Akhir Fayada Kitna

‘Akhir Fayada Kitna?’

[ Well..how much is the profit ? ]

Jagannath Ghat or Mullik Ghat, one of the oldest and once a prime bathing place on the bank of Ganges, just beside the monumental Howrah Bridge and adjacent to the biggest flower market of south east Asia.
Mr. Niranjan Panda was the one who first said ‘Hello..’ to me. He is a florist and spent more than half of his 40 years of life in the business of flower in the adjacent flower market.Ganga Seva Samiti – a trustee board formed with an apparent intention of looking after Jagannath Ghat. The board is mainly comprised of Marwari business men from the nearest locality who are the ardent followers of the philosophy of making money at every opportunity without even a slightest care to anything. The philosophy is inevitably reflected on the initiative of destroying the age old structure of this ghat and rebuilding or modifying them in a more money generating machine and that too in a malicious manner.Consequently, these structures are being brutally destroyed and even a fraction of the generated money is never utilized for any development of this ghat, instead the entire money is being consumed by the wicked businessmen. The result is obvious, entire area of the ghat is filled with dirt, filth and human feces.Mr. Niranjan Panda, is a prime eyewitness of this malice. This photo-essay is a representation of Niranjan’s protest against the crooked activity and an appeal to every one to raise a voice. Interestingly, Niranjan could not do it alone – because..in his own words – “ Is it possible for meto fight with the crocodiles when I have to swim in the stream ? ”