DOWNFALL of Kolkata Explained in 10 Minutes! | Sanjeev Sanyal on The Neon Show 

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Communism is a cancer... I regret of being a hardcore left supporter in my early life... I still regret those decision... Thankfully left is no more in Bengal.

Very aptly said, Kolkata and Bengal was murdered and now TMC is raping the deadbody.

Remember: Computer hatao Andolon & English hatao policy up to class V or so. Interestingly sons, daughters,grandsons,grand daughters of so many stalwarts and intellectuals were studying in English medium schools.

can't believe Kolkata was once industrial hub of India and now it's gone so far down the pecking order

Brilliantly said. Bengalis are also responsible for their fate. They kept choosing the left front government for 34 years even witnessing their worst performance year after year and then they elected one dacoit in white saree and put her in power for next 3 terms and continuing. You and your generation will not suffer then who else will. Bengal's next aspiration is to become a state like Bihar.

I too lived in Kolkata for about 16 months between 2006 to 2008. In 2006 December we had 6 bandhs. We were working in South City Mall construction. We had to stop in every bandh as we had glazing outside. Even one stone thrown would have damaged the whole elevation. When informed of bandh, my uncle from Bengaluru remarked " khula kab rahega yaar?". Communists, Didi have totally destroyed Bengal. Bengalis are themselves to be blamed. You elected them.

I passed CA in the Eighties. There would be no light for days. I had to struggle in the dark. There was no suitable jobs in kolkata after I passed. All industries by that time had migrated. Poverty was glorified. Industrialists were seen as class enemy. Work culture was completely destroyed. People were tought to revere far away Cuba much more than their homeland. Politics was institutionalised in all sectors. The first victims were schools and colleges. Students were forced to take part in rallies was given a name Chatra andolon. Bengal is still not out of this shock.

I was shocked to hear some NRI Bengali young lady putting the blame for current Bengali mess down to Marwaris! Not to communists not to Mamta but to the one community that actually created economic opportunities for the local population

As a Bengali , I totally agree with what he is saying. This nostalgia of bengalis with a sad looking city is evidence of the complete lack of aspiration.

Agree. I'm a Bangalorean married to a wonderful Bengali man but when I visit my in-Laws, I feel like I'm in a different country. The heat, the constant assault on the nose, the filth, the falling sick, lack of good doctors/ hospitals, the terrible drivers who don't follow the rules, low wages for the domestic help and the corruption. So when i hear a Communist Bhadralok lecturing me on how Bengal is great, I really, really have to try and stifle my eyeroll. Bengal was super special and gave birth to Vivekananda, Bankim chandra Chattopadhyay, Khudiram Bose, Netaji, Tagore, Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu but this Bengal???!! This needs to change

I'm from Kolkata and we came here over 100yrs ago. I keep listening to stories of Kolkata decline, I really wish I can see the rise of Kolkata once again. But I'm certain of one thing that if, Bharat that is India, is to reclaim it's glory Bengal and Kolkata has to contribute to it. India cannot achieve 9-10% growth without it's third largest city contributing to it. Just imagine that even after half a century Kolkata is still Bharat's 3rd largest city, what could it be if we get a pro industry governement here. Love Kolkata love Bharat Jai Hind❤️

Way back in 1970s I got my first job with Hindustan Motors in Kolkata, which at the time used to produce around 125 Ambassador cars that went on roads in towns and villages all across India. Most of the factory workers were Bengalis and Biharis, highly skilled in their jobs, but I witnessed the rot setting in right in front of my eyes. The done thing was to not work, except in overtime. As a young maintenance engineer eager to get a worker to repair a breakdown that was holding up an assembly line, I would have to first answer his question why he should do the work when the management was taking all the profits and giving him none. A worker with strong union backing used to openly make knives from pieces of scrap mild steel sheets in the tool room for selling in the market. The culture of shirking work was everywhere. The first baby steps leading to the factory's closure were being taken.

I think the main problem with the bengalees of Kolkata is that they overestimate themselves and think that except themselves no one is so much intelligent.But the fact is just opposite.

"If Mrinal Sen's movies are your aspirations then don't complain what you get." Sometimes a phrase or sentence is enough to make one understand the moot point.

