Who's-who bids Subhas adieu

KOLKATA: The events following his death could be perceived as a display of the party's strength and solidarity. A number of karmasuchi (programmes), as announced by Biman Bose, were taken up ever since he breathed his last on August 3, including CPM's "comeback show" in this same venue on August 14. But the quintessential Subhas Chakraborty seemed to have come alive like never before on Saturday not in his wax replica unfurled next to the stage, but in the elements of the programme organised in memoriam.
And, like the leader of the masses that he was, people turned up in huge numbers Bollywood, Tollywood, Kolkata's sports clubs, the world of music, central and state government representatives, KMC, the party's labour arm everyone was adequately represented, even expelled leader Somnath Chatterjee.They were all there, in tearful remembrance of their "apan-jon (one of their very own)".
Usha Uthup sang, "Subhas-da, Subhas-da, don't worry Subhas-da. Aamra tomar-i Subhas-da ..." And children clapped forgetting that they were supposed to be grieving. The youngsters were among the diverse audience that had gathered at the former transport and sports minister's very own Netaji Indoor Stadium to mourn his death, and it was a day out of the ordinary. It's not every day that Sourav Ganguly and Jagmohan Dalmiya are spotted under the same roof these days.
Amar Pal sang the late leader's favourite number, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh conveyed his condolence message, mayor Bikash Bhattacharya swore that "Dada was very much in tune with the Marxist line and not the other way round", the former Speaker remembered "having him by my side during personal crises", Mithun Chakraborty "vowed to be with his family forever".
Among those who participated in "Swaraney Baraney", organised by Pather Panchali, Friends of the Stadium and the State Sports Council were Madhabhi Mukherjee (a former Trinamool candidate), Tollywood poster boy Jeet, thespian Sova Sen, actor-vocalist Ruma Guha Thakurta, Citu president Shyamal Chakraborty, BJP leader Tapan Sikdar and industrialist M K Jalan.
The deja vu moment happened when Chakraborty's voice was heard reciting Tagore's Bharat-teertha. The audience turned to the wax statue, which suddenly seemed very real, Panama hat, black jacket, et al. The same Chakraborty, who forever courted controversy either for a Hope '86 or by deviating from party lines came alive. Fleetingly, one thought he was actually there on stage, organising one of his many cultural shows.