Baul, Kirtaniya arrive to enjoy Jaydeb fair

KOLKATA: Around 250 akhada (tent) were set up by the baul and kirtaniya (folk and kirtaniya singer) at Kenduli-Jaydeb in Birbhum following the four days long “Jaydeb Mela” this year.
Few thousands baul and kirtaniya arrived on Friday here and singing songs and playing instruments. Few lakhs visitors arrived here and many of them took bath in the River Ajay on the day of Makar Sankranti. Folk singers from foreign countries have reached at Kenduli and staying at the akhada. The fair had been organised more than 100 years ago and the fair was previously recognised as Baul mela. But now-a-days kirtaniyas are thronging to visit the fair and organised their programme in several places.
The mercury dipped down and the temperature was 6 degree centigrade on Saturday. But people ignored the icy chill and dipped in the river.
No tourist lodge or hotels are located here but tourists were being accommodated in the tents. Some organizations were regularly catering free meals (kichdi with alur dum and cabbages curry) to the visitors. The fair brings the memory of the poet Jaydeb, who wrote many poems on communal harmony and love.
Police said they set up eight watchtowers and several drop gates for the safety and security of the visitors and a special control room was opened.

Special EC team arrives to oversee law and order

File Pix :Mob violence

KOLKATA: A four-member special Election Commission team arrived on Sunday to see the law and order situation in West Bengal.
The special EC team, led by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar Sudhir Kumar Rakesh, arrived in Kolkata to oversee law and order in the state ahead of the Assembly elections, West Bengal Joint CEO Dibyendu Sarkar said, two other members would arrive later tonight.
The team may visit the trouble-hit districts where political violence occurred in past few days. The decision to send a fact-finding team was taken by the EC after representatives of various political parties had informed them about the worsening law and order situation and series of political violence.
An official said that maintenance of law and order situation is vitial to the conduct of free and fair and peaceful election.
Three other senior police officers including Zaki Ahmed (DIG National Crime Record Bureau), P R K Naidu (DIG National Crime Record Bureau) and D K Pandey (ADG Jharkhand) arrived today apart from Bihar CEO.Other two senior police officers V S Reddy (DIG Andhra Pradesh) and P S Rampassi (DIG Orissa), would arrive later tonight.