I am from Mumbai, we too got infested with the communist disease in the 80's and 90's with several mill strikes, thankfully we quickly realized that this is not the way...no matter how bad the situation is, going all red makes it WORSE...we survived that outbreak then the mafia world and thankfully evolved into a everlasting workforce..."faltu time nahi hai, kaam pe jana hai",..."apna kaam kar bhai" 😂..these values are etched in Mumbai's spirit.... I know we face huge threat from GIFT, Gujarat however we wont go down so easily like Kolkatta, its very hard to replicate the open, less judgmental, work focused culture of Mumbai!

Communists of Bengal only served interest of China. One example, entire hosiery industries which used to lead the world market in 70s & upto mid 80s were systematically destroyed by CITU so that China can take the world hosiery market. Similarly, they did with Jute industries & extended to Rayon & cosmetic industries along with other MNCs they driven out of Bengal. This is how WB solved it's loadshedding crisis & become energy surplus.

We are witnessing that how much fast the newly born cities is growing like NOIDA, Gurgaon,Pune, Ahmedabad etc. Kolkata history is too old and it was hub of education, culture, industrial. But now development projects is stagnant in Kolkata which is harming their growth. So both state and central government should co-operate to each other for good future of Kolkata.

As a marwadi living in kolkata i completely agree with sir, i used to hear the same from my grandfather that earlier when they came in kolkata and settled here, business opportunities were so much, domestically kolkata was looked upon as well as internationally, now doing job in Maharashtra i have learnt that people in corporates are reluctant to recruit people having education or exp background from kolkata, this is the level. What is alarming is that it is degrading day by day for obvious reasons which i dont want to express here. He mentioned about birla leaving, the reason was riots which were fully supported by cpm and it isn't documented anywhere, whole staff and labourers working in kesoram cotton mills were killed, burnt, raped, now this land is grabbed by people in power and illegal buildings are constructed on them.

Iam 67yrs, I have seen all this. Very good analysis, short and to the point.

I remember a serious newspaper article with a title”Thank God, Jyothi Basu is dead”!

WestBengal is a failed state. Big tragedy. Why have 2 generations of educated Bengalis gone away? Why is the huge number of Bengali labor seeking jobs in the south_ north/ west? Very bad law and order. Pl reform and save Bengal

the main downfall of West Bengal was when the CPM was in power. They did not allow computers or the IT industry to flourish in Kolkata because they believed it would replace humans. Now, we see the consequences as West Bengal ranks among the lowest in IT sourcing states.

You know what's our problem? We only speak about issues, we never speak about solutions. The past cannot be changed, the future can. It would have been far more effective if you could speak about solutions to how to make Kolkata and Bengal relevant again.

Cañt agree more....even I m from 80s and I left Bengal because of the Left!

Absolutely Correct. I too suffered had to leave WB in 92 as there was nothing left in terms of education and jobs and industries. All Vanished. Within few years..

Till the 60s, Mumbai and Delhi were still competing with Kolkata and Asansol-Raniganj Durgapur-Burnpur- Kulti corridor in terms of per capita income.

Yo, such content is fire! Explaining Bharat's stories in just 10 min. 💯

Bengalis will never acknowledged how a communist and secular nature made them this way. Like it or not yes this city is a place where today Forbes rulers used to live. I remember my grandfather saying Kolkata ki Amiri hi alag thi. But what to do when U have mind either U can make gifted city into garbage or could have turned into Bangalore or Mumbai. But Bengali choose another way

Odisha has now higher per capita income than West Bengal.❤

I am the daughter of a Govt doctor of a small town from Assam......not from a so-called deprived family......but yet I studied near the kerosene lamp in the 90s...... And I thought that was normal until I met people of my age from other states😢 PS: We had electricity connection. But there were frequent power cuts....

I can relate this, because my father who was in his 20s in the 1980s told me how computers where thrown from the BPO building in Kolkata(fact: the first computer in india came to kolkata at BPO building . This lead to the whole IT hub getting crashed and all the commerce industries - 99% of them had headquarters here in Kolkata, then shifted to Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore due to the situation explained by Sanjeev Sanyal sir.

