Bazi Bazaar
The decision could come in a day or two, or on Oct 28 when the Kolkata Police brass will meet fireworks traders.
We are now in complete uncertainty regarding who will be able to organise the fair at Sahid Minar ground,” said Santanu Dutta, secretary of Burrabazar Fireworks Dealers Association. “We have proposed to police that the fair be held at all four locations simultaneously between Nov 2 and Nov 8 (the day of Kali Puja and Diwali ),” said Subhankar Manna, one of the organisers of the fair at Tala Park. A local resident too has put in an application to organise the fair this year, said a fireworks industry insider. Dutta said that if the decision about who gets the rights to hold the fair comes too late, it becomes difficult to set up stalls within the right time. These take time,” said Dutta. “It is completely discretion of the police whether more stalls will be allowed or not,” said a source.
“We submitted our application in May, but someone had submitted an application even before us. Organising the fair at Sahid Minar needs a nod from the police, ministry of defence and local defence authority, among others. “A lot of safety measures have to be adopted since crackers are inflammable items. Two other Bazi Baazars are held in Kalikapur and Behala. The Tala Park organisers have written to police with a request to allow more stalls this year, as a compromise.