He was found a couple of days later, not at a friend’s or cousin’s place, or aboard a train heading to Ahmedabad where he had gone off to seek a fortune, but camping at Esplanade in the central part of the city where junior doctors are protesting against the West Bengal government over the RG Kar case.
Apparently, this budding anti-establishment spark feared his parents might not share his enthusiasm for protests, parents being the original model for a mai-baap state. So, he did what any rebellious teenager would do: disappear into the festive chaos of the pujas. In true Kolkata fashion, it wasn’t just about surviving the pandemonium but also being a rebel – with a cause.
Usually, it’s common to hear about a lost 10-yr-old at the Kolkata Book Fair, with the PA system announcing that his or her parents come and collect the kid. But, now, getting lost in Kolkata can have a purpose, and this being Kolkata, the purpose must invoke a bold political statement, of course.
