Resident of: Kolkata bow barracks, the Anglo-Indian enclave in central Kolkata, was preparing for two festivals on Sunday – one of democracy and the other of the most prestigious. Christmas,
The venue, which hosts the biggest Christmas celebration in town, is already gearing up for festivities next week, but Sunday morning was all about KMC Elections For residents of Bow Barracks.
Kiosks were set up in the area to help neighborhood voters find their names and polling stations. Unlike in other areas, where political activists set up kiosks, residents of Bow Barracks do it themselves without any party emblem. “Bo Barracks residents cast their vote in all elections, if they are present in the city. Most of them try to cast their vote in the first half to spend time with family and friends for the rest of the day,” Bo Angela Govindraj, a resident of the barracks said.
Bow Barracks comes under Chowringhee assembly constituency and has around 150 voters. “The number of voters has come down drastically as many have died while others have migrated. Most of the youth now live away from home,” said a veteran of Bow Barracks.
Christmas celebrations will begin on December 21 at Bow Barracks and will continue till early January. Lights have been installed and other furnishings will be completed by Monday night.
But the vote on Sunday was his first priority. “Most people voted early because Christmas is only a few days away. Everyone needs time to prepare for the last minute. Many families have guests who have come here to celebrate Christmas and they prepared Sunday lunch,” said a resident.
The dilapidated dwellings in Bow Barracks were recently renovated by the government after a gap of nearly five decades. There are 132 flats, most of which are either one-room or two-room apartments.
The layout is influenced by or similar to the old historic Spanish colonial city plan. A compact layout with a main ‘square’ and a city grid layout form the basic aspects of the physical plan. Bow Barracks was built as a garrison’s mess in 1918 to house soldiers during World War I, but they refused to let in. Kolkata Improvement Trust As Central Avenue and the roads leading to it were expanding, many displaced Anglo-Indian families were resettled in Bow Barracks.
The venue, which hosts the biggest Christmas celebration in town, is already gearing up for festivities next week, but Sunday morning was all about KMC Elections For residents of Bow Barracks.
Kiosks were set up in the area to help neighborhood voters find their names and polling stations. Unlike in other areas, where political activists set up kiosks, residents of Bow Barracks do it themselves without any party emblem. “Bo Barracks residents cast their vote in all elections, if they are present in the city. Most of them try to cast their vote in the first half to spend time with family and friends for the rest of the day,” Bo Angela Govindraj, a resident of the barracks said.
Bow Barracks comes under Chowringhee assembly constituency and has around 150 voters. “The number of voters has come down drastically as many have died while others have migrated. Most of the youth now live away from home,” said a veteran of Bow Barracks.
Christmas celebrations will begin on December 21 at Bow Barracks and will continue till early January. Lights have been installed and other furnishings will be completed by Monday night.
But the vote on Sunday was his first priority. “Most people voted early because Christmas is only a few days away. Everyone needs time to prepare for the last minute. Many families have guests who have come here to celebrate Christmas and they prepared Sunday lunch,” said a resident.
The dilapidated dwellings in Bow Barracks were recently renovated by the government after a gap of nearly five decades. There are 132 flats, most of which are either one-room or two-room apartments.
The layout is influenced by or similar to the old historic Spanish colonial city plan. A compact layout with a main ‘square’ and a city grid layout form the basic aspects of the physical plan. Bow Barracks was built as a garrison’s mess in 1918 to house soldiers during World War I, but they refused to let in. Kolkata Improvement Trust As Central Avenue and the roads leading to it were expanding, many displaced Anglo-Indian families were resettled in Bow Barracks.
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