Om Puri says hand pulled rickshaws are an integral part of Kolkata, must stay

Veteran Bollywood actor Om Puri was in Kolkata recently to attend an event to felicitate Kolkata rickshaw-pullers, has commented that the hand pulled rickshaws were an integral part of Kolkata and must be preserved. In his words - 'the city's iconic rickshaws should never die'.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 26 June 2016.

Om Puri had portrayed the role of a rickshaw-puller in Roland Joffe's acclaimed film "City of Joy" and has voiced his opinion on abolition of the mode of transport from city roads. He has said that these rickshaw-pullers formed an intrinsic part of Kolkata's life and came to the help of stranded passengers in a flooded city when all other modes of transport stood standstill. During monsoon months nothing moves in Kolkata except rickshaws which are a part of Kolkata's history.
Empathizing with their plight he added that their lungs become weaker because of running all day. They have to endure ills of air pollution, much more than us because they inhale more toxic air as the lungs expand with running. In his opinion, rickshaws could be a massive tourist draw with proper marketing. They can take tourists to the most interesting by-lanes of Kolkata as Hoing Kong has done with their rickshaws.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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