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The new 50p coin (on top) along with some regular and commemorative coins of the same denomination. Picture by Sudeshna Banerjee |
“There was a big rush to buy the coins (at face value) because of their novelty in Calcutta. The coins were minted in Mumbai and Hyderabad but not yet in Alipore, so they have not reached these parts yet,” said an RBI official manning the stall. The 5,000 pieces in stock got sold out within the first day, despite the officials not giving in bulk to any single buyer.
The 50p coin has been gradually becoming lighter and smaller. “Take the half-rupee nickel coin circulated in 1950. It weighed 5.839g and was 24mm wide. Compare that to the 50 naye paise in circulation from 1960 to 1971. The nickel pieces weighed 5g and were 24 mm in diameter. Even the first lot of ferritic stainless steel coins, minted between 1988 and 2007, weighed 3.79g and were 22 mm in diameter,” said Society secretary Ravi Shankar Sharma who has authored the book Coinage of Republic India.
“As it is, the newer Rs 2 coin is often mistaken for Re 1. Now they have done this to the 50p. One really has to be careful while buying a Metro ticket in haste,” grumbled a visitor at the exhibition, inspecting the small new coin.
Jute meet
At one time boys from well-to-do families set sail for Dundee to be trained in jute technology. This was when the Scots used to dominate the jute industry in Bengal. Those were the first Indian men to gradually become managers of jute mills, a post once strictly reserved for Europeans even after Independence. But things changed with the opening in 1950 of the Institute of Jute Technology, which was the only such institution in the world where one could go in for higher education in that field. It attracted students from all over India and outside it too. But the jute industry has been in the doldrums for a long time now, what with many mills remaining closed for years now, thanks to labour unrest and the unprincipled policies of those who had taken them over. Then came plastic bags for packaging which were preferred to the traditional jute or gunnysacks and things became even worse for the beleaguered industry. But the situation is expected to improve now as from this month the use of jute bags for packaging sugar will become mandatory.
This announcement was made by Atri Bhattacharya, the jute commissioner, who said earlier only 90 per cent jute bag use was mandatory but since it was difficult to keep a check it has been made 100 per cent now. He was speaking at the reunion of former students of the Institute of Jute Technology, which was held as usual on January 26 in the Calcutta University Centenary Hall on the College Street campus.
About 2,500 guests, including former students and their families, had gathered for an entertainment programme at the end of the short speeches. Efforts will be made to improve the quality of jute products by creating new standards. The Bureau of Indian Standards is going in for upgrade. Many students who join the institute are lured away by the textile industry soon after they join. So there is a paucity of technocrats in this industry. R. Gupta, deputy chairman of the Indian Jute Mills Association, said a package is being prepared to remedy the situation. Perhaps the days of the golden fibre will be back again soon.
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David Goldfarb at the Jewish Girls’ School event. Picture by Pabitra Das |
City of plum cakes
“Inspiring”. For David Goldfarb, that was Calcutta, in a word. The spokesman for the Embassy of Israel, on his second visit to the city, even found time to sample some of Nahoum’s fare. His favourite? The plum cake. In town to attend the founder’s day celebration of the Jewish Girls’ School, Goldfarb was all praise for the song-dance-and-pantomime show put up by the girls.
“This is my second visit to Calcutta and I love the city,” said Goldfarb, adding: “The best thing about it are the people”.
The spokesman actually found time to see some of the city this time around. “I went to the Jewish cemetery, the synagogue and the Jewish Boys’ School,” he said.
After the visits, he was left feeling a mixture of sadness and happiness. “The Jewish community here is dwindling. After the state of Israel was founded, Jews from the world over migrated there. That’s good, they are home. But while at the synagogue, I could imagine how it must have been when 5,000 Jews would pray there together.
Now there are only 16-20 Jews left in Calcutta, I am told,” Goldfarb said.
He also found time to visit Nahoum’s not once but twice. “I have been there twice in the two days that I have been here. I went there last evening after I heard so much about it, but much of their stock was sold out. So I went back this morning. I like their plum cake the best. I am told it is sent all over the world,” he said with a smile.
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COLOUR & DRAMA: Based in this city though he is, little is seen of either Chittrovanu Mazumdar or his recent work. But he is making a comeback next Friday with a huge exhibition titled, …and undated Nightskin, of his recent works to be displayed both at Harrington Street Arts Centre and his own studio below it. Mazumdar has created giant machines and carts painted black which are fitted with louvres that open and shut revealing intriguing images. In the gallery are giant black-and-white canvases, a large silkscreen-like image of the pitted Jharkhand landscape, and a dark room with purple “icicles” of light. With so much drama and colour there is little chance of feeling underwhemed.
Picture by Rashbehari Das
(Contributed by Sudeshna Banerjee, Soumitra Das and Poulomi Banerjee) |
