Burrabazar

:For census town in Purulia district see Barabazar

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settlement_type =Neighbourhood in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = IND
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = West Bengal
subdivision_type2 = City
subdivision_name2 = Kolkata
subdivision_type3 = Ward
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subdivision_name4 = Mahatma Gandhi Road
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leader_title = MLA
leader_name = Md. Shorab
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latd=23.8 |latm= |lats= |latNS=N
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Burrabazar (also spelt Bara Bazar) is a neighbourhood in central Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is an assembly constituency. Burrabazar expanded from a yarn and textile market into the commercial nucleus of Kolkata and one of the largest wholesale markets in India. Sinha, Pradip, "Calcutta and the Currents of History, 1690-1912", in "Calcutta, the Living City", Vol. I, edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri, p. 33, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-563696-3. Pradip Sinha is professor of history at Rabindra Bharati University] cite web | url = http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/india/kolkata/things-to-do-in-kolkata/where-to-shop-in-kolkata/burrabazar-kolkata.html | title = Burrabazar Kolkata| accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = AsiaRooms.com.] cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080120/jsp/calcutta/story_8804334.jsp | title = We didn’t start the fire| accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last = Roy | first = Subhajoy | work = With inputs from Deepankar Ganguly | publisher = "The Telegraph", 7 February 2008]

Etymology

Burrabazar ( _hi. बडा बजार) is a Hindi word meaning big market. In Bengali, it is called Barobazar, ( _bn. বড় বাজার), the meaning remaining same. However, there is another theory. The neighbourhood was earlier named after ‘Buro’, the popular name of Shiva. The Hindi-speaking merchants who ousted the earlier local merchants, made it ‘Bara’.Nair, P. Thankappan in "The Growth and Development of Old Calcutta", in "Calcutta, the Living City", Vol. I, pp. 16-17]

History

utanuti haat

Before the British came the most powerful families in the region were Sheths and Basaks, the merchants of yarn and cloth market at Sutanuti. With the arrival of the British these families flourished with renewed vigour. Janardan Sheth was a trading agent of the British. Shobharam Basack (1690-1773) became a millionaire by supplying textiles to British East India Company. [Deb, Chitra, "The ‘Great Houses’ of Old Calcutta", in "Calcutta, the Living City", Vol I, pp. 56-60.] One of the earliest names floating around is that of Mukundaram Sheth, who lived in the earlier part of sixteenth century and moved from Satgaon to Gobindapur.Patree, Purnendu, "Purano Kolkatar Kathachitra", (a book on History of Calcutta), Bn icon, first published 1979, 1995 edition, pp.135-139, Dey’s Publishing, ISBN 81-7079-751-9.] Sutanuti haat has been traced back to 1738 by Orme. In the siege of 1756, troops of Siraj ud-Daulah set fire to the market and took possession of Jorabagan and Kumortuli, neighbourhoods further north where the merchants lived.When Gobindapur was demolished the Sheths moved to Sutanuti haat.The Marwaris ousted the Sheths and Basaks as cloth merchants and changed the name of old Sutanuti haat or market to Burrabazar or Barabazar.

Bazar Kolkata

In between Sutanuti haat made way for Bazar Kolkata, some time in the 18th century. The market was spread over nearly 500 bighas and the residential area covered another 400 bighas. Apart from the Seths and Basaks, there were the gold merchants Mullicks and other men of their calibre. Their affluence and pomp are legends even in their days.cite web | url =http://www.catchcal.com/kaleidoscope/places_to_visit/burrabazar.asp
title = Burrabazar| accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Catchcal.com.] There also were merchants of comparatively lesser affluence. As for example, the area around what is now Kalakar Street was known as Dhakapatty, as it was home to the Sahas, cloth merchants from Dhaka. The Sheths and Basaks had close links with such cloth producing centres as Dhaka, Murshidabad and Cossimbazar. [Bandopadhyay, Debashis, "Bonedi Kolkatar Gharbari", Bn icon, Second impression 2002, pp. 49-51, Ananda Publishers, ISBN 81-7756-158-8] The Marwaris started coming in large numbers in the 19th century and around 1892, when Harrison Road (renamed Mahatma Gandhi Road) was constructed, the land flanking the road was sold in small plots. Marwaris purchased most of it.

