Calcutta may love its Tagore but it does not seem to like the Tagore tunes blaring at traffic kiosks through the day, and sometimes late into the night.
Spurred on by the success of Raj Bhavan in muzzling the Rabindrasangeet at six surrounding crossings ' that was robbing the First Couple of sleep ' Metro readers mailed and called in on Tuesday to register similar complaints about Mamata Banerjee's pet culture project.
"I am forced to wake up and go to sleep with Rabindrasangeet. My parents, both over 80 years old, can't sleep properly at night. My nine-year-old daughter cannot concentrate on her studies. We are forced to keep the windows shut 24 hours a day," wrote J. Mehta, a resident of Bhowanipore, stressing that he had "nothing against Rabindrasangeet", but was fed up with the constant cacophony.
A 50-year-old resident of Prince Anwar Shah Road, once an ardent lover of Rabindrasangeet, today dreads the sound of Aami kaan pete roi… starting up yet again. "We go mad listening to the same set of songs every day, every week, every month, at top volume," said the writer who works from home.
Her 22-year-old daughter has given up playing the guitar in disgust. "It's impossible to tune the guitar and play because of the incessant Rabindrasangeet," she grumbled.
Mother and daughter had registered their complaint with the control room of Lalbazar earlier, only to be told ' very politely ' that the police were powerless to turn off Tagore. But someone did take pity and turned down the volume... for a week!
"We again contacted the police. This time the officer gave us a CMC number. After three requests, the microphone placed within a few yards of our window was turned in the opposite direction," they said.
Looking in the opposite direction is what the authorities had been doing, till Raj Bhavan said enough is enough and managed to silence the traffic kiosks in the vicinity.
"If it can be done for the First Couple, it can also be done for the ordinary citizens who have become victims of Mamata Banerjee's obsession to force-feed us Rabindrasangeet," said a senior citizen in south Calcutta.
Police admit to the growing number of complaints but plead helplessness. "This is the chief minister's project and we don't have the authority to switch off the songs," said an officer, passing the blare-buck to the CMC. A CMC official said they could "reduce the volume if directed by the police", but not turn it off.
Unless of course, it's Raj Bhavan at the other end of the line.
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THE PROJECT: Mamata Banerjee's decision to play Rabindrasangeet at traffic kiosks when the lights turn red.
THE PEEVE: Those living in the vicinity of the 90-odd traffic kiosks playing Tagore tunes all day and often late into the night are fed up of the constant cacophony.
THE PEG: Raj Bhavan has managed to muzzle six kiosks in its vicinity because the Rabindrasangeet was robbing the first couple of sleep.
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