The New Market of Kolkata

William Pretty 

In typical Indian fashion, we began our first full day in Kolkata with the sun rising behind a force field of polluted air serving to keep out the clean, proving the statement that India truly is one of the only cities in the world you can look straight at the sun with no harm to your eyes. As a group we made our way through the labyrinth of streets, beneath the hanging cluster of power lines, the constant throb of car horns, weaving our way towards our destination just like the cars on the roads who pay no attention to lanes or order.

Our destination was one of the large markets in Kolkata, commonly known as New Market (thankfully no relation to a Grammar students' commonplace in Auckland). Being told we were going to a market made my mind generate all the clichés one thinks of a third world market. This hub both met and changed my view of these places. In one opinion, New Market possessed the superb generalisations of every Indian man addressing you as "my friend' and promising from the bottom of his heart that he only wants to help you… my friend, or that as you walked past a vendor you would hear the calls of 'where are you from', or 'only 250 Rupees, special deal for you… my friend". These things only brought a smile to my face, as I knuckled down and got ready to haggle myself a bargain on some 'one of a kind' Alibaba pants. But what amazed me about New Market was what it contained and what it gave to the people. Within a 200x200m area there was a butchers (albeit a very unsanitary one), a grocers, a clothes section, hairdressers (to Reuben's beards disgust as it fell victim to a blade within one), a spices section, general household goods and some more, whatever one wanted it is more than likely you would find it within the New Market of Kolkata. Within such a compact area the people of Kolkata were able to bind together in what is best described as a Symbiotic relationship where everyone helps everyone, sure they may try to poach customers from each other but there is an evident bond between them all. Only in India would someone be able to get absolutely everything they need to survive in such a small compact area. It doesn't remove from the fact that outside of New Market, Kolkata still possesses poverty and disease, but that only adds to the value of New Market that such a small area can provide so much opportunity too so many who so desperately need it.