By Michel Outridge

THIS week the Pepperpot Magazine visited Calcutta Village, East Coast Demerara, and interacted with residents and highlighted the way of life of the people and development.

With a population of 373 residents of mixed races, Indo-Guyanese, Afro-Guyanese and a handful of Indigenous people, Calcutta Village is a place of serenity and togetherness.

The village is situated between the communities of Recess and Catherine and it is the home of livestock and cash-crop farmers, small-business owners and members of the disciplined services

The village has a refurbished community centre and a large field for sporting activities and other events that can accommodate a large gathering.

The main roads in the community are good and there are streets lights and proper drainage and irrigation.

Calcutta has a nursery and primary school, while the nearest secondary school is at Novar and Belladrum.

Residents commute to the Cottage Health Centre, a few villages away for medical services, but the place has many shops, bars and two discos.

This village has vast farmlands for large-scale rice cultivation and rearing of livestock, especially chickens and pigs and residents are making use of the space for such.

Calcutta has a rice mill nearby and 25 percent of the men work at this facility.

The Pepperpot Magazine met James Bond, better known as “Ole Bai,” who is well known and at the time he was sitting under a large tree in his yard with a few villagers, sharing a drink and engaging in a ‘village gaff.’

The 50-year-old stated that he is a native of Calcutta Village, a place he can’t stay away from.

“I was away from this place for three months at one time and I couldn’t bear it. I had to return to my home village, no place is like where you are from, that goes for most people,” he said.

The welder added that he took the day off because in Calcutta one can work for three days and take the rest of the week off.

“This village so nice nothing cannot be a problem here,” he said.

Bond, however, would like to see more residents join the Community Policing Group, which has a membership of only two, and hopes for the bridge to the Community Centre to be repaired for easy access.

He explained that over time, men from the village who went to the interior to work, returned with indigenous wives and there are quite a few in the community.

Bond told the Pepperpot Magazine that they would go to Park Square Fun Park, Mahaicony to unwind, have a swim and to relax generally and they also visit the Fish Shop and Guinness Bar within the village.

“This is a nice place to settle and people are generally friendly and cooperative. They often get together for projects and community development.

“This place people are always looking out for each other and everything just nice as you can see right now; we have no real worries and things normal,” he said.