Modern Burrabazar is a creation of the Marwaris and they attained phenomenal success in the second half of the nineteenth century.

Marwaris

The emergence of the Marwaris was more an outcome of an adjustment than struggle. Well entrenched in banking and up-country trade they expanded into the growing areas of internal trade in Bengal. Initially, they maintained "kothis" and operated through "munims" in Burrabazar. In the later half of the nineteenth century, they started making Kolkata their head quarters and buying land in Burrabazar.

By the late nineteenth century, the Marwaris and other North Indian traders had established their hold over Burrabazar business, while the Bengali business community had withdrawn to join the expanding group of urban landlords. Pradip Sinha writes, “Stage by stage, the Marwaris replaced first the Bengalis and then the North Indian Khatris in the ‘great bazaar’ of Calcutta.” They captured the whole sale market in imported cloth, pulses, spices, seeds etc. and undertook commission agencies and brokerages. They also dominated the jute industry and trade.

The domination of the Marwaris was not only because of their business acumen but also the ability of the community to organize itself, first in the form of Marwari Panchyat, then in voluntary bodies, through informal pressure group activities in response to taxation and other government policies, and finally in trade associations.

Although Burrabazar remains a Marwari stronghold, the wealthiest Marwaris started shifting out of Burrabazar and bought houses in neighbourhoods such as Alipore and Ballygunge, from the 1970s. They even shifted their offices to the B. B. D. Bagh area.

Geography

Burrabzar is bounded by Posta and Jorabagan on the north, Jorasanko and Kolutola on the east, B. B. D. Bagh on the south and Hooghly River on the west. Lalbazar and Bowbazar are at the south-west corner of Burrabazar.The neighbourhood is adjacent to Howrah Bridge (renamed Rabindra Setu). One description of its boundaries puts it as follows: from Posta in the north to Canning Street in the south, and from Strand Road in the west to Chitpur Road in the east. Within this rough boundary it is a world in itself.

Cutting right across Burrabazar is Harrison Road, which runs straight from Howrah Bridge to Sealdah railway station. It was constructed between December 1889 and 1892, sweeping away many an overcrowded tenement and festering lane. It is of the uniform breadth of 75 feet and named after Sir Henry Harrison, chairman of the corporation, by whom the scheme was inaugurated and matured. [Cotton, H.E.A., "Calcutta Old and New", 1909/1980, p. 282, General Printers and Publishers Pvt. Ltd.] It has been renamed after Mahatma Gandhi. [ "Detail Maps of 141 Wards of Kolkata", p. 39, D.R.Publication and Sales Concern, 66 College Street, Kolkata – 700073]

Burrabazar is served by the Mahatma Gandhi Road station of Kolkata Metro.

Economy

Burrabazar expanded from a yarn and textile market into one of the largest wholesale markets in India.Burrabazar is divided into highly specialised sub-markets, according to the commodity it deals in – Dhotipatti, Fancypatti, Tulapatti, Chinipatti etc. Further subdivisions are katra, chowk or kothi.A popular saying goes, “Anything and everything is available at Burrabazar. Even the tiger's eye is available here if you pay the right price.”Each katra (market) is known for a particular item. There are approximately 25 katras in Burrabazar. At Raja Katra, which originally belonged to the Maharaja of Bardhaman, most of the shops deal in spices. At Manohar Das Katra it is mostly hardware and textile. Vikram Chand Market and Khangrapatti sell mostly electronic goods and artificial ornaments.

