Kolkata: Although trams currently ply on only two routes in the heart of Kolkata, the nostalgia remains. Now, for the first time, a magazine has been published exclusively on trams.
Named 'Tram Line', this magazine is aimed at generating awareness among people about this transport system, which has been plying on the streets of the City of Joy for the last 151 years. The magazine has made it clear that although tram's importance as a transport service has diminished, Kolkatans are still enthusiastic about it.
The initiative to publish the magazine was taken by the Save Heritage Save Tram organisation. It includes a detailed information about the history of the tram, its evolution and the current situation as well as its relevance. The magazine also contains some black and white photographs of the city dwellers along with the memories of tram.
Priced at Rs 190, the first issue of the quarterly has 34 articles and a decision is yet to be taken on the number of articles that will appear in the subsequent issues.
The Save Heritage Save Tram was launched at a public convention at the Shyambazar Tram Depot on September 26. Since then, this organisation has been working at protecting other heritages of the city, especially the tram. The magazine was officially published at the second public convention of the organisation, Kaushik Das, a member of the editorial board said.
Public opinion on trams has been collected in various places across the city over the past few weeks. Das said discount is being offered to people purchasing the magazine. He said that in order to collect a copy of the magazine, one has to contact the Save Heritage Save Tram page on social media.
A three-day transport festival will be held early next year at College Square and deputations to save trams will be submitted to mayor Firhad Hakim and transport minister Snehashis Chakraborty.
Researcher and tram lover Debashish Bhattacharya, who is also the president of the Calcutta Tram Users Association, has written a detailed article on the alleged corruption that has taken place around the trams.
"We have long wanted to publish a magazine so that our words can be recorded and reached out to people. But we could not do that. When I saw Save Heritage Save Tram doing this work, I have praised them. If this magazine is published regularly, our demands and statements about this old transport system will be recorded as a document."
Read more
