Home ›› 06 May 2023 ›› Editorial
Not only literally, Kaalbaisakhi (nor’wester) is practically well-known to almost every Bengalee. Its devastating nature is noticed every year in many places. Kaalbaisakhi is combination of two words – Kaal meaning destruction and Baisahki means something that happens or originates in the month of Baisakh. In the summer i.e. mainly in April-May, the tremendous thunderstorm including lightning occurs in the afternoon or evening in the Ganges Valley, Bangladesh, West Bengal and adjoining areas As this storm occurs mainly in the month of Baisakh it is called Kaal Baisakhi. Similar storm is known as Andhi in Bihar and Bardaichila in Assam.
Kaalbaisakhi occurs almost everywhere in Bangladesh along with many places of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and some parts of Assam. There are numerous rivers and ponds all over Bangladesh and West Bengal. In summer water of these reservoirs and rivers evaporates due to intense heat at daytime. As a result, amount of moisture in the air rises very high. In addition, intense heat creates locally strong depression centre. To fill this void air from surrounding areas rushes towards this depression centre. Direct collision of such opposite flow of wind creates vortices.
Hot, humid air rises straight upwards and being cool it forms a special type of cloud named Cumulonimbus. Colour of this cloud is dark. For this reason the sky turns black during Kaalbaisakhi. As land and water are heated throughout the day, Kaalbaisakhi is formed in the afternoon. The main difference between Kaalbaisakhi and other storms is that lightning always continues during Kaalbaisakhi. Other storms (cyclone, hurricane by whatever name called) are predictable. Meteorology department forecast the formation of storm even a week earlier but Kaalbaisakhi is unpredictable. Cyclone or hurricane blows over a huge area but operating area of Kaalbaisakhi is very limited. Even it may cover a diametre of only half a mile
Although duration of Kaalbaisakhi is usually very short (even sometimes a few minutes) it is very strong. Its average speed is about 80 -100 kilometers per hour which sometimes rises upto 150 kilometers per hour. It can carry a piece of 7 feet X 3 feet tin even upto half kilometer away. Its power to cause damage is very high. Rainfall caused by Kaalbaisakhi can reduce temperature of the region by about 5-10 degrees Celsius in a single blow. As a result, a short-lasting relief from the scorching heat of summer is available but this temporary relief does not mitigate the damage already done. Sometimes Kaalbaisakhi is accompanied by hail which is known as hail-storm.
Once Kaalbaisakhi is over there is opportunity to form another storm because rain water accompanied by storm fills the reservoirs. As a result more steam is produced. When more steam is generated probability of another Kaalbaisakhi becomes greater. Severe storm causes loss of life and property. If the storm is accompanied by mild rain (which is very rare) then yield of mango and jute is good but overall consequence of Kaalbaisakhi is always destructive.
In any sense Kaalbaisakhi is harmful to life, property and crop. Thatched, even tin-shed houses become dismantled, trees and electric poles get uprooted, power supply becomes disrupted, loos of life also occurs. Every year, in April-May, newspaper reports inform that Kaalbaisakhi has caused severe damage. Matured or semi-matured paddy of hundreds of bighas of land has fallen on ground at different places of the country. Farmers are worried about taking the harvest home as Kaalbaisakhi has caused the damage just a few days ahead of harvesting.
Agriculture office advises farmers to cut the fallen paddy quickly but that is not a proper solution. Under such circumstance additional cost of harvesting paddy is required. Under compulsion farmers have to pay 100 per cent-150 per cent more than normal cost. Almost in every such case farmers can’t recover their production cost. Making benefit is a far cry. If amount of rain is heavy then paddy rots on land as harvesting under water is very difficult. Farmers cultivate paddy (or any crop) with much hope but in many cases Kaalbaisakhi of a few minutes tramples all their expectations and toil of around three months. A report of JoomBangla informs that due to Kaalbaisakhi in two consecutive days huge quantity of mangos is Sapahar, Naogaon fell down in earlier year. Owners of mango gardens were deeply frustrated because that is a main source of their yearly earning.
Though devastating in nature and harmful to agriculture Kaalbaisakhi has a stronghold in Bengali film, music and literature. Rabindranath and Nazrul has composed songs and poems on Kaalbaisakhi. Kaalbaisakhi has been mentioned in the immortal song of 21st February by Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury.
In Satyajit Ray’s film Charulata (in English version - The Lovely Wife, based on Rabindranath’s story Nastaneer / The Broken Nest) Charu is an educated girl. Bhupati, her husband, much senior to her in age and busy editor of an English newspaper, has hardly any time to spare for his wife. To remove Charu’s loneliness he invited his cousin Amal and entrusted him with the duty to explore the literary talent within Charu. Amals’s companion gradually raised a storm in the waveless mind of Charu. Riitwik Ghatak has superbly picturised Tagore’s song ‘the night when my doors were dashed by storm’ in his film Meghe Dhaka Tara.
At the beginning of Tagore’s ballet/opera Chitrangada, the heroine Chitrangada requests Arjun to invite her in fight but Arjun humourously refuses to fight with a boy (actually a girl in a boy’s cloak). Being rejected and feeling humiliated her girlhood turns into womanhood. Then, with her maids, Chitrangada dances and sings – ‘Come down storm on the branch of my dry leaves.’ Kaalbaisakhi has also been mentioned in the ancient Khanar Bachan (Rhyme of Khana) – ‘Thar thar in Chaitre / storm stones in Baishakh / they bloom in Jyestha / but it is still raining.’
Along with devastation and frustration Kaalbaisakhi plays an important role in our culture, agriculture, life and literature.
The writer is a former Commissioner of Taxes. He can be contacted at chinmayprasunbiswas@yahoo.com