For Diwali, the festival of lights, it is transformed into a huge market for festive and religious ingredients. The number of makeshift stalls are around 800, spread around Kalakar Street and other areas. From idols to their dainty dresses, designer diyas (earthen lamps) to saffron-tinted laddus (round-shaped sweet meat), every conceivable article can be scooped from this gala bazaar, the city’s largest assortment of puja paraphernalia. The series of shops bang opposite the Jain temple, near Satyanarayan Park, flaunts ornately decked-up idols of Ganesha and Lakshmi — the brother-sister divinities symbolising wealth and prosperity. [cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1021101/asp/calcutta/story_1335294.asp | title = Shop site for frst of lights| accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last =Devadeep Purohit | first = and Reshmi Sengupta | work = | publisher = "The Telegraph", 1 November 2002]

Politics

In the 2006 elections to the state assembly, Md. Shorab of RJD won the Burrabazarr seat defeating Amitabha Chakrabarty of INC. In 2001, Tapas Roy AITC defeated Md. Asiruddin of RJD. Rajesh Khaitan of INC defeated Md Asiruddin of JD in 1996, Satya Narayan Bajaj of JD in 1991, Shaukat Rahmani, Ind, in 1987 and Rabi Shankar Pandey in 1982. In 1977, Rabi Shankar Pandey of JNP defeated Ramkrishna Sarogi of INC. [cite web | url = http://www.eci.gov.in/electionanalysis/AE/S25/partycomp144.htm
title = 144 – Bara Bazar Assembly Constituency
accessdate = 2007-09-17 | last = | first = | work = Partywise comparison since 1977 | publisher = Election Commission of India]

Ramkrishna Sarogi of INC won the seat in 1972, [cite web | url = http://www.eci.gov.in/SR_KeyHighLights/SE_1972/StatReport_WB_72.pdf | title = Key Highlights of the General Elections, 1972, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | accessdate = 2008-01-16 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Election Commission of India] 1971, [cite web | url = http://www.eci.gov.in/SR_KeyHighLights/SE_1971/StatReport_WB_71.pdf
title = Key Highlights of the General Elections, 1971, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | accessdate = 2008-01-16 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Election Commission of India] and 1969 [cite web | url = http://eci.gov.in/SR_KeyHighLights/SE_1969/StatReport_WB_69.pdf | title = Key Highlights of the General Elections, 1969, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | accessdate = 2008-01-16 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Election Commission of India] Ishawar Das Jalan of INC won the seat in 1967. [cite web | url = http://www.eci.gov.in/SR_KeyHighLights/SE_1967/Statistical_report_WB1967.pdf | title = Key Highlights of the General Elections, 1967, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | accessdate = 2008-01-16 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Election Commission of India] 1962, [cite web | url = http://www.eci.gov.in/SR_KeyHighLights/SE_1962/StatRep_WB_1962.pdf | title = Key Highlights of the General Elections, 1962, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | accessdate = 2008-01-16 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Election Commission of India] 1957, [cite web | url = http://www.eci.gov.in/SR_KeyHighLights/SE_1957/StatRep_WB_1957.pdf | title = Key Highlights of the General Elections, 1957, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | accessdate = 2008-01-16 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Election Commission of India] and in independent India’s first general election in 1951. [cite web | url = http://www.eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/SE_1951/STATISTICALREPORTS_51_WestBengal.pdf | title = Key Highlights of the General Elections, 1951, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | accessdate = 2008-01-16 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Election Commission of India]

Burrabazar is part of Calcutta North West (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 = 2007-10-08 | last = | first = | work = West Bengal | publisher = Election Commission of India]

Administration

With crime a major problem in Burrabazar the police station [cite web | url = http://www.kolkatapolice.org/section.asp?PSID=4&Typ=PS
title = Bowbazar Police Station| accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = Kolkata Police] has a rough time. [cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080104/jsp/calcutta/story_8740129.jsp | title = Five on loot spree in Burrabazar flat| accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Telegraph", 4 January 2008] More than 50,000 merchants from across the country have been attracted to Burrabzar because of the immense business opportunities but musclemen have followed them to the trade hub. From providing protection to businessmen and transporting their black money to running a satta (form of betting) racket and settling property and payment disputes, these men, mostly from the neighbouring states, start off as confidantes of the trading community. In a few years, they break free and form their own gangs to extort money and engage in other forms of criminal activities. [cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070208/asp/calcutta/story_7346486.asp | title = Crime shadow on trade hub - Musclemen from neighbouring states run extortion, robbery & gambling rackets in Burrabazar | accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last = Siddiqui | first = Imran Ahmed | work = | publisher = "The Telegraph", 8 February 2007]

