Historic Gandhi Mela yet to draw crowds

From Special Correspondent

Silchar, March 2: The 67th Gandhi Mela exhibition began at rsing Higher Secondary School playground here in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the tion and the frontline freedom fighter. In fact, this mela is dedicated to pay homage and respect to the great son of the country. The iugural function was held on the occasion on the playground presided over by Niharendra rayan Thakur, chairman of Silchar Municipal Board, and graced by Kabindra Purkayastha, former Union minister and MP, as well as other distinguished persolities.

Niharendra rayan Thakur said all out efforts would go to bring back the glory of Gandhi Mela and this would be also an attempt to perpetuate the memory of Gandhiji. It would therefore be important to ensure that proper sanctity and decency are maintained. In order to bring them back, Thakur has moved the district administration so that apart from different State government establishments, LIC, ONGC as well as IOC also come forward to add charm to the mela. No charge will be levied on these organizations for taking part in the mela. It would be an exhibition of 45 days and it usually takes some days for the mela to settle down and draw crowd.

Truly so, though the mela has completed more than a month, it is yet to pick up and draw crowd. Gautom Paul, who has joined this fair with varieties of clothes, particularly for the women, said from his experiences of the past until matriculation and Higher Secondary examitions are over, crowd cannot be expected to gather. This has also been the observation of Babla Banerjea, who has been joining the fair for the last several years, with his varieties of shows and entertainments as well as spectacular and daring motorbike ride in the well of death. Banerjea is the mager of Guwahati based New D K Enterprise who attends all the fairs that are held across Northeast.

There are a number of shows for the entertainment of people, both young and grown ups. There is dragon train as well as giant-wheel liked by all those who step inside the fair compound. Children have lot of things of amusement which includes Chitrahaar and Chand Tara. Magic show has its own attraction. For young, there is break dance and tora tora wheel for fun and frolicking. For mela-revellers, lots of spicy and sweet eatables are on the offer. Shops dealing in varieties of crockeries, utensils and furniture as well as toys and not to miss the mouth-watering chaats are in fact waiting for the visitors and the lovers of fairs. With this hope, both the organizers of mela committee and the participants with commercial interests wait for the day when the fair will really get going with crowd all along.