C.R.Park: The Early Days

Sreemati Chakrabarti

Editor, China Report

Professor (Retd.)

Department of East Asian Studies, University of Delhi

There was never a dull moment those days. I am talking about the early 1970s when a new Bengali neighbourhood officially called East Pakistan Displaced Persons’ Colony was coming up. The first resident of this neighbourhood was Mr. P.K. Basu whose 2-storyed house in B-223 was visited by many (mainly for a glass of water) who came to see their plot of land in a place where their future homes would be. Mr. Basu and his family moved in 1969 but by 1970 nearly fifty residents built their houses and began to live in “EPDP Colony”. We shifted from my father’s quarters in Ramakrishna Puram in February 1971. 

Mr. Basu’s house became a meeting place for many residents living in an around B Block. Soon one saw bonhomie and friendship among neighbours. At the initiative of Mrs. Anima Basu, in the summer of 1971 Rabindra Sangeet classes commenced in that house. A young teacher named Ashish Ghosh, who had just landed from Kolkata and was apparently looking for an opportunity to teach Tagore songs, began classes which were held only on Sundays. My mother, Renuka Chakrabarti, (who is no more) was given the responsibility to recruit boys and girls for this music class. Within days there were nearly 15 students from age 5 to 30 who were learning Rabindra Sangeet. This group staged a programme during the Durga Puja of 1971 and perhaps again in 1972. 

 

In December 1970 Chittaranjan Park Bangiya Samaj (then called Kalkaji Bangiya Samaj) was established by people who in their erstwhile neighbourhoods (like Karol Bagh, Sarojini Nagar, etc.) were very active in socio-cultural organizations. In May 1971 Rabindra Jayanti was organized in a park in J Block where two plays, including one for children, were to be staged. The children had just finished their performance when a thunderstorm struck and uprooted the pandal. The audience ran for shelter to the nearby houses which were very few in number. However, this disruption did not dampen the spirit of the residents. Two years later in 1973 the yet unstaged play was performed to a larger audience as by then a couple of hundred residents had moved in. Since then each year Bangiya Samaj has celebrated Rabindra Jayanti.

The young men of C.R.Park were not to be left behind in the cultural life of the neighbourhood. An organization called the South Delhi Youth Centre was set up by young men – mainly college and university students, many among them are grandfathers today. In the open (with a makeshift stage and shamiana) they staged an outstanding play called “Jhumur”. Subsequently, they performed quite a few plays and each of them were greatly appreciated by the residents. 

1971 was also the year of Bangladesh Liberation. Within weeks of our moving into the new colony the liberation struggle in the erstwhile East Pakistan broke out. People of my parents’ generation were emotionally very much affected by this. They all were born, and most of them were brought up there. In the autumn of 1971 just after Durga Puja a group of artists from East Pakistan who had taken shelter in India came here and gave an excellent performance of songs and poems mesmerizing the audience with the saga of sacrifice, courage and valour of the liberation fighters against the atrocities of the Pakistani army. In December 1971 Bangladesh came into being bringing joy to all residents of this neighbourhood.

Inspired by the Bangladesh liberation struggle a music genius by the name of Sushil Dasgupta, who lived in Nizamuddin, came to our neighbourhood and organized a group of young men and women to perform what was named “Bangladesher Gatha”. He named this group Indian Youth Choir. Rehearsals for this performance, first staged in AIFACS Hall in the summer of 1972, took place by turns in the living rooms of participants. The High commissioner of the new republic, Bangladesh, was the chief guest at the first performance.