KOLKATA: Chinatown, a popular destination for foodies craving for authentic Chinese cuisine and also having a sizeable concentration of Chinese settlers, has always been blissfully far and away from the humdrum of electoral politics. However, this year is seeing a departure from the norm.
Trinamool activists have been flocking Chinatown over the past one week, asking local Chinese settlers to help them paint wall graffiti in Mandarin.
Locals, who, till now, had chosen to keep themselves away from the poll buzz, responded enthusiastically as they went about adorning the walls in the small township with graffiti in their native Mandarin.
However, till now, the ruling Trinamool seems to be the only political outfit to have thought of painting wall graffiti in an area, which is known for catering to the city’s gastronomic juices with his signature eateries.
The town comes within the ambit of Kolkata (South) Lok Sabha constituency. The graffiti, are aimed at wooing local Chinese voters who number around 1,800.
The party’s nominee Mala Roy said, “Roads here have been widened, sewage system has been restored and a cleanliness drive is carried out on a regular basis. The Chinatown people have always been with us.”
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Currently, around 5,000 Chinese people reside in the area. Earlier, they numbered around 20,000. However, over a period of time, many migrated overseas.
Asked why the party never reached out to people residing in the township, a CPI(M) leader said the Chinese settlers weren’t considered a priority as they were not seen as serious stakeholders.