20 Comments

  1. It felt great to read encounters of your great grandfather….I was instantly transferred to the sets of “Detective Byomkesh Bakshi”…..read it like a thriller…..you can approach Dibakar Banerjee for his next film which may be titled as ” Daroga John Solomon”.

  2. Nicely written ma’am
    I am being fan of your articles , this was great to divide the article into chapters ,easy for readers.
    Ma’am you can suggest the owner of kafo& co. To sell there products online by that whole India can enjoy the best quality and unmatched price of leathers.

    1. Hi Prashant, unfortunately these shop owners are very old and some surprisingly still use abacus to calculate thus Internet is a total stranger. Hope these business survive the time.

  3. I enjoyed being transported to the Kolkata during the Raj. It was thrilling to have a first hand account from those days. Incidentally; I was searching for “Hand made leather shoes” when I happened to see your blog and am happy that I read it.
    Today, I am planning to visit the shoe shop and probably get a good pair for myself.
    Thank you,
    Vidyanand

  4. Hi, I believe the inspector may have been an Anglo Indian, as am I. I was born in Calcutta and the nephew of Ronnie Moore, DC Armed Police, who retired to Australa. I moved to the UK and have now settled in NZ.
    your article was forwarded to me by my cousin Peter Moore. Peter too was a Police Sargent in Cal, then joined London’s Metropoitan CID. He retired as the last Superindent of Free Mantle Prison, Perth WA.
    Thank you for article. It brought back memories of Uncle Ronnie and Peter of policing Calcutta.
    However, I believe planting evidence on anyone is entrapment and illegal.
    Regards,
    Barry

    1. I spent the the first 22 years of my life in Calcutta and lived in the Waverley Mansions.. I am of Chinese ethnicity and most of my friends were Anglo Indians. Do you remember Inspector Dougie Hart? Their family also lived in Waverley Mansions. They emigrated to the UK and went on to Perth for a better life.
      Peter Chan

  5. Hi Subhadip, I would like to know more about your grandfather and his adventures particularly those about busting opium gangs. How can I reach you? Pls share your email ID. Sumit

  6. Reading your blog was so fascinating and nostalgic , growing up in Cal, I had no idea of the opium trade flourishing under our noses! All the men in my family bought their shoes from Bentinck Street, while we ladies would buy our shoes and sandals only from the Chinese shoe shops in New Market… so well crafted and stylish they were. Even now a visit to Calcutta is never complete without visiting the Chinese shoe shops… but sadly most have shut down, their businesses taken over. During our college days in the late 60’s and 70’s my siblings and I had many Chinese friends, most of whom migrated to other countries. The same with our Anglo Indian friends. During the Chinese New Year festivities, one well to do Chinese friend used to invite us to her house … it was an unforgettable glimpse into their traditional and opulent way of life. Not to mention the food they served.. not a patch on anything I have ever eaten since then.
    Sad to see the steady decline in the Chinese population and their unforgettable contribution to the city I called home…but change is so inevitable. And now the Covid 19 must be the last straw!
    Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Hope to hear more tales of Inspector John!

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