Even small traders coming to Burrabazar face problems, but of a different sort. More than 1,000 cyclists cross Howrah bridge everyday to make purchases at Burrabazar. Most of these are small traders, from across the Hooghly River and they carry back goods for sale in their localities. Such people are regularly harassed by policemen on duty and let off against small payments. [cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050126/asp/calcutta/story_4298415.asp | title = Rights rap & probe - Traders blow the whistle on cop coercion | accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Telegraph", 26 January 2005]

Traffic

Slow traffic movement, congested footpaths, accident-prone roads, police-politician-hoodlum nexus and administrative apathy have become the bane of Burrabazar. Traffic in the area, including the approach road to Howrah bridge, has been a long-standing problem for people passing through the area. While lorries, taxis, vans, and three-wheel goods carriers crowd the main roads, slow-moving vehicles like cycle-vans and carts clog the side-streets. It often takes more than half-an-hour to cross the two-km stretch. [cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050215/asp/calcutta/story_4378176.asp | title = Traffic trouble at business hub - Burrabazar traders complain of administrative apathy | accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last = Gomes | first = Julius | work = | publisher = "The Telegraph", 15 February 2005]

Unsafe buildings

According to an estimate of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, around 600 buildings in Burrabazar are risky and hazardous and another 500 partly risky. According to West Bengal Fire Service officials, at least 100 persons were injured in separate mishaps in which five buildings collapsed and 30 buildings caved in partially in 2007. In almost every building, 50 to 100 shops were built on each floor by erecting plywood partitions. The civic body has plans to pull down many of the unsafe buildings. [cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060304/asp/calcutta/story_5921281.asp | title = Raze-rebuild for trade hub tinderboxes | accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Telegraph", 4 March 2006]

Fire hazards

Along with buildings in danger of collapsing, the fire services department has fixed its gaze on structures in Burrabazar that can catch fire any moment because of faulty wiring. According to fire service officials, most of the 50-odd fires that broke out in the trade hub in 2005 were caused by short circuits, a consequence of faulty connections. At least 500 buildings in Burrabazar can be described as fire hazards. A disaster can strike any day. There are numerous building with hundreds of temporary electrical connections. Most tenants have drawn up temporary connections, ignoring all rules. These illegal and haphazard connections often lead to short circuits and fire. [cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060306/asp/calcutta/story_5926439.asp | title = Trade hub houses wired for fire | accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Telegraph", 6 March 2006]

According to fire brigade officials, “It is generally believed that there are more fires during Kali puja. However, the number of fires during pujas has gone down considerably in recent times due to imposition of the fire-safety norms. There used to be around 15 fires during Durga puja and over 100 fires during Kali puja. In 2005, there was only one fire during Durga puja and no fires at all during Kali puja.” [cite web | url = http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060130/asp/calcutta/story_5779444.asp | title = Pandal blazes on the wane | accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Telegraph", 30 January 2006]

In January 2008, fire ravaged Nandram market in Burrabazar for nearly a week. 1,200 shops went up in flames.Three hundred fire fighters and 54 fire tenders were sent to fight the fire. More than 1,000 people, who live in neighbouring residential apartments, were evacuated. Traffic in the area was thrown out of gear. [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=1&id=212415&usrsess=1 | title =1,200 shops go up in flames | accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 13 January 2008] [cite web | url = http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=10&id=213610&usrsess=1 | title = Burrabazar traders see it to believe it | accessdate = 2008-02-08 | last = | first = | work = | publisher = "The Statesman", 19 January 2008]

Fires are regular features in Burrabazar. In January 200, rows of shops were gutted at Manohar Das Katra. In December 2002, there was fire in the wholesale market of woollen goods. In April 2003, fire struck Satyanarayan Park AC market. In September 2004 there was fire in a sari shop in Hari Ram Goenka Street. In July 2005, there was fire at a hosiery warehouse, off Kalakar Street. In September 2005, there was fire in a Jackson Lane godown filled with plastic and paper. In March 2006, there was fire in a bank on Ezra Street.

Burrabazar scenes

References