The problem in Venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented. From the Soviet Union to Cuba to Venezuela, wherever true socialism or communism has been adopted, it has delivered anguish and devastation and failure. Those who preach the tenets of these discredited ideologies only contribute to the continued suffering of the people who live under these cruel systems. Donald Trump

Kolkatta not developing is big pain point for all the ne states ...now they have to relocate to andaman , hyderabad , bangalore etc straining other states ...good m8nds suffered by politics

Sanjeev is spot on. He has the guts and the courage to spell out and explain it in a lucid manner.How well he explained and setting up the context with Europe.

There is one State in the South on the verge of collapse because of too much Socialism 😊

Thank you Sanjeev for putting it in such a forthright manner. I also witnessed the murder. Is a revival possible?

Neither I am a political person nor I have sound knowledge on the history, but being born in the 90's till date I have seen Kolkata being stabbed to death by these political parties be it CPIM or the TMC. If I do a benchmarking Bengal had the biggest and wisest political heads in the country which has been mislead over decades. I somehow feel that in the next upcoming votes if BJP comes into position, things might change and Kolkata might get back the heritage it has lost over the years. Fingers Crossed 🤞🤞

I will only quote the following poster during the time "আইসো আমি তোমাদিগকে আলোর পথ দেখাই " - যীশু "আইসো আমি তোমাদিগকে অন্ধকারের পথ দেখাই " - বসু

I'm in awe of the way you have so precisely explained the decline of Bengal and the main reason behind it. Hats off to you sir!

Was very interesting hearing Sanjeev sir speak about Kolkata's decline over the years...

We have the habit of "naam bangeai khai". You see the current political leadership always taking the name of bengali greats. Every community goes through a process of rise and decline and we are currently in the decline. Our so called intellectuals are busy licking boots rather than having serious sophisticated discussion of solutions. Look at our youngsters socialized with bankrupt communist ideologies. It feels like all are part of 'another brick in the wall'.

Being a Bengali, I do second his statement except his comment on Mrinal Sen. He was one of the finest director and his movies are not widely seen by commoners due to many layers of complexities. Why are people making so much houl and cry including Jawahar Sircar, IAS (Retd.) along with lumpen TMC cadres. Most youngsters in Bengal today are clueless about shaping their career and educated youngsters are taking short cut route for easy earning by rubbing their shoulder with wrongdoers. How many Bengalis are into start up ventures? Why is that no. so little as compared to other states? Actual answer lies what Mr. Sanjeev Sir told. Today migrated Bengalis are contributing much to the nation building than those son of the soil.

So true!! The aspiration of Bengal people killed Kolkata.🥹

Yes, hundred percent. Economic development create an atmosphere for everything.

"Sera Bangali" -( Best Bengali ) a prestige that used to be awarded to the highest standards and quality of social, sports, economic, political and other fields, which was given to the likes of befitting Sourav Ganguly and several other politicians or people who supported the socialist mind-set only. Unfortunately, they failed to acknowledge Swami Vivekananda or Ram Krishna Paramhamsa as Sera Bangali.

Very aptly described and absolute reality of the reasons why Kolkata is what it is today. The Cpim just destroyed it and now the new ones are looting what is left of it.

Sanjeev Sanyal is partly correct when he says that Kolkata was murdered during the Left Front regime. The fact is, Kolkata was great during the age of mostly Hindu kings and zamindars, which is wrongly called "British rule." Once multiparty secular democracy was imposed, the decline started, and after the late 1960s, the decline accelerated. Every country, region, and community following multiparty secular democracy will perish. Look around the world: Europe, North America, Japan, and South Korea are all heading towards extinction because of dismally lower birth rates. Dismally lower birth rates and the atomization of individual identities lead to disaster.

He have not mentioned few key points here - 1. Freight equalisation policy 2. Being Bengal is a border state and central govt never fenced it’s border with Bangladesh like for Pakistan 3. Giving up mineral reach districts to Bihar etc etc

The great industrialist Aditya Birla was humiliated in the most horredous manner. He was beaten, stripped almost naked. What else you expect?. Bengal was No.1 industrial state. Many industries shut down. At that time states like Maharashtra, Gujrat, Karnataka welcomed them. Result these states progressed and Bengal became impoverished

Sach bol raha hai

Jyoti brought darkness , Mamata brought cruelty and worse ! It is completely true ! Actually more than murder of Bengalee as a race and coming up of non- Bengalees in Kolkata / WB State at the cost of friendly local people . Political parties Congress , CPM and now criminal TMC colluded for short term economic gains ! Traitors , no question !

