'Reformed toughs' fish in calm waters

KOLKATA: Susanta Barui (name changed) used to be a trigger-happy local tough, a terror to the people living near the 28-hectare wetland off EM Bypass.
His family spent sleepless nights praying for his safety, expecting the worst every moment. Not any more. Today, Susanta is a reformed man, and a proud member of a fish producers'' cooperative.
"Now I am back to the mainstream.My son is a Madhyamik student who aspires to become a doctor some day," explained Barui.
He is not an exception, being part of a 54-member Nuner Bheri Fish Producers'' group founded in 1999. The cooperative is a classic example of how a group of people living on the edge can become part of the social mainstream.
Till not very long ago, Nuner bheri was the hotbed of crime and anti-social activity. There were pitched battles and inter-group clashes even in broad daylight. And after dark no one dared to venture out in the area.
Today, the same waterbody is a picture of peace and tranquility, where people live in harmony.
The credit for setting up this co-operative goes to Madhumita Mukherjee, deputy director of the aquatic resource health management centre.
"Today the co-operative produces nearly three tonne fish every month. Varieties like telapiya, carp and rohu are on offer, and each member earns Rs 3,000 a month. When it started, the income was a modest Rs 450 a month," informed Mukherjee.
Jumbo prawn cultivation that has started recently will augment income considerably, she hopes. Mukherjee has also started a school for the children of the cooperative members.
A group of 14 housewives has received training in producing fish pickle and papad from experts who had come from Mumbai. "We are looking for ways and means of selling these products," Mukherjee added.
For the likes of Gautam Makha, Bapi Patra and Pradip Mondal, the co-operative is one big happy family. "Our lives have changed forever. We stand by each other through thick and thin," felt Bapi Mondal, secretary of the fish producers group.
At a time when wetlands throughout the state are being gobbled up by unscrupulous promoters, the group members are fiercely protective of what they describe as their pride.