Kultali

Infobox Indian Jurisdiction
native_name = Kultali | type = city | latd = 21.9 | longd = 88.40
locator_position = right | state_name = West Bengal
district = South 24 Parganas
leader_title =
leader_name =
altitude =
population_as_of = 2001
population_total = 187,942 | population_density =
area_magnitude= sq. km
area_total =
area_telephone =
postal_code =
vehicle_code_range =
sex_ratio = 932
unlocode =
website =
footnotes = CD Block

Kultali ( _bn. কুল্তলি) is a town with a police station, a community development block, and an assembly constituency in Baruipur subdivision of South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal. While the poverty-stricken area is struggling for development, it is beset with crime. Violent clashes mark out the area as politically volatile.

Geography

Kultali is one of the largest islands in the Sundarbans. The islands in the area are accessible only by boat. About 85% of the population is very poor. They eke out an existence collecting non- timber forest produce like tiger prawn seeds, fishing, vending vegetables and fish, and by working for a daily wage. cite web | url = http://vibha.org/Xpressions/Vol_2_No_1_Jan_2006/ | title = Baikunthapur Tarun Sangha (BTS)| accessdate = 2007-08-24 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = vibha.org] Mr. Jaykrishna Halder is the present MLA belonging from SUCI party

Demographics

In the 2001 census, Kultali community development block had a population of 187,942 out of which 97,272 were males and 90,670 were females. The entire population is classified as rural. [cite web | url = http://www.wbcensus.gov.in/DataTables/02/Table4_18.htm | title = Census of India 2001 | accessdate = 2007-08-24 | last = | first = | work = Provisional population totals, West Bengal, Table 4 | publisher = Census Commission of India ]

Administration

Kultali is an intermediate panchayat (local self-government) under South 24 Parganas district. Village panchayats under it are – Deulbari Debipur, Gopalganj, Gurguria Bhubaneswari, Jalaberia I and II, Kundakhali Godabar, Maipith Baikanthapur, and Meriganj I and II. [cite web | url = http://panchayat.gov.in/adminreps/viewpansumr.asp?selstate=32&pno=9&ptype=V | title = Details of West Bengal till Village Panchayat Tier | accessdate = 2007-08-24 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India ]

Crime

Ambikanagar, a remote village near Kultali is notorious for smuggling and piracy. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=23&id=161428&usrsess=1
title = A smuggler’s paradise | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 23 October 2007] Timber smuggling in the region has reached its peak. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=23&id=157086&usrsess=1 | title = Timber smuggling on the rise | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 6 September 2006] At times, fishermen are kidnapped by pirates. [cite web | url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010611/nation.htm#10 | title = Fishermen freed, pirate leader shot | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Tribune", 11 June 200`]

Economy

Honey collection

Around 20,000 kg of honey is collected every year from forests of Sundarbans. Mostly people from the Kultali, Joynagar, Basanti, Gosaba and Canning are honey collectors. The number of honey collectors has dwindled from around 1,500 a few years back to around 700 in 2007. From 1985 through 2004, about 75 honey collectors were killed by tigers in the forests. Now all honey collectors are insured for Rs. 50,000. The forest department has also intensified vigilance during the honey collection period. The range officers and guards are on full alert. No deaths have been reported since 2004. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=23&id=181947&usrsess=1 | title = Honey come lately | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 24 April 2007]

ocial service

From 1982, the services and programs provided by Baikunthapur Tarun Sangha have grown to include two crèches for infants, a sustainable agriculture project, agro-equipment support service, community grain bank, savings and micro-credit ventures, disaster mitigation and emergency relief services, rural library and literacy programs. BTS serves nearly 2,800 households out of the estimated 25,000 households on Kultali. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=23&id=76043&usrsess=1
title = Docs at villagers’ doorsteps | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 6 July 2004] [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=23&id=50867&usrsess=1 | title = School aid for village children | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 9 September 2003]