"cholche na...cholbe na...kalo haat vengey dao....guriay dao......nipat jak...manchi na...manbo na...loadshedding...hurricane lamp studies for the full school going tenure....mosquitoes....bandh...hartal: a baby one for 12 hrs, big brothers follow for 24,48,72 hrs, high rudeness of all white clad octogenarians, closure of factories, sheds, gheraoed till hospital shifting...." .....ahh those "nice" childhood days of 70s 80s....etched in memory for ever!

I did most of my schooling in Kolkata in the ‘70s…. I do relate with this very closely indeed 😢

Fully agree with mr sanyal. Am also from the 80s era and saw its destruction, from which it never recovered.

Being Bengali, it hurts us so much after seeing the present Kolkata, the city that used to be the 2nd capital of the world's largest Empire after London.... Dirty Politics has killed Kolkata.... Kolkata was supposed to be the Superpower of India Today, but it ended up remaining jst an ordinary city today.... 😢

Can feel this in my core 😔

When Hindus of India were divided, tried to kill each other among themselves, fought among themselves then India was attacked from outside India and ruined, similarly as Hindu Bengalis are divided and trying to destroy among themselves now West Bengal is being ruined by suicidal attitudes towards Delhi.

Very well said heard lot of stories about Bengal , the reason my great grand parents came to Bengal not any other place and now it really pains our heart seeing things that are happening. Let's pray to God it resurges again.

Very eye opening video of WEST BENGAL

The fall of West Bengal marked the rise of Odisha

Please come back and save West Bengal

Sanjeev sir is great...

He is absolutely right. We suffered a lot. But now what's next?

I am 76 year old, born in Kolkata and have seen several transformations of Kolkata, now suffering from intellectual and cultural degradation and decay. May God save my City.

Thank you for stepping up and telling the truth

Great conversation 😊

I am also from early 70's birth. An pain fully watched de industrial movement and now a resident of western India. It really painful

And still bengalis are doing the same mistake again and again...i am also a Bengali and this downfall of Bengal hurts me....vote bank politics is at the peak in bengal...poor people vote tmc merely for some hundred of rupees given to them per month, and for some free rice and wheat... other parties especially bjp still don't have a strong grassroot level organisation and leadership...we really need a strong and visionary leader who genuinely has the aspiration to develop Bangal in all spheres

Kolkata's sole reason of downfall are the elitist Kolkatans like Sanjeev Sanyal. In the entire interview, he only takes one city's name - Kolkata. Where is West Bengal? Is it at all a state? Kolkatans from the time of Bengal Renaissance have been thinking like this. Every effing thing was Kolkata-centered. Every minister used to be Kolkata-centric, every development except for first few years of the left rule and a few years of BC Roy's rule was Kolkata centric. Kolkata people take a huge pride in claiming themselves superior to the ones from 'mofossol' and that's what drove them not to do anything for the rest of Bengal. In his beloved 70s, small towns were dying. In my own family there are examples when exam got called off due to the bomb explosion by the ruling party in the 70s and it was NOT the 'left rule' ; one after another job got cancelled even after the offer letter was delivered because some leader's 'poshyoputras' got the job and it was also NOT the left rule. Two brothers were called from their house while having lunch and got shot from point blank range and it was also NOT the 'left rule'. People like Sanjeev Sanyal was then basking in their St Lawrence/La Marts glory preparing to leave Bengal to spew venom at Bengalis as a whole at a later point in their lives. Shame on them!

