Park Street wakes up to happy hours

KOLKATA: It wasn’t like any other Sunday morning on Park Street. You didn’t have cars zooming past and the occasional morning walker treading along the sidewalk. Instead, the party street sprung to life with first rays of the sun as hundreds descended on it to play, sprint, cycle, walk and jog, making the road their own. With a flurry of activities, ‘Happy Streets’, presented by The Times of India in association with Kolkata Police, flagged off in style.There was something for everyone. If the youngsters matched their skills in sports, the seniors tried their hands at yoga, aerobics, or just took a stroll on the empty street. And they travelled miles to be a part of ‘Happy Streets’. Twenty-one-year-old Aman Gupta was there with his friends from Salkia in Howrah to play cricket. “This is a rare chance of playing on Park Street and we didn’t want to miss it. We are enjoying it thoroughly,” said Aman.Yards away, youngsters Raj Bhartia, Umang Singrodia and Sean Wardy were busy playing a football match. It was a fiercely contested one. “This is like the footie games that we often play in a small field. We have never experienced anything like this before,” said Bhartia.But it wasn’t about just cricket and football. Scores lined up to cycle, skate or try their in hands in kick-boxing or karate. Each sport had a dedicated lane, or an arena. “It’s unbelievable. You never get to see so many people out on the road so early on a Sunday morning. And they are all doing what they love to do,” beamed Swapan Purakait, a keen cyclist.“I have seen events like this happening abroad. It’s heartening to see it happening in our own backyard. This is a lovely idea,” gushed Purakait, scribbling on the pledge board.Even as Purakait sprinted back to his cycle, students from La Martiniere for Boys performed a street musical. A little away, Apeejay School students performed classical music while St James’ School students played cricket and basketball along with those from St Xavier’s College and Bhawanipore College.As the students remained busy with their games, hundreds around gaped at the breathtaking cycling stunts performed by Infinity Riders and Discovery on Wheels. Kolkata skateboarders thrilled everyone with their skating skills while Fun on Wheels Bengal, IPOC members displayed stunning karate drills.There were more to marvel at on the road. Government Art College students Rahul Ghosh, Akash Mondal and Souvik Dey put up to an installation. Members of ‘Jhalapala’ staged a streetplay.Cricket enthusiast Joyjeet Mukherjee found ‘Happy Streets’ too good to miss. He chose to skip the first part of the India-South Africa to skate on Park Street with son Ryan. “This is a rare opportunity. My son is a skating enthusiast and I didn’t want him to miss the chance of rolling down Park Street,” said Mukherjee.If hundreds could join the fun without a care, much of the credit went to the police and the NCC. Members of NCC Group Kolkata-B stood on guard as ‘Happy Streets’ unfolded. Around 300 cadets along with officers, and staff joined the event. While one squad carried banners to spread awareness on ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’, the other campaigned to save the girl child. An information stall on NCC and Disaster Management was put up. This apart, the CK Birla Group of Hospitals stationed an ambulance at the Park Street-Russell Street crossing.‘Happy Streets’ was a Godsend for sports-starved children of Kolkata, felt Jayashree Dugar, a resident of north Kolkata. With her children Param and Sonal in tow, she was one of the first to reach Park Street on Sunday. Within minutes, both the youngsters were off on their skates. “We have very little open space in this city. So, this is unbelievable. It’s like being able to play on the road on a bandh day, without the fear of trouble, of course,” she said. If the inaugural was an indication, Happy Streets is sure to make Kolkata more than just pleased. With five more Sundays to come, the fun has just started.