While the whole country eagerly waits for the monsoon to arrive, there is one reason which makes the wait for Bengalis a little more special. For months now, Bengalis across the country have been praying for the rain Gods to arrive. The reason – a good monsoon means a more affordable Hilsa on the Bong platter, the gastronomical delight Bengal simply can’t get enough of. Over the past two months Hilsa prices have soared massively owing to less domestic production and ban on import from Bangladesh. With the dispute over Teesta water sharing between the two countries, Bangladesh administration had halted exports a couple of years ago. Give us water and let the Hilsa flow, Bangladesh had said after the water sharing agreement got blocked due to opposition from West Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Never before had a food item fallen prey to such a diplomatic political tangle. But two years down the line, with Mamata back in power again, water seems to be flowing in the right direction. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the West Bengal Chief Minister with twenty kilograms of the best quality Hilsa sourced from the Padma river as Banerjee took oath for the second time. Perhaps also hoping that a bit of Hilsa diplomacy may just help get Mamata onboard this time. “We would definitely export Hilsa to India. We need to increase the transport facility and improve the dockyards for better import as half the fishes get destroyed in the process,” informed Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali earlier this week. HIGH PRICES AFFECT SALE OF BENGALI DELICACY For better part of this year, the Piscean delight had been off the Bengali platter due to exorbitant price. Earlier this month, during the Bengali ritual of “Jamai Shashti” prices had sky-rocketed to record levels. In Howrah, four kilogram Hilsa was sold for a whopping Rs 20,000. But with monsoons knocking at the door, Bengal now hopes that it cools down not just the soaring temperatures, but also the prices of its favourite fish. Pre-monsoon rains have made it favourable for a good catch of Hilsa in the Bay of Bengal. Fisherman in south Bengal’s Kakdwip, Namkhana and Raidighi are happy. Over the last couple of days there has been a steady rise in their catch. More than 30 tons of Hilsa has come to the market and a couple of trawlers that had gone out into the sea have come back with another 90 tons. But what may seem like a reasonable catch is simply not enough for the massive consumer market in Bengal. “A good haul would be nothing short of 1000 tons or so, especially during the monsoon. But that is not the case. It cannot meet the demands of the overall market and thus the middle class Bengali cannot buy it often as they would like to.” says Pradip Chatterjee, Secretary of National Fish Workers Forum in West Bengal. Though fishermen begin their search for Hilsa at the onset of spring, it is the monsoon season that sees the best produce, between June and September. A piece of the well cooked delicacy would cost nothing less than six hundred to thousand rupees at any good restaurant in Kolkata. But high prices have had an adverse impact on their business this season. Interestingly, the retail price of Hilsa also varies from one location to another in Kolkata. While in North Kolkata, the price of a normal quality Hilsa maybe Rs 400 per kilo, the same might cost you Rs 1000 in another market in the south. Amidst a sharp decline in produce, there’s also concern about over fishing. Experts fear it may affect the produce in years to come if not checked in time. “The basic stock of fish is going down because of indiscriminate fishing of the juvenile Hilsa. It was not the case a few years back. Then there’s the concern of polluted water too. So unless we look into it at the earliest, I doubt the Hilsa population would increase in India,” explains Chatterjee. Be it steamed in mustard sauce or simply fried, Hilsa has somehow managed to take a place of pride in the hearts of millions in Bengal. The countdown has begun and Bengal is simply can’t wait to lay their hands on this elusive delicacy.
2016 Living Media India Limited.