Politics

In the 2006 assembly elections, Joykrishna Halder of SUCI won the Kultali (SC) seat defeating his nearest rival Ramsanker Halder of CPI(M). Prabodh Purakait of SUCI won the seat from 1977 to 2001, defeating Ramsanker Halder of CPI(M) in 2001 and 1996, Ramani Ranjan Das of CPI(M) in 1991, Arabinda Naskar of INC in 1987 and 1982, and Anandi Tanti of JNP in 1977. [cite web | url = http://www.eci.gov.in/electionanalysis/AE/S25/partycomp102.htm| title = 102 - Kultali (SC) Assembly Constituency | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = Partywise comparison since 1977 | publisher = Election Commission of India]

Kultali is part of Joynagar (Lok Sabha constituency). [cite web | url = http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2001/background/S25/WB_ACPC.pdf | title = General election to the Legislative Assembly, 2001 – List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies | accessdate = 2007-09-19 | last = | first = | work = West Bengal | publisher = Election Commission of India.]

Inter-party clashes

Kultali is a stronghold of the opposition SUCI and has been the scene of many political clashes between SUCI and the ruling CPI(M). [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=23&id=186375&usrsess=1
title = 10 hurt in Suci clash | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 12 June 2007] [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=23&id=182515&usrsess=1 | title = CPM, SUCI slug it out in Kulatali | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 1 May 2007] [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=22&id=149805&usrsess=1 | title = CPM worker shot at | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 7 July 2006] [cite web | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/897813.cms | title = 3 CPM men lynched | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "Times of India", 25 October 2004] [cite web | url = http://pd.cpim.org/2001/may20/may20_bengal_tmc_mayhem.htm | title = Trinamul Congress Opts For Mayhem And Anarchy | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "People’s Democracy", 20 May 2001] [cite web | url = http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010611/nation.htm#10 | title = Party worker killed at Kultali | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "People’s Democracy", 11 March 2001]

In 2005, Kolkata High Court sentenced the SUCI MLA of Kultali, Probodh Purakait, and four others to life imprisonment on a charge of murder. It is stated that on 15 January, 1985 about 250 people, armed with lethal weapons and led by Purakait, surrounded the house of the victims, Abdur Rahaman Mollah and Abdur Rahaman Laskar and dragged them away to torture and death. The mob assaulted the wives and children of the victims, stated to be Congress party supporters. However, SUCI leaders said that Purakait had been made a victim of a political conspiracy hatched by some parties. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=6&id=111744&usrsess=1 | title = Suci MLA, 4 others get life for murder | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 21 July 2005]

Health

Although groundwater in South 24 Parganas district is affected by arsenic contamination, the Kultali area is not facing the problem. [cite web | url = http://www.soesju.org/arsenic/wb4.htm | title = Groundwater arsenic contamination status of South 24-Parganas district, one of the nine arsenic affected districts of West Bengal-India | accessdate = 2007-09-26 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = SOES]

Four launches with doctors carrying medicines, sophisticated portable X-ray and echo-cardiograph machines, provided by the French author Dominique Lapierre move along the waterways of the Sundarbans to its furthest corners. Residents of such places as Sandeshkhali, Basanti, Gosaba and Kultali have felicitated him when he came in 2004. [cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1041130/asp/bengal/story_4066942.asp | title = Sundarbans gratitude to Lapierre | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Telegraph", 30 November 2004] Since 1981, Lapierre has dedicated half of his royalty earnings from his books to sustain a humanitarian crusade in the slums of Kolkata and the deprived areas of rural Bengal. For his work, Lapierre was made a citizen of honour of Kolkata. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=22&id=72042&usrsess=1 | title = Lapierre comes with Kolkata in pocket | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 21 May 2004] [cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070325/asp/7days/story_7561727.asp
title = Writer’s Block | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Telegraph", 25 March 2007]

Culture

Kultali Sanskriti and Krishti Mela was organised in Kultali from 20 to 29 December. It was inaugurated by the state minister for Sunderbans development, Kanti Ganguly. Apart from such traditional sections as a food park, an entertainment park, and a cultural park, it focused on the business aspects of the district. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=23&id=170367&usrsess=1 | title = ‘Things may look up for South 24-Parganas’ | accessdate = 2007-09-22 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 9 January 2007]

References

ee also