Last time together at Bow Barracks Jan 01,2008 KOLKATA, Dec. 31: This was the last Christmas this year for the residents of the historic Bow Barracks, the symbol of the Anglo- Indian community in this city. And today it would be their last New Year's eve. The 90-year-old structure is to be razed to the ground. The 132 Anglo-Indian families residing in Bow Barracks in central Kolkata since the allied troops vacated the dingy quarters at the end of the World War II are to be relocated in different areas after the demolition of all the seven blocks. Their quaint lives inspired filmmaker Anjan Dutt to make Bow Barracks Forever ~ which won all-round critical acclaim. The beauty of the Barracks in Bowbazar first appealed to city architect- conservator Mr Manish Chakraborty. He took it upon himself to create awareness among people here about the invaluable heritage of the place, the historical importance of the deteriorating flats, which were built at the turn of the 20th century. The week-long Bow Barracks Festival took place in December 2000 and it was here that Dutt met Chakraborty. "This was the beginning of my association with the place. I would go back every Christmas to 'aunty' at the Barracks for her wine," reminisced the filmmaker. The wine-maker was the soul inspiration for Emily Lobo, the protagonist in Bow Barracks Forever. The story is of a tiny but resolute Anglo Indian community in the heart of bustling Kolkata trying desperately to keep alive its hopes, dreams, aspirations and its identity, as the world around them changes swiftly and tries to impose that change on them and their lives. It is a tale of heart breaking loneliness and immense courage. According to Dutt, Kolkata is not just a place for the Bengali. The "outsiders" have contributed to the city's music, festivities and food habits. "It's about finding one's home, and one's self in the world. Calcutta is Emily's home, as lousy as it may be. And the story encapsulates this pride of being a Calcuttan." The families in the Barracks this New Year's have made arrangements for revelry, which is expected to be tinged with emotion. Though happy at the idea of living in new homes, most of the families say they will miss the celebration of the New Year and Christmas together. The young members of the community though insist they will try to be here together in 2009 as well. "We will assemble here again in 2009 to celebrate New Year despite being scattered in different parts of the city," Mr Allen Lobo, the secretary of the Bow United Organisation, said. Mr Melvyn Brown, a chronicler of Anglo- Indian community in Kolkata, is against demolition of the barracks. "The one or two-room quarters, which were built on a three-bigha graveyard to accommodate Allied troops during the World War II, should be preserved as a heritage structure," Mr Brown said. But as the new must replace the young, the younger residents of the place feel the structures, which were declared unsafe two decades ago, should be knocked down. http://www.thestatesman.net/page.arcview.php?clid=22&id=210257&usrsess=1 ----- Harshawardhan_Bosham Nimkhedkar Nagpur, India