However, all this is drifting the party away from the masses that once had the catchlines like “Bodla Noi Bodol Chai” (not revenge but change) and “Maa, Mati, Manush”. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, said, “Its total lawlessness in the state and its clear from their frustration that Trinamool is loosing grounds. BJP will come in power, nobody can stop”. Incidentally, Adhikari had defeated the Supremo in the 2022 Assembly Polls in the state from Nandigram.
From Sharaddha to Narada and most recently, Trinamool leaders including heavy-weight Partha Chatterjee, Anubrata Mandol have been nabbed by the ED and CBI over money laundering cases. Chatterjee, was exposed how he had wasted tax-payer’s money to buy expensive gifts for his ‘numerous’ girlfriends.
In such a situation, its quite natural for the party to come on the defensive and fight with anybody who raise the question of honesty that Banerjee boasts off. Its very difficult for the party to eschew fact that people are drifting apart from Mamata Banerjee, and her Trinamool.
Today (September 11, 2022) is the birth anniversary of Noted Bengali ‘folk musician’ Kalika Prasad Bhattacharjee, known for his immense research in the field of folk and tribal music. He was often called the encyclopedia of music. The man who simply loved to talk about music died in a car accident in Hooghly district’s Gurap town in 2017. His death snatched the voice which continued to enthrall us from ‘kun kange’ to ‘dekhechi roopshagore’ and even the remake of the iconic number by Rudra Mohammad Sahidullah, ‘bhaalo aachi, bhaalo theko…’
Barely a week after iconic singer Banasree Sengupta had left for her heavenly abode, another iconic Bengali singer Kalika Prasad Bhattacharjee left this world at a prime age of 47. Kalika Prasad is a well known name among Bengali households for his immense contribution in the field of Bengali Folk Music. Kalika began his musical journey with Bengal Folk Music Band “Dohar” in early 90’s. Before that most of the bands would feature rock, acid rock and fusion music in Bengal. The only exception was Bengali band ‘Bhoomi’, which was a mix-bag of folk and modern Bengali music band. ‘Dohar’ was the first to infuse age old ‘nostalgic’ folk numbers (Procholito in Bengali) taking people by storm. Later Dohar had split and became ‘Mokam’.
Kalika had done immense research and extensive study in Music. Kalika would explain and narrate the details of the songs from reason why it is sung to the region where it belongs to and even at time would add the attire or habitat of that particular region. Most recently Kalika was seen as a mentor in the Bengali SaReGaMAPa on Zee Bangla channel.
Kalika and three others were on their way to hit by a truck. Following the collision, his car fell into a ditch on Durgapur expressway at Gurap, Hooghly. He was in the front seat beside the driver. According to preliminary reports, the Inova car in which they were travelling had hit a metal strip after which its presumed that the Inova car in which they were travelling had smashed into a series of fencing and had hit a culvert before failing into a 20 feet ditch from where the locals had recovered him and other. Others travelling with him had survived but God was not so kind for Kalika who was taken to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The news of his death had spread like wild fire taking entire music fraternity and his fans crying and mourning his untimely death.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who shared a cordial relationship on personal level had tweeted that she has lost a friend. She also paid her tributes to the singer while his mortal remains were brought to Kolkata. Banerjee had come out of Nabanna (Secretariat) and waited for the hearse to arrive on the Kona Expressway. His mortal remains were taken to his house and then to Rabindra Sadan where it was kept for people to pay their last respects. Around 6 PM his mortal remains were take to Keoratala Burning Ghat in Kolkata where his mortal remains were consigned to flames. On entering the crematorium, he was given 21 gun salutes. Twitter and Facebook was filled with messages and condolences.
With that an era came to end, era of folk music. He will be missed by those who love and admire folk music. Kalika Prasad will be missed more in the days and years to come since Folk and Tribal music has remained largely untouched. There are not many people who take the initiative to work in the the field of tribal and folk music. The new generation will always be benefited from the immense research work done by him. Kalika is survived by his wife and five-year old daughter.
Kalika Prasad was full of life and infused energy in others with his music, he will be always remembered through his music…
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