Kolkata’s trams—culture, life-literature link

• Sabyasachi Chatterjee, associate professor of history at Kalyani University, highlights the enduring significance of Kolkata’s tram.
• Chatterjee, a historian and environmental activist, believes trams are a non-polluting vehicle.
• His article, published in Bengali literary magazine Krittibas, was widely shared after the West Bengal government’s decision to shut down the tramway.
• Chatterjee cites Tagore’s poem Swapna (dream) and Sunil Gangopadhyay’s poem Neera, referencing the tram’s movement in Bengali literature.
• The tram has also been a significant character in films by Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, and Buddhadeb Dasguta.