The Bahi-khata is a double-entry system of bookkeeping that predates the ‘Italian/Florentine’ method by many centuries. Its existence in India prior to the Greek and Roman empires suggests that Indian traders took it with them to Italy, and from there the double-entry system spread through Europe. The Bahi-khata is described and its double-entry principles explained. Source: Bahi-Khata: The Pre-Pacioli Indian Double-entry System of Bookkeeping B. M. LALL NIGAM

I agree with all the words that Bengal is facing the lack of Industry and Economic growth. Not only Kolkata the whole West Bengal state is facing such problems and a huge brain drains are happening because of this that's why you got the point, kolkata is now not able to produce such a gem like we had in golden times. A person who has that ability to be is being pushed to other states for job and eventually he gets dettached from it's root culture and the intellectuality is not getting developed because a fast life will not give you the luxury to be an intellectual. It needs an enourmous time to gain all kind of knowledges. At the same time I did't agree with your dirrection of thought that bring this Ayodhya building Govt and WB will regain it's power back, because if u say 34 years govt murdered WB, today's govt is putting the dead body in coffin or burning (imp for communal minded readers ) then that Big man's govt will tear apart the Bengal . Many can say after reading this that this thought is absolutely wrong but truely Bengali people knows how to pull them up by themselves. That's the beauty of tolerence, you are also a Bengali and u know how much tolerence we have, we have the capability to take any kind of criticism without starting a fight. This is absolutely true Bengal needs a second birth and that will happen surely by the hands of Bengalis themselves, she will surely regain her's lost glory back, we have to avoid any kind of communall minded politicians and peoples and have to evolve ourselves to bring money and Industry to this state so that as a Bengali you never have to criticise your's own community infront of others. I hope every Benagli person reading this can get the "heart tearing" feelling, because we know how potential we are but in the circle of time we are not in the best position to just argue. We have to digest any kind of criticism no matter how much worst it can be, but have to work collectively to bring back the Glorious past of Bengal in upcomming days.

This man is a Gem.

I still remember when all companies that were operating in Northeast used to have their head offices in Kolkata. Lots of MNCs were there. But now Guwahati has those Headoffices .Also, MNCs moved out, and there are no new MNCs

Oh my Kolkata we all are crying because of your downfall: UP, Bihar... :(

Kolkata has the worst from corporate culture. Only a handful of companies such as Tata and ITC have bases. Outsiders are not welcome, even if you are Bengali outside of Kolkata, People ask about your schooling, caste and colleges. I have wasted 5 years of my time in Kolkata, no growth. Highly politicised culture, work ethic, team formation, proactive, result driven culture is 0. That's why millions of youngsters are zeroing in towards Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi.

Same thing happening in Kerala 😢

My request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that if you want to leave Power in 2026 please don't go. But if at all you go please make 10 persons of different age in the coming 2 years with your virtue of selecting the gems like Mr Sanyal. Being a Bengali I am requesting this. He is not narrating a past he's telling the Geeta Vedas Puranas of Bengali psyche.

When Calcutta was the capital,its cultural, social , business activity flourished.By shifting the same to Delhi business activity developed around Faridabad,Gurugram,Noida, Gaziabad etc. Also Delhi University has the largest applicants for their courses. So there is no point in calling a spade a spade,a decline a decline.

What I perceive from this, is that greatness in Sanjeev Sanyal's eyes is a very restricted sphere. To be able to see greatness in today, you have to move on from the dwellings of the past. Art is still created in nooks and corners of Kolkata. Science is still done in its old, but capable laboratories. Somewhere, in a musty classroom in Presidency or Calcutta or Jadavpur University, there's some student working out a solution to some millenium prize problem. Right below that classroom, in the open yard, maybe one of his classmates is speaking about class and caste oppression, and fighting for student rights. Dreams, in some or the other form, is still sold in the streets of Kolkata in the forms of handwritten leaflets and self-published books. Maybe there will be no second Vivekananda from Bengal, much like there will be no second Gandhi from Gujarat. But, there is definitely still greatness present in every gully of this city, and this country. You just have to open your eyes wide enough to see it, and feel it.

Kolkata is far better than congested cities like Delhi Mumbai and Bangalore

People used to travel to Calcutta for jobs. That was before Jyothi Basu's Communist party came into power. When the communists came, they harassed the industrialists through Gheravs, strikes, no work etc. Business owners had to close their factories and run. And when they ran away, jobs also disappeared and Calcutta went down. Jyothi Basu came as a refugee from Bangladesh. Yet he hated Hindus and love Muslims, the same people who snacked away his ancestral home and kicked him out.

When people ask "Why your people kept electing them(CPIM) if they were that bad?", I remember my grandma, uncles and aunt telling us how they were threatened by bombs, guns and goons on a regular basis, they had to hide under beds so those paid goons won't beat or shoot them. And I'm not even talking about villages or rural areas. We're from Central Kolkata and it was that bad in 70's, 80's and 90's. There used be political meetings held in every week so that they would know people are still under control. The so called local leaders used to threaten the husbands and take their wives away and no one( even police) would bat an eye. People got fed up of these tortures and brought TMC into power and look where we are today. Seems like we're trapped in a vicious loop. I'm sure BJP would do no good to this state as well if they come to power.

It's important for folks to realise that kolkata has the 3rd largest GDP after Mumbai and NCR even after so many decades of stagnancy. For India to grow beyond a certain level, Kolkata has to grow. You can build a patna or a Bhubaneswar, but fact of the matter is, Kolkata is still bigger than both in terms of potential purely because of legacy. Kolkata has to grow!

The Great bengal will rise again, sun rise from east.

Great narrative on Kolkata by Sanjeev, impressive orator backed up verifiable data।

Left were replaced by TMC the worst that could happen to bengal... In between jyoti basu and mamata there was a left legend Bhuddadev Bhattacharjee..... I would like here his view on Bhuddadev

Truth is great but half-truth is horrible.

In some point I strongly disagree with Sanjeev Sanyal ji. Yes Jyoti Basu's era in some extent was dark. But when Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was elected for CM, he was publicly critical to his predecessor's economic policy. He created first IT Hub of the Eastern India in Salt Lake. In his 2004 to 2011 period the West Bengal's economy was booming. 1,313 industrial unit had established, investment of 36,498 crore rupees were invested. According to NSSO report, from 2004 to 2011 West Bengal was on the top in whole nation at Industrial Job Manufacturing. Second was Gujarat. I still remember between the year of 2006 to 2011 BJP-TMC-Cong-Naxalite-Media nexus destroyed TATA's Nano plant in Singur and Salim Group's Petro Chemical's project in Nandigram. Mamata Banerjee got herself Bengal's throne capitalizing that turmoil. And surprising fact is Congress, Naxalites, RSS-BJP openly supported her.

" Building of Highway and re-building Ayodhya Temple are part of the same agenda - and they can't be understood separately from each other "

This is what I am saying from years and I am happy that you have described it do nicely. Having got a valuble position I am hopeful that you must have convinced PM that to develop India, Kolkata has to be developed

What Jyoti Basu did, or allowed is exactly what Modi is doing over the last 10 years. Difference is Basu allowed it as he was ordered by his party to support that in the name of communism. Modi does it as he is part of the communalist medieval rss.

Unfortunately this guy knows a lot of European history but not history of Bengal

Mr Sanjeev Sanyal really makes sense. For over 40 years from the WB had been under the communist rule and in the last 10-15 years TMC rule both of these never cared for the preserving its cultural past, renowned industrialists, great educational institutions. It was a most flourishing State overall. With TMC nothing better can be expected as the CM being pro-islamic leader, unless replaced by a better political head.

Those who are settled outside and working. Plz come and vote for a change. 35% muslims and 5% Christians they will never support so called Hindu party.

As a Bengali, I understand what my state is going through but would like to see tmc getting removed by a visionary leader. The problem is anyone can become leader but someone with visions will always think for future growth and not past.

It is much easier to throw mud at anyone or at any place as you did this elaborately in your presentation but what worthwhile contribution you offered to The Government of INDIA, being an economic adviser, to bring in the industry in the state, you studied and nursed your ambition. You only consolidated your position in the ministry and fell in line with the hierarchy,

Well, being brought up in the early 80s in Kolkata I also have the same feeling. Bengalies are obsessed with their past. But I guess during the last 5-7 yrs things have changed a bit.. Somehow many bengalies have started critising themself.. And also comfortable in articulating and accepting the faults..even in open forum..Which to me.. A very healthy sign.. One needs to 'accept the lacuna first'.. Before the corrective actions can be initiated.. The State GDP has proved to be promising.. I guess..

Awesome pieceof knowledge what a legend, superb podcast.!!🎉🎉

Sanyal, in fact, concedes that till the 1970s, Kolkata was the most important economic hub in India, indeed one of the most important industrial hubs in Asia. That it lost its way because of the socialism and communism of the Jyoti Basu era is undoubted. But why blame the harmless adda for it?